Florida State’s week around fall camp brought a little of everything: a roster move that sent a former EDGE to junior college, another big-name recruit drifting onto the Seminoles’ radar, a transfer domino tied to a court ruling, and some encouraging words about the defense.
The most immediate update came on former FSU EDGE Chris Carbin. Florida State never explained why it moved on from the 2026 three-star from Powder Springs, Georgia, after he signed in December and arrived in the spring. The program took him off the roster on July 24, saying he was no longer with the team.
Now, according to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, Carbin has turned up at Blinn College in Texas. For the moment, he’s taking the junior college path, and it’s unclear whether the No. 731 overall recruit in the 2026 class will work his way back to Division I football.
On the basketball side, Florida State has surfaced in the recruitment of one of the top prospects in the 2028 class. Bamba Touray is the No. 3 overall player in that cycle, and the seven-foot center is already seeing a group of high-major programs involved, including Florida State, Georgia, Marquette, and Ole Miss.
Touray moved to Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale this summer after previously playing at IMG Academy in Bradenton. He’s originally from Senegal. Earlier in the summer, he told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi that Florida State was in the mix with Kentucky, Georgia, and Miami, so the Seminoles have clearly stayed in the picture.
It’s obviously early - very early - for both the 2027 and 2028 classes, but landing a player with Touray’s profile would be a major statement for Luck Loucks and the direction of the program.
There was also movement in the transfer market tied to a recent U.S. District Court ruling in Colorado that granted a fifth year of eligibility to 2022 athletes who were not grandfathered into the NCAA’s new five-in-five structure. That ruling did not allow those athletes to enter the transfer portal, though.
That wrinkle has already sparked a football lawsuit from former Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who is suing the NCAA. If he wins, the portal question could open up for him and other football players, and potentially for basketball players and all athletes as well.
Even with that uncertainty, some basketball players had already entered the portal in anticipation of the ruling. One of them was former Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins, who has now committed to Gonzaga, according to agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports.
Wiggins spent one season in Tallahassee after three at Clemson and averaged 13.3 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 38.7% from three.
Back on the field, Florida State made its annual fall camp trip to UNF in Jacksonville this week. Jordan Travis addressed the team and talked about how important those trips were to his 2022 and 2023 seasons, and there was also a dose of optimism around the Seminoles’ defense in its second year under Tony White.
“"It's night and day from where we were a year ago at this time," Norvell said, "just understanding the confidence in what they're being asked to do, and the versatility."
In Other News...
FSU Just Lost A Young Defensive End At A Tough Time
Florida States preseason roster shuffle included a notable departure when true freshman defensive end Chris Carbin was removed from the program before camp got rolling. Carbin had enrolled early in Tallahassee as a three-star recruit and was expected to spend this fall developing in a redshirt year, so his exit comes at a time when the Seminoles were still sorting out young depth on the edge.
Carbin has since found his next stop at Blinn College, the NJCAA Division I program that has long served as a landing spot for players looking to restart their path. For Florida State, the move leaves one less developmental piece in the defensive end room, and it underscores how quickly the roster picture can change before a season even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State's Backup QB Battle Just Got Tougher To Ignore
Florida States quarterback room got a little more interesting when Malachi Marshall arrived late and still managed to make an impression. The junior college transfer missed spring practice, then sat out the first fall scrimmage as he worked his way through an injury, but the staff has still seen enough to keep him in the mix for the backup job. Marshall brings a strong JUCO track record with him after leading Iowa Western Community College to a national championship, and he has already shown why the Seminoles were intrigued even with limited time on campus.
For a player who has barely had a full offseason to settle in, Marshalls rise is notable because backup quarterback reps matter so much this time of year. Florida State needs reliable depth behind the starter, and the competition has become hard to ignore because Marshall has forced his way into it without the benefit of a normal ramp-up. The next test will be whether he can keep stacking practice time and turn that early staff confidence into something more secure as camp moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Tae'Shaun Gelsey Is Giving Florida State Another Receiver Fans Will Notice
Tae'Shaun Gelsey has spent the buildup to his second season trying to turn promise into something more dependable, and Florida State seems to be noticing the difference. After getting into four games as a freshman, the wide receiver has used preseason camp to sharpen both his confidence and his versatility, two traits the staff has emphasized as important to earning a bigger role in the offense.
Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. and head coach Mike Norvell have both praised Gelsey for his steady work throughout camp, a sign he is pushing himself into the conversation for more snaps this fall. For a Florida State receiving room looking for more players who can hold up over the grind of a season, Gelseys rise is one of the more encouraging developments of August. [Read more 🡒]