Is he practicing

Darius Gray has been trying to make it to Florida State's campus since he got offered back in February and the Seminoles got the final visit of the summer for Gray before he headed back to Richmond, VA. Gray is the No. 2 offensive guard prospect in the 2026 class and looks to be a big target moving forward for the Seminoles.
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Watching some of the videos and I'm probably thinking what most others are. . ."Man. . .Jaylin Lucas is small!" So, I went to compare him to one of the greatest "small" backs who ever played the game. . .Warrick Dunn.

Warrick Dunn's Bio has him at 5' 9" and 187 lbs when he left FSU

We have Lucas listed at 5' 9" and 175 lbs.

I was in school with Dunn, and he ran track with my roommate, so I had the opportunity to meet him and stand next to him a few times. I'm 6' and he sure seemed a bit smaller than 5' 9" when I stood next to him. He had stout legs, but I also wonder if the 187 was also a bit inflated.

A lofty comparison, no doubt. It seems in today's game a small back like that just would never get the opportunity to be a feature back. . .but could Lucas be a Dunn caliber player? Is his acceleration, shiftiness, and top end speed the same, or even better than Dunn's was? For the younger people on this board, go look up some of Dunn's highlights, he was electric and a joy to watch, he was also deceptively strong and could break out of some tackles that you wouldn't think he could.

There is only one ball, and a lot of playmakers to distribute it to, but I hope we can get him the ball quite a few times in a game, I feel he may have quite the highlight reel by season's end.

The defense probably won the day, but there were standouts on both sides of the ball from Malik Benson and Darius Washington to Patrick Payton and Fentrell Cypress.

Here are the Osceola staff observations from Day 5 of FSU preseason camp.

I think most of us feel we will really have success on the ground this season, between the OL, the variety of running back styles, a Paul Bunyon style QB, and a deep threat in the passing game. . .all signs point to it.

I believe GT struggled on the defensive side of the ball most of the year, but started to figure it out more by the end of the year. I see they picked up a few in the transfer portal, but nobody who seems to be real game changers. Admittedly, I don't follow GT very closely, thus the reason for my post for those in the know.

They have some pieces on offense, and will probably score a bit, but I sure like our defensive talent.

Games are won and lost in the trenches, and I think our trenches are just way, way, way better, especially our O-line vs their D-line.

There's lots of talk about this game being one of the most difficult games on our schedule, but when I sit and look at it closer. . .I think we just control this game from the kickoff and maintain control throughout.

(We'll have more from Tisdale when we meet her on Tuesday afternoon)

FSU sports information:

Sara Tisdale, an experienced developer of programs and proven winner, has been hired as Florida State’s inaugural women’s lacrosse head coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford announced Monday.

“This is an exciting time for Florida State athletics as we welcome Sara Tisdale to lead the launch of our intercollegiate women’s lacrosse team,” Alford said. “She brings a wealth of experience in establishing programs and has experienced early and sustained success everywhere she’s been. Coach Tisdale’s focus on developing an incredible culture within her programs was evident to me during our time together at Central Michigan and reinforced through the hiring process. Her teams win on the field and prioritize academics. She will fit right in with the standard of comprehensive excellence here, and I’m very excited to welcome Sara, Becca and Emma to the Florida State family.”

Tisdale, who coached the first lacrosse games at Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Augustana, comes to Tallahassee to establish FSU’s lacrosse program after two seasons at Eastern Michigan.

Tisdale is 114-86 in her 12-year career and has won four regular-season conference championships and three conference tournament titles. She has coached 34 all-conference selections, three Offensive Players of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year and three Freshman of the Year honorees. In addition to their success on the field, Tisdale’s teams have been honored nine consecutive times with the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Association Honor Squad recognition for their work in the classroom and produced 118 individual academic all-conference selections.

“I am humbled and honored to join the Florida State family as the first head women’s lacrosse coach,” Tisdale said. “I would like to thank Michael Alford and Dr. McCullough for this incredible opportunity. Building a women’s lacrosse program at one of the most revered athletic and academic institutions in the country will attract elite lacrosse student-athletes to Tallahassee. The minute I stepped foot on campus it was obvious that everyone is invested in the success of Seminole student-athletes and the programs they are part of. Building Florida State lacrosse into a championship-caliber program with a culture that upholds a high standard in the classroom, on the field and in the community will be the immediate goal, and I cannot wait to get to work!”

