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- 🏹 November 20th - The Chief Brief 🏹
🏹 November 20th - The Chief Brief 🏹
Noles Surge in the Pool, on the Pitch & Into a High-Stakes Friday Night
The Chief
November 20, 2025
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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Thursday, Seminole!
A massive Thursday of Florida State athletics is here, Chief and today’s edition is loaded.
Women’s soccer gears up for the NCAA Second Round, more school records fall at the Georgia Invite, and recruiting + football storylines sharpen ahead of Friday night’s must-win in Raleigh.
Plus, FSU posts historic academic numbers, women’s hoops heads to Gainesville, and we dive into what NC State insiders really think about the Noles.
Here’s what we’ve got for you today:
⚽ FSU Soccer Chases Another Deep NCAA Run ⚽
The No. 3-seeded Seminoles face Lipscomb in D.C. after a dominant First Round showing — and the program’s postseason résumé is as elite as ever. We break down the matchup, key players, and why Pensky’s squad is built for November.
⛳ FSU Adds Elite German Golfer Nils-Levi Bock ⛳
Eight top-10 finishes, a German National Amateur title, and European team experience — the Noles land a polished 2026 talent with real international pedigree.
🎓 Record Graduation Success Across FSU Athletics 🎓
FSU ties its all-time high Federal Graduation Rate and sets a new GSR record — with football and baseball both posting their best marks ever. A complete snapshot of the academic surge under Michael Alford’s leadership.
🏊♂️ Another School Record at the Georgia Invite 🏊♂️
Logan Robinson shatters the 200 free record one day after it fell, Baravelli and Mansson post NCAA qualifiers, and diving shines again. The Noles are cooking in Athens.
🏀 Women’s Hoops Takes the Rivalry to Gainesville 🏀
FSU has won 11 of the last 13 vs. Florida — and gets a chance to extend the streak tonight on SEC Network. Three Noles hit double figures in the Indiana battle; can Bowles stay hot?
🎾 Eva Shaw Reaches NCAA Round of 32 🎾
FSU’s junior standout wins her NCAA debut and becomes the first Seminole to qualify for fall singles nationals since 2024.
🏥 FSU Injury Report Ahead of NC State 🏥
Four Noles are questionable — including starting guard Richie Leonard — and seven are out. Full availability picture before Friday night.
🎓 Redshirt Watch: Who’s Still at Four Games or Fewer 🎓
A position-by-position look at everyone still inside the redshirt threshold with two regular-season games remaining.
🏃♂️ Tommy Castellanos’ Burst Is Back 🏃♂️
FSU’s QB showed real juice vs. Virginia Tech — a huge sign entering matchups against two defenses struggling vs. the run. Malzahn says he looks like “fresh legs Tommy” again.
🐺 What NC State Insiders Really Think About FSU 🐺
A full breakdown from Raleigh: the view on Castellanos’ road struggles, Duce Robinson’s dominance, FSU’s defensive tendencies, the injury impact, and fresh context on Mike Norvell’s future — including the increasingly realistic $100M decision window.
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⚽ No. 3 FSU Set for NCAA Second Round vs. Lipscomb on Thursday ⚽
Florida State women’s soccer continues its postseason push Thursday as the No. 3-seeded Seminoles face Lipscomb in the NCAA Second Round in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
🔥 How FSU Entered Round Two
Coming off a 4–0 rout of Samford in the First Round
Unbeaten in last four matches with an 11–3 scoring margin
Now 11–2–4 on the season (7–1–2 home, 4–1–2 away)
Made the ACC Tournament for the 31st straight year
Has played three No. 1 seeds already this season (1–2–1)
💨 Tournament Pedigree
26 consecutive NCAA appearances
21–2–1 all-time in the Second Round
85–19–6 (.798) all-time record in NCAA play
4 national titles • 14 College Cup appearances
Pensky: 250 career wins; 65–7–12 at FSU
🔥 FSU Offensive Firepower
47 goals, 50 assists on 320 shots this season
National ranks:
5th in goals/game (2.76)
6th in points/game
7th in assists/game
8th in shots/game
🌟 Top Players
Jordynn Dudley: 30 pts • 12 assists (#3 nationally) • 9 goals
Wrianna Hudson: 12 goals • #5 nationally in shot accuracy (.660)
Kate Ockene: 0.87 GAA • 2 straight shutouts
🔒 Scouting Lipscomb
15–5–2 overall, ASUN champions
10–0–2 at home; 5–5–0 on the road
Coming off a 1–0 upset of Mississippi State in the First Round despite being out-shot 18–3
Making their 5th NCAA appearance and 2nd Second Round trip
FSU is 31–1 all-time vs ASUN teams (never faced Lipscomb)
💡 Storylines to Watch
FSU’s elite attack vs. a Lipscomb side that survives on efficiency
Dudley continuing her All-American-level season
Ockene’s growing reliability in goal
Pensky seeking his 5th straight Second Round victory at FSU
🧠 Why It Matters
A win moves the Noles into Sunday’s Third Round matchup vs. Georgetown or West Virginia — and keeps FSU on track for another deep NCAA Tournament run.
