James Franklin and his coaching staff will be among the guest coaches working at Florida State’s big football camp.
With the temperatures warming up, that can only mean one thing. Football camp season is just about here. Penn State’s coaching staff will be one of the more notable guest coaches attending Florida State’s mega football camp next month.
Members of the Penn State staff will work the Florida State camp in Tallahassee on June 6. Florida State’s “Sunshine Showcase” will also include guest coaches from Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, Arizona State, Utah, and more.
🚨 ALERT 🚨
We are reopening MEGA Camp registration for a limited time due to overwhelming desire to attend. Going to be a GREAT day in Tallahassee. The Sunshine Showcase will be the place to be!
James Franklin has always made an effort to get his staff to as many camps as possible, especially in the southern states where football talent is overflowing.
Visiting coaches are prohibited from having any instructional work directly with any camp attendees. Instead, they mostly assist the running of the camp and take the lead of the host school. This is clearly a Florida State recruiting asset, but it absolutely does not hurt to have a presence and some interaction with the pool of high school athletes attending the camp.
The Los Angeles Chargers locked up their second-round selection.
The Chargers have signed their second-round pick from the 2021 NFL draft, cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr., his agency announced.
Samuel Jr. is the first rookie on the team to sign their contract.
In three years at Florida State, Samuel Jr. finished with 97 total tackles (71 solo), three tackles for loss, four interceptions, 29 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Samuel Jr. will serve as a key piece in a cornerback room alongside Michael Davis and Chris Harris, Jr.
The best has yet to come for the Chargers’ third-round pick, tight end Tre’ McKitty.
The Chargers needed to round out the tight end group, so the team used one of their third-round picks (No. 97 overall) on Tre’ McKitty, the former Georgia product.
McKitty was drafted for his blocking skills, where he will have a role is an inline blocker right off the bat. However, he has true potential to make an impact through the air than most realize.
The Athletic’s Bob McGinn talked to a couple of NFL evaluators prior to the draft to get their perspectives on McKitty, and one of them sees him as a viable option to be the complete package at the position.
“He’s a little bit of a project who has a lot of upside,” said one scout. “He’s not a freakish athlete, but you see enough traits in there. Nice (catching) radius, big hands. He competed as a blocker.”
For the Bulldogs in 2020, McKitty only posted six receptions in four games, which marked a career-low.
“He wasn’t used well enough at Georgia,” a second scout said. “Athletically, it looks like he belongs. He’s going to need some work. He’s more of a receiving tight end than an in-line blocker.”
Before transferring to Georgia, McKitty had 50 catches in three seasons at Florida State.
Overall, McKitty has potential to not only be a stout blocker but someone who can be counted on as a reliable receiver in this league.
Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr. received high praise coming out of Florida State.
The Chargers hit a home run in the second-round with the selection of cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr.
Samuel Jr.’s tape showed a first-round player, but his lack of height caused the slide to the dynamic defender.
How did NFL evaluations feel about him?
The Athletic’s Bob McGinn reached out to a few scouts to get a better idea what those in the league thought of him ahead of the draft.
“There will be size limitations, but he compensates in other ways,” one scout said. “He’s undersized but very productive. He can play outside or inside.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Samuel Jr. had a 21.9% career forced incompletion rate at Florida State.
“Good player, just (small),” a second scout said. “Has good instincts and cover skills. He’s a marginal tackler and hitter, but he’ll go after the ball. There are guys that aren’t tough that won’t go after the ball, but he will. Also has good hands.”
Due to some upper-body strength deficiencies, it can show up in the run game, which one scout highlighted.
“More of a slot,” a third scout said. “But he’s an excellent athlete and is quick as can be. He plays like his dad. He just knows what he’s doing. He attacks the ball. But his size does show up. He can get pushed around, and in run support he’s more of an ankle-biter, drag-you-down type.”
Overall, even though he isn’t going to get any bigger, Samuel displays the athleticism and aggressiveness with quick instincts to be a difference-maker inside or outside, drawing some parallels to Packers’ Jaire Alexander.
With his skillset and talent couple with playing under head coach Brandon Staley, Samuel has Pro Bowl potential.
Get familiar with the player who will join Jared Cook, Donald Parham and Stephen Anderson.
After the selection of wide receiver Josh Palmer, the Chargers added another skill player with their No. 97 pick, drafting former Georgia tight end Tre’ McKitty.
Los Angeles had a need for another tight end to complete the position group, and they felt like McKitty was the right guy to bring in.
At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, McKitty is athletic, he has the size to play at the line of scrimmage as a pass protector and run blocker, and for how big he is, he can create separation and is good after the catch.
To get familiar with the newest member of the Bolts, check out the compilation video of him throughout his collegiate career.
