Everything Noles: For Florida State Seminoles Fans

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FSU football report card: How does Trey Benson fit in the offense ? May 10, 2022

Show notes

The running back position is one that Norvell has shown consistent success with. He developed four runningbacks in four years at Memphis that had their names called out by NFL teams on draft day, but doubts of his talent evaluations have persisted.

This was especially true of FSU’s latest RB transfer, Trey Benson.

Benson is a speed/power back coming off of a big injury he sustained in his time at Oregon. Concerns over his injury and lack of collegiate snaps dominated the coverage; however, the spring game seemed to flip the narrative.

He moved well in the spring game, showing off his straight-line speed and downhill running style. A few big runs were all it took to turn him into a can’t miss prospect by the media.

But where is the truth? Is he the next in a long line of Norvell’s NFL runningbacks or is he not suited for the big game? CoachAB and Kevin Little jump into the film to watch every snap from the spring game tackle those questions and more.

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Why is Florida State Seminoles softball so good? ACC Tournament preview feat. Gwyn Rhodes May 09, 2022

Show notes

The Florida State Seminoles softball wrapped up a dominant 2022 season with a series sweep of the NC State Wolfpack this weekend. The three victories give them a 49-5 record, a No. 3 ranking in both the polls and RPI as well as an 11-game win streak heading into postseason play.

That’ll start on Thursday in Pittsburgh when the Noles begin their ACC Tournament run against Virginia and will soon head into the NCAA Tournament as they get ready for Selection Day this weekend.

Brian Pellerin and guest host Gwyn Rhodes get you caught up on the season so far and what to expect this weekend as the Seminoles look to claim the ACC crown and set their eyes on a potential return to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series next month.

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Noles News Now: Seminioles sports latest -- FSU football, softball, baseball, tennis, beach volleyball May 09, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to your Monday edition of Noles News Now, your home for the latest updates in Florida State athletics three times a week from Tomahawk Nation. I’m your host Brian Pellerin getting you caught up on the weekend that was for FSU.

It’s already the second week of May and that means the semester is coming to a close in Tallahassee and the end of the spring sports schedule is quickly closing in, but we start on with the Noles football team… more specifically a former Nole as Jermaine Johnson officially put pen to paper this weekend on his rookie deal with the Jets.

The Jets newest first-round defensive end also made his first appearance in front of the New York media this weekend as well. He talked about his excitement to see his dreams come true and how ready he is to learn from the veterans on the team all while wearing his F-S-U hoodie. Johnson was also rocking No. 52 in his minicamp workouts… but that’s subject to change for the actual roster so don’t buy the jersey just yet.

The guy trying to replace Johnson is Albany transfer Jared Verse. He popped during the spring, but it ain’t easy replacing a first-round pick like Johnson. So can he live up to the hype that has surrounded him this spring? Tomahawk Nation’s coach Adam Brown and Kevin Little broke down his game this weekend in the latest installment of their post-spring report cards. You can find that link on Tomahawk Nation dot com. Volume one of that series focused on wide receiver Mycah Pittman if you’d like to check that out as well.

Monday could be a huge moment in the NIL saga that has taken over the college sports landscape as the NCAA’s Division One Board of Directors is expected to weigh in on a set of new guidelines from an NIL subcommittee, according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. Those guidelines would give real framework to what has been the wild west of NIL payments for players. These would better define the rules and who is beholden to follow them. I’d recommend a follow for Nicole as she follows the Board’s actions and what it could mean for college sports.

The F-S-U softball team finished their regular season on a strong note and one Nole made history in the process. The squad swept Sunday’s doubleheader in Raleigh and completed the weekend sweep of NC State thanks to Sydney Sherill’s three-home run game. That’s a first in Noles history. The team as a whole had 7 big flies in the contest. The first time that’s happened in program history as well. They completed the regular season with a 49-5 record and won each of their final 11 games. Next up is the ACC Tournament in Pittsburgh where the Noles will be the No. 3 seed and take on 6th seeded Virginia on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:30. And if you want more on the Seminoles softball team as they enter the postseason, check out this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast releasing tonight from myself and Gwyn Rhodes as we get you caught up on the season that was for the team and what’s ahead as they start postseason play. Again, that should be out late Monday night.

