Noles News: Football opener 68 days away

Recruiting

You probably don’t need me to tell you how strong of a run the Noles are having on the recruiting trail right now. It can be a lot to keep up with, but remember we’ve got you covered.

Our Seminole Wrap podcast with Tim Scribble, Josh Pick and NoleThruandThru is the best place to start. They talk about the four big commitments over the weekend plus a PGA Tour member trying to get some private recruiting scoop. Check it out and make sure you’re subscribing and leaving them a good review for all the hard work.

One of those commitments the crew will talk about is from Antavious Woody. If you want to read more about Woody specifically, CoachAB went in-depth on what exactly the Noles can expect from him in the future.

Football

Florida State versus Notre Dame can’t come soon enough. The calendar just about to flip to July putting the game two months away, but Mike Norvell’s program isn’t waiting until then to make big gains toward getting FSU back on track.

One guy who’s been putting in that work this offseason is Jermaine Johnson II and he showed it off on Twitter in a video that included some praise from his head coach.

And while we all wait for opening weekend, Tomahawk Nation fans are trying to project what Norvell’s bunch could look like this season.

GolferNole456 took a look at how McKenzie Milton could change the passing game:

And who doesn’t love some good, old-fashioned schedule talk. If you missed it earlier this month, RobbSeminole broke down how the wins and losses may fall this season.

And it’s been about a week since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA in the Alston case over educational benefits for students athletes. Plus states across the country continue enacting new NIL laws. It all sets up big potential changes to the fabric of college sports and mpl6038 is tracking those changes across the country.

Basketball

The NBA Draft is less than a month away now and, with the completion of the combine, sites are updating their mock drafts including ESPN. Florida State’s Scottie Barnes once again finds himself in the top 5 and starting his pro career in the Sunshine State.

With two picks in the top eight and a plethora of interesting young prospects scattered at every position, the Magic could go in several different directions in this draft. Barnes’ winning spirit, toughness, work ethic, defensive versatility and playmaking ability would surely be interesting at this slot, as he could be the type of culture-setter the franchise needs to help elevate all of its young players. Playing for a team just starting its rebuild, one that can afford to take its time in building a strong foundation, Barnes could be given the type of leeway he needs to continue to expand his offensive arsenal and reach his full potential as a scorer.

Barnes’ combine is only helping his case for that top five spot as Sports Illustrated listed him as the player who best helped his stock with his workouts. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

There was general agreement around the gym this week that Barnes is the player with the best chance to sneak into the top five on draft night. He’s certainly gained some steam since the season ended and helped himself a bit further this week by simply being visible. He tested and measured at the combine and held a brief, but intense, pro day workout that showcased a jumper that seems at least marginally improved.

SI sees Barnes falling in the 4-6 range on draft night and also sees him landing in Florida on draft night. You can see their full write-up here.