FSU has landed a commitment from Indian River State College RHP Chris Knier. As a JUCO freshman this season, Knier posted a 2.12 ERA over 63.2 innings with 88 strikeouts to 14 walks.

Four-star RB Byron Louis took his official visit to FSU this past weekend. The Osceola caught up with Louis when arrived in Jacksonville (Fla.) for the Rivals Five-Star event. Louis updates his recruitment and says that all the schools he took official visits (FSU, Georgia, Miami and Wisconsin) are all still in the mix.


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It came as a bit of a surprise, but the Seminoles grabbed a big receiving target.
https://floridastate.rivals.com/new...-lsu-and-georgia-for-wr-cj-wiley-s-commitment

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/college-baseball-top-25-rankings/

Can't say I agree with a lot of it. . .but there it is.

appears to have laid the smack down on the ACC in the latest response posted on the Leon County Clerk's website

What are your thoughts on what Louis had to say about his visit and his decision-making process?

He was outstanding at the Rivals Five-Star Event. I liked FSU chances with Louis heading into June and still think he will end up in Tallahassee but the offer from Georgia in mid-June followed by his OV there a couple of days later, have at least lengthened his timeline in making a decision.

Isn't the ACC money usually distributed mid June each year? Has anyone heard anything about this?

We had some suggestions maybe they would hold our money, but I don't think they would if we had not announced unless it's part of a settlement. We have not announced and we have not heard a of a settlement. I am wondering if it's possible that they all agreed to delay and are talking about a deal behind the scenes and a part of that may include us not being paid this distribution. I have no info on that and am not predicting or suggesting. I am just wondering if the delay is real or I am imaging it and whether if it's delayed, whether it may mean something.

I still don't see action before 8/15 but admit this is interesting.

Can anyone remember when it's usually distributed? @MMA1? @JerryKutz?

Four-star OL Max Buchanan is set to announced tonight that he has committed to Miami.

This is somewhat of a surprise has Florida State was the presumptive leader for Buchanan.

This likely means that Peyton Joseph is now a take for FSU.

When EA Sports College Football releases in three weeks, FSU will be on the verge of being one of the 10 highest-rated teams in the game.

FSU has landed the top OL in Florida (Solomon Thomas - Raines), the top defensive end (Javion Hilson), and the top wr in Georgia (CJ Wiley). You build Championship teams up front and if FSU can continue to recruit well in the trenches we feel they will be a team that can compete for Championships. I am not one of those that feel you have to put all your trust in the coaches. That being said the results speak for themselves. 13-0 last season is hard to argue.

This Bakers Dozen will change as players commit to FSU, commit to other programs or just drop off all together. So who are the players that FSU should go after most?

1. OT Josh Petty - Fellowship Christian School- 6-5, 270: Petty would be the highest rated OT FSU has landed in over a decade. He has all the tools that you want to see in an ELITE OT prospect. He is big, long and athletic. He can pass pro very well. He does well as a run blocker. He is a complete prospect and one that could see time early on. He is a major need for FSU. Land Petty to add to Thomas and you have two future All-Americans on your roster. (FSU LEAN)

2. DE Jared Smith - Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson HS - 6-6, 235: FSU went all in on the Alabama defensive ends. They lost out to Ohio State for Zion Grady. I still believe they can get back in on his recruitment. Smith is a legit 5-star prospect. He has size and length at the DE spot. He has more upside than Jermaine Johnson and Jared Verse. Imagine what this staff could do with Smith if he decided to commit to FSU. This is going to be a tough pull but elite defensive ends are not easy to find.

