Now that all the hiring’s have been made, Mike Norvell staff is pretty much completed. There could be some additions and subtractions off the field with the recruiting staff and some new analyst being hired. So what to think of the new hires. The reality is we will not really know until the team plays a game. The offense will be run heavy based on who FSU went after in the portal (Thomas Castellanos), paying for Ousmane Kromah. FSU is also going heavy after offensive lineman in the portal. With attrition FSU was around 69-70 players. We will break down the additions and what areas of the team need to be fixed.
Additions
Stefon Thompson (Nebraska) 6'1-240 (27 Tackles-2024), (53 Tackles-2023), (2 Tackles-2022). (79 Tackles-2021)
Comments: He has played four years of college football and his best season was his RS FR year at Syracuse. Have no idea what has happened since that season but Thompson his production has gone down every year. My guess is Thompson will be a backup at FSU. I can't really see him taking a starting job unless FSU has injuries. They need some depth at the position. (Grade C-)
Makeston Douglas (Arizona State) 6'5-275 (1 Reception for 3 yards) Not really sure what to think of this addition. Douglas is being brought into to be a blocking tight end. He will be a backup at tight end and brought in to block. Not sure what the purpose was to bring Douglas back? I guess familiarity. (Grade C-)
Thomas Castellano (Boston College) 5'9-200: I am fan of Thomas Castellanos. I liked his film coming out of high school. I thought he played well at Boston College. I am not sure if I am a fan of him at FSU. FSU needed a dynamic play caller at QB. They needed someone that can not only run (He checks that box) but pass the football (Not great at this). I think taking Thomas is a high risk/medium reward take. I think he raises the floor which this season was (2-10). What is the ceiling with him? FSU goal next year should be to win the ACC. I really don't want to hear how this next season is to get back to be average. (Grade C)
Safe Pick - That is what Thomas Castellanos was...The safe Pick. When I watched South Alabama last night they had a kid named Bishop Davenport as their QB. He is 6'2-200 pounds. He was 15-24 for 271 yards and 2 TD. He also rushed for 85 yards on 11 attempts. One of those went for a touchdown. His longest run was 50 yards. This kid would not only be ideal for FSU. He is a bigger version of TC but throws better and his body could handle the pounding TC would take. I truly feel there were better options with higher upside. All you hear with TC is well he can get FSU back to 6, 7, 8 wins. You take a QB who has a ceiling? I really am not sure how to feel about that.
FSU needs moving forward. I still feel they need to bring in 1-2 WR, 1 more TE (Please Deuce Robinson), 4-5 OL, 2 DE, 2 DT, 2 LB and a safety. They also need to fill out the rest of the roster. FSU needs to get to 85 and start working off that until 105 or close to it is reached. My guess is FSU will look at kids who had a ton of offers but had yet to sign fill out the rest of the roster. It will be interesting to see how the Seminoles handle this.
My thoughts on the coaching hires:
Gus Malzahn -OC: Not really sure how this hire will work out. I really think FSU needed a young, innovative coach who would have brought new ideas to their offense. Basically Mike hired himself. The plusses is this takes pressure off Mike and allows someone else to see what is going on. I do like that Gus coached in the ACC and SEC. He knows what type of players you need to win in that conference. I like the fact that he will have success running the football. The first way to fix an offense is get the run game going. I am not a big fan of his offense in that the passing concepts are limited. The best OC's now use a ton of shifts and motion. Not sure if you see that. I think hiring Gus is a high risk/high reward. I could see this being great and FSU offense gets turned around or it being a complete disaster. (Grade B-)
Tony White- DC: I am not sure there were many options for MN. White may have been the best guy he could have gotten. I do think the defense will be more aggressive. I doubt you will see 3rd and 20 be gained by opposing offenses like under Fuller defense. As I said in another thread, schemes are only as good as the players you get. Can this scheme work at FSU, I really don't know. I think FSU does not currently have the personal to run this scheme. If this was year 1 for MN, I think this hire could be a great one. My biggest concern is how FSU is going to run this scheme NEXT SEASON. All new schemes whether on offense or defense need time. Long term, White seems like a good hire. Short term...????? (Grade B)