Jags Nation received some unfortunate news Monday after the passing of former linebacker Geno Hayes.
Former Florida State and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Geno Hayes has passed away at age 33. The unfortunate news comes after it was reported that he was under hospice care for liver complications last week.
Hayes, who was a former sixth-round pick drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucs, entered the league in 2008. After his time with the Bucs (2008-11), Hayes had stints with the Chicago Bears (2012) and Jaguars (2013-14). He exited the NFL with 401 total tackles (313 solo), 10 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
In the aforementioned report, Hayes revealed that he was unfortunately diagnosed with “chronic liver disease” two years ago — an issue he believes stemmed from a family history of liver disease and non-prescription pain medications. As a result, he had been placed on a waiting list with Mayo Clinic and Northwestern Medicine for a transplant.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez details why Los Angeles could look to draft Joshua Kaindoh or Janarius Robinson.
Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. is on the Chargers’ radar, as the team has met with him twice now.
Samuel Jr. likely isn’t the only Seminole that Los Angeles has their eyes on, however.
Edge defenders Joshua Kaindoh and Janarius Robinson both present skillsets that are tailor-made for what head coach Brandon Staley looks for in players at the position.
Kaindoh, the former five-star edge defender, never quite lived up to his lofty billing as a recruit as injuries limited him to just three games in 2019 and seven in 2020. But he was a consistent defender when on the field.
He finished his collegiate career with 59 tackles, eight sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss.
Kaindoh lined up as a 6-technique defensive end and outside linebacker. He played in a 3-4 system in 2019 and got experience in 4-3 defense last season with the team’s new coaching staff.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Kaindoh is very impressive physically and athletically, owning the movement skills, length, impressive power, toughness and awareness to perform at a high level as a pass rusher and run defender.
Joshua Kaindoh is a name to keep an eye on for next season. The former 5 star recruit has unbelievable length, bend, and power for an edge rusher. Limited last season do to injury, but he should breakout if he can stay healthy in 2021. #NFLDraft#DraftTwitterpic.twitter.com/jVVIft20zR
The thing holding Kaindoh back is simply his lack of experience due to the various injuries sustained, but with his combination of size, athleticism and upside, he’s a player that outside linebackers coach Jay Rodgers would love to unlock his full potential.
Robinson, on the other hand, saw the field on a more consistent basis. In 42 games, 28 which he started, Robinson recorded 104 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in his career.
Robinson played as a stand-up end. He mainly was used as an edge defender, but saw some snaps on the interior during goal line and lighter pass rushing packages.
Standing 6-foot-5, 263 pounds with 35 ÂĽ-inch arms and an 86 ÂĽ-inch wingspan, Robinson presents an eye-popping frame.
Length and strength is the name of Robinson’s game. He has great point of attack strength, is able to hold his own along the line of scrimmage and has the heavy hands and length to extend and shock offensive linemen, complimented with a solid first step quickness and speed off the edge.
Back to back plays in the two minute team period #FloridaState EDGE Janarius Robinson collapses the pocket, either altering or forcing Mond to make a quick throw, converting speed to power and using his length.
Stronger in the run department at the moment, Robinson could benefit from developing his hands as he struggles to counter after initial contact.
The bottom line is that Kaindoh and Robinson are the type of edge defenders that Staley covets, considering they’re both lengthy and explosive players who can win at the point of attack.
Given the team’s need for more players to fill out the position, drafting and developing Kaindoh or Robinson could pay dividends down the down.
Kendrick Calilao entered the game as a pinch hitter, and he secured a midweek win with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning.
It may have taken 10 innings, but Florida managed to escape a pitching duel with rival FSU at home on Tuesday night. The Gators had just two hits after the third inning, but one of them proved to be valuable as Kendrick Calilao crushed a walk-off homer over the wall after entering as a pinch-hitter earlier in the game, securing a 3-2 win.
The Seminoles (16-13) made five errors, and lights-out performances from UF pitchers Garrett Milchin and Jack Leftwich were enough to even the two-game season series.
Florida (22-11) avenged a 10-2 loss in Game 1 last month when Milchin struggled tremendously. Against FSU this time around, he was much better. He pitched six innings, allowing just three hits and two runs. He also struck out five batters.
UF’s lineup only managed four hits all game, but it got on the scoreboard first in the second inning. The Seminoles put three batters on base after two errors and a walk, and a pair of sac-flies from Jordan Butler and Colby Halter put Florida up 2-0. It got a runner to third in the following inning, but nothing came of it.
The Gators couldn’t hold onto the lead, though, as Milchin gave up a leadoff walk in the fourth inning followed by an RBI double by Robby Martin. After a sacrifice groundout later in the inning, FSU managed to tie the game at two, though the damage ended with that.