⛳ FSU Men’s Golf Signs German Standout Nils-Levi Bock ⛳
Florida State added a major international talent to its 2026–27 roster with the signing of Nils-Levi Bock, one of Germany’s fastest-rising amateur players.
🔥 Elite International Résumé
8 top-10 finishes in European events since early 2024
2024 German National Amateur Champion, winning by two strokes (71–67–68–70)
Top-5 at German Match Play (May 2025)
3rd at German International Amateur
Runner-up at the Portuguese Intercollegiate
Top-15 at the Nations Cup in Spain
9th at European Men’s Club Trophy
Represented Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy victory
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU continues to expand its international pipeline with a polished, tournament-tested golfer poised to contribute immediately when he arrives in 2026.
🎓 FSU Posts Record Academic Marks Across Athletics 🎓
Florida State Athletics matched a program-record 65% Federal Graduation Rate and set a new all-time high with a 91% Graduation Success Rate, according to NCAA data released Wednesday.
🔥 Program-Wide Academic Excellence
65% FGR — ties the highest in school history
91% GSR — new program record (previous: 89%)
Data reflects student-athletes entering 2015–16 through 2018–19
💨 Perfect Scores Stack Up
Several programs posted 100% GSR:
Men’s Basketball (5th straight year)
Women’s Golf (16th straight year)
Volleyball (14th straight year)
Women’s Swimming (5th straight year)
Women’s Tennis (5th straight year)
Women’s Basketball
Softball
🔥 Football & Baseball Hit All-Time Highs
Football: 84% GSR (new record)
Baseball: 90% GSR (ties program record)
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🏊♂️ FSU Sets Another School Record at Georgia Invite 🏊♂️
Florida State swimming & diving kept the momentum rolling Wednesday with another program record and a wave of top-tier finishes on Day 2 of the Georgia Invitational.
🔥 Logan Robinson Breaks the 200 Free Record
Robinson clocked 1:31.77 in the 200 free — breaking the FSU record set just 24 hours earlier by teammate Michel Arkhangelsky.
Both times surpassed a five-year-old program mark (1:32.76).
💨 More Standout Performances
Tommaso Baravelli: 2nd in the 100 breast (51.68) — NCAA qualifier, 2nd-fastest in FSU history
Julia Mansson: NCAA-qualifying 1:00.17 in 100 breast
Diving: Evelyn Hall (3rd), Kayleigh Clark (4th) on 1-meter; Jack Bessire (7th), Noah Turner (8th) in men’s 3-meter
IM Excellence: Mathias Christensen posted an NCAA-qualifying 3:45.58 in 400 IM prelims
🧠 Why It Matters
Back-to-back nights with school records show FSU is swimming at an elite, postseason-ready level against a stacked field of Top-20 programs.
🏀 FSU Women Head to Gainesville for Rivalry Matchup vs. Florida 🏀
Florida State (3–2) travels to Gainesville on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. tip against Florida (4–1) at the O’Connell Center.
🔥 Rivalry Trends
UF leads the all-time series 45–41
But FSU has won 3 straight and 11 of the last 13
💨 Last Time Out
FSU fell 76–72 to Indiana on Sunday despite three players hitting double figures:
Sydney Bowles — 19 pts, tied career-high with 8 FTs
Jasmine Shavers — 16 pts
Pania Davis — 12 pts, 7 reb (team-high, tied with Avery Treadwell)
📺 How to Watch
SEC Network — Sam Gore & Debbie Antonelli
Radio: 96.5 The Spear & SiriusXM 371 (Melissa Bruner & Jack Kavovit)
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU has dominated the rivalry recently and a road win over a 4–1 Gators squad would be a major early-season momentum boost.
🎾 Eva Shaw Reaches Round of 32 in NCAA Singles Championships 🎾
Florida State junior Eva Shaw capped her fall season with a strong showing at the NCAA Singles Championships, advancing to the Round of 32 in Orlando.