Pork Chop/Pot Roast - DL: I know his nickname is pot roast, I just like Pork Chop more. LOL. I think of all the hires this was the best one. Sad to see Odell no longer as the DL Coach but it was time. I feel that Terrance Knighton will be the best of all the hires. I like that he played in the NFL. I like that he is young. I like that he is known for being a good recruiter. One thing Odell was always able to do was find hidden gems (Andre Fluellen, Broderick Bunkley, and Joshua Farmer). Odell had a very good eye for finding guys who were under the radar and outperformed their ranking. Knighton will have to do the same. Land a whale every once in a while (Goldman, Jernigan) (Grade A)
Evan Cooper - Safeties Coach - DB: I know Evan father for a very long time. His dad was a head football coach for Doral Academy when it first opened. Evan has always been around football. I am surprised that Evan left Matt Ruhle. He has been with him from Temple, to Baylor, to Rutgers. He is a solid recruiter. He is someone that is very well respected amongst coaches in Florida. From a recruiting standpoint he should be a plus. From a coaching standpoint I have no idea what he brings to the table. He has never really been a DB coach at this level. His job is not really to coach as much as it is to bring home the money players. (Grade B-)
Tim Harris - WR Coach: I know Coach Harris as we dealt with each other while he was coaching at BTW. We have always gotten along pretty well. As a coach or a recruiter, I really have no idea what he brings to the table. I have not really followed his college career. I rather have seen him move to RB coach and coach Yac moved to WR Coach. I am not sure he has even coached WR before. (Grade C)
Herb Hand- OL Coach: You can't deny the success that Hand has had. He has coached in the SEC. He knows what OL look like. I like the fact that you can tell he is already having an influence on FSU recruiting of OL My biggest BEFF was their lack of size recruiting tackles. He is going after 6'5, 6'6, 6'7 tackles. He has developed lines wherever he has gone. Let’s be real he has access to much better prospects at FSU than UCF. They have to find guys and develop them. FSU just needs to recruit them. I have no complaints of this hire. Some bring up his age...Don't think it matters at this position. (Grade A)
Final Thoughts: Considering the situation, MN upgraded the coaching staff. The prior staff was lacking in so many areas it was scary to think about. This still comes down to one thing - TALENT AQUISITION. If these coaches are able to bring in players with talent, they will win. If not you will see a new coach after 2025 or 2026.
Odell Haggins: I first met Odell when I worked for Gene Williams at Warchant.com back around 2001. I had brought Willie Williams to the FSU football camp. After that we kept in close contact. My first real dealings with him was when FSU was recruiting Callahan Bright. To this day Bright is the single most impressive looking DT prospect I had ever seen on film. If he came out now he would have been qualified and Bright would have fetched some serious money. Odell was in South Florida and he asked me to meet up with him at the Fish Factory. We were sitting down at the table when Bright called him. He put the kid on speaker phone and the kid goes coach, I am coming to FSU. I was the first one to find out. When this happened I had already moved on to Scout.com. It was my first bit of scoop.. I broke the news of Bright coming to FSU. When I put it out it was refuted by other sites (Warchant) LOL. Bright signed with FSU but never came on campus. I always thought what could have been.
I have many other Odell stories from Ryan McMahon who I knew FSU was recruiting and offered because his father was with me the entire summer camp and told me that he committed to a DT from Astronaut Cummings - Who was an underclassmen and none of the experts were paying attention to the camp but told me he committed. That is another story I will tell some other time.
My favorite Odell story was Kendrick Stewart. Kendrick was a DT from Lakeland. He came out before John Brown and the Pouncey Twins. He was a kid I really liked on film. So Kendrick decided to commit. I got a call from Odell around 10pm that night. He said Fish you may want to check in on Stewart. I said are you sure he is ok with me calling him at that time. He goes call him. I called the kid and he said I committed to FSU. I reported the news on the other site. I told Stewart that no matter what if you see an 850 don't pick it up. I was joking with him. Stewart had no idea I was joking and never answered his phone. Well it was not until like 4-5 pm the next day that this site could break the news. It was said multiple times that it was not official till it was. Not going to lie...I was super competitive and wanted to break every commit back then. Now these kids do it on their own on social media.
Odell is a great man and honestly there are not many like him. He is genuine in a business that there are very few who are. He was always available. Mommas and Grandmas loved him. He won them over every time. I think FSU was very lucky to have him as a coach. I wish him nothing but the best.
