Noles News: FSU opens as 26-point favorite over Virginia Tech

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

After sitting idle for its bye week, Florida State remained No. 5 in the AP Poll, falling one spot in the USA Today Coaches Poll to match that slotting. The Seminoles have the fifth-best odds to win the 2023 College Football Playoff championship (+900), behind the Georgia Bulldogs (+300), Michigan Wolverines (+400), Texas Longhorns (+750) and Ohio State Buckeyes (+800).

Florida State returns to play this Saturday, October 7 against the Virginia Tech Hokies. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET from Doak Campbell Stadium, set to be broadcast on ABC.

The Seminoles are 26-point favorites against the Hokies, with the over-under set at 53.

After an offseason of determining the top four all-time Florida State players at each position we brought back our Mount Rushmore series for the bye where you, our dear sweet Tomahawk Nation reader, determined the lineup on offense and defense before narrowing things down to the best four players in FSU history:

• Quarterback Charlie Ward (79.7%)
• Defensive Back Deion Sanders (57.7%)
• Linebacker Derrick Brooks (52.4%)
• Wide Receiver Peter Warrick (49%)

All-Time Offensive Players

• Offense: Charlie Ward, Peter Warrick, Warrick Dunn, Dalvin Cook

All-Time Defensive Players

• Defense: Derrick Brooks, Deion Sanders, Marvin Jones, Ron Simmons

Position results

• Quarterbacks: Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston, Jordan Travis
• Running Backs: Warrick Dunn, Dalvin Cook, Greg Allen, Amp Lee
• Wide Receivers: Peter Warrick, Fred Biletnikoff, Rashad Greene, Ron Sellers
• Tight Ends: Nick O’Leary, Pat Carter, Lonnie Johnson, Melvin Pearsall
• Offensive Tackles: Walter Jones, Alex Barron, Pat Tomberlin, Cam Erving
• Interior Offensive Linemen: Rodney Hudson, Jamie Dukes, Bryan Stork, Clay Shiver
• Defensive Ends: Peter Boulware, Andre Wadsworth, Reinard Wilson, Derrick Alexander
• Defensive Tackles: Ron Simmons, Darnell Dockett, Corey Simon, Timmy Jernigan
• Linebackers: Derrick Brooks, Marvin Jones, Sam Cowart, Paul McGowan
• Cornerbacks: Terrell Buckley, Deion Sanders, Corey Sawyer, Bobby Butler
• Safeties: Leroy Butler, Jalen Ramsey, Lamarcus Joyner, Derwin James
• Specialists: Sebastian Janikowski, Graham Gano, Roberto Aguayo, Dustin Hopkins

Soccer

No. 2 Florida State soccer (8-0-1, 3-0-1) kept its unbeaten streak alive with a 2-0 win over the Miami Hurricanes:

The Noles came out in the second half with a sense of urgency and quickly threatened as Dudley took a shot that hit off the left post, and Nesbeth once again had a great look in the 57th minute. It did not take long for the Seminoles to convert as Dudley dribbled down the right sideline and beat her defender to find the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season.

The Seminoles continued to keep possession and did not allow the Hurricanes any chances to tie the game. FSU held possession 78% of the time and did not allow a single shot on the defensive end. This is the first time since Sept. 8, 2019, and just the eighth time in school history that the Seminoles have not allowed a shot.

Dudley put the icing on the cake with another goal in the 87th minute for her second consecutive brace and her team-high seventh goal of the season. Dudley is now tied for first in the ACC with seven goals this season.

FSU will hit the road next Thursday as they travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Basketball

FSU men’s basketball practice is officially underway, with the team holding its first practice over the weekend:

Throughout the gym, there was an orchestra of sounds and a cornucopia of excitement for the Seminole Men’s Basketball first official practice of the season.

Hamilton set many goals during the 2023 off-season – two that he made perfectly clear – to increase his team’s talent level, and, to get older. He has accomplished both goals and his team will be better because of the efforts of his staff and the hard work of players in the offseason.

Graduate students, redshirt seniors, and seniors are now the prevailing class designations on Florida State’s roster. Darin Green (fifth year) finished as one of three players in the ACC with 90 or more 3-point field goals made and averaged 34.1 minutes played per game. Cam’Ron Fletcher (10.8 ppg and 7.5 rpg) was well on his way to an All-ACC type of season before injuring his knee on December 3 at Virginia and missed the remainder of the season. Jaylan Gainey (sixth-year, 65 career games played) was injured in September of 2022 and missed the entire 2022-23 season. He is a two-time Ivy League Defender of the Year. Both players are on their way to returning to full strength this season.

