Florida State WR accuses program of lying about COVID-19 protocols

There’s tension in Tallahassee.

Florida State wide receiver Warren Thompson called out the team’s coaches and alleged that the staff, under first-year head coach Mike Norvell, lied to student-athletes about their health and the health of their teammates.

Thompson wrote an Instagram post detailing what he says is a dysfunctional situation at Florida State, where wide receiver DJ Matthews recently tweeted, then deleted, that he had tested positive for COVID-19, according to 247Sports.

Here’s what Thompson wrote on Thursday:

“Being a student-athlete is difficult during this time and the proper leadership (at Florida State) regarding these problems doesn’t exist. During this entire week of camp, I have been lied to multiple times about the conditions of other players’ health as well as mine. It has been shown to myself and the rest, that our leadership is based off an “I” mentality with them only worried about their own future rather than their own athletes. I have been ridiculed about speaking up regarding this issue and it needs to be addressed for myself to safely continue the season.”

Thompson expressed his willingness and excitement to play in the 2020 college football season — the ACC has yet to postpone its season like other conferences — but he questioned whether he was safe to do so.

Gators flip 2021 three-star center Jake Slaughter from Florida State

The Florida Gators added their third commit in the 2021 class in the last seven days, flipping 3-star Ocala center Jake Slaughter from FSU.

The Florida Gators added their third commit in the 2021 class in the last seven days, flipping three-star Ocala center Jake Slaughter from the Florida State Seminoles on July 24.

Slaughter announced the change in plans on his Twitter account.

Staying home‼️🐊🐊🐊 #chompdown21 pic.twitter.com/hkJDm3wMTy

— Jake Slaughter (@JakeSlaughter5) July 24, 2020

Playing his prep football for Trinity Catholic, the 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pounder played a pivotal role in the Celtics finishing 8-4 in 2019 and advancing to the Region 1-3A Semifinals, earning first-team All-County honors from the Ocala Star-Banner in the process.

He originally committed to Mike Norvell’s Seminoles on April 13 after receiving his offer on July 27, 2019, the same day he attended a camp in Tallahassee.

Primarily recruited by co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy and linebackers coach Christian Robinson, Slaughter becomes the 21^st pledge in the upcoming cycle for the Gators and the fourth offensive lineman, joining Orlando’s Javonte Gardner, Independence (Kansas) Community College’s Deyavie Hammond, and Lynn Haven’s Adrein Strickland, all fellow three-stars.

Stone Mountain, Georgia’s George Jackson, another three-star who committed to Florida way back on November 27, 2018, is no longer listed as a member of the program’s 2021 class on 247Sports, so this story is worth monitoring moving forward.

Slaughter fills a position of need for the program, too. Brett Heggie, a redshirt senior, is the projected starter at center this fall, followed by redshirt freshman Kingsley Eguakun, who saw action in two games a year ago.

Overall, the FSU flip is the 19^th-highest-rated member of the Gators’ class and the tenth-highest on the offensive side of the football.

[lawrence-related id=18979,18828,18584,18564]

Golf’s future stars highlight PGA Tour University’s inaugural rankings

Golf’s future stars highlight PGA Tour University’s inaugural rankings, topped by a Florida State star.

PGA TOUR University became official last month, providing an improved path to the Tour for college golf’s best players through developmental circuits like the Korn Ferry Tour, Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada), PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Series-China.

On Wednesday PGA Tour University announced its inaugural rankings, with Florida State’s John Pak at the top spot. A rising senior for the Seminoles, Pak has earned five wins since the start of the 2019 spring season, including last year’s ACC Championship.

“When I first heard that I was No. 1, I was a little bit shocked as I thought it was going to be someone else,” said Pak via a release. “But for me to be the first one to top the Ranking is awesome and it shows that a lot of hard work is paying off.”

“I think this is so good for college golf – it’s something that will make guys stay in college. I was always planning to stay at Florida State for four years, but this definitely helped,” Pak continued. “This program provides a lot more incentive to a lot of people, and it’s cool to think you can get guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry or International Tours.”

PGA Tour University rankings

Ranking	Player	University
1	John Pak	Florida State
2	Chun-An Yu	Arizona State
3	Austin Eckroat	Oklahoma State
4	Davis Thompson	Georgia
5	Sandy Scott	Texas Tech
6	Garett Reband	Oklahoma
7	McClure Meissner	Southern Methodist
8	Trevor Werbylo	Arizona
9	John Augenstein	Vanderbilt
10	Jovan Rebula	Auburn
11	Quade Cummins	Oklahoma
12	Cooper Dossey	Baylor
13	Hunter Eichhorn	Marquette
14	Tim Widing	San Francisco
15	Tripp Kinney	Iowa State

Nos. 16-25 will be announced on Thursday, July 23.

