It's the QB's third time back on Florida State's campus in as many months. Holtzclaw is a prospect that FSU is monitoring for the distant 2027 class.

https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...-enjoys-the-culture-in-place-at-florida-state

FSU sports information:

The No.27/RV Florida State Cross Country teams hosted the FSU XC Invitational on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park as the men’s team collected its second win of the season.

"I’m really pleased with how well the guys executed the race as a team today,” said FSU assistant coach Ian Frazier. “Going into this race our main goal was to control our home course and have a good experience at ARP. Each one of these guys put themselves in a good position at the 2K and stayed patient over the early middle portions of the race.”

Lucas Bouquot led the Noles to their second team win in the 8k, crossing the finish line in sixth with a career best of 24:43.0. Patrick Donnelly followed in seventh with a lifetime best of 24.44.9. Wynne Thomas was the third Nole to cross the line with a personal best time of 24:48.3. Tanner Simonds placed 13th at 24:55.5. Michael Toppi was the fifth FSU scorer in 15th with a career time of 25:04.1.

“As a team we set the goal of moving hard at the 7K which we knew would put us in the position to win the team title,” added Frazier. “Thankfully, the plan worked, and the guys were rewarded with the course PB and lifetime PB also. This group is in a great spot and I’m proud of them. Special Kudos to Tanner Simonds who in his first outing at the distance was able to break 25 minutes and finish right with our pack.”

Nicole Dinan turned in the top time for the Seminoles in the women’s 5k, placing fourth at 17:19.7. Emily Brown followed in ninth at 17:42.7. Jane Eiselstein placed 10th with a lifetime best of 17:44.1. Suus Altorf crossed the line in 12th stamping a time of 17:49.9. Avery Cahoon rounded out the scoring in 22nd at 18:10.6.

"The women competed really well today,” said FSU women’s head coach Cody Halsey. “Any day we have the opportunity to race hard at home is a massive win. The community out there today was electric. Nicole had a fantastic day. She was running right with some world class and national level athletes and held her own. That was a lot of fun to see. I’m so excited for the start of her career here."

The Noles will close the regular season at the Wisconsin Pre-National meet on Oct. 19 in Madison at the Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Championship course.

FSU head coach Mike Norvell will be in Gainesville, Georgia tonight to watch 2025 Seminoles WR commit CJ Wiley play against Gainesville High School. Wiley took an unofficial visit to UGA last weekend to watch the Bulldogs take on Auburn.

This is a big visit for Norvell after FSU lost the commitment of commit Daylan McCutcheon to Texas yesterday. Wiley is currently the only wide receiver committed to FSU for 2025.

Class of 2027 WR Grant Haviland, who has an FSU offer, also plays for Milton.

Florida State has offered several players at Gainesville High including 2025 OT Alex Payne who is committed to North Carolina. They have also shown interest in 2027 OL Tyler Ford.

It's natural to be disappointed in your defense when it gives up 500 yards and loses but a coach's job is to identify not only the problems but the areas of success, he can build from.

I came out of the Clemson game thinking FSU had enjoyed a modicum of success in the redzone, so I took a deeper dive into the play by play to verify what my eyes had seen, and the results might surprise you.

The Tigers averaged 6.85 yards per-play over the course of the game but held the Tigers to 15 yards on 17 plays (.8823 yards per play) in the redzone.

Surprised?

The Seminoles are tied for 132nd among 134 FBS schools in terms of the number of times opponents have reached the redzone 28 times — an ignoble statistic — but ranked No. 25 nationally in limiting opponents to 21 scores (.750). Eight of those 21 scores were field goals.

So while it’s bad that teams are reaching the red zone so often, limiting the scores in the redzone is evidence the defense isn't quitting when their backs are against the wall, or while the offense to struggles to maintain drives or score points.

On Clemson's eight drives inside the 25 yard line, FSU’s defense managed seven third-down stops, gave up one touchdown and forced seven field goals, two of which were blocked.

In this story we also break down those 73 defensive plays, of which Clemson gained right at half (248 yards) of their 500 yards on just 8 plays and ask Adam Fuller about the redzone success and what he's doing to try to expand that to the whole field.


Amidst defensive struggles, a glimmer of light

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The Jax native and Gator commitment was anticipating the FSU offer before he picked UF back in June, but it didn't come despite some visits and a camp effort in town. As he has been flashing as a senior as a jumbo wideout, who has multiple three-touchdown games as a senior after notching 9 TDs as a junior.

Gelsey's father, Jamal, is a big FSU fan and has long campaigned for that offer. Now that it is in, the Gelsey camp tells Rivals a return to Tallahassee is going down, they're just not sure when. It is worth noting that the summer trips the recruit took to town were not considered an official visit, so it looks like FSU can foot the bill and try to flip the Gator pledge that way should it please.

We'll stay on this one...