Noles Grab Third Commitment For Class Of 2009

Local star junior JaJuan Harley of Rickards High today became the third commitment for the 2009 class. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety is ranked as the No. 32 prospect in the nation by one recruiting service.

Tech May Get Cardinal ... One Less Heel... Deacons Get Russ

* Anthony Allen, who led Louisville in rushing last season, might transfer to Georgia Tech, his father said Monday. "We're going to wait until May and then make a decision," Amos Allen said, adding that Tech is one of at least four schools they are considering. N.C. State is another.

* Chuck Pagano has resigned as North Carolina's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach to become an assistant coach with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, the school announced. Pagano coached six years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (2001-04) and Oakland Raiders (2005-06) before joining the Tar Heels last season.

* Steve Russ, a former linebacker with the Denver Broncos and defensive coordinator at Syracuse, has been hired as an assistant coach at Wake Forest.

Head coach Jim Grobe made the announcement that Russ would fill one of the two vacancies that opened when Dean Hood left to become head coach at Eastern Kentucky and Jeff Mullen left to become offensive coordinator at West Virginia.

Noles Have Two Commitments For 2009

The smoke has hardly cleared from the 2008 recruiting class and the Noles already have two commitments for the class of 2009. Six-foot-one, 270-pound Madison County lineman Jacobbi McDaniel who is ranked the top junior in Florida and the fifth-best player in the country by some recruiting services was FSU's first commitment for 2009.

Today the Noles picked up their second commitment with the announcement by Willie Downs of local Godby High School. Downs had a great Junior year by catching 45 passes for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He is ranked as the No. 37 player in the country by some recruiting services.

" To us, he's got to be able to throw first. "

" To us, he's got to be able to throw first. If he can run, that's an added dimension. This kid is an excellent passer. "
Bobby Bowden quoted in The Tallahassee Democrat commenting on QB recruit E.J. Manuel

Note to E.J. : Stay far away from Bobby, E.J. If Bobby asks you how you feel about the tight end position, start screaming loudly.

"... it is nice to get back to playing at home with seven games.... "

"We gave up the Labor Day game this year, but it is nice to get back to playing at home with seven games on our field this season. Then we play Colorado in Jacksonville, which is a great Seminole environment."
Bobby Bowden commenting on 2008 schedule

Official 2008 Football Schedule Released

The official 2008 schedule for the FSU football team was released today and is as follows:

Sept. 6 Western Carolina @ Tallahassee, FL
Sept. 13 Chattanooga @ Tallahassee, FL
Sept. 20 Wake Forest @ Tallahassee, FL
Sept. 27 Colorado @ Jacksonville, FL
Oct. 4 Miami @ Miami, FL
Oct. 11 Bye
Oct. 16 NC State @ Raleigh, NC
Oct. 25 Virginia Tech @ Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 1 Georgia Tech @ Atlanta, GA
Nov. 8 Clemson @ Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 15 Boston College @ Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 22 Maryland @ College Park, MD
Nov. 29 Florida @ Tallahassee, FL

The Noles will be without as many as 12 scholarship players for the first three games. The Colorado game will be played in Jacksonvile and the Noles have two lesser teams to begin the season to try and compensate for the loss of players due to the academic fraud case. The Noles also will play Georgia Tech once again under their new head coach Paul Johnson. The Noles will also play a Thursday night game against NC State.

"... or it's time to retire."

"Bobby needs to be given an ultimatum: Show significant improvement this year (a BCS bowl or at least something close) or it's time to retire."
Columnist Mike Bianchi,Orlando Sun-Sentinel, regarding Bobby Bowden

" I don't know what they got, but I know what we got. "

"It's a group I don't think we could afford to swap with anybody in the country. I don't know what they got, but I know what we got. We base a lot of this recruiting on needs — fill up our needs. If you don't do that, everything else is secondary."
Bobby Bowden regarding FSU 2008 recruiting class

Noles Finish High But Last In Florida

Here are the Florida "Top Three" recruiting rankings using averages from four major recruiting services:

Miami- 4.25

Florida- 5.5

FSU- 9

ESPN's Top Five Classes For 2008

As analysts begin to evaulate recruiting classes, ESPN has tentatively named their top five classes for 2008:

1. Miami

2. Clemson

3. Florida

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

Noles Sign NJ Recruit

30. Ed Imeokparia- 6-0 188 ATH, Blairstown, NJ

Noles Fail To Pull Off Any Major Surprises

Rick Trickett's full scale assault to land offensive lineman Josh Jenkins failed as the lineman signed with West Virginia today. FSU and Ohio State were in his top three choices.

Jones Loves Home Cooking

The top ranked wide receiver in the country, Julio Jones from Alabama apparently loves home cooking and signed with Bama. The Noles were looking to land him but it was a longshot at best.

