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- 🏹 November 28th - The Chief Brief 🏹
🏹 November 28th - The Chief Brief 🏹
A rivalry-week gauntlet of must-win stakes, front-office fireworks, and November drama — wrapped in one of the busiest weeks of the FSU calendar.
The Chief
November 28, 2025
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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
It’s Thanksgiving Week — and somehow FSU news decided to show up hungrier than the turkey. Today’s edition is loaded with rivalry stakes, roster drama, basketball flashbacks, signing-day tension, and a Black Friday deal that might be the only thing this week not giving Seminole fans heart palpitations.
Here’s what we’re diving into:
⚔️ FSU at The Swamp: Bowl hopes, Norvell’s future tone-setter, and a matchup so tight Vegas basically shrugged.
We break down every positional edge — and whether FSU’s strengths can finally travel for the first time in two years.
🏗️ Inside the front-office overhaul: consultants, NFL-minded hires, job-security anxiety, and a locker room that doesn’t sound united.
The biggest offseason in the Norvell era is already underway — and it’s messy.
🧱 FSU’s 2026 offensive line class: why losing Da’Ron Parks stings, why only one true tackle is a problem, and whether Heze Kent could be a late-cycle swing.
🏀 FSU men’s hoops meets Texas A&M in Tampa — a rematch echoing the 2011 program-shifting NCAA Tournament win.
🏀 FSU women open the Coconut Hoops Classic vs Missouri State, powered by Solè Williams playing like the best shooter in the ACC.
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It’s rivalry week. It’s chaos week. It’s perfect.
Let’s get into it.
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🏀 FSU Meets Texas A&M in Tampa — With Echoes of a Program-Changing Win 🏀
Florida State heads to Tampa for the GEICO Battle in the Bay, taking on Texas A&M this Friday at 5:05 p.m. on ESPN2 — and two current FSU coaches know this matchup all too well.
🔥 Flashback to 2011: A Win That Changed Everything
Assistant coaches Luke Loucks and Derwin Kitchen were on the floor the last time FSU beat Texas A&M — the 57–50 2011 NCAA Tournament victory that snapped a 13-year drought without a March Madness win.
FSU shot 55% in the second half after trailing at the break
Leonard Hamilton shocked everyone by switching to a 3–2 zone
The adjustment held A&M to 27% shooting after halftime
Kitchen led the team with 15 points and 7 rebounds
A 13–0 run sparked by a Kitchen three flipped the game completely
That win propelled FSU into a dominant stretch, including a Round of 32 upset over Notre Dame and a rise in national stature.
📺 Friday’s Matchup Info
FSU vs Texas A&M
GEICO Battle in the Bay — Tampa
Friday, Nov. 28 — 5:05 p.m. ET
ESPN2 (Kempf & Antonelli)
Radio: Jeff Culhane & Ariya Massoudi
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU isn’t chasing tournament history this time, but the parallels are real: same opponent, same coaching figures, same hunger to turn a corner. A win in Tampa would be a meaningful step for a program trying to regain its edge.
🏀 FSU Women Open Coconut Hoops vs Missouri State 🏀
Florida State looks to build momentum in Fort Myers as the Noles take on Missouri State in the GEICO Coconut Hoops opener on Friday at 4 p.m.
🔥 Matchup Snapshot
FSU (3–4) vs Missouri State (5–1)
Friday, 4 p.m. ET — Alico Arena (Fort Myers)
Broadcast: FloCollege
Radio: 96.5 The Spear + SiriusXM app
📈 Key Storyline: Solè Williams Heating Up
Williams enters the tournament on an ACC-leading tear:
17.2 PPG (No. 2 in ACC)
Leads ACC in threes made (19), 3PT% (46.3%), and threes per game (3.17)
Team’s leading scorer in 5 games, including 18 vs Illinois last Sunday
📚 Series Note
FSU earned its first-ever win against Missouri State last season (97–66 at the Paradise Jam), but the Bears still lead the all-time series 4–1.
⏭️ Next Up
FSU will face Coppin State or No. 9/8 Oklahoma on Sunday at either 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. in the Great Egret Division.
🧠 Why It Matters
A hot start in Fort Myers could reset FSU’s early-season trajectory and Williams is playing like a star capable of carrying them there.
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🧱 FSU’s 2026 Offensive Line Class: Solid… but Still a Concern 🧱
With Early Signing Day one week out, Florida State’s offensive line haul is nearly complete and the current group raises real questions about long-term roster building.
🔥 Why High School OL Evaluations Matter More Than Ever
Elite offensive tackles almost never hit the portal — and when they do, their price tag rivals starting Power Four QBs.
FSU’s own experience reinforces the point:
2025: Entire starting OL = portal additions (productive, but capped ceiling)
2024: One of the worst lines in the country — built heavily through the portal
You can patch holes through transfers.