That started an offensive cold streak for both teams. Milchin was replaced at the top of the seventh by Leftwich, who pitched the rest of the way and had a fantastic outing after throwing just eight pitches last weekend (all walks). It was arguably his best game of the season, as he didn’t allow any hits in four innings. He also struck out seven batters while walking just one.
But Florida struggled to hit off a committee of FSU relievers. Its best chance to break the tie came in the seventh inning, when it stranded two on base. That threat was ended when Calilao, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, struck out looking on his first plate appearance.
He got his chance at redemption at the bottom of the tenth inning, though. Florida State pitcher Clayton Kwiatkowski entered the game and put away his first two batters, and with two outs, UF’s last chance in the inning rested on Calilao’s shoulders.
He didn’t disappoint, and his walk-off home run secured a season split with the Seminoles. Florida returns to conference play action on Friday when 11-19 Missouri comes to town. The Gators will look to get back to their series-winning ways against the Tigers, and first pitch for Game 1 is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT.
Oklahoma got the team title at the new Calusa Cup and Florida State’s John Pak earned a meaningful eight individual victory.
The inaugural Calusa Cup ended with a boom Tuesday.
Twice.
The Oklahoma men’s golf team pulled away for the title at Calusa Pines Golf Club in Naples, and then the Sooners — Boomer Sooner is their rallying cry — got to set off the club’s booming cannon to celebrate.
“Calusa Pines is just a phenomenal golf course, and for us to be able to come out here and win, you really have to manage your golf ball and do some great things on the putting surface,” Oklahoma coach Ryan Hybl said. “Our guys just really did a great job all week long. From start to finish, we just kept hanging, kept hanging. We played a nice last two rounds, which is always kind of fun finishing that way.”
Oklahoma, ranked No. 2 in the country by Golfstat, shot a final-round 282 for a three-day total of 859 and an eight-stroke victory over  No. 41 Georgia Tech. No. 1 Florida State finished third, a stroke behind the Yellow Jackets at 868. Florida and Texas tied for fourth in the nine-team tournament at 875.
“The course was incredible,” said Oklahoma’s Quade Cummins, who tied for ninth — one of three Sooners to finish in the top 10. “We don’t get conditions like this in Oklahoma. Just being able to come here with a great field, being able to compete against the top teams in the country, it’s always fun to be able to win tournaments.”
One Seminole did walk away with something.
Senior John Pak, playing his final regular-season tournament, shot a 5-under-par 67 on the nationally ranked layout and won medalist honors by a stroke with a 5-under 211 total, one better than the Sooners’ Logan McAllister. It was his ninth career victory, tying the school record.
“This was a pretty big week for me, it’s my final regular-season event,” Pak said. “I was always one short of the FSU record at eight, and this just matched it. It means everything because Florida State’s the place where I call home and it’s so important to me.
“I just stayed really patient. I didn’t attack the pins I didn’t need to. I played on the fast side of the green, and then when I had the opportunities I hit a good wedge shot and converted, made some good putts.”
Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech and Pierceson Coody of Texas tied for third at 213. Coody is a grandson of former PGA Tour player and 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody.
Oklahoma’s Jonathan Brightwell tied for fifth at 215 along with first-round leader Joe Pagdin of Florida, Florida State’s Brett Roberts, and Iowa’s Alex Schaake, who matched Pak’s 67.
Neither Naples connection — Florida’s Ryan Hart or Florida State’s James Tureskis — played for their respective teams.
“A disappointing week for us, but it was a great tournament, phenomenal golf course, and really challenging greens for these guys,” Gators coach J.C. Deacon said. “It should be great preparation for us going forward. We didn’t make enough birdies this week, so we’ve got to be a little bit better.”
Iowa hosted the tournament, and head coach Tyler Stith thanked Calusa Pines owner Gary Chensoff, general manager Walt Kozlowsky, and head professional Mike Balliet and member Bradley Heinrichs, an Iowa alum, for helping the event come off after two years of planning.
“It’s really enjoyable sharing Calusa with the young individuals that are going to be leading our golf industry for the next 25 years,” Chensoff said. “It’s fun sharing.
“I would like it to continue, and yes, it will evolve into something very, very special.”
Despite being a 1-seed, several pundits were counting Michigan basketball out in the Sweet 16 matchup against Florida State.
That was cute, wasn’t it?
The Wolverines manhandled the Seminoles from midway in the first half to the end, blowing out FSU, 76-58, in a game that wasn’t even really that close. It has to be somewhat bittersweet for head coach Juwan Howard, who once played for Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton. The two were so close that when Howard got the Michigan job, he traveled to Tallahassee to learn from his former mentor.
Nonetheless, there was a lot to like about the Wolverines’ performance. Here’s everything that Howard had to say after the game.
