Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Tuesday, Seminole!

📍 Tallahassee is buzzing... and so are we.

From rivalry fireworks to record-breakers and position battles heating up, today's edition is stacked with stories worth your scroll.

Here’s what’s on deck in this jam-packed Chief Brief:

⛳ Clanton Cooks at Valspar
FSU Men’s Golf is in the hunt after a scorching Day 1 from Luke Clanton.

🏀 Latson Makes History
FSU Women’s Hoops bows out, but not before Latson rewrites the record books in legendary fashion.

⚾️ Rivalry Reloaded in Jax
Noles vs. Gators. Neutral site. Sold out. First pitch at 6 PM — buckle up.

🏈 Spring Intel: Early Risers Emerge
From Duce to Darrell, spring standouts are making their mark as the new era takes shape.

🔥 Position Battles Breakdown
With 30+ newcomers and two new schemes, the competition is on — here’s who’s trending at key spots.

Let’s get into it.👇

⛳ Clanton Cooks, Noles in Contention at Valspar

FSU Men’s Golf came out swinging on Day 1 at the Valspar Collegiate, grinding through 36 holes and landing in fifth as a team at the Floridian Golf Club.

🔥 Luke Clanton lit it up with a 66 in Round 1 and sits 7-under, tied for 5th in the individual standings heading into Tuesday’s final round.

Meanwhile, Tyler Weaver (69), Gray Albright (68), and Jack Bigham (69) all posted strong rounds, with Albright and Bigham at 1-under and tied for 27th.

🕣 Final round tees off Tuesday at 8:30 AM — stay locked for a potential Nole surge.

Read more here

🏀 Record-Breaking Season Ends in Baton Rouge

FSU Women’s Hoops saw its incredible season come to a close in the NCAA Second Round, falling to No. 3 seed LSU, 101–71 — but not before rewriting the record books.

🌟 Ta'Niya Latson was relentless, pouring in 30 points, snagging 7 boards, and dishing 4 assists to tie the program record for most points in an NCAA tourney game. Her first-period layup shattered FSU’s single-season scoring record — she now holds the top spot with 731 points, averaging a nation-leading 25.2 PPG across 29 games.

💪 Makayla Timpson added 14 points and 9 rebounds, officially resetting her own single-season rebounding record with 350. That’s 26 straight games scoring double figures for the sophomore beast.

Other key contributors:

• 🧠 O'Mariah Gordon: 7 pts, 5 dimes

• 🎯 Sydney Bowles: 10 pts, 2 triples

• 💥 Malea Williams: 7 pts, 4 boards

This team didn’t just hoop — they made history.
✅ 24 wins – most in five seasons
✅ 4th straight 20+ win year
✅ All-ACC First Team trifecta (Latson, Timpson, Gordon)

👑 Latson and Timpson both finished second in voting for ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.

This squad left it all on the court — and the future? Bright. 🌟

Read more here

⚾️ Showdown in Jax: Noles vs. Gators, Round 2

🔥 It’s rivalry time — again. No. 4 Florida State (20-3, 5-1 ACC) heads to VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville tonight to take on the No. 19 Gators in a sold-out neutral-site clash. First pitch is set for 6 PM ET, and the stakes? Sky high.

🎥 Watch: ACCNX
📻 Listen: WFLA 100.7 FM, FSU Gameday App
📱 Follow: @FSUBaseball / @NoleBaseball on social

💥 Pitching Matchup:

• FSU: So. RHP John Abraham (2–0, 3.65 ERA) — making his first start of 2024

• UF: Fr. LHP McCall Biemiller (0–0, 7.20 ERA) — making his first collegiate start

📊 Noles by the Numbers:

• 🔥 .335 team batting average

• 💣 41 homers, 💨 32 stolen bases

• 🧱 2.98 ERA, 266 Ks in 199 innings

🏆 Alex Lodise is raking at a .458 clip with 44 hits and 8 doubles.
💪 Max Williams leads in bombs (10), and Joey Volini is a straight-up machine on the mound: 6–0, 0.99 ERA, 52 Ks.

🧨 FSU looks to bounce back after dropping the March 11 matchup vs. UF, their first loss of the season. But they’ve taken 6 straight series, including a gritty road W at Miami. This is the final in-state game before the Noles head north to Notre Dame for an ACC clash.

📈 FSU is top-6 in every major poll, including No. 4 in D1Baseball and Coaches.

👀 Expect fireworks. Expect passion. Expect a gritty, high-stakes fight under the lights in Jax.

Read more here

🏈 Spring Intel: “Sources Say” Early Standouts Emerging in Camp

With limited media access to spring practices, the word coming out of Tallahassee is based on what sources say — and early returns are encouraging across the board.

🔁 QB Room Check-In

• 💣 Tommy Castellanos has reportedly impressed as a passer, showing arm angle versatility and upgraded velocity. The 61.5% passer from BC is getting real buzz for his offseason grind and command in Norvell’s system.

• 🔥 Brock Glenn isn’t far behind. Sources say he’s accurate, dialed in, and earning major respect in the locker room. After a rough 2024, he’s getting a clean slate — and making the most of it.

