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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy hump day, Seminole!

Here’s what’s on deck in today’s edition:

⚽ Defensive Lockdown — Janet Okeke earns ACC Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring back-to-back shutouts.

💪 Community First — Richie Leonard named to the Allstate Good Works Team, adding his name to Seminole history both on and off the field.

⚽ Top-10 Clash — No. 7 FSU heads to Chapel Hill for a prime-time showdown with No. 19 North Carolina.

🏈 Noles in the NFL — Ramsey picks one off, Sweat forces a fumble, and Derwin James gets called the best safety in NFL history by Jim Harbaugh.

⚾ Cal Raleigh Keeps Raking — Raleigh breaks Mickey Mantle’s switch-hitting HR record and keeps climbing toward Griffey’s Mariners mark.

🏀 Recruiting Power — Seminole basketball still owns the No. 1 class in 2026, with a handpicked target list down the stretch.

Plenty of wins, milestones, and momentum for the Garnet & Gold — let’s dive in.

🎟️ Lock In Your Season Pass & 1-in-50 Odds for Miami Tickets 🎟️

We’re giving away 2 extra tickets to Miami @ Florida State — but only the first 50 Season Pass sign ups will be entered. Just 42 spots remain.

⚽ Okeke Named ACC Defensive Player of the Week ⚽

Florida State sophomore defender Janet Okeke has earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors after anchoring back-to-back shutouts to open conference play. It’s her first career ACC weekly award and FSU’s first of the season.

🔥 Why She Won

• Played all 90 minutes in the 2–0 win over Louisville, holding the nation’s top-scoring team to just 1 shot on goal.

• Helped limit Syracuse to 1 shot on goal and 4 total shots in FSU’s 4–0 road win.

• Leads the team with 502 minutes played this season, starting 6 of 7 matches.

📊 Team Context
FSU has allowed just 1 goal in 7 games, ranking No. 4 nationally in both goals-against average (0.145) and shutout percentage (.857). The Noles are riding a 4-match shutout streak heading into a top-25 clash.

⏭️ What’s Next
Okeke and the No. 7 Seminoles travel to Chapel Hill on Wednesday night to face No. 19 North Carolina (7 p.m., ACC Network).

👉 Read more on Okeke’s breakout here

💪 Richie Leonard Named to Good Works Team 💪

Redshirt senior OL Richie Leonard IV was honored Tuesday as a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, recognizing his community impact off the field. He’s the ninth Seminole all-time to earn the distinction and third under Mike Norvell.

🌟 Off-Field Impact

• Founded the Richie H. Leonard Football Camp in Cocoa, free for kids, with over 600 participants in two years.

• Donated $5,000 to Cocoa High’s football program.

• Joined FSU FCA’s mission trip to Argentina, teaching American football abroad.

• Sponsors an AAU basketball team, engages with youth in Cocoa and Tallahassee, and is planning care packages for cancer patients at Moffitt (where his mother was treated).

📊 On the Field
Leonard has started both of FSU’s wins in 2025 (Alabama, ETAMU) without committing a penalty.

📌 Context
FSU’s 9 all-time honorees lead all Florida schools and rank tied for 7th nationally. Leonard is also a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, college football’s top award for community service. Fans can vote through Nov. 10 at ESPN.com/Allstate.

👉 More on Leonard’s honor here

⚽ Top-10 Showdown: FSU at UNC ⚽

No. 7 Florida State women’s soccer (6–0–1, 2–0–0 ACC) hits the road Wednesday night for a heavyweight clash with No. 19 North Carolina (7–2–0, 1–0–0) in Chapel Hill (7 p.m., ACCN).

🔥 By the Numbers

• FSU: 26 goals, 27 assists, +25 GD — shutouts in 6 of 7 matches, including four straight.

• UNC: 26 goals, 15 assists — riding a six-game win streak after a 1–2 start.

• National ranks: FSU is top-5 in assists (No. 2), goals per game (No. 3), and GAA (No. 4).

🌟 Players to Watch

• Wrianna Hudson — 7 goals (5 in last 4 games), No. 4 nationally in goals per game.

• Jordynn Dudley — Team-best 5 assists.

• Addie Todd — 0.23 GAA, .889 save percentage.

• UNC’s Olivia Thomas — Leads Tar Heels with 8 goals, 18 points.

📊 Series History
FSU is 14-31-6 all-time vs. UNC, but the Noles have flipped the script — unbeaten in 4 of the last 5 and winners of 2 straight, both in 2024 (including the ACC title game). FSU’s 14 wins are the most of any program against UNC.

⏭️ What’s Next
The Noles stay in North Carolina to visit NC State on Sunday (1 p.m.).

👉 Full preview and links to watch here

The Next Billion Dollar Tech Exit?

Ring 一 Acquired by Amazon for $1.2B
Nest 一 Acquired by Google for $3.2B

If you missed out on these spectacular early investments in the Smart Home space, here’s your chance to grab hold of the next one.

RYSE is a tech firm poised to dominate the Smart Shades market (growing at an astonishing 55% annually), and they just announced an exclusive public offering of shares priced at just $2.00.

With 10 patents, over $10M in revenue, and national retailer presence, RYSE is positioning itself as the next big acquisition target in smart home tech.