THE BIG NEWS....Bill Belichick getting hired at UNC. Not going to lie when I heard the news I was like damn...UNC got it right. You heard the names Jon Summerall, Matt Campbell. BILL BELICHICK. Wow, UNC has been known as the sleeping giant. I remember when FSU beat them under Mac Brown the first time around. This is a program that has been talked about for years. I believe they finally got it right. Yes, Bill is over 70. I get it. College football is no longer the same. Deion Sanders.....Bill B.....You are going to start to see trends in college football. Certain programs needs FLASH....UNC just hired the biggest flash possibly ever. Bill, I feel is the perfect fit. College football is no longer about BUILDING. It is about acquiring talent. Deion understood this. Travis Hunter, Sanders, Slaton the Tackle. Bill is going to attract a ton of talent to UNC. He will build that thing quickly and UNC will be in the playoffs within the next 2 years. He is going to hire a young staff and oversee the program. In life you take risk. UNC just took a major risk - but did they? This program has underachieved for years. If it works - BAM. If it does not work you hire a new guy in 2-3 years. UNC had nothing to lose. Go big or go home. UNC just went big. Kudos to him. You think he is having sleepless nights worrying how to stop Gus offense? He is going to have a dominant defense. He will have a good run game. If he gets a big time portal QB, Game on.
RUN IT BACK - Rich ROD - I am not a fan of schools bringing back old coaches. WVU is a bit different. Since he has left they have stunk. Rich is not like Scott Frost who got fired and was out of coaching for a while. The game changed. Can Scott adapt this time around. He does not seem like the guy who is going to be fond of dealing with NIL. Rich Rod has had success at other programs. He was doing very well at Jacksonville State which is similar to WVU in many ways. His offense works...it has everywhere Rich has gone accept Michigan. Under Shoelace it actually looked good at times.
State title games....The state of Florida just held their state title games from wed-through last night. It finished with a bang. Northwestern went against Jacksonville Raines. Solomon Thomas basically opted out of the game with an injury that I was told was not that bad. He did not look injured on the sideline. After Northwestern put a beating to Raines, a player from their team took a NW guys helmet off and threw it at another player. It led to a delay of over 30 minutes and multiple ejections.
Travis Hunter - Congrats on winning the heisman -Players who were committed to FSU who decided to go elsewhere ....
Branden Jenning-Sandalwood - (Miss State) 56 tackles, 1.5 SACKS-5 Tackles for loss
Malik McClain-(Iowa State) had a nice catch in big 12 title game
Luke Altmyer-(Illinois) 2500 yards - 21 TD- 5 INT
Kimo Malkaneole-(LSU) depth guy
Jake Slaughter- (UF) Starting Center at UF
KeyShawn Spencer (unknown)
Travis Hunter (Colorado) Best player in college football
NyJalik Kelly (UCF) Starter on defense
Trevion Williams-(Miss State) Been injured
Allou Bah - (Back Up)
CJ Baxter - (Texas) Very good but got injured this year
Keldric Faulk-(Auburn) Starter
Gabe Harris (Georgia)
Rod Kearney (Florida) Backup
Randy Pittman (UCF) May end up back at FSU
BY POSITION- State Title Games - Played this week
Noah Grubbs: 18-42 (241 Yards - 3 TD) (2026) Notre Dame Commit - No question the kid has a strong arm. He can make all the throws. He was under constant pressure by Venice. He is someone that has the tools to be very good. My biggest issue is the kid can barely move. He is not a great athlete. He is a pure pocket passer. He is going to ND where they will have a pocket around him. I was told he was the best QB to ever come out of Florida. For those who have told me this, I would hold off on those statements. He is good but pump the breaks.
Winston Watkins: Venice -2 rushes -3o yards (2 TD), 9 receptions 76 yards. (Committed to Ole Miss) He was ranked a 5 star kid back as a sophomore. You can see why, he is very talented. Four schools in four years. He also has some red-flags. He will either be a start or kicked off the team in no time. Hope the kid turns it around.
Asharri Charles -Venice DE-6'3-225 - (2026) I would expect him to get offered if he has not yet already. He had a sack, a tackle for loss a pass break up. He was in the backfield a lot yesterday. He has a motor. I sat next to his family the entire game and came away impressed. He is a good kid and can flat out play. I really like the way he comes off the ball. He is someone that would fit FSU defensive scheme. I would not be surprised if he got up to 280-290 pounds.
Jamarice Wilder-Venice-5'9-180 (2025) (Signed with Louisville) you can see why Louisville has success. 19 rushes 178 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kids elusive and the ability to get by defenders is impressive. He also runs very hard.
Tavion Swint-Osceola - (Signed with UCF) was a big fan until I watched him play live. He is probably not better then Wilder. He had 26 rushes for 115 yards and a TD. I just did not see much burst. His film looks better than watching him live. He just has no juice. He will probably do well at UCF but now glad FSU passed. Good player but not someone that is going to beat anyone out on the roster.