The FSU baseball team opened their weekend trip to BC with an opening game loss but claimed the next two, 10-4 and 8-1, to take the series. Sunday’s win came courtesy of a dominant performance from Bryce Hubbart who punched out 11 over 7 innings while limited Boston College to just one hit. Noles back on the diamond on Tuesday.

A tough end to the weekend for the FSU beach volleyball team as they fell in the national championship to USC, but still a great season to make it all the way to the title. Congratulations to them.

The men’s tennis team knocked off Georgia this weekend, they’ll be moving on to the round of 16 for the first time in school history. Congratulations to them as well.

Thank you for listening to Noles News Now. We’ll be back again on Wednesday. Until then, I’m Brian Pellerin. Have a great week.

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FSU football report card: Can Jared Verse live up to the hype? May 07, 2022

Show notes

Jermaine Johnson is a difficult player to follow. He came in as a transfer from Georgia without a ton of applause and played his way into the first round of the NFL draft.

The Florida State coaching staff is looking to capture lightning in a bottle again.

Jared Verse was a highly touted transfer out of the University at Albany. His high-end athleticism garnered interest in the portal but there are some questions as to how quickly his skillset will transfer to the P5 level.

A bonus look this episode is at veteran Derrick McClendon II, who’ll be playing opposite Verse. A relatively obscure former 3-star prospect, he appears to have transformed his body and his game over the offseason.

Will these two relative unknowns be able to maintain the high level of play achieved by Johnson and Keir Thomas last year or will they regress?

Coach AB and Kevin Little dive into every snap the duo played in the spring game to find the answer.

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Noles News Now: Softball sweeps UF, football roster changes, baseball preview, May 06, 2022

Show notes

Hello everyone, happy Friday, and welcome to Noles News Now presented by Tomahawk Nation-- I’m Perry Kostidakis, and heading into the weekend, here’s the latest in Florida State athletics.

Kicking things off, on Wednesday No. 3 FSU softball beat No. 11 UF via a walk-off homer, courtesy of Jahni Kerr. It was the first time in 16 years that FSU secured a series win over the Lizards -- the Seminoles are now 46-5 and wrap up the regular season this weekend vs. NC State -- our Gwyn Rhodes has you covered with a full preview on tomahawknation.com

In football news, linebacker TJ Davis, who signed as part of FSU’s 2020 class, was removed from the Seminoles’ roster after being medically disqualified. While he was a strong scout team player, even earning Scout Team Player of the Year for the defense this past season, he only saw action in one game for Florida State.

The 2020 recruiting class has now seen 10 departures, leaving 15 members still on the roster for now.

The 23rd-ranked FSU baseball team will look to bounce back from a midweek beatdown handed down by Stetson -- the Seminoles take on Boston College on the road in what’s a should-win matchup, especially with the season winding down. Parker Messick, slotted for his usual Friday role, dominated TCU last weekend with 14 putouts to help extend the Seminoles’ national lead to 521 strikeouts.

The fifth-seeded FSU beach volleyball team is competing in the NCAA Championships -- they advanced to the round of 8 after taking down 12th seed Cal Poly -- the Seminoles are matched up against 4th seed LMU, and that game is scheduled for today at 11 a.m.

In other NCAA Tournament action, the 28th ranked Florida State men’s tennis kicks off competition today against Georgia State -- women’s tennis is also in action this weekend, taking on FIU

We’ve got these stories, and much more, including a film breakdown on transfer wide receiver Mycah Pittman and the latest FSU recruiting offers and updates, on TomahawkNation.com

Thanks for tuning in, have a great weekend and we’ll see you on Monday.

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FSU football report card: How much does Mycah Pittman improve the offense? May 04, 2022

Show notes

Wide receiver was an obvious area of concern for the Florida State Seminoles coaching staff going into the 2022 season.

They addressed this concern with three transfers. Jordan Wilson Jr. is a big hybrid tight end that lets you be more dynamic with your offense, Winston Wright is a receiver with big-play capabilities who was unfortunately injured before he could make his way on campus, and Mycah Pittman is the do-it-all utility receiver that can be relied on to consistently win yardage.