You cannot build a consistently strong line without developing your own tackles.
📉 The Current 2026 Haul
FSU has three OL commits:
3⭐ iOL Jakobe Green (87)
3⭐ iOL Luke Francis (85)
3⭐ OT Michael Ionata (85) — only true tackle
Recent development:
FSU lost 3⭐ OL Da’Ron Parks, their highest-ranked OL commit and biggest planned NIL investment.
Result:
This class now contains FSU’s two lowest-ranked commits and only one projected tackle.
📊 Staff Evaluation Takeaways
The class is underwhelming as currently constructed.
Ideal fallback model: If not landing elite OLs, stockpile multiple high-measurable prospects (similar to how FSU has built its DL classes with 6–7 additions per cycle).
FSU has not done that this year — the numbers are thin.
🔍 Any Late-Cycle Options?
Not many.
No new OL targets are actively trending toward FSU.
One swing worth noting: 4⭐ jumbo athlete Heze Kent (6'6", 300), currently a Florida commit.
FSU is recruiting him as a TE, but:
His highest ceiling is likely at offensive tackle
Flipping him would be a massive hidden win for future OL depth
Even as a TE, FSU loves big bodies (example: Markeston Douglas at 6'5", 270)
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU’s OL future depends on developing multiple high school tackles and this class currently has just one. Missing on Parks and lacking late-cycle options puts more pressure on portal evaluations and future cycles.
🏈 Inside FSU’s Thanksgiving Front Office Update: Tension, Uncertainty & What Comes Next 🏈
FSU’s push for “fundamental changes” is officially underway — but early signs point to a long, complicated road ahead.
🔥 Front Office Overhaul Begins — Slowly
FSU has started vetting options to rebuild its personnel department, including:
Outside consultants to help design a modern front-office structure
Early preference from some internally: an NFL-minded evaluator with ties to the program
Logical (but not reported) names connected to FSU/NFL circles:
Martin Mayhew (Commanders, advisory role)
Brian Xanders (Jaguars personnel executive)
But the timeline is tight:
December → January is the expected window
Unlikely that anyone is hired before Early Signing Day (Dec. 3)
Unclear whether someone will be in place before the portal opens Jan. 2
This creates a messy dynamic as FSU prepares to sign its largest high school class under Norvell.
⚠️ Staff Unease & Internal Stress Rising
Multiple off-field staffers are worried about job security.
Players and coaches? Heavy month.
A major booster described FSU fans arguing in the stands at NC State over whether Norvell should stay.
One player source says locker-room confidence is fractured:
“Mike doesn’t have the locker room anymore.”
Some players still support him, others are checked out, and some expect 2026 to repeat 2025’s issues.
This is the environment FSU is operating in as the overhaul begins.
🔍 Critical Questions Still Unanswered
Budget:
How much is FSU actually willing to spend on a modern front office?
Scope:
Is this an expansion or a full reset of the personnel department?
Norvell’s influence:
He will be “involved,” but how much authority he has is unclear.
Coaching futures:
Both Tony White and Gus Malzahn have expressed HC interest.
Do they return?
Does Norvell want them back?
Will they have other opportunities?
Neither answered directly when asked if they’d be back in 2026.
🏗️ What Model Will FSU Choose?
Two possible directions:
NFL-style structure driven by pro-level evaluators
College-centric model prioritizing recruiting, NIL, and high school scouting
A hybrid — likely, but far from decided
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU is entering the most pivotal offseason of the Norvell era:
Overhaul the personnel operation, stabilize the locker room, clarify the staff, and modernize the program all while navigating the portal and signing the largest prep class in years.
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🏈 FSU–UF Line Holds Tight as Bowl Projections Take Shape 🏈
The market sees Saturday in Gainesville as a coin flip — and bowl projections aren’t far behind.
🔥 Vegas Says: Toss-Up
FanDuel’s latest numbers:
Spread: UF –1.5
Moneyline:
FSU –108
UF –113
Translation:
Books expect a one-possession game, and neither team has separated in betting confidence.
🎁 Where the Experts Think FSU Is Headed
Most national projections continue to lean one direction:
Gasparilla Bowl → consensus pick
Other projections:
Birmingham Bowl vs. Memphis (ESPN – Bonagura)
Birmingham Bowl vs. UConn (ESPN – Schlabach)
Gasparilla Bowl vs. USF (On3, USA Today)
Nothing locks in until Saturday night, but bowl destiny hinges heavily on beating Florida.
👀 Duce Robinson Mum on 2026 Plans
Asked about returning next year, Robinson kept it focused:
“There is a time and place for that conversation. Right now, all of my focus is on Florida and doing my best to make sure that I’ve prepared well and try to make a bowl game.”
