Florida State added another name to its preseason honors list on Friday, with fifth-year kicker Gabe Panikowski landing on the Lou Groza Award watch list.
The Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced 35 players on the list, and Panikowski is in the mix after a standout season at Idaho State in 2024. He earned first-team All-American honors there and took home the Fred Mitchell Award as the nation’s best non-FBS kicker, going a perfect 15-for-15 on field goal attempts. That total was the most in the country without a miss.
One of Panikowski’s biggest kicks came from 55 yards out, the third-longest field goal in FCS last season and the fourth-longest in Idaho State history. Before that, he spent the 2023 season at Riverside City College, where he made 15 of 21 field goal tries.
Florida State has plenty of history with the Groza Award. The program has won it four times, the most of any school, including Sebastian Janikowski’s back-to-back wins in 1998 and 1999. Graham Gano claimed the award in 2008, and Roberto Aguayo earned it in 2013.
The award is marking its 35th anniversary in 2026. Semifinalists will be announced November 17, followed by three finalists on November 24. The winner will be revealed December 10 during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
Florida State is set to open the 2026 season on August 29 at 7:00 p.m. against New Mexico State.
Preseason Honors
7/20 - Duce Robinson - Good Works Team Nominee
7/29 - Duce Robinson - Preseason All-ACC
8/3 - Duce Robinson - Maxwell Award Watch List
8/6 - Duce Robinson
8/7 - Gabe Panikowski - Groza Award Watch List
In Other News...
FSU Just Lost A Young Defensive End At A Tough Time
Florida State is dealing with another roster shakeup just as preseason approaches, this time on the defensive line. True freshman defensive end Chris Carbin, a three-star recruit who enrolled early and was expected to redshirt this fall, is no longer on the Seminoles roster after being dismissed for unspecified reasons before camp.
Chris Carbin has already found a landing spot and will continue his career at Blinn College, an NJCAA Division I program. For Florida State, the timing adds another layer of inconvenience at a position group that was expecting to develop young depth, while Carbin now gets a reset far from Tallahassee. [Read more 🡒]
Tae'Shaun Gelsey Is Giving Florida State Another Receiver Fans Will Notice
Tae'Shaun Gelsey has spent the preseason trying to turn promise into something more tangible, and Florida State has taken notice. Entering his second collegiate season, the wide receiver has focused on building both his confidence and his versatility, two traits that tend to matter when a staff is sorting out who can be trusted once the games start counting.
The praise has followed him through camp, with offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. and head coach Mike Norvell both pointing to Gelseys steady work as a reason his role could grow. After appearing in four games as a freshman, he is in position for more playing time this fall, and the Seminoles could end up with another receiver fans learn to watch closely. [Read more 🡒]
Former Florida State Standout Gets Another Shot With The Cowboys
The Cowboys are giving Jashaun Corbin another chance, signing the former Florida State running back and moving on from Dominic Richardson. Corbin has been in and around NFL rosters before, including practice squad stops with the Giants, Panthers, Falcons and Patriots, and he also spent time in the UFL as he kept chasing a longer look.
For Florida State fans, it is another reminder that Corbins pro path has stayed alive through persistence as much as opportunity. He came out of college with a rsum that included both Texas A&M and Florida State, and now he gets a fresh audition in Dallas, where a new opening on the roster gives him a chance to show he still belongs in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]