At least that's what the story has been.

Instead of relying on narratives, we at the Triple Option prefer to let the film tell the story. That's why we’re starting this Spring Report Card series. In these upcoming videos, we will break down every single play that a key player or position group participated in during the spring game.

First up is Mycah Pittman. He received a lot of buzz over his spring game performance, but was it warranted? Let’s let the film decide.

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Noles News Now: Seminoles football, baseball, softball, FSU sports updates May 04, 2022

Show notes

Hello everyone, happy Wednesday-- I’m Perry Kostidakis, and welcome to Noles News Now, the latest updates in Florida State athletics, presented by Tomahawk Nation -- let’s dive in

Good news for former Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin, who signed with the New York Giants after going undrafted -- he signed a sizeable contract with the G-men -- $10k signing bonus, $110k guaranteed

FSU football coaching staff making the rounds on the recruiting trail -- offensive coordinator and o-line coach Alex Atkins made a stop in Ocala to check out Trinity Catholic practice -- he was likely checking out 2023 tackle Tommy Kinsler, a three-star prospect, a battle that seems to have UF leading

Seminoles baseball dropped a tough one to Stetson on Tuesday night, struggling pretty much in all phases en route to 6-0 loss -- FSU has been playing well lately but have struggled to find its footing in midweek matchups -- not a terrifying concern, but one that still needs to be examined and ironed out with the regular season set to wrap up at the end of the month.

No. 3 Seminoles softball, 45-5 and on a six-game win streak, is set to take on No. 11 Florida in Tallahassee today -- FSU won a thriller vs. the Lizards last month, so they’re going for the series win. The last time the Seminoles won twice in a single season vs. UF was 2006.

New soccer coach Brian Pensky spoke with the media for the first time Tuesday, talking about the task ahead of him and living up to the expectations set by his predecessor, Mark Krikorian.

FSU tennis athlete Loris Pourroy, the 52nd-ranked singles player in the country, will compete in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship beginning on May 23 -- it’s his first time making a solo appearance in the tournament.

On the women’s side, senior Petra Hule was named No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament -- the highest in school history. Hule will also play alongside Anna Aradinaou in the Doubles Tournament

And finally, FSU women’s golf head coach Amy Bond was named to the Jackie Steinmann National Coach of the Year watch list -- FSU is hosting the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Championship starting next week.

You can read up on these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always find updates on all FSU athletics. Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time.

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Jermaine Johnson to the New York Jets: Did the NFL Draft shine a light on FSU’s talent deficit? Seminoles analysis, news, breakdowns May 02, 2022

Show notes

Florida State Seminoles football had just one player selected in the NFL Draft this past week — defensive end Jermaine Johnson, a first-round pick to the New York Jets.

It’s the second time in the last three years (2020, Cam Akers, No. 52 overall to the Los Angeles Rams) but just the third since 2009.

From Brendan Sonnone of Noles247, here’s the number of players drafted from the last few recruiting classes in Tallahassee:

2017: 142018: 82019: 62020: 42021: 1

With FSU seemingly placing less and less talent in the league, is that a reflection of the work that has to be done in Tallahassee to return the Seminoles to prominence?

Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant, and Max Escarpio talk it out, and in addition, take a look at how Johnson will fit with the New York Jets, what may have caused his perceived slide from a potential top 10 pick, and the pretty cool story that brought Gang Green back into the first to grab him.

The crew also looks at the guys who have signed as undrafted free agents and who is still waiting to find their landing spot and give their thoughts on who may be able to stick in the pros long-term from that group.

Plus, a former Seminole is already making a name for himself in the NBA as he ends the year with some hardware.

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Noles News Now: Latest FSU Seminoles sports updates -- NFL Draft, baseball, softball, football, basketball May 02, 2022

Show notes

Happy Monday and thanks for starting your week right with Noles News Now, your home for the latest updates in Florida State athletics three times a week from Tomahawk Nation.

I’m your Monday host Brian Pellering getting you caught up on the weekend that was for FSU.