Mark Hanniford: West Boca - 6'2-180 (2026) He had a coming out party. 2 catches - 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. He scored both times he touched the ball. He had a 93 yard TD. He showed the ability to go and get the football. He has pretty good speed. He is someone that is going to see a ton of offers thrown his way.
Jaydin Broadnax - West Boca - (2026) shut down corner. He has size. Kid matches up against the other team’s top guys and shuts them down. He has an FSU offer.
Demetrius Geathers-West Boca (2026) another kid who I was high on. He is a hybrid DE/OLB. Reminds me of Christian Jones. He is another kid who would fit FSU new scheme. 4 tackles, 1 sack, constant pressure. Kid can move around on defense.
Jamar Thompson - West Boca (2026) 6'2-300 pound interior defensive lineman. He dominated. 7 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL. Was able to shut down the run. Was not on the radar but will be now.
Justice Fitzpatrick-Saint Thomas- He is Minkah brother. One of the better looking players you will see in person. He has the size and range. You would like for his production to match his measurable. Waiting for him to really break out. Talent is there.
Mark Matthews- Saint Thomas- 6'6-270 - OT- (2027) physically, he is one of the better looking tackle prospects you will see. He pretty much shut down anything Lakeland tried to throw at him. Big, long, athletic. All the tools are there. He is 6'6...for the love of god, offer the kid.
Byron Louis-AH-6'0-210 (2025) (Signed with UF) 29 rushes - 223 yards 2-TD - You could argue he was the best player during the state championships. He runs hard. He has good but not great speed. He did break off a run of 80 yards for a touchdown. He will wear you down. On the TD run he made a cut and what I want to see with elite backs it the ability to keep stride. He did and was quite impressive doing so. UF got a good one. I still like Kromah more but Louis is going to be a good one.
Malachi Toney- AH - 15-18- 188 YARDS 1 TD. If Toney wanted to play QB in college, he could. He was very impressive. Every time AH needed a play it was Toney who came through. He will play slot wr in college. I would not be surprised to see him get on the field right away for Miami.
Dereon Coleman - 13 rushes -128 yards 3 TD - 13-22 FOR 143 yards. (Committed to Miami) He plays for Jones. If he does not play Jones is not in this game. He is a play maker. Kid is magic running the ball. Had no idea he was that fast. He is the ideal QB for FSU. I really think Coleman should be the guy FSU goes after. He has no weapons around him. His OL is not very good. Kid makes plays. I was high on him. Another guy who I respect did not like him.
Vernell Brown - Orlando Jones- (Signed with UF) I have him rated as the top slot. I have said all along that Brown best position is DB. I look at these 5'10 receivers (Sam Bruce, DJ Matthews, Deonte Thompson) I was a big fan of Brandon Inniss and still think he can be good. These guys rarely make it big. Brown played CB in the state title game and was good. I think he should play CB. If he plays receiver at UF, I don't think he is a miss.
Gregory Zae Thomas-AH Plantation- (Signed with FSU) I think the kid is much underrated. FSU is lucky that he is tied into the Seminole Indians. He looks like an SEC DB. Big, long, fluid. Kid has improved a lot. He runs around well. Not sure if he is a CB. That being said his range at safety is good. I like Thomas. Don't remember him giving up much.
Calvin Russell - 4 -59 - 2 Touchdowns (2026) He would be my number one target at WR. There is not a better 2026 receiver from a talent standpoint than Russell. He is almost impossible to guard in HS. Plays for MNW. Tim Harris should have one priority. SIGN THIS KID.
J'Vari Flowers-DB - (Northwestern) (2026) shut down corner. Very impressed with the way this kid plays the game. He has been offered by FSU.
Lamar Williams- OT-Gadsden County (2025) Signed with Maryland - GROWN MAN. I would have taken a flyer on him. He has all the tools. Big, long, can move.
Brady Hart - 22-31 - 259 - 1 TD -(Committed to Texas A&M) I like Hart but he is not a fit for GUS offense. Kid can move a little bit. He has a good arm. He is competitive. Rail thin. Is going to have to put on weight. He can make throws. My biggest concern is this kid going to the SEC. I think he may be a bad fit. Put him in an air raid system in the BIG 12. I could see him in the transfer portal after one season.
Jayvan Boggs - 6 -112 (1 TD) I am hoping this kid is a bigger version of Kenny Shaw. He lacks great burst and has no top end speed. He gets open and runs good routes. He is a good player. Just don't know how much upside he has. He does have very good hands. He catches the ball very well. I like Boggs but he is limited physically.