Noles Fail To Sway Liuget

The Noles failed to sway Corey Liuget who was the number 8 ranked defensive end as he signed with Illinois.

Noles Sign Two Local Recruits

28. Josh Gehres- 6-3 190 WR, Tallahassee, Fl. ( Will greyshirt )

29. Jabaris Little- 6-4 240 TE, Tallahassee, Fl.

As Expected, Noles Get Top Ranked QB Manuel

9. Travis Arnold- 5-10 184 S, Madison, Fl.

10. Nigel Carr- 6-3 220 LB, Jacksonville, Fl.

11. Avis Commack- 6-4 182 WR, Jacksonville, Fl.

12. Garrett Faircloth- 6-6 260 OT, Jacksonville, Fl.

13. Jarmon Fortson- 6-3 220 ATH, Columbus, Ga,

14. Carlton Jones- 5-11 215 RB, Tampa, Fl.

15. Anthony McCloud- 6-3 295 DL, Thomasville, Ga.

16. Moses McCray- 6-2 268 DT, Tampa, Fl.

17. E.J. Manuel- 6-4 201 QB, Virginia Beach, Va.

18. Tavares Pressley- 6-1 215 RB, Arcadia, Fl.

19. Zebrie Sanders- 6-5 273 OL, Clayton, Ohio

20. Rhonne Sanderson- 6-4 280 OL, Tampa, Fl.

21. Debrale Smiley- 6-2 240 RB, Thomasville, Ga.

22. Blake Snider- 6-4 285 OG, Heflin, Al.

23. David Spurlock- 6-4 280 OL, Murfreesboro, Tn.

24. Corey Surrency- 6-5 210 WR, Miami, Fl.

25. Jermaine Thomas- 6-1 190 RB, Jacksonville, Fl.

26. Markus White- 6-4 245 DE, Lake Worth, Fl.

27. Vincent Williams- 6-0 210 ILB, Davenport, Fl.

Noles Lose Bryant To USC

Corner T.J. Bryant, a USA Today first-team All-American signed with Southern California. This is a big loss to the Noles and their hopes to end up among the recruiting elite.

FSU Gets Five More Commits

4. A. J. Alexander- 5-11 170 ATH, Altoona, Pa.

5. Andrew Datko- 6-6 267 OG, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.

6. Everett Dawkins- 6-2 242 DE, Duncan, SC

7. Nick Moody- 6-1 218 S,Philadelphia, Pa.

8. Toshmon Stevens- 6-5 198 DE, Crescent City , Fl.

Noles Already Have Three Letters Of Intent As National Signing Day begins

As National Signing Day begins today, some recruits will hold school meetings to announce their school selection and others will simply fax their letter of intent(LOI) to the school which will make the announcement. Prior to today, the Noles already have three signed letters of intent for 2008. They are:

1.Nigel Bradham- 6-2 225 OLB, Crawfordville, Fl.

2.Terrance Parks- 6-1 200 CB, Fairburn, Ga.

3.Vincent Williams- 6-0 210 ILB, Davenport, Fl.

Will Noles Have Any Last Minute Surprises?

We are less that twenty-four hours away from National Signing Day and this year has been different for the Noles.

The Noles have gotten verbal commitments for the majority of those they will recruit this year.

In years past, the Noles would have few verbal commits and then pull off a super signing day.

So will there be any last minute surprises for some of the uncommited recruits that the Noles have their sights on?

T. J. Bryant- The number 2 ranked cornerback in the country at his position, Bryant is a local product that the Noles would love to land. Evaluation of him says that he is aggressive and confident. He has excellent size and is a physical corner. He shows the ability to turn and run without losing too much in transition for a taller corner.

Along with FSU, he is considering Gators, Bama, USC, and LSU. If Noles lose him, that would be a big deal.

Julio Jones- Jones is ranked number one at wide receiver in the country and the Noles would love to land him. He is said to have a supreme blend of size, power, speed and agility. Schools in the hunt are Bama, Oklahoma, and FSU. If the Noles land him, it would definitely be a huge surprise. The betting is for him to go to Alabama or Oklahoma.

Corey Liuget- Number 8 ranked defensive end Liuget is from Miami area and is being sought out by the Noles. He recently had visits from Bowden, Amato, and Odell Haggins. He is a soft commit to Illinois and will be looking at FSU, USF, and South Carolina among others.

"... the perception is far from the reality...."

"I think the perception is far from the reality. Some mending is needed. I don't think it will take much — a change in structure and management style."
New FSU AD Randy Spetman regarding views by some that morale is low and FSU athletics is bleak

Do Noles Have Shot At Jenkins ?

With National Signing Day this Wednesday, FSU is still attempting to land some quality offensive linemen. One of those is five-star offensive lineman Josh Jenkins from Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Rick Trickett and other FSU coaches including Bobby Bowden have wooed Jenkins in hopes of securing his commitment.