🔥 Opening-Round Victory
Shaw won her NCAA debut, defeating Denver’s Louise Wikander 6–4, 6–3.
Broke serve twice in the first set
Controlled momentum late to close out both sets
Never trailed in the second set
💨 Round of 32 Battle
Matched up with No. 21 Carmen Andreea Herea (Texas), Shaw fought through long exchanges before falling 6–3, 7–5.
Led 2–1 early in Set 1
Held a 4–3 edge in Set 2 before Herea’s late surge
Pushed every deciding point in a competitive straight-set match
🌟 Historic Milestone
Shaw became the first FSU women’s player to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship since the event moved to the fall season in 2024.
🧠 Why It Matters
A Round of 32 run in her first NCAA appearance highlights Shaw’s momentum heading into team play which begins in January.
🏥 ACC-Mandated Injury Report: Four Noles Questionable vs. NC State 🏥
Florida State released its weekly ACC injury report ahead of Friday night’s road matchup at NC State — with one key starter in doubt.
🔥 Questionable for Friday
Four Seminoles are listed as QUESTIONABLE:
OG Richie Leonard — left last week’s VT game early
LB Omar Graham Jr.
TE Chase Loftin
RB Samuel Singleton Jr.
❌ Out for Friday
Seven Noles are officially OUT:
CB Ja’Bril Rawls
CB Quindarrius Jones
CB Ricky Knight
DL Deamontae Diggs
LB Caleb LaVallee
LB Ethan Pritchard
DB Donny Hiebert
🎓 Redshirt Watch: FSU Players at 4 Games or Fewer 🎓
With two regular-season games left, these are the Seminoles who remain within the NCAA’s four-game redshirt threshold (some have redshirted previously).
🔥 Quarterbacks
Jaylen King (Jr.) — 1 game
Brock Glenn (R-So.) — 4 games
Michael Grant (R-So.) — 1 game
Kevin Sperry (Fr.) — 3 games
🏃♂️ Running Backs
Kam Davis (So.) — 4 games
Jeremiah Johnson (R-Fr.) — 2 games
🎯 Wide Receivers
Gavin Blackwell (R-Sr.) — 4 games
Camdon Frier (R-Fr.) — 4 games
Teriq Mallory (Fr.) — 4 games
Tae’Shaun Gelsey (Fr.) — 4 games
🧵 Tight Ends
Greyson Labiad (R-Jr.) — 4 games
Luke Douglas (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Chase Loftin (Fr.) — 3 games (injured)
Gavin Markey (Fr.) — 1 game
🧱 Offensive Line
Jonathan Daniels (R-Fr.) — 4 games
Tye Hylton (R-Fr.) — 0 games
Manasse Itete (R-Fr.) — 1 game
Josh Raymond (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Chavez Thompson (Fr.) — 4 games
Ja’Elyne Matthews (Fr.) — 0 games
Chastan Brown (Fr.) — 0 games
Mario Nash Jr. (Fr.) — 0 games
Sean Poret (Fr.) — 0 games
🛡️ Defensive Line
Deamontae Diggs (R-Sr.) — 3 games
Tyeland Coleman (Jr.) — 3 games
Jamorie Flagg (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Kevin Wynn (Fr.) — 4 games
L.A. Jessie Harrold (Fr.) — 1 game
Tylon Lee (Fr.) — 3 games
💥 Linebackers
Ashton Bracewell (R-So.) — 2 games
Brandon Torres (R-So.) — 1 game
Caleb LaVallee (R-So.) — 1 game (injured)
Gav Holman (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Jayden Parrish (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Ethan Pritchard (Fr.) — 0 games (injured)
🛡️ Defensive Backs
Jamari Howard (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Jarvis Boatwright Jr. (R-Fr.) — 2 games
Max Redmon (Fr.) — 2 games
Zae Thomas (Fr.) — 2 games
Antonio Cromartie Jr. (Fr.) — 2 games
🎯 Specialists
Peyton Naylor (R-So.) — 2 games
Brunno Reus (Fr.) — 4 games
Ethan Post (Fr.) — 2 games
Alex Nocco (Fr.) — 0 games
🧠 Why It Matters
These final two games will determine who preserves a redshirt and who the staff might deploy in strategic, limited-game roles down the stretch.
🏃♂️ Tommy Castellanos Showing His Burst Again 🏃♂️
Florida State may be getting a crucial element of its offense back just in time: a healthier, more explosive Tommy Castellanos.
