Noles News: Blue-chip receiver puts FSU in final 4 schools (2024)

Recruiting

2026 defensive back Jayden Broadnax, out of Boca Raton, received an offer from Florida State on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound prospect is considered a four-star by the 247Sports Composite Rankings and also holds offers from the Syracuse Orange, UCF Knights, Wisconsin Badgers, Louisville Cardinals, Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats and Boston College Eagles, amongst others:

2025 four-star receiver Vernell Brown has Florida State in his top four — the Orlando prospect, who plays with Seminoles’ quarterback commit Tramell Jones in 7-on-7 ball, is set to visit Florida State in June:

From The Osceola:

“I love everything about them. I love the direction that program is heading. Everything about it is good with me. I love Coach (Mike) Norvell and Coach (Ron) Dugans and the rest of that staff. We’ve built a good relationship — I talk to them multiple times a week. I’m excited to get back for the OV and to continue learning more about the school, the program and even Tallahassee.”

From On3:

“Florida State has a great staff. They were my second offer and they have been on me hard since. I like what Coach Mike Norvell is doing.”

“Looking at what I want in a school, [Florida, Florida State, Miami and Ohio State] stand out the most. All four schools run great programs, all have a lot of things I like and all four recruit me hard. “They are different in some ways, and similar in some ways, but all four schools have a lot of the things I am looking for in a school.”

From TTJH Sports:

“They were my second offer, and ever since then they’ve been on me really hard, making sure that I’m a priority for them. Love the staff, love the direction the program is heading, definitely could see myself playing there.”

Football

The first two kickoff times of the 2024 season have been announced, with Florida State set to take on Georgia Tech at noon on August 24 and Boston College in primetime on Labor Day:

Florida State football announced today the first two kickoff times of the 2024 season — its international season opener vs. the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on August 24 and its Labor Day home matchup vs. the Boston College Eagles on September 2.

Both matchups will air on ESPN.

The Seminoles are currently a double-digit favorite in both matchup — according to DraftKings, Florida State is a 13-point favorite over Georgia Tech and a 23-point favorite over the Eagles.

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin is FSU’s first international game in program history. The August 24 date also matches the earliest game in program history, a 38-31 win over Iowa State in Kansas City on August 24, 2002. Florida State leads the all-time series with the Yellow Jackets 15-11-1, including a 15-4 mark since the Seminoles joined the ACC prior to the 1992 season. Florida State is 56-21 all-time in season openers.

The Labor Day night matchup against the Eagles is the fourth straight stand-alone game on Labor Day weekend for FSU after hosting Notre Dame on Sunday night in 2021 and playing LSU in neutral-site matchups in 2022 and 2023 on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Florida State will be making its eighth appearance on Labor Day and playing in Doak Campbell Stadium on Labor Day for the fourth time. FSU is opening its season with consecutive ACC games for the first time since 2003 when it opened with North Carolina, Maryland and Georgia Tech in the first three weeks. Florida State leads the all-time series with Boston College 16-5 and has won 12 of the last 13 matchups

ESPN ranked the top offenses in college football after spring, with Florida State coming in at No. 13:

After winning the ACC, FSU is positioned well overall and on offense, where coach Mike Norvell has thrived throughout his career. The Seminoles lose quarterback Jordan Travis and several other standouts, but their continued success in the portal, along with gradual upgrades of positions like wide receiver and offensive line, boosts the long-term outlook. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei’s fascinating college journey will culminate in Tallahassee after stops at Oregon State and Clemson. Uiagalelei is set to lead the offense in 2024, before turning things over to a younger player like incoming freshman Luke Kromenhoek, ESPN’s No. 159 recruit for 2024. FSU’s portal prowess suggests it can land notable quarterbacks even if its own recruits don’t pan out. The QBs will be throwing to a largely new group this season, as top receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, and tight end Jaheim Bell are off to the NFL. FSU added transfers Malik Benson (Alabama) and Jalen Brown (LSU) to complement returnees such as senior slot receiver Ja’Khi Douglas and sophom*ore Hykeem Williams. Senior tight end Kyle Morlock had 19 receptions last year and will lead the group, which brings back veteran reserve Jackson West and adds Landen Thomas, ESPN’s No. 53 recruit in the 2024 class.

