Noles News: Which conference has been college football’s best so far in 2023?

Recruiting

Florida State Seminoles football 2024 commitments

QUARTERBACK: 4 star Luke Kromenhoek (GA)

RUNNING BACK: 4 star Kam Davis (GA)

RUNNING BACK: 4 star Micahi Danzy (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star Camdon Frier (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star Lawayne McCoy (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star BJ Gibson (GA)

WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star Elijah Moore (MD)

TIGHT END: 5 star Landen Thomas (GA)

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Jonathan Daniels (FL)

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Tye Hylton (FL)

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Manasse Itete (CA)

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Jayden Todd (GA)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star DD Holmes (DC)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Jamorie Flagg (FL)

LINEBACKER: 3 star Jayden Parrish (FL)

LINEBACKER: 3 star Timir Hickman-Collins (SC)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 5 star KJ Bolden (GA)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 5 star Charles Lester III (FL)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 4 star Ricky Knight III (FL)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star CJ Heard (GA)

KICKER: 3 star Jake Weinberg (FL)

Football

With the SEC in a bit of a downswing this season, there’s been a clamor to determine which conference is tops in 2023.

The Pac-12 is getting plenty of love in what is likely its last-ever season, fielding four of the current top ten teams (No. 7 Washington, No. 8 USC, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Utah) the Big Ten has the usual power trio of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State and the ACC has six unbeaten teams, four of whom are ranked (No. 5 FSU, No. 15 UNC, No. 17 Duke, No. 18 Miami).

Who ya got?

In a continuation of our offseason series we’re having you, dear Tomahawk Nation reader, vote on the best all-time Seminoles on each side of the ball to determine the Mount Rushmore of former Florida State offensive and defensive players.

Yesterday, we got our first batch — offense, which saw Charlie Ward, Peter Warrick, Warrick Dunn and Dalvin Cook earn spots.

FSU made its way back out onto the practice field on Tuesday, getting in a light but intense day of work as it looks to get healthy over the bye.

Even during a bye week, the Seminoles came out with their usual energy and intensity in their first action since defeating Clemson on Saturday. There were no black jerseys on the scout team today, and practice finished earlier than usual; even with the importance of keeping focus and energy high, this week is essential for the Seminoles to get the chance to rest up and get their legs back underneath them.

A visibly pleased Norvell met with the media after saying he felt today “was a really good day...proud of players... they worked at a really high level.” It would be easy for the Seminoles to loaf through the first practice after an emotional win, but that word is not in the team dictionary.

Florida State is one of only two teams this season (along with Colorado) to be featured in games earning over six million TV viewers. The Seminoles’ 45-24 season-opening win over the now-No. 13 LSU Tigers was the second-most watched Sunday Labor Day game on record and the highest watched Sunday opener in seven years, snagging eyeballs from 9.1 million households while last week’s 31-24 overtime win over Clemson was the third-highest viewed game of a packed Week 4 slate (behind Colorado-Oregon, Ohio State-Notre Dame), earning 6.71 million viewers — a number three times the next-highest on the noon slate (Auburn-Texas A&M, 2.18 million) according to Sports Media Watch.

Soccer

Basketball

The ACC released its intraconference schedule for each of the 15 league members, with Florida State set to play 17 home games — including hosting North Carolina and Duke for the first time since the 2012-13 season:

• Oct 29 (Sun), FSU vs. Flagler College, Home
• Nov 5 (Sun), FSU vs. Valdosta State University, Home
• Nov 10 (Fri), FSU vs. Kennesaw State University, Home
• Nov 13 (Mon), FSU vs. Central Michigan University, Home
• Nov 17 (Fri), FSU vs. University of Florida, Away
• Nov 20 (Mon), FSU vs. UNLV, Neutral
• Nov 21 (Tue), FSU vs. TBA, Neutral
• Nov 29 (Wed), FSU vs. University of Georgia, Home
• Dec 2 (Sat), FSU vs. University of North Carolina, Away
• Dec 9 (Sat), FSU vs. USF, Neutral
• Dec 16 (Sat), FSU vs. Southern Methodist University, Home
• Dec 19 (Tue), FSU vs. University of North Florida, Home
• Dec 22 (Fri), FSU vs. Winthrop University, Home
• Dec 30 (Sat), FSU vs. Lipscomb University, Home
• Jan 3 (Wed), FSU vs. Georgia Tech, Home
• Jan 6 (Sat), FSU vs. Virginia Tech, Home
• Jan 9 (Tue), FSU vs. Wake Forest University, Home
• Jan 13 (Sat), FSU vs. University of Notre Dame, Away
• Jan 17 (Wed), FSU vs. University of Miami, Away
• Jan 20 (Sat), FSU vs. Clemson University, Home
• Jan 23 (Tue), FSU vs. Syracuse University, Away
• Jan 27 (Sat), FSU vs. University of North Carolina, Home
• Feb 3 (Sat), FSU vs. University of Louisville, Away
• Feb 6 (Tue), FSU vs. Boston College, Away
• Feb 10 (Sat), FSU vs. University of Virginia, Home
• Feb 13 (Tue), FSU vs. Virginia Tech, Away
• Feb 17 (Sat), FSU vs. Duke University, Home
• Feb 20 (Tue), FSU vs. Boston College, Home
• Feb 24 (Sat), FSU vs. Clemson University, Away
• Feb 27 (Tue), FSU vs. NC State University, Home
• Mar 2 (Sat), FSU vs. Georgia Tech, Away
• Mar 5 (Tue), FSU vs. University of Pittsburgh, Away
• Mar 9 (Sat), FSU vs. University of Miami, Home