The 6-3 303 lb. Jenkins has narrowed his list to three schools: Ohio State, Florida State and WVU. Acording to his high school coach, it remains a two-horse race between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Mountaineers. It seems that FSU may be out of the picture due to the distance from his family.

Jenkins will be holding a ceremony at his high school on Wednesday, National Signing Day. The inside bets are that he will choose either Ohio State or West Virginia. However, as Nole fans know, FSU seems to land surprise commitments on signing day.

New FSU AD To Be Announced Today

Recently FSU President T.K. Wetherell said this about the search for a new athletic director. "... we could have gotten any one of 200 people if we wanted them. This job is a great job." Seems that FSU went way below the radar and will select retired Col. Randy Spetman as the new AD at FSU today. Spetman, 55, is currently the Utah State athletic director. Prior to that he was at the United States Air Force Academy. When he was hired at Utah State, the university made the following statment regarding him. "We wanted an individual who knew football, understood athletics in the West, could work with our fine coaching staff, was respected for integrity and character, believed in academic success, and who could help build an increasing base of private support."

It is somewhat surprising that FSU would hire someone from a lesser school and who has no knowledge of the ACC or the sports environment in the South. Spetman's recent attempts at being hired by other schools failed. He was turned down for the opening at USF and also East Carolina in 2004. Spetman is a graduate of the Air Force Academy.

New Poll: Should Doak Be Covered?

There is a new poll question: "What do you think about the idea of putting a dome or roof over Doak Campbell Stadium?"

Poll Results: Who Will Have Best Recruiting Class

Results of the poll question: "Which Big Three Florida school will have the best recruiting class on National Signing Day?"

FSU- 61%

Florida- 30.5%

Miami- 8.5%

Maybe a better solution is Texas Stadium with a hole in the middle...."

"Maybe a better solution is Texas Stadium with a hole in the middle, or a big canvas over it, something like Florida's Stephen O'Connell Center used to have. Maybe that's a better deal, and better for our fans when we play early games in September and early October when it's so hot. So, we're looking at a variety of deals."
FSU President T.K. Wetherell quoted in The Tampa Tribune regarding the idea to roof Doak Campbell Stadium

Will Doak Get A Roof ?

The Tampa Tribune is reporting that FSU is considering building a roof over Doak Campbell Stadium as a way to provide an indoor practice facility for the football team. An indoor practice facility has been pushed by Bobby Bowden for several years now because of practices being called off due to inclement weather. Last fall, the Noles were forced inside at least half a dozen times due to lightning.

This idea is being floated by FSU president T.K. Wetherell. The project will be discussed at Bowden's spring speaking tour around the state. Bowden and offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher will use the tour to raise money for the project, expected to cost at least $20 million.

Noles Host Recruits In Last Weekend Before National Signing Day

National Signing Day is next Wednesday, February 6 and FSU coaches have been scattered all over to try and get key recruits to commit. The Noles will be hosting several recruits in the last weekend prior to the big day:

Anthony Hill (DT) - The first recruit to commit to Florida State will be one of the last ones to visit. Three-star defensive tackle Anthony Hill, committed to Florida State just a little over a week after Signing Day last year. The 6-4 defensive tackle from Pensacola is looking forward to his visit this weekend and looks to help recruit other recruits that will be visiting.

T.J. Bryant (CB) - The nation's No. 2 rated cornerback prospect from Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln High School will be taking an unofficial visit to FSU. He is down to six schools whch include LSU, Florida, USC , and FSU.

Travis Arnold (DB) - Arnold is a verbal commit to FSU and considered a solid commit to sign for the Noles on February 6. He is a 5-10 safety from Madison, Florida.

Carlton Jones (RB) - Jones is a 5-11, 215 pound running back out of Tampa. He currently has an offer from Toledo but he is also looking at Florida and Maryland in addition to FSU.

"This job is a great job."

"To be honest, (there was speculation) we would not be able to get anybody because the word on the street is the president meddles too much. Florida State is in a mess. Yakety-yak. We were going to be on probation. All the parade of horrors. But we could have gotten any one of 200 people if we wanted them. This job is a great job."
FSU President T.K. Wetherell quoted in Tallahasee Democrat regarding the hiring of an athletic director

Noles Get Another Commit

According to The St. Pete Times,Plant City senior offensive lineman Rhonne Sanderson orally committed to Florida State on Tuesday night. Sanderson had an official visit with the Noles last weekend and had recently received a scholarship offer from Michigan State. "I've always wanted to play at Florida State and when I got the opportunity, I took it," Sanderson said.

Sanderson (6-3, 280) started at left tackle for the Plant City Panthers, who were 26-2 during his junior and senior seasons. Plant was the 2006 Class 4A state champion.