Derreck Cooper (Chaminade-2026) 10 Rushes -92 yards - He is just impressive physically. They did not give him a ton of touches but Cooper was the best player on the field. He is an elite talent. He is someone that FSU needs to make a priority.
Additions
Stefon Thompson (Nebraska) 6'1-240 (27 Tackles-2024), (53 Tackles-2023), (2 Tackles-2022). (79 Tackles-2021)
Comments: He has played four years of college football and his best season was his RS FR year at Syracuse. Have no idea what has happened since that season but Thompson his production has gone down every year. My guess is Thompson will be a backup at FSU. I can't really see him taking a starting job unless FSU has injuries. They need some depth at the position. (Grade C-)
Makeston Douglas (Arizona State) 6'5-275 (1 Reception for 3 yards) Not really sure what to think of this addition. Douglas is being brought into to be a blocking tight end. He will be a backup at tight end and brought in to block. Not sure what the purpose was to bring Douglas back? I guess familiarity. (Grade C-)
Thomas Castellano (Boston College) 5'9-200: I am fan of Thomas Castellanos. I liked his film coming out of high school. I thought he played well at Boston College. I am not sure if I am a fan of him at FSU. FSU needed a dynamic play caller at QB. They needed someone that can not only run (He checks that box) but pass the football (Not great at this). I think taking Thomas is a high risk/medium reward take. I think he raises the floor which this season was (2-10). What is the ceiling with him? FSU goal next year should be to win the ACC. I really don't want to hear how this next season is to get back to be average. (Grade C)
Safe Pick - That is what Thomas Castellanos was...The safe Pick. When I watched South Alabama last night they had a kid named Bishop Davenport as their QB. He is 6'2-200 pounds. He was 15-24 for 271 yards and 2 TD. He also rushed for 85 yards on 11 attempts. One of those went for a touchdown. His longest run was 50 yards. This kid would not only be ideal for FSU. He is a bigger version of TC but throws better and his body could handle the pounding TC would take. I truly feel there were better options with higher upside. All you hear with TC is well he can get FSU back to 6, 7, 8 wins. You take a QB who has a ceiling? I really am not sure how to feel about that.
FSU needs moving forward. I still feel they need to bring in 1-2 WR, 1 more TE (Please Deuce Robinson), 4-5 OL, 2 DE, 2 DT, 2 LB and a safety. They also need to fill out the rest of the roster. FSU needs to get to 85 and start working off that until 105 or close to it is reached. My guess is FSU will look at kids who had a ton of offers but had yet to sign fill out the rest of the roster. It will be interesting to see how the Seminoles handle this.
My thoughts on the coaching hires:
Gus Malzahn -OC: Not really sure how this hire will work out. I really think FSU needed a young, innovative coach who would have brought new ideas to their offense. Basically Mike hired himself. The plusses is this takes pressure off Mike and allows someone else to see what is going on. I do like that Gus coached in the ACC and SEC. He knows what type of players you need to win in that conference. I like the fact that he will have success running the football. The first way to fix an offense is get the run game going. I am not a big fan of his offense in that the passing concepts are limited. The best OC's now use a ton of shifts and motion. Not sure if you see that. I think hiring Gus is a high risk/high reward. I could see this being great and FSU offense gets turned around or it being a complete disaster. (Grade B-)
Tony White- DC: I am not sure there were many options for MN. White may have been the best guy he could have gotten. I do think the defense will be more aggressive. I doubt you will see 3rd and 20 be gained by opposing offenses like under Fuller defense. As I said in another thread, schemes are only as good as the players you get. Can this scheme work at FSU, I really don't know. I think FSU does not currently have the personal to run this scheme. If this was year 1 for MN, I think this hire could be a great one. My biggest concern is how FSU is going to run this scheme NEXT SEASON. All new schemes whether on offense or defense need time. Long term, White seems like a good hire. Short term...????? (Grade B)
Pork Chop/Pot Roast - DL: I know his nickname is pot roast, I just like Pork Chop more. LOL. I think of all the hires this was the best one. Sad to see Odell no longer as the DL Coach but it was time. I feel that Terrance Knighton will be the best of all the hires. I like that he played in the NFL. I like that he is young. I like that he is known for being a good recruiter. One thing Odell was always able to do was find hidden gems (Andre Fluellen, Broderick Bunkley, and Joshua Farmer). Odell had a very good eye for finding guys who were under the radar and outperformed their ranking. Knighton will have to do the same. Land a whale every once in a while (Goldman, Jernigan) (Grade A)
Evan Cooper - Safeties Coach - DB: I know Evan father for a very long time. His dad was a head football coach for Doral Academy when it first opened. Evan has always been around football. I am surprised that Evan left Matt Ruhle. He has been with him from Temple, to Baylor, to Rutgers. He is a solid recruiter. He is someone that is very well respected amongst coaches in Florida. From a recruiting standpoint he should be a plus. From a coaching standpoint I have no idea what he brings to the table. He has never really been a DB coach at this level. His job is not really to coach as much as it is to bring home the money players. (Grade B-)