Here’s what sets them apart:
- Triple-Digit Growth – Revenue growing 200% year-over-year
- Major Retail Footprint – In 100+ Best Buy locations with plans to scale across Home Depot, Lowe’s, and more
- Real Energy Impact – Save up to 24% on cooling and 74% on lighting costs—a game-changer for energy-conscious homes

🏈 Noles in the NFL: Week 2 Recap 🏈

Former Seminoles made their presence felt across the league in Week 2:

🔥 Standout Performances

• Brian Burns (Giants): 3 solo tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs, 1 QB hurry, and a pass defended.

• Graham Gano (Giants): Perfect day — 3/3 FGs (long 38) + 4/4 PATs.

• Renardo Green (49ers): 5 solo tackles + a pass defended in a starting role.

• Jalen Ramsey (Steelers): 6 tackles, 2 passes defended, and an INT.

• Josh Sweat (Cardinals): 3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs, QB hurry, and a forced fumble.

• Keon Coleman (Bills): 3 catches for 26 yards.

• Derwin James (Chargers): 7 tackles + 2 passes defended.

• Jarrian Jones (Jaguars): 2 solo tackles + 1 pass defended.

👀 Other Notables

• Eddie Goldman (Commanders): 2 tackles.

• Trey Benson (Cardinals): 44 total yards (14 rushing, 30 receiving).

• Derrick Nnadi (Chiefs): 4 tackles.

• Ryan Fitzgerald (Panthers): Hit his lone FG (27 yards) + PAT.

• Tatum Bethune (49ers): Special teams tackle.

• Jermaine Johnson II (Jets): 4 tackles + pass defended.

FSU alums made impact plays on both sides of the ball — with Ramsey’s interception and Sweat’s strip sack leading the highlights.

👉 Full Week 2 stat breakdown here

⚡ Harbaugh Calls Derwin James the NFL’s Best Safety ⚡

Former Seminole Derwin James keeps stacking elite performances — and drawing elite praise.

🔥 Monday Night Impact

• 7 tackles + 2 pass breakups in the Chargers’ 20–9 win over the Raiders.

• One deflection led to a game-sealing INT in the end zone.

🗣️ Coach’s Words
Jim Harbaugh didn’t hold back:

📊 All-Around Force

• Played just 1 snap at safety — instead lining up on the DL (10 snaps), in the box (27), and at slot corner (30).

• PFF ranks him among the top 10 safeties in pressures and coverage grade through two weeks.

🌟 Why It Matters
James’ versatility and dominance make him one of the league’s most feared defenders — and a shining FSU alum on the biggest stage.

👉 Full breakdown of James’ performance here

⚾ Cal Raleigh Passes Mantle, Keeps Crushing ⚾

Former Seminole Cal Raleigh just made history — and then kept going.

🔥 Record-Breaking Night

• 55th HR: Broke Mickey Mantle’s all-time record for most in a season by a switch-hitter.

• 56th HR: Added another for good measure, padding his league lead.

📊 By the Numbers

• 56 HR, 118 RBI — both lead MLB.

• .954 OPS — .248 AVG / .362 OBP / .592 SLG.

• 45 HR as a catcher anchoring Seattle’s lineup.

• Career: 148 HR in 5 seasons (previous single-season high was 34).

⏭️ What’s Next
With 11 games left, Raleigh now has Griffey’s Mariners record (57) and the AL’s legendary 60-HR club in sight.

👉 More on Raleigh’s historic pace here

🏀 Hoops Recruiting Update: No. 1 Class, More to Come 🏀

Florida State men’s basketball continues to own the nation’s No. 1 class for 2026 with four pledges already in the fold:

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ C Marcis Ponder

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ PF Collin Paul

• ⭐⭐⭐⭐ SG Brandon Bass Jr.

• ⭐⭐⭐ PG Jasen Lopez (two-sport commit)

🔥 Who’s Still on the Board

• Gage Mayfield (SF, 4⭐) — OV to FSU in August; also visited Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma; will see Michigan this weekend before deciding.

• Kevin Thomas (SF, 4⭐) — Visits Miami (late Sept.) and Auburn (mid-Oct.); no clear decision timeline but FSU remains in play.

🚫 Visits Canceled
With four commitments secured, FSU narrowed focus and canceled multiple visits, including Joe Philon, Gavin & Gallagher Placide, Alex Egbuonu, and Herly Brutus.

👀 Upcoming Target

• Abdou Toure (SF, 4⭐) — Will officially visit FSU Oct. 17. Has seen Providence and Arkansas; also considering Louisville, Maryland, Oregon, and UConn.

🌟 Why It Matters
Coach Loucks and staff are being selective down the stretch — building on a No. 1 class while only pursuing handpicked, high-upside fits.

👉 Full recruiting breakdown here

And that’s a wrap!

That’ll do it for today’s Chief Brief. From Janet Okeke locking down the ACC to Cal Raleigh rewriting the MLB record books, it’s a good time to be rocking Garnet & Gold. And with a Top-10 soccer clash in Chapel Hill and Miami tickets still up for grabs in the Season Pass promo, the action is only heating up.

See you tomorrow, Noles Nation — and as always, stay unconquered.