Along with the Seminoles’ schedule announcement, FSU put out a nice feature on Darin Green Jr. as he enters his final year in Tallahassee:

“It came quick,” Green said. “I have played with some great veteran players who have prepared me to be a leader. I have taken that leadership role and I am going to do whatever it takes to get to the NCAA Tournament.”

Green is not just a player; he is a record-setter in the making.

“Scoring and records are just something that come with playing the right way,” said the second-year Seminole who transferred from UCF. “All good outcomes come with the way we play. With each guy on our team buying into the system the wins will take care of themselves.”

Florida State women’s basketball also learned its full 2023-24 slate:

The Seminoles, ranked 15th in ESPNW’s most updated way-too-early-poll, host nine home games in conference play.

“Once again, the ACC is loaded with so many great programs. It’s the ultimate test in conference play in women’s college basketball,” FSU Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff said. “Every game presents a challenge and provides the preparation needed for NCAA postseason play. At the same time, each ACC game presents an opportunity for our team to really measure itself throughout the season.”

Sophomore guard Ta’Niya Latson leads a group of six returnees ready to build on last season’s 10th consecutive run to the NCAA Tournament, where the Seminoles finished 23-10 overall and 12-6 in ACC play. FSU spent some extra time together this offseason with its Foreign Tour trip to Greece and Croatia. Latson returns as the consensus national freshman of the year last season, becoming the first ACC freshman ever to lead the league in scoring at 21.3 points per game.

• Oct 26 (Thu), FSU vs. Flagler College, Home
• Nov 1 (Wed), FSU vs. Clayton State, Home
• Nov 6 (Mon), FSU vs. Charleston Southern University, Home
• Nov 9 (Thu), FSU vs. University of Tennessee, Home
• Nov 17 (Fri), FSU vs. University of Florida, Away
• Nov 19 (Sun), FSU vs. University of South Alabama, Home
• Nov 22 (Wed), FSU vs. Northwestern University, Neutral
• Nov 24 (Fri), FSU vs. Stanford/Belmont, Neutral
• Nov 30 (Thu), FSU vs. University of Arkansas, Home
• Dec 3 (Sun), FSU vs. Kent State University, Home
• Dec 7 (Thu), FSU vs. Jacksonville University, Home
• Dec 10 (Sun), FSU vs. UCLA, Neutral
• Dec 17 (Sun), FSU vs. Drexel University, Away
• Dec 20 (Wed), FSU vs. Alabama State University, Home
• Dec 29 (Fri), FSU vs. Georgia Tech, Home
• Dec 31 (Sun), FSU vs. Wake Forest University, Home
• Jan 4 (Thu), FSU vs. NC State University, Away
• Jan 7 (Sun), FSU vs. Clemson University, Away
• Jan 11 (Thu), FSU vs. University of North Carolina, Home
• Jan 14 (Sun), FSU vs. Virginia Tech, Home
• Jan 18 (Thu), FSU vs. Syracuse University, Away
• Jan 21 (Sun), FSU vs. University of Virginia, Home
• Jan 25 (Thu), FSU vs. Duke University, Away
• Jan 28 (Sun), FSU vs. Georgia Tech, Away
• Feb 4 (Sun), FSU vs. University of Miami, Home
• Feb 8 (Thu), FSU vs. University of Pittsburgh, Away
• Feb 11 (Sun), FSU vs. University of Notre Dame, Home
• Feb 15 (Thu), FSU vs. Wake Forest University, Away
• Feb 18 (Sun), FSU vs. University of Miami, Away
• Feb 22 (Thu), FSU vs. Boston College, Home
• Feb 29 (Thu), FSU vs. University of Louisville, Away
• Mar 3 (Sun), FSU vs. Clemson University, Home

Softball

All Sports

Yolanda Rankin, associate professor in the School of Information, has been awarded the largest National Science Foundation CAREER grant in FSU history and the first NSF CAREER grant for the College of Communication and Information:

CAREER Awards are NSF’s most prestigious recognition of early career faculty who serve as role models in education and lead research advancement in their departments.

Rankin’s research works toward ensuring more Black women are not only interested in pursuing degrees in the computing field, but also graduate with their degrees in that field. She specifically uses Black feminist epistemologies, or Black women’s ways of knowing as a valid framework for understanding the world, in her research regarding who designs technology, who gets access to technology and for advancing the representation and retention of Black women in computing.

This funding will not only help Rankin in her research but will also give numerous opportunities to underrepresented students to learn more about the various paths in the world of computing.