Tim Harris - WR Coach: I know Coach Harris as we dealt with each other while he was coaching at BTW. We have always gotten along pretty well. As a coach or a recruiter, I really have no idea what he brings to the table. I have not really followed his college career. I rather have seen him move to RB coach and coach Yac moved to WR Coach. I am not sure he has even coached WR before. (Grade C)
Herb Hand- OL Coach: You can't deny the success that Hand has had. He has coached in the SEC. He knows what OL look like. I like the fact that you can tell he is already having an influence on FSU recruiting of OL My biggest BEFF was their lack of size recruiting tackles. He is going after 6'5, 6'6, 6'7 tackles. He has developed lines wherever he has gone. Let’s be real he has access to much better prospects at FSU than UCF. They have to find guys and develop them. FSU just needs to recruit them. I have no complaints of this hire. Some bring up his age...Don't think it matters at this position. (Grade A)
Final Thoughts: Considering the situation, MN upgraded the coaching staff. The prior staff was lacking in so many areas it was scary to think about. This still comes down to one thing - TALENT AQUISITION. If these coaches are able to bring in players with talent, they will win. If not you will see a new coach after 2025 or 2026.
Odell Haggins: I first met Odell when I worked for Gene Williams at Warchant.com back around 2001. I had brought Willie Williams to the FSU football camp. After that we kept in close contact. My first real dealings with him was when FSU was recruiting Callahan Bright. To this day Bright is the single most impressive looking DT prospect I had ever seen on film. If he came out now he would have been qualified and Bright would have fetched some serious money. Odell was in South Florida and he asked me to meet up with him at the Fish Factory. We were sitting down at the table when Bright called him. He put the kid on speaker phone and the kid goes coach, I am coming to FSU. I was the first one to find out. When this happened I had already moved on to Scout.com. It was my first bit of scoop.. I broke the news of Bright coming to FSU. When I put it out it was refuted by other sites (Warchant) LOL. Bright signed with FSU but never came on campus. I always thought what could have been.
I have many other Odell stories from Ryan McMahon who I knew FSU was recruiting and offered because his father was with me the entire summer camp and told me that he committed to a DT from Astronaut Cummings - Who was an underclassmen and none of the experts were paying attention to the camp but told me he committed. That is another story I will tell some other time.
My favorite Odell story was Kendrick Stewart. Kendrick was a DT from Lakeland. He came out before John Brown and the Pouncey Twins. He was a kid I really liked on film. So Kendrick decided to commit. I got a call from Odell around 10pm that night. He said Fish you may want to check in on Stewart. I said are you sure he is ok with me calling him at that time. He goes call him. I called the kid and he said I committed to FSU. I reported the news on the other site. I told Stewart that no matter what if you see an 850 don't pick it up. I was joking with him. Stewart had no idea I was joking and never answered his phone. Well it was not until like 4-5 pm the next day that this site could break the news. It was said multiple times that it was not official till it was. Not going to lie...I was super competitive and wanted to break every commit back then. Now these kids do it on their own on social media.
Odell is a great man and honestly there are not many like him. He is genuine in a business that there are very few who are. He was always available. Mommas and Grandmas loved him. He won them over every time. I think FSU was very lucky to have him as a coach. I wish him nothing but the best.
THE BIG NEWS....Bill Belichick getting hired at UNC. Not going to lie when I heard the news I was like damn...UNC got it right. You heard the names Jon Summerall, Matt Campbell. BILL BELICHICK. Wow, UNC has been known as the sleeping giant. I remember when FSU beat them under Mac Brown the first time around. This is a program that has been talked about for years. I believe they finally got it right. Yes, Bill is over 70. I get it. College football is no longer the same. Deion Sanders.....Bill B.....You are going to start to see trends in college football. Certain programs needs FLASH....UNC just hired the biggest flash possibly ever. Bill, I feel is the perfect fit. College football is no longer about BUILDING. It is about acquiring talent. Deion understood this. Travis Hunter, Sanders, Slaton the Tackle. Bill is going to attract a ton of talent to UNC. He will build that thing quickly and UNC will be in the playoffs within the next 2 years. He is going to hire a young staff and oversee the program. In life you take risk. UNC just took a major risk - but did they? This program has underachieved for years. If it works - BAM. If it does not work you hire a new guy in 2-3 years. UNC had nothing to lose. Go big or go home. UNC just went big. Kudos to him. You think he is having sleepless nights worrying how to stop Gus offense? He is going to have a dominant defense. He will have a good run game. If he gets a big time portal QB, Game on.