“The goal all along has been to ease the transition from collegiate golf into the pro ranks for the top four-year players, and this program allows us to achieve that,” said the PGA Tour’s Brendan von Doehren. “College golf creates a tremendous amount of tournament drama for both teams and individuals, and it will be fun to watch the game’s rising stars compete to be part of our Class of 2021 next June.”

[lawrence-related id=778055794,778055744,778055776,778055710]

ACC Preview: Prospects to watch and team predictions

The 2020 college football season is just around the corner and with a bit of luck this COVID situation will be under control and we can finally enjoy sports again. The Atlantic Coast Conference is packed with a ton of NFL caliber talent and we will cover each team’s most intriguing prospects, their Vegas total and our prediction on whether or not they can reach that total.

Atlantic Division

Boston College Eagles: Vegas Win Total- 5

This team is not good after winning only six games last season, the program elected to press the restart button and hire first time head coach and former Ohio State assistant, Jeff Hafley to run the show. The offense looses a bit of talent, most notably, AJ Dillon, a three-time All-ACC member to the NFL and starting quarterback Anthony Brown via the transfer portal. Their offensive line is fantastic and the defense returns seven starters, but without talent at the skill positions and a better than average defense, its tough to see this team going over the projected five wins. Prediction: Under 5

Top Prospects:

Ben Petrula, OT, 6-5, 310 pounds, Sr.: Petrula was second-team All-ACC last season and will likely be first-team this year. He is a big reason the Eagles were eighth in the country in rushing yards in 2019.

Alec Lindstrom, C, 6-4, 290 pounds, Jr.: Lindstrom should have been All-ACC last season as he is easily a top-tier center in college football, but entering his junior campaign, I’m sure he will garner more attention.

Tyler Vrabel, OT, 6-5, 310 pounds, So.: Vrabel is a redshirt sophomore and will be eligible to declare after this season, but will likely need another season of seasoning. Vrabel is the son of Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

Clemson Tigers: Vegas Win Total- 11.5

There is not a lot of wiggle room with this total. Clemson needs to go undefeated to hit the mark and the ACC is a bit tougher this year and they travel to Notre Dame. The Tigers have gone to the playoffs all five times and taking this bet means you are sure they can reach it for a sixth time. Clemson had a high-powered offense and will likely be lighting up the scoreboard again in 2020, but this line is too close for my liking. Prediction: Under 11.5

Top Prospects:

Travis Etienne, RB, 5-10, 210 pounds, Sr.: Would have been in the running for first running back off the board in 2019. Etienne has elite athleticism and will be looking to improve on his already impressive vision and receiving skills in 2020.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, 6-6, 220 pounds, Jr.: The odds-on favorite to be the number one selection in 2021, Lawrence is on the path to be one of the best NFL prospects in recent history. He will be looking to rebound from his first collegiate loss, which occurred in the CFP championship game.

Justyn Ross, WR, 6-4, 205 pounds, Jr.: Ross is going to miss the entire season due to a serious spinal injury, but he is still an elite prospect with a giant catch radius and lethal athletic profile. His 2019 season was a bit disappointing, but he is still a productive big-play machine.

Florida State Seminoles: Vegas Win Total- 7.5

Mike Norvell is in charge now and if Willie Taggart can win six games than Norvell should be able to tack on at least two more victories with this squad. This isn’t the safest bet considering that the Seminole offensive line is garbage, the quarterback is not a game-breaker and the defense appears lackluster, but it would not be surprising to see a fast turnaround considering that this team didn’t even play hard last year. Norvell will change that issue in a hurry. Prediction: Over 7.5

Top Prospects:

Marvin Wilson, DT, 6-5, 310 pounds, Sr.: The full package interior defensive lineman, Wilson checks every box and although he missed a portion of last season due to a hand injury, he would have likely been a day one or two anyways.

Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, 6-4, 212 pounds, Sr.: All-ACC level performer, Nasirildeen led the Seminoles in tackles the last two seasons. He plays at an elite level and that was most evident in his 22 tackle performance against Boston College last season.

James Blackman, QB, 6-5, 190 pounds, Jr.: By the way people talk about him you would never guess Blackman has 41 career touchdowns and 5,079 career passing yards to his name. He has already started 23 games for Florida State, but with a competent Mike Norvell running the show, expect a big leap from Blackman in 2020.

