Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said Wednesday that Chuck Kennon is no longer part of the program after the freshman cornerback’s Monday arrest and dismissal from the team.
Norvell spoke during his weekly media availability as more details surfaced in the case. According to WCTV, Kennon was in court Wednesday on charges of false imprisonment, aggravated fleeing to elude, and resisting an officer without violence. A judge set his bonds at a combined $8,000 and ordered him to have no contact with the alleged victim.
“He’s no longer a part of the program,” Norvell said. “Obviously disappointing, but there are standards and expectations for our players, for our coaches, for everybody that’s part of the program, and obviously Chauncey didn’t meet those expectations.”
He added that those standards apply across the organization, including the coaching staff. Norvell did not discuss the arrest itself or explain what led to the dismissal.
The university had already said Kennon was removed for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
WCTV reported that the incident started around 2 a.m. Saturday, when authorities tried to pull over a Dodge Durango for speeding.
Troopers said the vehicle sped up, ran a red light, swerved to avoid crossing traffic, and hit a raised curb. The report said a pursuing patrol vehicle reached 140 mph while the Durango kept pulling away.
The chase lasted seven minutes before the Durango came to a stop with a flat front tire. Police identified Kennon as the driver and said he ran on foot after stopping.
Investigators were also told by a passenger that she asked Kennon to stop “10 times” and let her out because she feared for her life, but he refused. The report also said the passenger was found “with lacerations to her arm, wearing a bodysuit covered in dirt stains, blood, and grass.”
Kennon turned himself in Monday. Along with the bond conditions, the judge ordered him to remain in Hillsborough County.
Kennon was the top-rated signee in Florida State’s 2026 recruiting class. He was a consensus four-star recruit ranked No. 51 nationally, No. 6 among cornerbacks, and No. 5 among Florida prospects, according to 247Sports. He played in one game for the Seminoles, against Virginia.
In Other News...
Riley Kugel's UCF Return Suddenly Looks Very Real
Riley Kugels path back to UCF has taken a significant turn after a legal ruling in Indiana kept him eligible to play college basketball for now. The guard was central to the Knights offense last season, finishing as the teams leading scorer, and he has only added to his profile since then by spending time in the NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers.
For UCF, the ruling gives the program a much more familiar-looking backcourt piece as it heads into another season. Kugel had been viewed as a major question mark, but with the NCAAs effort to pause the injunction turned aside, the expectation now is that he will be back in Orlando unless something changes down the line. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Showed Promise But One Late Issue Still Looks Costly
UCF got a useful early test at LSU and, for long stretches, looked capable of leaving Baton Rouge with a notable exhibition win. Dior Johnson paced the Knights with 18 points, and the offense had enough pop to keep the game tight against an LSU team that got 26 points from Abdi Bashir at Maravich Assembly Center.
Still, the closing sequence is the part that will linger for UCF as the season draws closer. The Knights were in position late before the final possession swung the game, and the difference in an otherwise competitive showing came down to a handful of possessions where execution mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Suddenly Has No Margin Left In The Big 12
Midway through the 2026 Big 12 race, the conference picture is starting to sort itself out, and the teams at the top are beginning to separate from the pack. Arizona, Oklahoma State and Utah have all put themselves in position to chase a spot in the Big 12 title game, while UCF and Kansas State have spent much of the season fighting to stay afloat as the schedule gets tighter and the margin for error shrinks.
For the Knights, the challenge has only grown more familiar on the road, where results have been hard to come by since their league debut. A trip to Oklahoma State underscored just how thin the roster has become in spots, with UCF again forced to navigate a depleted lineup and all the ripple effects that come with it. With Houston set to visit Oklahoma State and BYU preparing for Notre Dame, the conferences next round of games could say plenty about where UCF fits in the pecking order, and whether there is still enough time to change that conversation. [Read more 🡒]