The clock is ticking and the bolts are being tightened as construction crews work to have Doak ready for a September 2 kickoff against Bosten College. Here are the details on both the east and west sideline projects.


Construction moving swiftly

The National Hurricane Center's 11 pm Sunday advisory reported that the tropical storm Debby has developed into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 miles per hour.

Category 1 Hurricane Debby was 65 miles west-southwest of Cedar Key Florida at 11 pm and is moving toward Tallahassee at 12 with landfall expected about 8 am.

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I met officially with my ticket rep this week to see whether I could afford to keep my seats in the champions club. I've talked to a number of friends who had sideline seats who chose not to renew this year because those sideline clubs were too expensive for their liking. I worried the same may be true in the club but I was pleasantly surprised.

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is stellar.

I mean, we all have looked at the linebacker position as an area of relative weakness, and have just hoped for decent play and lack of breakdowns in the past.

But. . .what if this group of linebackers really excels this season. Reading the article on the linebacker play got me pretty excited. I know some of it may be just coach speak, but who knows, the possibility is there that this group COULD really be great.

If that happens, the sky is the limit for this team. If you add some very good linebacker play at the mid level of this defense to go along with what I believe is going to be a very difficult offense to contain its hard not to get really excited about the potential of this team.

Is it football season yet?

FSU sports information:

Florida State guard Jamir Watkins, one of the nation’s top players returning for the 2024-25 college basketball season, will participate in the 2024 Nike Basketball Academy at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., this week.

The four-day event brings together over 80 of the top college and high school prospects in the country and gives the players a memorable experience that features the appearances of notable coaches, professional players, and basketball legends.

“This is a great opportunity for me to continue growing into a complete basketball player,” said Watkins. “During the spring of 2024, I learned so much as I traveled to work out for five NBA teams during the draft process. I feel that participating in this camp will help me strengthen my learning curve and help me improve on the aspects of my game the NBA executives told me that I needed to work on.”

The academy began in 2015 and has grown each season since its inception 10 years ago.

Nike has invited 80 of the top players in the nation (high school and college players) to attend the Academy which is highlighted by instruction from current NBA and college players along with training and workout sessions. Former Seminole Baba Miller was among the participants in 2023.

Watkins was an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection as a junior during the 2023-24 season. He enters 24-25 season looking to build on a streak of 19 consecutive double-figure scoring games – a streak that began on January 19, 2024 against Wake Forest and continued throughout the remainder of the 2024 season. Watkins is the only player of six who ranked in the ACC’s top 20 for scoring and rebounding during the 2023-24 season who is returning to play in the ACC for the 2024-25 season. He is also the second leading returning ACC player for steals in the ACC for the 2024-25 season.

Watkins averaged a career-high 15.6 points (first on the team), a career-high 6.0 rebounds (first), 1.9 steals (first) and 2.8 assists (second) while playing in (and starting) all 33 games for the Seminoles during his redshirt junior season. He was the only player on the Seminoles’ roster who played in and started all 33 games for the Seminoles . He was named to the Oscar Robertson National Team of the Week by the USBWA (Nov. 28), named as the ACC Player of the Week (Co) with RJ Davis of North Carolina by the ACC Office (Nov. 27), and named the MVP of the 2023 Sunshine Slam.

Mike Norvell praised Elijah Moore on Saturday and this is a heck of a catch

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Rivals' John Garcia has thoughts on Bryce Fitzgerald, Joshua Moore and a few others in the mix for FSU:

Join us on Wednesday at the beautiful Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant (691 1st St N, Jacksonville Beach) as we celebrate the upcoming club year and football season with exciting keynote speakers: Mayor of Jacksonville, Donna Deegan, and Heisman Winner and Former FSU QB, Coach Charlie Ward!

With stunning views of Jacksonville Beach and the Atlantic Ocean as our backdrop, we’ll be discussing what’s to come for our football team and our club year with former players, university leadership, and alumni as we eat, drink, and party like Seminoles! You can look forward to music, a silent auction, Jax Noles Club merchandise and more.

Don't forget to wear your best Garnet and Gold attire!

Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m., with our program beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner will be served.

Tickets are $75. Purchase here

He looked great last night in the HOF Game after suffering another torn Achilles last season. Hopefully he can stay healthy... The Texans don't have much at RB behind Joe Mixon, so perhaps Cam will get his chance to shine.

My FIL got our tickets and we are not going. I have someone on here who will be getting them.

However, this digital crap requires transferring tickets. I downloaded the app and it said tickets won't come through TM until August.

Anyone known when in August? Do we have to just keep checking? I am sure we will have transfer issues and I need time to get them done.

Florida State held its first preseason scrimmage inside Doak on Saturday at 7 p.m. It was closed to the media and public.

Coach Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator will share their thoughts on the scrimmage at 9:30 p.m. We'll have updates in the thread below from the coaches and will upload video interviews.

Compared to Jordan, maguire, and the previous qbs the last couple of season

Four-star safety Bryce Fitzgerald has a commitment date set for August 17th. However his recruitment will still remain open as Florida State and three other schools battle it out for his pledge. Fitzgerald broke down his recruitment, where FSU sits, and where the competition sits for his commitment.
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FSU practiced for the final time this morning before tomorrow night's first preseason scrimmage inside Doak.