Norvell is bullish on FSU’s offensive line outlook, despite some production loss in the short term. The Seminoles return tackle Robert Scott Jr., who started most of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons before an injury-marred 2023. Scott will rejoin fellow seniors Darius Washington, Jeremiah Byers and Keiondre Jones, who all have rotational experience. FSU also went to the portal for senior Richie Leonard IV, who started 14 games at Florida, and Alabama reserve TJ Ferguson. The starting group should be solid in front of Uiagalelei but FSU must develop for beyond 2024, as it adds Jonathan Davis (ESPN’s No. 110 recruit for 2024) and has a 2025 commitment from Solomon Thomas, ESPN’s No. 14 prospect. Senior running backs Lawrance Toafili and Caziah Holmes are quality holdovers who join Alabama transfer Roydell Williams, who rushed for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Tide. Freshman Kam Davis, ESPN’s No. 85 recruit in the 2024 class, should contribute in 2025 and beyond.

Their full list:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Georgia Bulldogs
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
6. USC Trojans
7. LSU Tigers
8. Tennessee Volunteers
9. Oklahoma Sooners
10. Michigan Wolverines
11. Ole Miss Rebels
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
13. Florida State Seminoles
14. Penn State Nittany Lions
15. SMU Mustangs
16. Utah Utes
17. Kansas State Wildcats
18. Miami Hurricanes
19. Missouri Tigers
20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Arizona Wildcats
22. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
23. Memphis Tigers
24. Louisville Cardinals
25. Washington Huskies

Baseball

FSU baseball struggled in its return to Dick Howser Stadium on Tuesday, with the Stetson Hatters putting on an offensive showcase to claim a 10-5 win:

The Seminoles pitching staff has struggled over the last few games as injuries, fatigue and control problems have reared their head — and on Tuesday, the long ball plagued the FSU arms.

starter Matt Sauser and the second two by Conner Whittaker. The Seminoles jumped into the homerun fest with a solo shot by James Tibbs in the fourth, his 22nd on the season. On the mound, Yoel Tejada tossed three solid innings until a bad start to the sixth inning, more to come there.

In the top of the sixth, Florida State pulled even with the Hatters. Marco Dinges started it with reaching via an error and then a Daniel Cantu double. Alex Lodise was hit by a pitch and Drew Faurot brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. Cantu scored on a wild pitch for run number three. Finally, Lodise scored on a Jordan Williams double. The inning appeared to give the Seminoles life until the bottom of the frame happened.

Tejada allowed a homerun to start the inning before recording the first out. After allowing the next two batters to reach, Tejada was relieved by John Abraham who promptly loaded the bases with a walk. Next up was Connor Hults who gave up a run on a fielder’s choice before allowing a two-run triple. An RBI single followed and Noah Short came in to escape any further damage. When all was said and done, Stetson was up 9-4.

The Hatters homered again in the seventh and Tibbs cracked his 23rd home run in the ninth to bring the final score to 10-5.

What does the addition of former Auburn Tigers linebacker Cam Riley and former Colorado Buffaloes (and Florida State) defensive back Omarion Cooper, as well as the loss of wide receiver Destyn Hill mean for the Seminoles in 2024?

Jordan Silversmith took a look at the latest roster changes for FSU football:

Softball

Who’s ready for some NCAA Tournament action? FSU softball is hosting a regional for the 10th season in a row, and Brian Pellerin and Gwyn Rhodes have your back with a breakdown of everything you need to know on the latest episode of the Seminole Softball Wrap:

All Sports

Florida State men’s golf logged a a 13-under in the second round on Tuesday at the NCAA Stanford Regional at Stanford Golf Course and are now in second place at 26-under:

Sophom*ore Luke Clanton is hunting down his second straight NCAA Regional title, being tied for the lead at 9-under (65-66) alongside Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon. Clanton hopes to be the third consecutive Seminole to win an NCAA Regional after teammate Brett Roberts did it two years ago at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional.

As a team, Florida State would need to shoot a round of 9-under on Wednesday in order to break the lowest NCAA postseason three-round score vs. par in program history. That score was 34-under by the 2021 team at the Tallahassee Regional held at Seminole Legacy Golf Club.

