Recruiting
- QUARTERBACK: 4-star Jaden O’Neal (OK)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 3-star Jonah “JP” Winston (AL)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 4-star Efrem White (FL)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 4-star Brandon Bennett (FL)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 4-star Devin Carter (GA)
- WIDE RECEIVER: 4-star Jasen Lopez (FL)
- TIGHT END: 4-star Xaiver Tiller (GA)
- TIGHT END: 3-star Corbyn Fordham (FL)
- OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4-star Da’Ron Parks (FL)
- OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Mike Ionata (FL)
- OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Jakobe Green (FL)
- OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Luke Francis (London, UK)
- DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4-star Earnest Rankins (GA)
- DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Tico Crittendon (GA)
- DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Wihtlley Cadeau (GA)
- DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3-star Judah Daniels (FL)
- LINEBACKER: 4-star Izayia Williams (FL)
- LINEBACKER: 3-star Karon Maycock (FL)
- LINEBACKER: 3-star Noah LaVallee (GA)
- DEFENSIVE BACK: 5-star Chauncey Kennon (FL)
- DEFENSIVE BACK: 4-star Darryl Bell III (FL)
- DEFENSIVE BACK: 4-star Tedarius Hughes (FL)
- DEFENSIVE BACK: 4-star Jay Timmons (PA)
- DEFENSIVE BACK: 3-star Sean Johnson (MD)
- ATHLETE: 4-star Darryon Williams (FL)
Football
Basketball
Before FSU and FAMU’s exhibition matchup on Sunday, Florida State will retire first-year Rattlers head coach Charlie Ward’s jersey:
Ward will be the first student-athlete in Florida State history to have his number retired in both football (No. 17) and basketball (No. 12).
Ward, the most decorated player in the history of college football, is also one of the top basketball players in Florida State history. After leading the Seminoles to the 1991 Metro Conference Championship, he helped usher the Seminoles into
the ACC in 1992. Ward then led the Seminoles to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Elite 8 in 1993 and the Sweet 16 in 1992.
Ward’s career as a Seminole basketball player spanned 91 games. He averaged 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a program-record 2.6 steals per game. He is the Seminoles all-time leader in steals with 238 – more than 30 years after his career at Florida State concluded. Ward’s nine steals against South Carolina on March 2, 1991, also still ranks tied for the second-highest single-game steals total in school history. He totaled six or more steals in seven different games during his career.
Ward’s career spanned four seasons and two incredibly successful runs in two different conferences. He helped the Seminoles win the 1991 Metro Conference Championship. In that win over Louisville, Ward led Florida State to the conference championship clinching victory after the Seminoles had trailed by 20 points (56-36) with under 16 minutes remaining in the game.
Ward then led the Seminoles into the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992 and did so by engineering an 86-74 win over No. 5 North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill on December 15, 1991, in the Seminoles’ first ACC game.
Ward would lead Florida State to the NCAA Tournament in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The Seminoles advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 1992 for only the second time in school history.
Ward was named to the Metro Conference All-Freshman team in 1991, to the All-ACC Tournament Second Team in 1992, and was an Honorable Mention selection on the All-ACC Tournament Team in 1993.
Ward became Florida State’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1993 after completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,032 yards with 27 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He won the Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards, was named Walter Camp Player of the Year, and Toyota Leader of the Year. He became just the second college football player ever to win the Sullivan Award. The Sullivan Award is presented annually to the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level in the United States.
Ward was selected with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 1994 NBA by the New York Knicks. Ward is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the NBA.
Ward, who graduated from Florida State University in 1994, played for 12 years in the NBA with the Knicks, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Houston Rockets. The point guard averaged 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 630 career games played in the NBA. Ward helped lead the Knicks to the NBA Playoffs four times including the 1989 NBA Championship Finals.
It’s basketball week at Tomahawk — so far, we’ve got a new episode of the Gospel of Ham from Michael Rogner and Matt Minnick, with the illustrious Mr. Minnick also taking part in a one-on-one interview series with Luke Loucks alongside Curt Weiler:
All Sports
Florida State cross country’s Rylee Blade once again was named the ACC Women’s Freshman of the Week:
Blade becomes the first freshman to receive the weekly award twice in the same season since Elizabeth Funderburk in 2018.