Louisville Cardinals: Vegas Win Total- 7.5

Louisville had the biggest turnaround of any Power-Five school last season with a six-win improvement from two wins in 2018 to eight in 2019, but this team was very fortunate and will likely come back down to reality in 2020. They lose one of the best offensive lineman in school history with the Mekhi Becton departure and their defense is floating around the below-average tier. Their schedule is also back-loaded with a murderous five-game stretch to end the year. Prediction: Under 7.5

Top Prospects:

Tutu Atwell, WR, 5-10, 153 pounds, Jr.: A dynamic All-ACC level athlete, Atwell has speed for days. He scored 11 receiving touchdowns last season with six of them going for at least 50 yards.

Dez Fitzpatrick, WR, 6-2, 204 pounds, Sr.: Despite only hauling in 35 receptions last season, Fitzpatrick still managed to take six to the house and flirted with declaring for the NFL. He would have been an early-round selection after 2019, and with what we can assume will be more targets in 2020, the sky is the limit in regard to his draft stock.

Javian Hawkins, RB, 5-9, 182 pounds, So.: Another All-ACC performer, Hawkins led all freshmen with an average of 117 rushing yards per game last season. Despite being undersized, Hawkins runs like a big back taking on a full workload and running through oncoming defenders.

NC State Wolfpack: Vegas Win Total- 5

This feels like free money, as the Wolfpack won four games last season and return most of their major contributors. The team is young and if they peak early there is no reason they can’t double those four games in 2020. Dave Doeren is fighting for his job this season and this team has always played with top-notch physicality before. With his feet to the flames, a turnaround should be expected. If you do lose this bet, you can take solace in the fact that Doeren will lose his job. Prediction: Over 5

Ikem Ekwonu, OT, 6-4, 308 pounds, So.: Ekwonu was granted his first start by default after an injury occurred to the regular starting tackle, but Ekwonu was better than expected and earned All-ACC honors.

Trenton Gill, P, 6-4, 217 pounds, Jr.: One of the best punters in the ACC, Gill averaged a healthy 47.6 yards per punt and ended the season with All-ACC honors.

Thayer Thomas, WR, 6-0, 195 pounds, Jr.: Another All-ACC performer, Thomas is an electric return man in addition to being an excellent receiver. the Wolfpack used Thomas all over the field and he even attempted passes before injuries took their toll.

Syracuse Orange: Vegas Win Total- 5.5

Syracuse lost a lot of starters and missing spring ball to COVID-19 is not going to help them. They won five games last season, but I don’t see how they can improve on that mark. The offensive line is just not good enough and the defense as a whole is too disappointing to take the over here. Prediction: Under 5.5

Top Prospects:

Chris Elmore, TE, 6-0, 292 pounds, Sr.: Elmore is a reliable player that can do the dirty work. The NFL will view him as a fullback/H-Back hybrid player and although that is a niche position he could excel at it.

Andre Cisco, S, 6-0, 206 pounds, Jr.: Cisco is an All-ACC performer for good reason as evidenced by his already insane 12 career interceptions, which makes him the active leader in the FBS. Coaches love him and his elite awareness and ball skills make him a perfect safety.

Andre Szmyt, K, 6-1, 191 pounds, Jr.: Another All-ACC player, Szmyt won the Lou Groza award in 2018 and had an equally impressive 2019 season nailing 17 of his 20 field goal attempts.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Vegas Win Total- 6.5

Wake Forest won eight games last season and that number would have been larger if not for a cluster of injuries. The offense only returns three starters and the schedule is a tad tougher, but Dave Clawson appears to have this program moving in the right direction and they should be able to surpass the six game mark. Prediction: Over 6.5

Top Prospects:

Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr., DE, 6-5, 275 pounds, Sr.: Basham is an All-American level performer as evidenced by his dominating 18 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles last season. Extremely underrated due to coming from Wake Forest, but Basham has early-round potential.

Sage Surratt, WR, 6-3, 215 pounds, Jr.: Surratt was named first-team All-ACC last year despite suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Virginia Tech halfway through the season. He has managed to haul in 15 career receiving touchdowns in 19 career games.

Nick Sciba, K, 5-9, 190 pounds, Jr.: Like Basham, Sciba earned All-American honors and rightfully so after setting an NCAA record with 34 straight field goals made.

Pages: 12

Raiders’ Nick O’Leary aims to return to NFL in 2021 after heart attack, surgery

Las Vegas Raiders tight end is recovering nicely after suffering a heart attack and have angioplasty.

Nick O’Leary has his sights set on a return to the NFL for the 2021 season. Pretty heady goals for the 6-foot-3, 252-pound tight end who is recovering from a heart attack and angioplasty procedures last month to clear 100 percent blockages.