3. DT Myron Charles - Port Charlotte - 6-4, 300: FSU was the lead dog in this race. After visiting Austin and Miami, this one is less certain. Some feel Texas is where he ends up. Miami feels like they made a major move with Charles. I will stick with FSU. He has the best relationship with Odell. This one will end up much tougher than it should have been. (Committed to FSU)

4. LB Tavion Wallace - Wayne County - 6-1, 215: I put a future cast in for Wallace to FSU. This is one of the most important recruitments for FSU. Wallace is a position of need. He is at the top of the board. Get Wallace in the fold and FSU linebacker spot goes from a weakness to a potential strength. (FSU LEAN)

5. DB Gregory Xavier Thomas - 6-2, 190: Listed as a CB, Thomas can play safety as well in college. He has size and length. He has decent speed. He is not the most fluid defensive back on the board and that is why we feel Thomas will end up at safety in college. This is going to come down to FSU and Clemson. (FSU LEAN)

6. RB Byron Louis - Plantation American Heritage -6-0, 200: As Pat can tell you after watching Louis in person, he is an impressive back. He has very nifty feet. He can cut on a dime. He is powerful in his lower body. He gives you a back with a nice blend of speed and quickness. Louis is a back that would do very well in FSU offense. (FSU LEAN)

7. RB Ousmane Kromah - Lee County HS - 5-11, 200: Land either Louis or Kromah and you do a great job. Land both and you hit a home run. I expect FSU to land one of the two gifted backs. Kromah is the best back in Georgia. He runs with power. He can bounce it outside and get to the edge on a defense. He displays good vision. This is a kid that you want on your team.

8. WR Kaliq Lockett - Sachse HS - 6-2, 170: FSU already pulled one shocker off with Wiley. Pull in Lockett and this is an elite WR haul. He is a special talent. Lockett has both the size and speed to make plays on offense. He can get behind a secondary with ease. He is a long shot but Lockett did visit and FSU made a positive mark.

9. WR Vernell Brown - Jones HS - 5-11, 170: This comes down to UF season imploding. You just want to stay in the race. FSU has made their mark on Brown. He is going to have a tough time saying no to the FSU coaches. While UF may get an early commit, you keep fighting till NSD. If UF goes south this season, Brown can be taken.

10 - WR Daylan McCutcheon - Lovejoy HS - 5-11, 175: Not going to lie, I have not looked at his film. That being said he is someone FSU is recruiting hard. They have a legit shot at pulling a commitment this summer. He is a slot receiver so landing CJ Wiley will have no impact on this kid’s recruitment. (FSU LEAN)

11 - LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale - Bethel HS - 6-2, 220: Sale has received a very good offer from an NIL standpoint from FSU. If he gets the go ahead from his mom, FSU could pull him in. He is a big time backer from the west coast. The question now: Is Momma going to allow him to come all away from the west coast to play football in Tally? If she does FSU has a very good shot at landing him.

12 - LB Gavin Nix - Bradenton IMG Academy - 6-0, 225: Nix is a priority for FSU. He is also a priority for Miami. The Canes lead for Nix but FSU is in the mix. As you can see with Wallace, Sale and Nix on the board, FSU is looking to improve the LB room.

13 - S Bryce Fitzgerald: Columbus HS - 6-0, 175: Fitzgerald did not have FSU on his list. After a recent visit, Fitzgerald has the Noles up on his list. He is one of the top safety prospects in the Sunshine State. He fits the culture at FSU. Great kid and has the ability to be a very good player in FSU scheme.

J.D. Drew saw a bunch of this year's FSU postseason run up close, visiting Howser for the regional and super and even making the trip to Omaha for a few games. I caught up with the FSU baseball legend late in the Seminoles' run to talk about his impressions of this year's strong FSU offense, his relationship with James Tibbs III, why he believes in Link Jarrett and how happy he is a fellow alum is leading the program now trying to bring home that elusive national title to honor Mike Martin.

FSU sports information:

FSU alum Trey Cunningham advanced to the final of the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.

In the first round, Cunningham finished third overall, matching his season best at 13.12, advancing to the semifinals.
Needing to finish within the top nine, Cunningham battled to place eighth with a time of 13.26 to qualify for Friday’s final. Tyson Williams concluded his season in the semifinal round at 13.88.

Tyra Wilson finished her season in the first round of the women’s 400 hurdles, clocking a time of 1:00.33.