His now veteran group of underclassmen – Chandler Jackson, Jalen Warley, Cam Corhen, De’Ante Green, Baba Miller, and Tom House – grew up during the 2022-23 season. Jackson (12.2 mpg), Warley (21 starts, 27.9 mpg), Corhen (21 starts, 23.9 mpg), Green (6.3 mpg) and Miller (17.3 mpg following a 16-game NCAA suspension), and House (29 games played) all earned more playing time in Hamilton’s system than most first or second year players will.

Baseball

Softball

FSU softball added a commit in 2025 right handed pitcher Avery Dockery:

Dockery is the 2nd pitcher, and 4th player overall for the 2025 recruiting class. Coming out of Perkasie, PA, she adds to the bullpen depth for the Seminoles.

As a member of Pennridge High Schools, varsity team, she has a 2.28 ERA, 3-3 W/L record, 80 IP, 58 H, 38 26 ER, 32 BB, 135 K in 339 BF.

All Sports

FSU cross country teams took part in the Joe Piane Invitational over the weekend, as well as hosting the FSU Invitational:

The men’s team, who received votes in the USTFCCCA poll that was released on Tuesday, knocked off three ranked squads in the 5-mile race in South Bend, Indiana. FSU went toe-to-toe with the ninth-ranked host team, Notre Dame, finishing with a total of 95 points for second place, just eight points behind the Irish (87).

The women’s team was led by Alyson Churchill, who took bronze in the 5k behind a time of 16:15.8, just shy of silver (16:15.1). It was her highest finish at the meet after placing 22nd in 2022. Churchill ran steady in third place for the entire race, finishing nine seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher.

Out at the ARP in Tallahassee, the Seminoles also raced in the FSU XC Invitational. In the women’s 5k, Dani Thompson led Florida State finishing 28th (18:21.9), followed by Lily Moore in 33rd (18:30.9), Lauren Bing in 42nd (18:42.8), Rachel Wheatley 75th (19:08.6), and Annika Pfaff 82nd (19:17.7). The top five runners scored 241 points, placing FSU seventh.

FSU volleyball advanced to 4-0 in ACC play with a win over Duke on Sunday:

The Seminoles (10-6, 4-0) were guided by the hot hitting of junior outside hitter Audrey Koenig, who fell one kill shy of her third career 20-kill performance. She finished with 19 kills, 10 digs and a .417 hitting percentage, marking her second consecutive double-double and the 10th of her career.

Junior middle blocker Kiari Robey registered 14 kills and a .379 hitting percentage. She had four crucial kills in the fifth set as FSU hit .500 in the final frame. Overall, FSU continued its strong hitting with a .351 hitting percentage, as senior right-side hitter Sydney Conley contributed greatly with nine kills and a .368 mark.

In FSU women’s tennis, freshmen Laura Putz and Maelie Monfils won the Women’s Open doubles at the Bedford Cup in Tampa:

The pair kicked off their first colligate match with a 6-2 win over Grace Schumacher and Ireland Simme of the University of South Florida in the east draw quarterfinals.

Putz and Monfils went on to win 6-4 over Carla Galmiche and Amber McGinnis of FAU in the semifinal round and ended the tournament with a 6-4 victory over Anslee Long and Annabelle Davis of UNF to secure the Bedford Cup.

The tournament’s Sportsmanship Award was awarded to sophomore Cade Criccho.

The Seminoles return to action October 9th, when they travel to Florence, South Carolina for the ITF Florence 25k.

Florida State swimming and diving teams secured three wins on Saturday, as both the Seminoles’ men’s and women’s teams won the FSU Fall Classic while members of the women’s team took home wins at the UNF Invite:

The women opened the second day of the FSU Fall Classic at the Morcom Aquatic Center by winning the first three events.

The women scored 231 points ahead of TCU (191), Georgia Tech (172) and Liberty (120).

The men won the team title with a total of 238 points ahead of Georgia Tech (220) and TCU (170).

Members of the women’s team competed at UNF Competition Pool Complex in Jacksonville on Saturday morning — The Noles won the meet with a total of 1,056 points ahead of UNF (770.5), Campbell (745.5) and Georgia Southern (666).