Noles News: Seminoles prep for Cheez-It Bowl showdown, Latson earns another honor

Recruiting

Florida State’s staff was out on the road on Tuesday, checking out South Florida:

Get caught up on the latest Florida State Seminoles football recruiting news and pick the brains of our recruiting staff in our official FSU recruiting thread.

Florida State Recruiting Class of 2023

QUARTERBACK: 4 star Brock Glenn (TN)

RUNNING BACK: 4 star Samuel Singleton Jr. (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 5 star Hykeem Williams (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 3 star Darren “Goldie” Lawrence (FL)

WIDE RECEIVER: 4 star Vandrevius Jacobs (FL)

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Lucas Simmons (FL)

DEFENSIVE END: 4 star Lamont “Boots” Green, Jr. (FL)

DEFENSIVE END: 3 star JUCO Jaden Jones (AL)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 3 star Tavion Gadson (GA)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keldric Faulk (AL)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: 4 star Keith Sampson, Jr. (NC)

LINEBACKER: 4 star Blake Nichelson (CA)

LINEBACKER: 3 star DeMarco Ward (GA)

DEFENSIVE BACK/ATHLETE: 3 star Quindarrius Jones (MS)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Ja’Bril Rawls (FL)

DEFENSIVE BACK: 3 star Kenton “KJ” Kirkland (FL)

Transfer portal additions

RUNNING BACK: Caziah Holmes (Penn State)

TIGHT END: Jaheim Bell (South Carolina)

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: Darrell Jackson (Miami, FL)

Football

A legend for so, so many reasons, from his larger-than-life personality and work in innovating and advancing offensive playcalling in modern football, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach passed away on Tuesday — he was 61.

The sporting world took a moment to pay respects to The Pirate, father of the Air Raid:

Florida State is prepping for its Dec. 29 matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cheez-It Bowl — according to DraftKings, the Seminoles remain a 7.5-point favorite.

Basketball

FSU men’s basketball earned its first win streak of the season on Tuesday night, overcoming some sloppy play to beat the USC Upstate Spartans. FSU (3-9, 1-1 ACC) will get a few days of rest before heading to Sunrise to take on the St. John’s Red Storm in the 2022 AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.

Freshman Ta’Niya Latson continues to rack up awards as she puts together one of the most impressive seasons in a Florida State uniform — she was named Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Week on Tuesday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

From FSU Sports Info:

On Monday, Latson won her fifth consecutive ACC Rookie of the Week award. In her lone game last Sunday, she scored 34 points in a 108-51 win over Texas Southern.

For the season, Latson is averaging 25.5 points per game to easily rank the highest among the nation’s freshmen. The next closest freshman is talented guard Mara Braun of Minnesota, who is scoring 18.8 points per game.

Latson leads the ACC in scoring by more than five points per game. She is coming off her third 30-point game of the season, which is the most in a season by a Seminole since WNBA All-Star Natasha Howard had five in the 2013-14 season.

Baseball

Softball

All Sports

Florida State track and field has released its full 2023 schedule — all in all, the Seminoles will compete in 20 meets over the course of the season.

Speaking of track and field, former Florida State hurdler Trey Cunningham will learn Thursday whether he won The Bowerman, collegiate track and field’s most prestigious individual award.

From FSU Sports Info:

Cunningham put together one of the greatest seasons in collegiate track and field hurdle history during his 2022 campaign. In the indoor season, Cunningham became the first collegiate athlete to run 7.42 or faster four separate times in the 60m hurdles. Cunningham cruised his way to his first career national title in the 60m hurdles recording the second-fastest time in collegiate history at 7.38 in the championship race. His time of 7.38 was also the 11th-fastest time in the history of the sport. Following his indoor campaign, Cunningham was named the ACC Indoor Men’s Track Performer of the Year, ACC Indoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the USTFCCCA Men’s Track South Region Athlete of the Year.

Cunningham picked up right where he left off in his outdoor season where he ran the third-fastest season-opening time in collegiate history (13.22) in the 110m hurdles at the UNF Invitational. This was just the beginning where Cunningham ran 13.22 or faster nine times in 10 races throughout his season. No collegiate athlete had run 13.22 or faster more than six times in a single season. Cunningham capped off his collegiate career in style with a national title in 110m hurdles with a time that tied for the second-fastest time in collegiate history (13.00).