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)
- 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
In news that only helps ease the pain due to the ACC’s new revenue sharing rules, FSU’s loss to Virginia was most watched Friday night ESPN game ever, outside of Black Friday matchups (FSU also was part of college football’s most-watched Black Friday game since 2011, when the Seminoles beat UF in 2022):
Curt Weiler took a look at Ja’Bril Rawls and his ascension as a full-time starter this season:
ESPN graded some high-profile first-year coordinators, giving FSU’s Gus Malzahn an A- and Tony White a B+:
Norvell wasn’t going to give up offensive playcalling to just anybody. Malzahn mentored Norvell early in his coaching career, and the chance to reunite at Florida State made sense for both.
“I feel like I got one of the best playcallers in the country,” Norvell told ESPN this summer.
The Malzahn move paid off right away as Florida State consistently stayed a step ahead of Alabama in a 31-17 upset to open the season. FSU averaged 6.1 yards per play and converted 5 of 12 third-down chances and both of its fourth-down opportunities, including a fourth-and-1 from the Seminoles’ 34-yard line with a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Florida State is averaging 53 points per game and 8.2 yards per play under Malzahn, whose creativeness has repeatedly shown up. There were some missteps in Friday’s loss at Virginia, as Florida State committed three turnovers and couldn’t convert several opportunities in Cavaliers territory. But Malzahn’s usage of quarterback Tommy Castellanos, wide receiver Duce Robinson and others has been effective.
The Malzahn move made waves throughout the sport because power-conference head coaches rarely leave for coordinator spots, but Florida State’s hiring of White also qualified as a significant coup. White had performed well at Nebraska, an ascending program, but left to try to revive an FSU team that had slipped to 87th nationally in points allowed.
Like Malzahn, White had an immediate effect. White comes from the Rocky Long coaching tree and employs a variation of Long’s 3-3-5 scheme. Florida State was the more physical defense in the opening win against Alabama, holding the Tide to 87 rushing yards while allowing just 6 of 17 third-down conversions and 2 of 5 fourth-down conversions.
Players such as safeties Earl Little Jr. and Ashlynd Barker have shined under White.
“One of the things that’s most attractive for me bringing him here, is that you’ve seen so many different variations, the philosophy, the mindset, really it’s the style of play that I love more than anything else,” Norvell told ESPN. “He does a great job utilizing personnel and showcasing his playmakers, but the style of play is something that definitely holds true.”
White’s grade certainly was higher before Friday’s loss at Virginia, which often bullied Florida State’s defensive front despite being down several offensive linemen. Virginia converted 7 of 13 third-down chances and both of its fourth-down opportunities and scored 16 more points (46) than FSU had allowed in its first three games combined.
Soccer
All Sports
Florida State sophomore golfer Freya Russell will represent her home country, Scotland, at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship beginning tomorrow:
The championship will take place at the Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore and will be hosted by the Singapore Golf Association.
Russell and Scotland will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy against 36 teams alongside her three Scottish teammates.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in such an amazing event,” said Russell. “Having this opportunity to represent my country on such a big stage is always an honor.”
Russell is one of the top junior golfers in Scotland and a member of the Scottish Women and Girl’s High-Performance Squad as well as a Sports Scotland adopted athlete. Russell recently represented Scotland at the Boyd Quaich Women’s Championship in late June where she placed second after she carded 16 birdies and one eagle in her first three rounds of play.
Russell has played in two events for the Seminoles. Most recently she finished in a tie for 30th place in the individual standings at the 2025 Schooner Fall Classic. She opened the tournament with a 2-over-par 72 in the first round which she followed with a second-round 71 for a 36-hole total of 143, placing her 40th after two rounds. Russell closed well with a career-best 69 in the final round to finish tied for 30th with a three-round total of 212 (+2), marking the lowest 54-hole score of her Florida State career. She contributed to Florida State’s sixth-place finish in the team standings at the Schooner Fall Classic.
Florida State swimming and diving sophomores Michel Arkhangelsky and Maryn McDade were named the ACC Swimmers of the Week on Tuesday:
The conference honors come following Arkhangelsky and McDade’s performances at the season-opening FSU Invite at the Morcom Aquatics Center from Sept. 26-27. Both are recognized for the first times in their careers.
Florida State sweeps the men’s and women’s swimmer of the week honors for the first time since November, 2022. McDade also is FSU’s first women’s swimmer of the week since November, 2022, and Arkhangelsky is bestowed with the Seminole’s first men’s swimmer of the week since February, 2024.
The Seminole duo both won seven events at the FSU Invite, each with three individual victories and wins in all four relays.
Arkhangelsky took home individual wins in the 50 freestyle (19.54), 100 freestyle (42.75) and 50 butterfly (20.77). His relay wins came in the 200 medley, 100 freestyle, 100 medley and 200 freestyle. The sophomore from Nice, France, is coming off an impressive inaugural season, where he won an ACC championship in the 100 backstroke, was an ACC runner-up in two more events and earned First Team All-American honors.
McDade was named the ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week after she won the 50 freestyle (22.72), 50 butterfly (23.98) and 100 freestyle (50.03). The Fleming Island, Florida, native also played a key role in all four relays, swimming the leadoff leg of the 100 and 200 freestyle victories and also helping her relay teammates to wins in the 100 and 200 medley.
Florida State women’s basketball seniors Amaya Bonner and Sydney Bowles will travel alongside head coach Brooke Wyckoff to the 2025 ACC Tipoff:
The Seminoles will be featured in the afternoon at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown along with Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, SMU and Virginia.
Bowles and Bonner, who are two of the team captains, will represent the Seminoles for the first time in their careers.
In her first season with Florida State, Bowles played in 33 games, starting 18. She scored 349 points, averaging 10.6 per game and posted 27 steals in 33 games.
The Lithonia, Georgia native was one of four Seminoles to score at least 30 points in a game in the national-leading scoring offense (86.9 PPG), registering her career high of 32 in the win at Georgia Tech.
Bonner, who has played 64 games, starting four in the Garnet and Gold in two seasons, has scored 233 points. She also has 35 steals and 17 blocks in 64 games with the Noles.
The Fremont, California native added a career-high six assists in the first round NCAA Tournament win over George Mason. She also tied her career high of three steals against the Patriots.
Florida State will start the 2025-26 season on Nov.3, facing Florida A&M at home.