“I feel good,” O’Leary, 27, told the Palm Beach Post Monday. “I feel better than I did before. I’ve got to be on blood thinners for six months to a year. That’s really the only reason now why I can’t play football. If I (got cut), they said that would be the biggest problem, wouldn’t be able to stop the bleeding.”

It wasn’t that way a month or so ago. O’Leary, the grandson of Jack Nicklaus, said he felt pain in his left arm that moved to his chest while working out, and then again while playing pickleball with his brother.

“I said sarcastically to my brother there’s something wrong with my heart, I don’t know what it is,” he said. “I happened to go to the hospital, and they told me it was a heart attack.”

O’Leary, the 2014 John Mackey Award winner at Florida State, spent three nights at a Palm Beach Gardens (Fl) hospital after having two stents placed into the blocked passageway. He is able to play golf, ride a bike, and work out lightly.

A tougher exercise regimen will come in time for O’Leary, who is a Las Vegas Raider after playing for the Bills, Jaguars, and Dolphins. O’Leary was a sixth-round pick by Buffalo in 2015. He will turn 28 Aug. 31.

He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list by the Raiders, who told him “they’re going to leave the door open for next season.”

“I got all these friends, I’m in better shape than they’re in, I’m working out, I feel like I’m in good shape,” he said. “For it to happen to me, I was in shock. I didn’t think that’s what it would be. For that to happen and me ending up being in the hospital for three days and having a heart issue is pretty weird.”

O’Leary, primarily a blocking tight end, has caught 53 passes for 668 yards and four touchdowns in his NFL career.

Former Florida State players call for Doak Campbell Stadium to be renamed

Former Florida State president Doak Campbell stood against integration.

Several college football programs are reckoning with school traditions and honorary namings of facilities that are problematic as protestors around the nation call for racial equality and justice.

The University of Florida announced this week that it will discontinue the use of the “Gator Bait” chant due to the “horrific historic racist imagery associated with the phrase,” according to Florida president Kent Fuchs, and the University of Georgia band will no longer play a song from “Gone With The Wind” at games.

In the Florida State community, two former Seminole players are among those calling for the school’s Doak S. Campbell Stadium to have its name changed. The stadium was opened in 1950 and named after then-president Doak S. Campbell, who served in that role until 1957. Campbell opposed the integration of Florida State, which did not occur until 1962. Six years later, Calvin Patterson became the first Black player on the Florida State football team.

Former Florida State linebacker Kendrick Scott launched an online Change.org petition to have the football stadium renamed Bobby Bowden Stadium, in recognition of the legendary coach, and in turn, have Bobby Bowden field renamed Charlie Ward field, in tribute to the 1993 Heisman Trophy winner.

Former Seminoles fullback Freddie Stevenson also pushed for the stadium to be renamed on Twitter, and shared an old newspaper clipping titled “FSU Head Is In Quandary Over How To Ban Student Support Of Integration,” which quotes Campbell.

Time to change the name of Doak Campbell Stadium. We can find way better representation than this! pic.twitter.com/1UkrclwspG

— freddie stevenson (@strugglemade105) June 18, 2020

[vertical-gallery id=927505]

Why Florida State players may skip workouts over coach Mike Norvell’s statement

New Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell has yet to take the field with his team since arriving in December, but he’s already facing a potential crisis over a statement he gave about his response to George Floyd’s death.

Reporter Tashan Reed of The Athletic asked Norvell if the Florida State staff had addressed the roster in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the wave of protests around the world. Norvell told Reed that he personally had a “back and forth” interaction with each of his players. According to star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, however, that didn’t happen.

“We’ve had a lot of open communication with our team, our players and our coaches. I went back and forth individually with every player this weekend. And that was something that was important to me because this is a heartbreaking time in our country…. I told these guys just how grateful I am to be a part of this journey with them because they are the future. We’ve got an incredible group of men that I get a chance to work with as players and coaches. I’m honored to have the opportunity to help make a difference.”

#FSU head coach Mike Norvell (@Coach_Norvell) had individual conversations with every player on his roster this past weekend focused on the events surrounding the death of George Floyd. Here's his full quote to @TheAthletic: pic.twitter.com/eM3yZZH4db

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) June 2, 2020

Wilson disputed Norvell’s claim on Twitter, and wrote that Norvell simply sent a blast text to the entire roster, but did not have one-on-one conversations with players. Wilson says the Florida State roster is outraged over Norvell’s lie, and will not be participating in workouts “until further notice.”