DJ Uiagalelei really impressed during some situational work while Kyle Morlock, Kentron Poitier, Deuce Spann flashed in the passing game.

The Osceola staff observations from Day 8 of preseason camp.

Jerry, Pat, Curt, Nick and myself contributing thoughts here:

Through eight practices this preseason, Micahi Danzy's sprinter speed and playmaking ability have been undeniable.

He's drawn comparisons to Lawrance Toafili, including LT saying Danzy is a better version of himself as a freshman than he was. Can he made a similar impact as Toafili did as a freshman in FSU's loaded running back room?

About a dozen photos of FSU's quarterbacks and defensive line:

Mike Norvell, Danny Kanell, Booger McFarland among those slated to speak:

FSU sports information:

Florida State All-American and World No. 1 ranked Lottie Woad has been named to represent the Great Britain and Ireland Team at the 43rd Curtis Cup Match at the Sunningdale Golf Club in England, August 30-Sept. 1. The four-time All-American and winner of the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament will make her first appearance in the prestigious Curtis Cup against the United States.

“I'm super happy to have made the Curtis Cup team,” said Woad. “I'm really looking forward to playing the event at Sunningdale, which is a beautiful course. It's not far from my home, so there's going to be a lot of family, friends, and members of my Golf Club (Farnham) supporting me and my teammates. I hope we can win back the Curtis Cup.”

Woad was named to the Curtis Cup team as she returned to the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She has now held the No. 1 ranking in the world for six weeks during her career including five consecutive weeks from June 12, 2024, through July 19, 2024. Woad moved back into the No. 1 spot in the WAGR on July 31, 2024.

The 20-year-old Woad, who begins her junior year at Florida State in September, is a three-time First-Team All-American and was named as the ACC Golfer of the Year in 2024. She finished in second place in the NCAA Championship Finals as a sophomore – the best individual finish in the NCAA Championships in school history. Woad was named the National Freshman of the Year in 2023, has earned All-ACC honors in both of her first two seasons as a Seminole, and was the runner-up for the WGCA and ANNIKA Awards as the National Player of the Year in 2024.

Woad joins the GB&I team looking to defeat the United States for the first time since 2016. The GB&I Team most recently won the event by an 11.5-8.5 margin at the Dun Loaghaire Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland in 2016. The United States leads the competition by a 31-8 margin with three ties in the series which began in 1932.

Woad has competed in three LPGA major championships -- 2024 LPGA Chevron Championship (23rd Place), the 2024 LPGA US Open Championship, and the 2024 LPGA Amundi Evian Championship since winning the ANWA in April.

Woad won the 2022 R&A Girls’ Amateur championship and has represented her country in the Home Internationals, Vagliano Trophy, Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and Arnold Palmer Cup. She will play in the 2024 Home Internationals as a member of Team England during the first week of August (Aug. 6-8).

Academically, Woad is performing as well in the classroom as she is on the course during her Seminole career. She was named to the 2024 All-ACC Academic Women’s Golf Team, the 2024 WGCA All-American Scholar Team, and to the 2024 ACC Academic Honor Roll. She earned Academic All-District Honors by the College Sports Communicators, also in 2024.

Woad is the third Seminole to compete in the Curtis Cup since 2022 when All-Americans Charlotte Heath and Amelia Williamson played in the championship.

2024 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team
Lottie Woad, England, Florida State
Sara Byrne, Republic of Ireland, University of Miami
Beth Coulter, Republic of Ireland, Arizona State University
Hannah Darling, Scotland, University of South Carolina
Aine Donegan, Republic of Ireland, Louisiana State University
Lorna McClymont, Scotland, University of Stirling
Euphemie Rhodes, England, Wake Forest University
Patience Rhodes, England, Arizona State University

We discuss the offense's bounce back, the linebackers, scrimmage No. 1 coming up on Saturday:

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FSU sports information:

Ryan Fitzgerald, from Coolidge, Ga., ranks ninth in Florida State history with 299 career points, including a career-high 115 in 2023 courtesy of 19-of-21 field goals and 58-of-58 point-after tries. The only player in FSU history with multiple seasons of 57 made PATs, Fitzgerald was a Groza Award semifinalist and third-team All-ACC selection as a redshirt junior.

Fitzgerald’s .904 field goal percentage last season was seventh in the country and third in FSU history, and he led the ACC with 58 PATs, 77 total made kicks and 115 points. He ranked 11th nationally in PATs, 17th in total points scored and 20th in made field goals. Fitzgerald tied a career-high with three field goals and accounted for 10 points in the 16-6 ACC Championship Game victory against No. 14 Louisville.

Florida State’s four Groza Award trophies are the most in the country, and Sebastian Janikowski remains the only kicker to win the honor twice, taking home the award in 1998 and 1999. Roberto Aguayo in 2014 and Graham Gano in 2008 were also Groza Award recipients.

ACC Representatives on the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List:

Todd Pelino, Duke, Junior, PK
Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State, Senior, PK
Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech, Sophomore, PK
Andres Borregales, Miami, Senior, PK
Noah Burnette, North Carolina, Senior, PK
Will Bettridge, Virginia, Junior, PK
John Love, Virginia Tech, Sophomore, PK