Alexandra Webster begins competition in the women’s 100 hurdles on Friday starting at 8:23 p.m. E.T. Jeremiah Davis who won the men’s long jump earlier in the week is set to compete in the triple jump at 9.20 p.m. Cunningham will compete in the finals at 10:50 p.m.

Coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials will be streamed each day between NBC, Peacock and USA. Additional coverage can be viewed on USTAF.TV. Live results can be found through Results.ustaf.org

FSU has added another transfer pitcher to its 2025 roster. Long Beach State transfer RHP Grant Cherry (3.62 ERA over 32.1 innings this season) announced his FSU commitment tonight. He's the team's fifth transfer addition of the offseason and the fourth pitcher, one of whom is a two-way player.

EA Sports released its ranking of the 25 best offenses in EA Sports College Football 25 this morning. FSU is included but probably not as highly as you would think.

FSU sports information:

Former Florida State soccer players Casey Krueger (Short) and Jenna Nighswonger have been selected to the 18-person roster for the United States Women’s National Team in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. This marks the first time two Seminoles will represent the United States in women’s soccer.

Krueger played four seasons at Florida State with 81 appearances and 70 starts, scoring seven goals with 18 assists for 32 career points as a defender. She was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2008, second team All-ACC in 2010 and 2012, and played in the 2012 College Cup.

Krueger was drafted fifth overall in the 2013 NWSL Draft and has made nearly 150 club appearances across a decade-long career in the NWSL. She currently plays for the Washington Spirit. Krueger has been selected for a second straight Olympic Games to represent the four-time gold medalists and has 49 caps for her country dating back to 2016.

Nighswonger played four seasons at Florida State with 86 appearances and 56 starts, scoring 19 goals and 34 assists for 74 points as a midfielder. The 2021 national champion earned six All-ACC honors, was named the 2022 ACC Tournament MVP, 2022 United States Coaches All-American, and a 2022 MAC Hermann and Honda Award finalist.

Nighswonger was drafted fourth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft to NJ/NY Gotham FC and made 22 starts in her rookie season. She was named Rookie of the Month twice and was promptly named the 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year en route to Gotham’s first-ever NWSL Championship. Nighswonger has been selected for her first Olympics and her first major international competition after just nine caps.

The United States will begin its Olympic journey on July 25 against Zambia at 3 p.m. ET.

The second day of the Rivals Five-Star Event in Jacksonville has begun. The prospects are working out at the brand-new Jacksonville Jaguars indoor facility. The prospects will be timed in the forty-yard dash this morning and there will also be a bench press competition. Then this afternoon they will break out into position groups where they be put through fundamental and technique work before going through one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills.

The Osceola will have video and updates throughout the day.

LB Tavion Wallace (Jesup, Ga., Wayne County): I put a future cast in for Wallace. I believe he visits this weekend. I expect him to pull the trigger as well for FSU. He likes the Noles and they like him. He is a major need for FSU. They need linebackers.

OL Peyton Joseph (Warner Robins, Ga., Houston County HS): Joseph has been a lean for FSU for a while. It came down to whether FSU wanted to take his commitment. I believe he has been given the go ahead to pull the trigger. Joseph will most likely end up in FSU's class soon.

DE Nicolas Clayton (Gainesville Buchholz): Clayton recruitment went from FSU being the leader and landing his commitment to up in the air. Keep an eye on this recruitment as it may go sideways today. It is a matter of if not when Clayton will pull the trigger for FSU. I think he is vastly underrated. This is one evaluation I believe the coaches have hit on. Size - Check (6'5). Speed and quickness (Check), length (Check). Clayton Checks all the boxes. He can come off the edge and put pressure on the quarterback. He reminds me of Brian Burns in some of his clips. I like his versatility. You can put his hands on the ground and let him go. You can also have him stand up and drop back into coverage.