Clanton’s round included four birdies and 14 pars recorded on Tuesday. He tees off at 11:44 a.m. ET/8:44 a.m. PT in Wednesday’s final round.

FSU is well within its Top 5 mark needed to advance to what would be its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship. In third place is Texas A&M (21-under), with Ole Miss (13-under) and SMU (10-under) in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Two other Seminoles are in the Top 6 of the leaderboard in senior Frederik Kjettrup (T4) and redshirt senior Cole Anderson (sixth). Kjettrup had FSU’s low round of the day with a 65, carving up Stanford Golf Course with seven birdies while a double bogey at the par-4, 440-yard 10th hole was his only blemish. Kjettrup is just one stroke off the lead at 8-under (67-65).

Anderson (7-under) remains two shots off the lead after finishing with a 67 in his second round. The Camden, Maine, native delivered six birdies and continues to peak at the most crucial time of the year.

Gray Albright (1-under) is tied for 25th after shooting a 69, while Brett Roberts is tied for 40th at 2-over.

Ahead of FSU women’s golf beginning play in the 2024 NCAA Championship on Friday, FSU SID Chuck Walk profiled Charlotte Heath and Alice Hodge:

As they prepare to step onto the first tee box for the first of four rounds of stroke play, Heath and Hodge have been the driving forces of three of the most successful teams in the history of the program. With those two in the lineup, the Seminoles have earned the top three NCAA Championship Finals finishes in school history (ninth in 2021, and fifth in both 2022 and 2023), which have helped the Seminoles advance to match play at the finals site for the first two times in school history (2022 and 2023), won the first two NCAA Regional championships in school history (2021 at Louisville and 2022 at Tallahassee), and helped the Seminoles win nine in-season tournament championships.

Heath has enjoyed a fabulous career and begins the NCAA Finals ranked fifth in school history with a career stroke average of 72.20. Her stoke average during her junior season (70.56) is the best in school history for a full season. Her career-best score of 65 in the first round of the 2021 Valspar Invitational is tied for the best single-round score in school history. Heath’s score of 72 in the final round of the Las Vegas Regional championship gave her 60 career scores at par or better – the all-time record by a Seminole. More than half of her 113 career rounds have been scored at par or better.

Hodge, who graduated from FSU with a grade point average of 3.923 and a degree in finance, is equally impressive off the course and as one the top scholars on a team that earned a 3.829 cumulative grade point average during the spring 2024 competitive season.

Hodge earned President’s List honors (for a perfect 4.0 grade point average) three times and has been named to the Dean’s List four times. She hasn’t earned any grade less than a B+ in any of her business or liberal studies classes. She’s been named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first three years as a Seminole. She will certainly be named to both of those prestigious teams again this season.

In addition to the incredible academic standings she has achieved, Hodge finds herself in the Seminole record book in no less than eight different categories. She’s ranked 14th in school history with a career stroke average of 74.24, tied the school record with a 65 in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Tallahassee Regional championship, and holds the 11th-best NCAA Championship stroke play score in school history.

Florida State women’s soccer has signed Giana Riley, former Gonzaga Bulldog forward:

The forward out of Manteca, California, was a First Team All-West Region and All-WCC First Team performer as a sophom*ore last season and started in 18 games for the Bulldogs. Riley led the team with 12 goals and 30 points on the year and ended last season with career highs in shots (55), shots on goal (30) and assists (6). Riley showcased an impressive shot on a goal percentage throughout the season at 54.5%. Last season, Riley recorded her first collegiate hat trick against Pepperdine to help the Bulldogs to their first-ever WCC Championship. Riley also recorded three other multi-goal games and helped the Bulldogs to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

As a freshman in 2022, Riley was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team as she started in 13 games and appeared in all 18 of them scoring five goals, while also accounting for four assists.

Riley has also been a staple with the U.S. U-20 Youth National Team, having attended every training camp in 2024, including trips to Colombia and Germany. Like five of her future Nole teammates, Riley is seeking a spot on 2024 U.S. U-20 World Cup Team.

Riley attended John C. Kimball High School where she was named Varsity Defensive Player of the Year during her freshman year, and was named the Varsity Captain during her sophom*ore and junior years. Riley was also named a Scholar-Athlete her freshman, sophom*ore and junior years. Outside of soccer, Riley ran track and also participated in three years of basketball.