The 2024 Eagles led the MAC in scoring offense, averaging 11.0 goals per game, and also led the conference in points per game, shots on goal per game, ground balls per game, draw control percentage and draws per game. EMU had the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year while placing three on the all-conference team and two on the All-Freshman Team. Tisdale’s 2024 squad posted a five-win improvement from the program’s inaugural 2023 season, ending the season tied for the highest winning percentage among MAC teams, and played in the semifinal round of the conference tournament.

Tisdale joined Eastern Michigan after starting the women’s lacrosse program at Central Michigan, where she coached for seven seasons and directed the Chippewas to 54 wins, two conference championships and the 2022 MAC Tournament title that earned CMU’s first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

The 2022 team won a program-record 12 games and shared the regular-season conference championship before its conference tournament run. In 2021, CMU’s first season in the MAC, the Chippewas’ nine wins included a victory over Oregon. Tisdale oversaw the development of the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022 as Natalie Karlen earned the honor in 2021 and Audrey Whiteside followed in 2022.

In 2019, Central Michigan set program records for goals, points, shots, shots on goal, draw controls and saves. Jocelyn Lamay was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year, the program’s first such honoree. In 2018, the Chippewas brought home the program’s first conference championship by posting a 4-1 SoCon mark during a season that included a program-record six-game winning streak.

Tisdale became the head coach at Central Michigan in the summer of 2014 and began preparations for the first season of competition in 2016. Prior to CMU, she was hired in 2010 to develop the program at Augustana College in Illinois.

In three seasons at Augustana, Tisdale boasted a 51-8 record, including a dominant showing in 2014. That year, the Vikings won their first 19 games and led all Division III schools in scoring margin and total points. Augustana won the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference regular-season and tournament championships for the second straight season and advanced to the third round of the Division III NCAA Tournament. Tisdale was named the MWLC and Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. The 2013 team swept the MWLC regular-season and tournament titles in its second year as a program and first as an MWLC member. Tisdale’s first team in 2012 put together a 15-3 campaign while playing as an Independent.

Tisdale earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Central Michigan in 2006. She and her wife, Becca, have one daughter, Emma.

The Florida State women’s lacrosse program will play its first season of NCAA competition in the spring of 2026.

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FSU sports information:

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List Monday, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the outstanding player in college football.

Uiagalelei has started 40 games in his career and earned a 30-10 record while accounting for 9,451 yards of total offense with 8,319 yards and 57 touchdowns passing and 1,132 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. The Inland Empire, California, native transferred to FSU from Oregon State, where he was a 2023 Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist after throwing for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns with 219 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground. His 21 passing touchdowns were sixth in a season for the Beavers, with a career-high five coming in Oregon State’s victory over Cal.

Uiagalelei spent his first three seasons at Clemson, where he ranks top-10 in program history for completions, passing touchdowns, quarterback rushing touchdowns, passing yards and wins as the starting quarterback. He recorded 51 total touchdowns with the Tigers and was 22-6 as Clemson’s starting quarterback.

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis was a Maxwell Award semifinalist in 2023 before being drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Charlie Ward is FSU’s only previous Maxwell Award winner, taking home the honor during his Heisman Trophy season in 1993.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26, 2024. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2024. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14, 2024 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

Uiagalelei and the Seminoles will open the season August 24 in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic against Georgia Tech.

Omarion Cooper had his most productive college season at Colorado, recording 37 tackles while forcing a fumble and picking up a sack. But he opted to come back to Florida State, where his college career began, for his final season in 2024.

“I always knew where home was,” Cooper said Sunday after FSU’s fourth practice. “I knew where the right program was for me, the best fit. It’s been all open arms. Just hard work. What it’s always been.”

Cooper might have been away for a year and missed FSU’s undefeated run to the ACC championship. But he said the look and feel of the program hasn’t changed.

“Everything has been consistent,” Cooper said. “It’s a hard-working team. Critical on details. It’s progress. It’s Florida State.”

First impressions of the Seminoles’ fifth day of preseason camp from the Osceola’s Nick Carlisle and Bob Ferrante reflect on the receivers and running backs in what was a mixed bag day for the offense in Day 5 on Monday.

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