The headline stealer at water coolers across the country will be the NFL Draft.

For FSU, their lone draftee came on Thursday with edge rusher Jermaine Johnson heading to the Big Apple as the New York Jets moved back into the first round to grab him at No. 26 overall.

If you’re wondering how Jets fans feel about adding JJ to the roster, the poll from our sister site here at SB Nation Gang Green Nation had a 97% “yes” in favor of the pick

.Elsewhere in Noles nation, six former FSU players have found new homes in the NFL including Jashaun Corbin to the Giants, Keir Thomas to the defending champion Rams and Devontay Love-Taylor staying in Florida with the Buccaneers.

For more on the draft and what it means for FSU football going forward, check out this week’s Seminole Wrap podcast that dropping today.

Also in football, it was a big weekend for quarterbacks past and present as former FSU Q-B and national champion Jameis Winston and current FSU signal-caller Jordan Travis both walked across the stage. Congrats to the two of them for succeeding both on the field and in the classroom.

It was a rather quiet weekend in the world of recruiting, outside of FSU women’s basketball who landed Kentucky grad transfer Jasmine Massengill. The guard averaged over 30 minutes per game for the Wildcats and also spent time at Tennessee with the Lady Vols.

The FSU baseball team took care of the two games that counted this weekend against No. 20 TCU, winning the first two games of the series by a combined score of 17-3. The Noles also led Sunday’s series finale 6-5 in the fourth, but mother nature had other plans leaving the rest of the game canceled so it’ll end in a no contest. The Noles are back on the diamond on Tuesday at Stetson.

The other heavy hitters in Tallahassee also took care of business this weekend as the FSU softball team swept their own two-game series with back-to-back 2-1 wins over No. 7 Oklahoma State. They’re back in action on Wednesday against that school from Gainesville as they enter the final week of the regular season.

Track and field set a few records on Saturday with three members of the team posting record-breaking performances at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford this weekend.

And the FSU beach volleyball team earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Championship tournament after clinching the CCSA Championship for the –count it – one, two, three, four, five, sixth consecutive year. Congratulations to them.

You can read up on these stories and more on TomahawkNation.com, where you can always find updates on all FSU athletics.

Thank you for tuning in, and we’ll see you again on Wednesday.

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FSU football: How does Jermaine Johnson's game translate to the NFL? Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Jermaine Johnson II was one of the few bright spots from a mediocre 2021 season for the Florida State Seminoles.

Johnson was a two-time transfer heading to FSU. He spent his first season at JUCO Eden Prairie before spending a couple of years between the hedges at the University of Georgia. One final move brought him down south to Tallahassee where he had the best opportunity to showcase his skill — an opportunity he took full advantage of, turning himself into a surefire first-round NFL Draft selection.

As a prospect Johnson does a few things really well:

He has a good first step with long strides
He plays with active hands
He varies his moves- not relying too heavily on one or two moves
He has good spatial and situational awareness
He has all of the off-field intangibles you would want in a defensive leader.

These skills, like most things in football, are best appreciated through film.

The guys from the Triple Option have gotten together to break down his highlights and give their opinions on his future in the NFL.

Commentary from SB Nation

Gang Green Nation: 2022 New York Jets Draft Prospect DE Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State — “I think Johnson has star written all over him and will be a monster in the NFL eventually.”

Revenge of the Birds: Could Jermaine Johnson be the heir to Chandler Jones? — “He has the goods from an athletic and build standpoint.”

Pride of Detroit: FSU edge defender Jermaine Johnson visits Detroit Lions on pre-draft visit — “Could the Lions be considering Jermaine Johnson with the second overall pick or are they doing due diligence in case they trade down in the 2022 NFL Draft?”

Big Blue View: 2022 NFL Draft prospect profile - Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State — “The Giants could certainly use a player with Johnson’s tools, but has he really worked his way from an unknown to the Top 10 in just one year?”

The Falcoholic: The Falcoholic selects FSU EDGE Jermaine Johnson at No. 8 — “I went with Johnson because I believe he’s a really, really good player who will make an immediate impact for the Falcons. He’s the first piece in what is likely a multi-year retooling of the edge group.”