RUN IT BACK - Rich ROD - I am not a fan of schools bringing back old coaches. WVU is a bit different. Since he has left they have stunk. Rich is not like Scott Frost who got fired and was out of coaching for a while. The game changed. Can Scott adapt this time around. He does not seem like the guy who is going to be fond of dealing with NIL. Rich Rod has had success at other programs. He was doing very well at Jacksonville State which is similar to WVU in many ways. His offense works...it has everywhere Rich has gone accept Michigan. Under Shoelace it actually looked good at times.
State title games....The state of Florida just held their state title games from wed-through last night. It finished with a bang. Northwestern went against Jacksonville Raines. Solomon Thomas basically opted out of the game with an injury that I was told was not that bad. He did not look injured on the sideline. After Northwestern put a beating to Raines, a player from their team took a NW guys helmet off and threw it at another player. It led to a delay of over 30 minutes and multiple ejections.
Travis Hunter - Congrats on winning the heisman -Players who were committed to FSU who decided to go elsewhere ....
Branden Jenning-Sandalwood - (Miss State) 56 tackles, 1.5 SACKS-5 Tackles for loss
Malik McClain-(Iowa State) had a nice catch in big 12 title game
Luke Altmyer-(Illinois) 2500 yards - 21 TD- 5 INT
Kimo Malkaneole-(LSU) depth guy
Jake Slaughter- (UF) Starting Center at UF
KeyShawn Spencer (unknown)
Travis Hunter (Colorado) Best player in college football
NyJalik Kelly (UCF) Starter on defense
Trevion Williams-(Miss State) Been injured
Allou Bah - (Back Up)
CJ Baxter - (Texas) Very good but got injured this year
Keldric Faulk-(Auburn) Starter
Gabe Harris (Georgia)
Rod Kearney (Florida) Backup
Randy Pittman (UCF) May end up back at FSU
BY POSITION- State Title Games - Played this week
Noah Grubbs: 18-42 (241 Yards - 3 TD) (2026) Notre Dame Commit - No question the kid has a strong arm. He can make all the throws. He was under constant pressure by Venice. He is someone that has the tools to be very good. My biggest issue is the kid can barely move. He is not a great athlete. He is a pure pocket passer. He is going to ND where they will have a pocket around him. I was told he was the best QB to ever come out of Florida. For those who have told me this, I would hold off on those statements. He is good but pump the breaks.
Winston Watkins: Venice -2 rushes -3o yards (2 TD), 9 receptions 76 yards. (Committed to Ole Miss) He was ranked a 5 star kid back as a sophomore. You can see why, he is very talented. Four schools in four years. He also has some red-flags. He will either be a start or kicked off the team in no time. Hope the kid turns it around.
Asharri Charles -Venice DE-6'3-225 - (2026) I would expect him to get offered if he has not yet already. He had a sack, a tackle for loss a pass break up. He was in the backfield a lot yesterday. He has a motor. I sat next to his family the entire game and came away impressed. He is a good kid and can flat out play. I really like the way he comes off the ball. He is someone that would fit FSU defensive scheme. I would not be surprised if he got up to 280-290 pounds.
Jamarice Wilder-Venice-5'9-180 (2025) (Signed with Louisville) you can see why Louisville has success. 19 rushes 178 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kids elusive and the ability to get by defenders is impressive. He also runs very hard.
Tavion Swint-Osceola - (Signed with UCF) was a big fan until I watched him play live. He is probably not better then Wilder. He had 26 rushes for 115 yards and a TD. I just did not see much burst. His film looks better than watching him live. He just has no juice. He will probably do well at UCF but now glad FSU passed. Good player but not someone that is going to beat anyone out on the roster.
Mark Hanniford: West Boca - 6'2-180 (2026) He had a coming out party. 2 catches - 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. He scored both times he touched the ball. He had a 93 yard TD. He showed the ability to go and get the football. He has pretty good speed. He is someone that is going to see a ton of offers thrown his way.