🧠 Why It Matters
The line says razor-thin margin. The bowl picture says win-and-you’re-in. And FSU’s best players are treating this like a season-defining game — because it is.
🏈 FSU Heads to The Swamp: A Weird Split, a Bowl Shot & a Road Streak to Break 🏈
FSU enters Gainesville at 5–6, bowl hopes on the line — and carrying one of the strangest statistical profiles in college football.
🔥 A Season of Opposites
Florida State has been simultaneously bad and oddly efficient:
All 5 wins: by double digits
Only 1 loss: by more than 10 points
Avg. margin of defeat: 8.0 points
Only Penn State, Kansas State, Clemson & Auburn have been better among teams with 4+ losses.
On the flip side:
Actual margin of victory: 39.8 points
→ Highest in the country among teams with at least 3 winsMargin vs Power Four teams: 23.0 points (9th nationally)
📊 Advanced Metrics Say… “Pretty Good, Not Great”
F+ Composite: 30th nationally
FEI peers (5 teams above/below): 6.2 average wins
→ Suggests FSU probably should’ve nabbed one more win — but not 8–10.
🎯 What It Means
FSU is a fringe Top 25–30 team whose resume never quite matched the record.
Saturday decides whether those efficiency numbers actually matter… or if the two-year road losing streak defines the season.
🏈 Rivalry Week Preview: Must-Win Stakes, Norvell’s Stand & Where FSU Holds the Edge 🏈
With bowl eligibility, bragging rights, and a two-year road skid all on the line, Florida State heads to Gainesville for a toss-up showdown that will define the season.
🔥 Norvell Back, Pressure Higher Than Ever
FSU got clarity this week when the school chose to retain Mike Norvell for 2026 — but now the spotlight turns to performance. The Noles are 5–6, losers of six of their last eight, and desperate for the win that gets them bowl-eligible.
Norvell’s message:
“I’m not going to let them down… I know what it’s got to be, and we’re going to get it done.”
Florida (3–8) is trying to avoid its fewest wins since 1979. FSU is trying to avoid missing a bowl and entering the offseason at full meltdown.
📊 The Stakes & the Spread
FSU record: 5–6
UF record: 3–8
Spread: Florida -1.5
Moneyline: FSU -108 / UF -113
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
A true coin flip — and FSU has not won a road game since 2023.
🔍 Matchup Analysis: Where the Edge Lies
🟩 UF Passing vs FSU Pass Defense — Advantage: FSU
UF’s passing attack is sputtering (91st nationally), and Lagway’s line reflects it:
63% completions
2,096 yards
13 TD, 13 INT
FSU’s pass defense has surged late, now 32nd nationally, despite injuries at corner. Earl Little Jr. leads with 4 INT, Jerry Wilson has 3, and freshman Mandrell Desir has become an interior havoc engine.
🟩 UF Rushing vs FSU Rush Defense — Advantage: FSU
The Gators rely almost entirely on RB Jaden Baugh (904 yards, 6 TD).
FSU’s run D ranks 37th nationally, with Mandrell Desir (7 TFL) and Blake Nichelson (6.5 TFL) leading the effort.
🟩 FSU Passing vs UF Pass Defense — Advantage: FSU (slight)
FSU throws for 254.6 YPG but Castellanos’s 58% completion rate creates volatility.
Duce Robinson (1,021 yards) is the matchup problem UF has struggled all year to solve.
UF’s pass defense ranks 71st, and injuries have thinned the secondary.
🟩 FSU Rushing vs UF Rush Defense — Advantage: Florida State
FSU is 11th nationally in rushing — with no featured back, but a stable of threats plus Castellanos (team-high 480 yards).
UF allows 152.8 YPG and ranks just 105th in TFLs.
This is the one area where FSU clearly controls the game script.
🟥 Special Teams — Advantage: Florida
UF kicker Trey Smack (16/20, long 56) is a real weapon.
FSU’s kicking, punting, and especially punt returns have all been shaky — two muffs last week underline the risk.
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU has advantages across nearly every position group — except special teams — but the Noles haven’t won away from Doak in over two years. Layer in UF’s rivalry juice, the hostile environment, and a toss-up Vegas line, and everything comes down to this:
Can FSU’s strengths finally travel?
👉 Full matchup breakdown available via CBS Sports and Warchant
And that’s a wrap!
From front-office shakeups to road-game demons, from hoops nostalgia to must-win desperation in Gainesville, this week is the full FSU experience: chaotic, emotional, frustrating, and still somehow hopeful.
Saturday decides everything — a bowl berth, narrative control, and whether the season ends with a pulse or a postmortem.
Enjoy the turkey, enjoy the family, and enjoy the madness.
See you tomorrow, Chief.
— The Chief Brief
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