🛡 O-Line Anchors

• 🧠 Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest transfer) is drawing praise for his Football IQ and leadership at center.

• 🚜 Micah Pettus (6’7", 355 lbs!) is moving way better than expected and is living up to top transfer billing.

🚀 Skill Guys to Watch

• 🦍 Duce Robinson is that dude. At 6’6”, 222, he reportedly took a short pass 60 yards to the house in practice. Already drawing Keon Coleman–Johnny Wilson comparisons.

• 🧱 James Williams (Nebraska EDGE) has added 15–20 lbs and still looks explosive. “Motor like Braden Fiske,” per one source. NFL whispers are real.

• 💪 Darrell Jackson is stacking strong practices and showing signs of leveling up in 2025.

🔒 Secondary Rising

• 🕵️ Ja’Bril Rawls has emerged as an early standout at corner. Now up to 185 lbs, he’s physical and making plays.

• 🧨 Earl Little Jr. is thriving at “rover” after an injury-riddled 2024. Multiple mentions as a head-turner.

⚡️ Fast, Faster, Malzahn
New OC Gus Malzahn is bringing tempo on tempo, and players are responding. Early practices are faster, louder, and more intense under this new staff.

🚑 Injury Notes
Some early knocks will sideline a few players for the rest of spring — but no long-term concerns heading into fall.

🔜 FSU is back on the field Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week. And we’ll keep the updates coming.

Read more here

🔥 Spring Battles Breakdown: Who’s Got Next at Key Spots?

After a 2-win 2024 and 30+ newcomers on deck, nothing’s guaranteed in Tallahassee this spring. Mike Norvell and staff are juggling two schemes and a roster full of upside — and that means true competition across the board.

Let’s break down the most intriguing position battles so far:

🎯 WR2 (Opposite Duce + Squirrel)
Contenders: Hykeem Williams, Jalen Brown, Lawayne McCoy, Elijah Moore, Jayvan Boggs
Favorite: Williams

• Duce Robinson (9-WR) and Squirrel White (slot) are penciled in, but WR2 is still open season.

• Williams has the size and blocking chops Gus Malzahn loves — and he’s entering “now or never” territory.

• No early buzz from the group yet, but if someone pops, it’ll shake things up fast.

• Sleeper watch: BJ Gibson or Micahi Danzy could push inside if Squirrel shifts wide (multi-sport status pending availability).

🧱 Both Guard Spots
Contenders: Adrian Medley, Richie Leonard, Jacob Rizy, TJ Ferguson, Andre' Otto
Favorites: Medley & Leonard

• Medley’s UCF experience + early consistency has him locked in as the guy to beat.

• Leonard was quietly FSU’s best lineman pre-injury last year. Healthy again = big upside.

• Reports say Medley held his own vs. Darrell Jackson — that’s no small feat.

🏃‍♂️ RB1
Contenders: Roydell Williams, Kam Davis
Favorite: Williams

• Both backs had flashes last year but never took off.

• Williams has had a strong offseason and is battling for the bell-cow job before freshman stud Ousmane Kromah arrives this fall.

• Kam still needs to clean up vision/block setup.

💣 Defensive Line (Across the Board)
Contenders: Everyone
Favorites:

• Jack: James Williams

• DTs: Darrell Jackson + Daniel Lyons

• DE: Deante McCray

• DL coach Tony White is testing combinations in a 4-man front with hybrid looks.

• Don’t sleep on underclassmen (Amaree Williams, Kevin Wynn, Desir Bros.) making noise later in camp.

🧠 Linebacker Unit (All 3 Spots)
Contenders: Omar Graham, Blake Nichelson, Justin Cryer, Elijah Herring, Stefon Thompson
Favorites:

• Mike: Omar Graham

• Will: Blake Nichelson

• Jack: Elijah Herring

• Thompson brings scheme experience, but spots are open. Herring might be the wild card of the group.

🔒 CB2 (Opposite Quindarrius Jones)
Contenders: Ja’Bril Rawls, Charles Lester, Jamari Howard, Shamar Arnoux
Favorite: Rawls

• Rawls has been the most buzzed-about player in camp — physically transformed and making plays.

• Former 5-stars Lester & Howard will push, but Rawls has the inside track early.

🛡 Boundary Safety
Contenders: Shyheim Brown, KJ Kirkland, Conrad Hussey
Favorite: Brown

• Brown is the veteran with a leg up once he’s fully healthy.

• Max Redmon and Donny Hiebert are getting reps now — and turning heads.

⚙️ The theme of spring: options. New energy. New talent. Real competition. With the pads barely dry and only three practices down, expect more shakeups ahead.

Read more here

And that’s a wrap!

From fairways to fireballs and depth charts to duels in Duval, this week is showing us one thing:
The Noles aren’t just reloading — they’re revving up.

⚡ Stay tuned for final-round fireworks from Men’s Golf.
⚾ Catch tonight’s clash with the Gators live at 6 PM.
🏈 And keep an eye out — spring camp stories are just getting started.

As always, we’ll be watching it all — so you don’t have to.
See you in the next Brief. 🍢