🔥 Vintage Burst on Display
Castellanos flashed his trademark quickness on a short-yardage TD vs. Virginia Tech, planting left and cutting sharply back inside.
It was his most decisive running sequence in weeks as he continues to move past a lingering ankle injury from Game 3.
💨 Malzahn: “Fresh legs again”
OC Gus Malzahn said Castellanos looked closer to early-season form:
“He did look a little quicker… kind of like he had the fresh legs back.”
Staff has been strategically protecting him after weeks of heavy hits.
Castellanos ran for 45 yards, his highest output since Miami (57 yards).
🔒 Why His Legs Matter
Malzahn’s offense thrives with a running QB — and Castellanos’ mobility has been limited for a month.
Now, with two games left, Norvell says his QB is “feeling good” and making game-changing plays with his feet again.
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU needs at least one road win to reach bowl eligibility — and Castellanos’ legs could be the difference:
NC State: 84th in YPC allowed
Florida: 230+ rushing yards allowed in each of its last two games
🐺 Deep Dive: What NC State Is Saying About FSU (and What It Means) 🐺
With kickoff less than 48 hours away, NC State insiders and FSU reporters offered an unfiltered look at the Seminoles — from Tommy Castellanos’ road struggles to the program-wide uncertainty surrounding Mike Norvell.
🔥 Castellanos on the Road: The Core Issue
NC State’s preview leans heavily on one theme: FSU’s offense collapses away from home.
Castellanos is completing just 53.4% with 2 TD / 3 INT in road games.
Nee says the problems trace back to two things:
• Turnovers (Virginia)
• Failure to finish drives (Stanford, Clemson)Outside of Duce Robinson, the offense has been inconsistent everywhere.
Nee’s bottom line:
FSU’s road problems are multi-year and fixing them has been the focal point all week — but no one knows if it will translate.
💨 Why Duce Robinson Is Unstoppable
NC State’s staff singled out Duce Robinson as FSU’s clear offensive engine:
ACC leader in receiving yards (947)
Wins 1-on-1s “consistently,” with elite size + athleticism
Most-targeted Nole “by a healthy margin”
Other weapons to watch per Nee:
TE Randy Pittman Jr. — wildcat packages + chain-mover
Micah Danzy — elite track speed
Lawayne McCoy — rising target share
Samuel Singleton Jr. — RB1 last three weeks
🔒 FSU’s Defense Through NC State Eyes
Wolfpack analysts view the Noles as stingy statistically… but vulnerable situationally.
Nee’s assessment:
Unit has had “bad days at the office” vs Virginia, Miami & Pitt
Doesn’t consistently dictate play
Gives up sustained drives & key downs
Impact defenders to know:
DT Darrell Jackson — space eater
DL Mandrell Desir — frequent backfield disruptor
S Ashlynd Barker — steady coverage + tackling
Rover Earl Little Jr. — tone-setter, huge workload
🚑 Injury Check
Per Nee:
OG Richie Leonard — questionable
CB Ja’Bril Rawls — out for the season, forcing freshman Shamar Arnoux into a starting role
Depth hits continue in the secondary
🪓 The Big Picture: Norvell’s Future & Why These Games Matter
The second source dives into the program-level context shaping the next two weeks:
FSU admin believes it could navigate a buyout — but doesn’t want to.
Full coaching + buyout cycle could cost up to $100M, viewed as poor ROI.
A bowl berth is reportedly a potential threshold to keep Norvell into 2026.
Insider takeaway:
Decision makers are split between long-term data (six seasons) and short-term emotions (next two games).
There’s also growing talk of restructuring the program with:
An NFL-style “President of Football Operations”
A full scouting + roster management front office
More autonomy from the AD / BOT
This move would support Norvell or help manage the next transition.
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU is fighting for bowl eligibility, road credibility, and program stability and Friday’s result could shape everything from the offseason narrative to the head coach’s future.
And that’s a wrap!
From soccer’s postseason push to a fresh school record in the pool to the fast-approaching Friday night showdown in Raleigh — today showed just how much is moving across the Seminole landscape.
Tomorrow’s edition will bring final NC State updates, fresh recruiting notes, and post-match reactions from a full slate of Thursday action, including women’s soccer’s NCAA Second Round and women’s hoops in Gainesville.
As always, thanks for reading The Chief Brief — where every Nole headline lands first.
See you tomorrow, Chief. 🍢🔥
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