Man this 💩 did not happen mane. We got a generated text that was sent to everybody. There was no one on one talk between us and coach. This is a lie and me and my teammates as a whole are outraged and we will not be working out until further notice 💯 #hunchoout https://t.co/6Uuy6K7Eu3

— HEAD HUNCHO💧 (@marvinwilson21) June 4, 2020

I’m riding with my brothers 4L

— I.B (@isaiahbolden23) June 4, 2020

💯💯 https://t.co/s0Enb4PCx6

— Jamarcus Chatman (@ChatmanJamarcus) June 4, 2020

[vertical-gallery id=923935]

[jwplayer 0Srj28yj-q2aasYxh]

Texas Football: 44 FBS teams that the Longhorns never played

Taking a look at Texas Longhorns history, who are the 44 teams that the Longhorns have never played?

The Texas Longhorns have a long history of playing the game of college football. One that stretches all the way back to 1893. Now 916 wins later, the Longhorns are one of only seven teams to reach the plateau of 900 wins in college football history. We recently discussed seven teams that the team has played but never beaten.

There are 7 teams the Texas Longhorns have played but never beaten, can you name them?https://t.co/spHO7HAty2

— Longhorns Wire (@LonghornsWire) May 10, 2020

Using the same database, we will shift focus to the list of teams in the football subdivision (FBS) that Texas has never played. Frankly there were a few teams on this list that are downright shocking and some that make a ton of sense to never play the Longhorns.

Let’s begin over in the ACC Conference.

Pages: 123456789

Ohio State football has never beaten a handful of teams it has history with. Who are they?

There are a handful of teams Ohio State football has played and not beaten. It’s a short list, but a list nonetheless.

There aren’t too many college football programs out there that have the upper hand on a blue-blood like Ohio State, but believe it or not, there’s a handful the Buckeyes have never beaten. All of the examples include a small sample size, but it still stings to know certain programs have never experienced a loss to the scarlet and gray.

Can you guess the teams? One probably isn’t much of a surprise since the majority of the meetings have occurred in the last decade. Those resulted in nothing but sour milk for OSU. Others though, may be a surprise to you.

Here’s the shortlist of those programs still thumping their chest over having an unblemished record against Ohio State. Research taken from Winsipedia, CFB Kings, and atr.cfrc.com.

Next … The first entrant from the SEC

Pages: 12345678

College Football News Preview 2020: Florida State Seminoles

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Florida State season with what you need to kno

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Florida State season with what you need to know.

CFN in 60 Podcast: 2020 Florida State
60-second Florida State preview

[protected-iframe id=”3860bec832456557402620ab4c4c6247-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://omny.fm/shows/college-football-news/cfn-in-60-florida-state-2020-preview/embed” width=”100%” height=”180″ frameborder=”0″]

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Florida State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 6-7 overall, 4-4 in ACC
Head Coach: Mike Norvell, 1st year, 5th year, 38-15 overall
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 57
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 78
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 36

NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Florida State Offense 3 Things To Know

– Welcome to Florida State, new head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. The O wasn’t that bad throughout last season, but it wasn’t consistent, it couldn’t convert enough drives into points, and it never seemed to have the ball, finishing last in the ACC in time of possession. Here’s the positive – this was a big-play attack last year that has enough good pieces to explode. Norvell’s Memphis teams were known for their home run hitting ability, and the Noles should be able to do that.

CFN in 60 Video: Florida State Preview
[jwplayer Or3IPyr6]

– James Blackman wasn’t bad. The junior quarterback might have had a rough Sun Bowl against Arizona State – throwing four picks in the loss – but he’s got a live arm, 28 games of experience, and the downfield ability that Norvell’s offenses look for. Tamorrion Terry leads a veteran receiving corps that’s expected to bring back the top five targets from last year, but the tight end situation will be a bit iffy for a while until more options are built around junior Camren McDonald.

– Cam Akers was a big-time running back recruit who was never quite able to break out behind a miserable line. He’s off to the NFL, and it’s going to be an open casting call to find the right running back rotation. Speed is at a premium under the new coaching staff, and the hope is for Texas A&M transfer Jashaun Corbin to be the answer right away. There’s upside among the young running backs, but …

– The offensive line has been the main culprit in FSU’s drop to mediocrity over the last few years. Jimbo Fisher left a bad situation with no quick fix for Willie Taggart – pass protection has been non-existent for way too long.

By far, this is Job One for the new coaching staff, looking to put the five best pieces in place and figuring it out from there. It starts with FIU transfer Devontay Love-Taylor at one tackle spot – he’s a keeper – and there’s enough experience for the staff to at least have film to go off of.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Florida State Defense Things To Know

Pages: 12345