Blade continues to rise to the occasion as she competed at the Pre-National meet in Columbia, Missouri to close out her first collegiate regular season. Blade placed within the top-20, crossing the line in 14th with a time of 19:53.0 to help the Seminoles to a fifth-place overall team finish in the women’s 6k. Florida State recorded its highest team finish under coach Cody Halsey and the highest since 2021 at a pre-national meet. FSU outlasted No. 3 Florida, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the South Region.
Florida State swimming and diving redshirt senior Kayleigh Clark was named the ACC Women’s Diver of the Week:
Clark earned the honor for the first time in her career following her performance at the Dual Meet Tournament at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta from October 17-18. She is Florida State’s first women’s diver of the week since February 2024.
Clark is the third Seminole to be recognized with ACC accolades through the team’s first two meets of the year, after sophomores Michel Arkhangelsky and Maryn McDade were named Swimmers of the Week on September 30.
In three head-to-head meets at the Dual Meet Tournament, Clark won four of six events with two runner-up finishes. Both springboard events were contested in each dual, with a three-dive format in each event.
In the opening round against Army on October 17, Clark swept the boards, winning both the 1-meter (156.75) and 3-meter (159.85) events. She delivered a commanding 3-meter performance to win by nearly 20 points.
The Marietta, Georgia, native continued her strong showing throughout the tournament, taking first on 3-meter (171.30) and second on 1-meter (140.45) against No. 8 NC State. Closing out the weekend on October 18, Clark had another first-place finish on 3-meter (162.85) and was second on 1-meter (144.75) vs. No. 20 Auburn.
Clark’s first ACC Performer of the Week honor adds to an already impressive list of career accomplishments. During the 2024-25 season, she qualified for her first NCAA Championships in the 3-meter and platform events at the NCAA Zone B Championships. She also was named to the 2024 CSC Academic All-District Team and CSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team.
FSU track and field announced its 2026 schedule:
The Seminoles will take part in a total of 12 regular season meets, which include a pair at the Mike Long Track for the Terry Long FSU Relays from March 26-27, and the Dick Roberts Seminole Invite from April 10-11.
Florida State will open its 2026 indoor season at the Jimmy Carnes Invite on January 16 in Gainesville, Florida. The Seminoles hit the road for the Clemson Orange and Purple Invitational from January 22-24 in Clemson, South Carolina. FSU will compete at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the first time since 2018 from January 29-February 1.
The Seminoles then split between two meets, with the jumps, throws, and sprints squad set to be represented at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invite from February 12-14. The distance squad will compete in Boston from February 13-14 for the Boston Valentine Invite.
Florida State will enter postseason action at the ACC Championships in Boston from February 26-28, before competing at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville on March 13-14 to close out the indoor season.
The Seminoles will head back to Gainesville for the Florida Relays on April 2-4. Select athletes will also compete at Stanford that same weekend for the Stanford Invite.FSU goes to Gainesville for a second time for the Tom Jones Invite from April 17-18, before the distance squad competes at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on April 22-24.
The Seminoles conclude the regular season at the LSU Invite in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from May 1-2.
The ACC Outdoor Championships are set to take place from May 14-16 in Louisville, before qualifying athletes compete at the NCAA East First Round in Lexington from May 27-30. Two weeks after the regional meet, the NCAA Outdoor Championships will be staged in Eugene, Oregon from June 10-13.
2026 INDOOR SCHEDULE
January 16 | Jimmy Carnes Invite | Gainesville, Fla.
January 22-24 | Clemson Orange & Purple | Clemson, South Carolina.
January 29- Feb 1 | Razorback Invite | Fayetteville, AR.
Feb 13-14 | Boston Valentine | Boston, Mass.
Feb 12-14 | Clemson Tiger Paw | Clemson, SC.
Feb 26-28 | ACC Championships | Boston, Mass.
March 13-14 | NCAA Championships | Fayetteville, AR.2026 OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
March 26-27 | Terry Long FSU Relays | Tallahassee, Fla.
April 2-4 | Florida Relays | Gainesville, Fla.
April 2-4 | Stanford Invite | Stanford, Calif.
April 10-11 | Dick Roberts Seminole Invite | Tallahassee, Fla.
April 17-18 | Tom Jones Invite | Gainesville, Fla.
April 22-24| Penn Relays | Philadelphia, Pa.
May 1-2 | LSU Invite | Baton Rouge, La.
May 14-16 | ACC Championships | Louisville, Ky.
May 27-30 | NCAA Preliminary Round | Lexington, Ky.
June 10-13| NCAA Championships | Eugene, Ore.