2026 QB Brady Smigiel (Newberry Park, Calif.): I was told at the FSU camp that to expect a big commitment from a QB (Class of 2026). I mentioned it to Pat after what was said to me. Brady was the QB. He is ready to pull the trigger. Brady is on campus and the good news should come by this weekend. I put a future cast in for Brady. BIG arm, big-time size. I have said many times, you have to have some ELITE traits for FSU to recruit you IMHO.

SOME BAD NEWS. Tramell Jones - I expect him to end up a Florida Gator. He has taken some trips to Gainesville and from what I have been hearing Jones is off to Gator Land. I am to the point with SFE players to not bother recruiting them anymore. Vernell Brown, who is also on the Express and very close to Jones, will be joining him. I had Brown rated the No. 1 slot receiver in Florida. I still would not be shocked to see Brown end up a DB in college. I think once Jones pulls the trigger FSU moves on.

Who would they go after? I was told FSU has been recruiting Luke Nickel and Carter Smith. I expect Carter Smith to be the focus of their search. He has the potential to be a big time QB. I have him rated as the No. 1 option. He is raw but Smith is very talented. He has a baseball background as well.

RB News - Ousmane Kromah / Byron Louis - It would be great to land both but I like to be on the conservative side and say FSU will get one of the two. I know Kromah has visited and FSU is in a better spot but with the ties to AH Plantation and Pat Surtain, I would side more with Louis. Both are great backs and in a Mike Norvell system they would do really well. I do think FSU will try and take two backs this year.

WR News - Update - Moore will be making a decision and it is down to UF/FSU. FSU had momentum through the spring, UF has made a move. Even if Moore does not choose FSU at this time, I believe they will win out in the end. Most here know my feelings about UF. I put little stock in most of the prospects that commit to them now.

FSU is going for the big dogs. Daylan McCutcheon out of Lovejoy, Texas, looks to be leaning towards FSU. With the news of Brown this takes away a little bit of the sting. Daylan is a four-star WR. I will go back and evaluate McCutcheon and give some thoughts on him as a receiver. Joshua Moore. This is going to come down to an FSU, Florida and Miami battle. The Hurricanes have made a move with Moore but I am still feeling good about FSU. I have stated the longer these go on the odds go down IMHO. Moore was a lean to FSU and has continued to wait to pull the trigger. FSU needs to lock this one down. Malik Clark has visited recently. I personally would rather see FSU hold off before taking commits from the 2nd tier receivers.

TE news: Hollis Davidson visits this weekend. I think he is part of the Summertime commits. FSU needs a TE and Hollis is at the top or near the top of the board. It is time. FSU needs to lock this one down and be able to move on. Chase Loftin is still an option but I am skeptical that a prospect from Nebraska will come all this way when the Huskers are trying to rebuild their program. Matt Ruhle is a good coach and recruiter.

OL - We spoke about Peyton Joseph earlier. We still feel good about Max Buchanan and Josh Petty. I still feel FSU will only look at the top group of lineman right now.

DL- Jalen Wiggins is taking another visit this weekend. We have said follow the visits. Pat has heard as well that Wiggins could end up in FSU's class. Wiggins plays DE but we project him as a DT in college. Myron Charles will be back on campus this weekend. This is another one that FSU needs to lock down. It is time the Big Man becomes a Seminole. He has leaned that way for a while. Charles does like Texas so they have put some thoughts in his mind but we still like where FSU stands. Kevin Wynn is on campus this weekend. He could help close out what could end up a very good DL class.

The two players FSU will hold out on are Jared Smith and Zion Grady. FSU is on both but you guys know my feelings about players from Alabama.

LB - FSU has a commitment from Ethan Pritchard who is now listed as a LB. Tavion Wallace looks to become a Seminole this weekend. This news is a big reason why it seems the recruitment of Michael Hastie has been slowed down. FSU is still recruiting Ty Jackson and Zaydarius Rainey-Sale. Those two are options for the Seminoles. Gavin Nix takes a visit but he has been leaning to UM. This visit is huge as Gavin has not been back to FSU since early this year.