Jaydin Broadnax - West Boca - (2026) shut down corner. He has size. Kid matches up against the other team’s top guys and shuts them down. He has an FSU offer.
Demetrius Geathers-West Boca (2026) another kid who I was high on. He is a hybrid DE/OLB. Reminds me of Christian Jones. He is another kid who would fit FSU new scheme. 4 tackles, 1 sack, constant pressure. Kid can move around on defense.
Jamar Thompson - West Boca (2026) 6'2-300 pound interior defensive lineman. He dominated. 7 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL. Was able to shut down the run. Was not on the radar but will be now.
Justice Fitzpatrick-Saint Thomas- He is Minkah brother. One of the better looking players you will see in person. He has the size and range. You would like for his production to match his measurable. Waiting for him to really break out. Talent is there.
Mark Matthews- Saint Thomas- 6'6-270 - OT- (2027) physically, he is one of the better looking tackle prospects you will see. He pretty much shut down anything Lakeland tried to throw at him. Big, long, athletic. All the tools are there. He is 6'6...for the love of god, offer the kid.
Byron Louis-AH-6'0-210 (2025) (Signed with UF) 29 rushes - 223 yards 2-TD - You could argue he was the best player during the state championships. He runs hard. He has good but not great speed. He did break off a run of 80 yards for a touchdown. He will wear you down. On the TD run he made a cut and what I want to see with elite backs it the ability to keep stride. He did and was quite impressive doing so. UF got a good one. I still like Kromah more but Louis is going to be a good one.
Malachi Toney- AH - 15-18- 188 YARDS 1 TD. If Toney wanted to play QB in college, he could. He was very impressive. Every time AH needed a play it was Toney who came through. He will play slot wr in college. I would not be surprised to see him get on the field right away for Miami.
Dereon Coleman - 13 rushes -128 yards 3 TD - 13-22 FOR 143 yards. (Committed to Miami) He plays for Jones. If he does not play Jones is not in this game. He is a play maker. Kid is magic running the ball. Had no idea he was that fast. He is the ideal QB for FSU. I really think Coleman should be the guy FSU goes after. He has no weapons around him. His OL is not very good. Kid makes plays. I was high on him. Another guy who I respect did not like him.
Vernell Brown - Orlando Jones- (Signed with UF) I have him rated as the top slot. I have said all along that Brown best position is DB. I look at these 5'10 receivers (Sam Bruce, DJ Matthews, Deonte Thompson) I was a big fan of Brandon Inniss and still think he can be good. These guys rarely make it big. Brown played CB in the state title game and was good. I think he should play CB. If he plays receiver at UF, I don't think he is a miss.
Gregory Zae Thomas-AH Plantation- (Signed with FSU) I think the kid is much underrated. FSU is lucky that he is tied into the Seminole Indians. He looks like an SEC DB. Big, long, fluid. Kid has improved a lot. He runs around well. Not sure if he is a CB. That being said his range at safety is good. I like Thomas. Don't remember him giving up much.
Calvin Russell - 4 -59 - 2 Touchdowns (2026) He would be my number one target at WR. There is not a better 2026 receiver from a talent standpoint than Russell. He is almost impossible to guard in HS. Plays for MNW. Tim Harris should have one priority. SIGN THIS KID.
J'Vari Flowers-DB - (Northwestern) (2026) shut down corner. Very impressed with the way this kid plays the game. He has been offered by FSU.
Lamar Williams- OT-Gadsden County (2025) Signed with Maryland - GROWN MAN. I would have taken a flyer on him. He has all the tools. Big, long, can move.
Brady Hart - 22-31 - 259 - 1 TD -(Committed to Texas A&M) I like Hart but he is not a fit for GUS offense. Kid can move a little bit. He has a good arm. He is competitive. Rail thin. Is going to have to put on weight. He can make throws. My biggest concern is this kid going to the SEC. I think he may be a bad fit. Put him in an air raid system in the BIG 12. I could see him in the transfer portal after one season.
Jayvan Boggs - 6 -112 (1 TD) I am hoping this kid is a bigger version of Kenny Shaw. He lacks great burst and has no top end speed. He gets open and runs good routes. He is a good player. Just don't know how much upside he has. He does have very good hands. He catches the ball very well. I like Boggs but he is limited physically.
Derreck Cooper (Chaminade-2026) 10 Rushes -92 yards - He is just impressive physically. They did not give him a ton of touches but Cooper was the best player on the field. He is an elite talent. He is someone that FSU needs to make a priority.
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