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- š¹ Weekly Wrap July 21st - July 28th - The Chief Brief š¹
š¹ Weekly Wrap July 21st - July 28th - The Chief Brief š¹
Camp clocks in, Woad cashes in, and the recruiting board keeps buzzing
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Tommy Castellanos was asked about the UF rivalry. Said his first week, he walked into a meeting drinking a Gatorade. They told him to throw it away and heās only had Powerade since then.
@josh_newberg will be happy to know, it was Odell that told him. š
ā TJ Pittinger (@TJ_Pittinger)
2:52 PM ⢠Jul 23, 2025
š¹ Welcome to The Chief Brief! š¹
š This Week in Garnet & Gold š
ā³ Woadās winning debut: Former FSU star Lottie Woad won the Womenās Scottish Open in her first professional start, closing with a 68 to finish at ā21 and pull away on the back nine.
š Camp countdown: Preseason camp opens Wednesday, July 30, with Norvell laying out the 25āpractice framework at ACC Kickoff. Expect a fuller, healthier roster than spring.
š Doakās facelift, ACC in town: Doakās capacity is now 67,277 after the $265M renovation; ACC Networkās Football Road Trip features FSU on Aug. 12 (7 p.m. ET).
š Recruiting wins & watchālists: 4ā OL DaāRon Parks committed; EDGE Andrew Rogers reclassed to 2026 and put FSU on his fall visit list; the 2026 class sits ~No. 14 heading into camp.
ā¾ Draft haul finalized: FSU set a program record with 11 players drafted; headliners Jamie Arnold (Aās, No. 11) and Alex Lodise (Braves, No. 60) have signed their deals.
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š Camp Clock: Structure, Health, and Early Leaders
Crews continue their work on the Doak Campbell Stadium renovation at Florida State. All leading up to the Seminoles season opener against Alabama on August 30th. @Seminoles@FSUFootball@FloridaState@ManhattanBuild
ā Nations Group (@Nations_Group)
3:33 PM ⢠Jul 25, 2025
Practice starts Wednesday (July 30). Norvell confirmed the NCAAās 25 practices over 29 days format (8 fullāpad, 8 shells, 9 helmets) and said most of the roster will be full go. The notable update: DL Jayson Jenkins is ahead of schedule and expected to ramp by midācamp, a meaningful boost for a retooled front.
Leadership check: Secondāyear DB Earl Little Jr. traveled with the veterans to ACC Kickoff and has emerged as a toneāsetter at Rover in Tony Whiteās 3ā3ā5, praised for versatility and edge. Expect him to be central to the defenseās identity reset.
Frontāfour reset: Between returners (Darrell Jackson, Daniel Lyons), portal pieces (James Williams, Jayson Jenkins once cleared), and freshmen (Kevin Wynn, the Desir twins), the DL is long on parts and short on final answersāby design. White and DL coach Terrance Knighton will mix roles (including the Jack) to find pressure packages as camp unfolds.
Doak, but shinier: The $265M renovation trims capacity to 67,277 while adding chairbacks, massive endāzone boards, improved concourses, concessions, and ADA access. The stadium debuts when Alabama visits Aug. 30; the ACC Football Road Trip crew arrives Aug. 12 for a primetime look at camp.
File this under āwatch listā: Senior QB Tommy Castellanos landed on the Maxwell Award Watch List, underscoring national expectations for his dualāthreat impact in Gus Malzahnās first FSU offense.
š Recruiting RoundāUp ā Parks Pops, EDGE Board Evolves
BOOM! FSU lands a Commitment from Blue Chip OL DaāRon Parks, the #1 player in West Virginia!
4āļø | No. 350 NATL | No. 25 IOL in ā26
š¢ 6ā5/350 with a 6ā10 wingspan
š¢ OT/OG Flex. Fits best at Jumbo OG
š¢ Powerful Punch + Core
š¢ Brick Wall in Pass Pro
š¢ Solid Mover for 350 lbsā Clay Fink (@clay_fink)
8:50 PM ⢠Jul 26, 2025
Big trench win: DaāRon Parks (IOL/OT) committed to FSU over Auburn, Kentucky and a late Ohio State pushāan immediateāhelp candidate with size, movement, and a multiāspot fit. His pledge gives Tribe26 another cornerstone up front and nudges the class into the Topā15 (~No. 14) entering camp.
Next edges up: Andrew Rogers reclassified to 2026, named FSU among his finalists, and scheduled a fall visit to Tallahassee. Heās 6'6"/240 with production and lengthāexactly the profile FSU wants at EDGE/Jack after summer misses.
Flip radar: Recently minted LSU commit DeAnthony Lafayette (4ā EDGE) is leaving the door open for fall visits; FSUās late offer + the hybrid Jack role have his attention.