DB - FSU DB recruiting has been very good the past couple of years. They need safeties. Gregory Thomas is taking a visit this weekend and has a commitment date. It is down to FSU and Clemson. You never know when it comes to Clemson. FSU has not done well in these head-to-head recruitments with the Tigers. FSU should have one major advantage and that is Pat Surtain.

Shamar Arnoux - The Georgia DB is another kid we really like. Big, long and athletic. He has all the physical tools to being recruited by FSU. You don't see to many 5-9, 5-10 players in this group. They have to be elite at that size for FSU to recruit them.

Ben Hanks has visited. I expect him to choose between Miami and UF.

FSU has put themselves in the Bryce Fitzgerald and Ladarian Clardy sweepstakes. I would like to see Clardy in their class as I feel he has major upside. Bryce is one of the top safeties in the Southeast.

Final thoughts: FSU sits in a good spot right now in recruiting. You would like for them to bring in a QB this year. I think you need to bring in quarterbacks in every class. A name that I would like for them to take a look at and get on campus is Ryan Killmer out of Tocoi Creek. He can sling the rock. While not a finished product the kid can push the ball down the field. He has very good hand talent, which is important to coaches. He was great at the FIU camp. I think someone can land the kid and develop him into a quality QB. With many options off the table this kid is not going to scare any younger guys away from FSU.

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A day after landing the commitment of four-star WR CJ Wiley yesterday, FSU was on the losing end of the battle for four-star WR Joshua Moore who just committed to Florida a few moments ago. Moore took an official visit to FSU earlier this month. We reported yesterday that Mooe was leaning towards the Gators.

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With the 2023-24 college athletic season complete, we now know the final standings for this year's Learfield Director's Cup. FSU finished 12th.

Here's the FSU press release:

TALLAHASSEE – After 18 of its 20 teams advanced to the postseason, Florida State finished 12th in the 2023-24 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup standings, the program’s highest placing since the 2018-19 academic year, it was announced Wednesday.

“This was a great year for Florida State athletics,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. “We have a commitment to comprehensive excellence and supporting our student-athletes at the highest level, and that is reflected in the results. Our women’s soccer team claimed another national championship to highlight seven top-10 national finishes throughout our department and 18 programs that competed in the postseason. I’m so proud of all the hard work from our student-athletes, coaches and staff, and I’m thankful for the support and alignment from President McCullough and the Board of Trustees led by Chairman Peter Collins. We are continuing to build a bright future for Florida State.”

The Seminoles scored 998.88 points, their most since scoring 1,046.25 in 2018-19, led by a national championship in women’s soccer and a runner-up finish in men’s golf. FSU’s baseball team earned third-place points for its run to the Men’s College World Series semifinal, beach volleyball placed fifth after playing into the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, and football contributed a sixth-place national finish following a campaign that featured an undefeated regular season and appearance in the Orange Bowl.

Softball and men’s tennis each scored ninth-place points by advancing to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, while women’s golf earned an 11th-place finish and women’s tennis scored in 17th place after winning its first-round NCAA Tournament match. The men’s track and field team placed 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 19th at the outdoor national championship meet.

Men’s swimming earned a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and men’s cross country placed 27th at the national meet. Women’s basketball and volleyball both scored in 33rd place after being selected for their respective NCAA Tournaments. Women’s swimming and women’s indoor track and field placed 38th at the NCAA Championship meets, and women’s outdoor track and field added points with a 54th-place finish nationally.

Florida State claimed five conference championships, with women’s soccer and football both steamrolling to ACC titles behind an undefeated record. Volleyball won its first ACC title since 2012, beach volleyball won its seventh CCSA championship in the last eight years, and men’s tennis earned its first ACC crown by becoming the first team in ACC Tournament history to win four matches in four days and the first to defeat the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the same tournament.

Overall, 19 sports per school are counted in the final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings, four of which must be women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball and baseball. The next 15 highest-scoring sports, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA Championships.

Who effed up the home page with all the overlapping scrolls and text boxes covering up articles? The black background is the only improvement I see so we don't have to try and read white headline text font on a light-colored background any more. Sheesh, what a mess.