Board churn you can feel: After expanding the passārush net, FSU offered Chris Carbin (GT commit) and elevated Jarius Rodgers (Syracuse commit) and DeAnthony Lafayette to highāpriority status, with international prospect Gustaf Henriks Ras joining the eval line. OT options remain thin but active.
Underclass watch:
2027 QB Jayce Johnson (Topā100) announces Aug. 3; Aggies surged late, but insiders say FSU is still very much alive.
2027 5ā CB Joshua Dobson hears heavy Clemson/Tennessee pressure, but FSU stays in the chase as fall trips stack up.
ā³ Fairways on Fire ā Woad Wins in First Pro Start
I guess thatās a pretty good first week at work.. Really happy to win the ISPS Handa Womenās Scottish Open! šš“ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó “ó æ
Thank you to everyone for an amazing week!ā Lottie Woad (@LottieWoad)
6:25 PM ⢠Jul 27, 2025
Lottie Woad walked into the LPGA and seized a trophy, winning the ISPS Handa Womenās Scottish Open at Dundonald Links. She handled a midāround charge with birdies on 13 & 14, then wedged to tapāin range on 18 to clinch it. Itās the kind of firstāweek statement that vaults her among the tourās mustāwatch rising stars. Next: a sprint into the AIG Womenās Open with real momentum.
ā¾ Pro Noles ā Record Draft Class, Deals Done
The Braves got a freaking steal here! Alex Lodise is a heck of a player š®āšØš¢
ā Link Jarrettās Burner š¢ (@bgoodrich210)
1:47 AM ⢠Jul 14, 2025
FSU just posted a programārecord 11 MLB draftees. The signing tracker is almost complete, headlined by:
LHP Jamie Arnold (1.11, Athletics) ā $5.985M (full slot).
SS Alex Lodise (2.60, Braves) ā $1.297M (underslot).
RHP Cam Leiter (2.65, Dodgers) ā $1.349M (slot).
SS/3B Max Williams (3.78, Marlins) ā $897K.
With the July 28 deadline, nearly all have penned dealsāanother proof point in FSUās development pipeline.
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Management has a proven track record and plans to go public in Q1 2026.
š„ New Sport, Big Hire ā Lacrosse Adds a Champion
Womenās lacrosse rounded out its inaugural staff by hiring Rachel Clarkāa national champion, Team USA member, and fourātime FirstāTeam AllāACC attackerābringing instant credibility, recruiting gravity, and gameāday edge as Year 1 approaches.
ā” Quick Hits
Academics: Track & Field / XC earned USTFCCCA Team Academic honors, with 6 men + 10 women AllāAcademic (plus XC standouts). Books and blocks thriving in tandem.
Summer League: M.J. Walker helped Charlotte win its first NBA Summer League title; valuable minutes for the Swarm vet in Vegas.
āBreak the Rockā: Darrell Jackson took the sledge to close summer workoutsāone of Norvellās top cultural markers heading into camp.
WR speed check: Squirrel White is full go; Castellanos called him āreally fast,ā with motionāheavy usage on deck.
š Player of the Week ā Lottie Woad š
Lottie Woad is the betting favorite at Royal Porthcawl. This is her first major start as a professional.
ā Meg Adkins (@megadkins_TFE)
5:34 PM ⢠Jul 28, 2025
Why: Winning an LPGA event is hard. Winning one in your debut is historic. Woadās poise, birdie timing, and closing composure screamed āready now.ā The Nolesā fairway pipeline just authored another marquee moment.
š OnāDeck (July 29 ā Aug. 5, ET)
Date | Event | Why Watch |
---|---|---|
Tue, Jul 29 | Report Day | Medicals, meetings, and the final baseline before camp. |
Wed, Jul 30 | FSU opens preseason camp | First looks at rotations, health checks (Jenkins), and Malzahnās install pace. |
ThuāSun | Camp practice window | Early separation at QB/WR/OL; who pops in the DL/Jack shuffle? |
Next Mon | MLB signing wrap | Final dotted lines from FSUās record 11āplayer class. |
Tue, Aug 12 | ACC Football Road Trip (7 p.m., ACCN) | Oneāhour Tallahassee takeover, behind the scenes + camp features. |
š³ļø Fan Poll ā Who Owned the Week? |
āļø SignāOff
Thatās the wrap, Chief: a trophy on the links, a camp door swinging open, a stadium ready for prime time, and a recruiting board with fresh momentum at the spots that matter most. The next seven days are all about separation and survival in the heatāearning roles, locking rotations, and proving this rosterās ceiling.
Stay locked, stay loud, andāas alwaysāGo Noles!
ā The Chief
How'd we do? |