Florida State’s recruiting board, roster watch, and coaching staff all had something worth tracking this week, but the biggest news may be the one that’s already been decided behind the scenes.
Four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole is set to announce his college choice Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET, with Florida State in the mix against Georgia and Tennessee. But Poole told 247Sports’ Benjamin Wolk that his mind was made up well before the public reveal.
“Yeah, I have,” Poole told 247Sports’ Benjamin Wolk for an article that was published on Tuesday morning, finalizing the time of his announcement and previewing his decision. “I really made that decision in my mind after the official visit to the school."
That lines up with the way Florida State has been viewed for much of this process. The Seminoles have been considered the favorite since Poole’s spring trip to Tallahassee, and the Leesburg, Georgia, native remains one of the top prospects in the country. 247Sports has him ranked No. 64 overall and the No. 6 safety.
Elsewhere on the roster front, Ousmane Kromah showed up to the latest Florida State update looking noticeably lighter. The running back is now listed at 216 pounds, which is nine pounds down from the 225 he played at in high school and had previously carried on the FSU roster.
That matters because Kromah is expected to be a major piece of the offense. He had a solid true freshman season, and with Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner also in the picture, Florida State still needs Kromah to bring more burst if the backfield is going to hit its ceiling in 2026. He’s already the kind of runner who can punish tacklers; the question now is whether the lighter frame helps unlock more long speed without taking away the physical edge that made him a blue-chip recruit and Florida State’s top-ranked player in the 2025 class.
Florida State also added another notable name to Mike Norvell’s staff, bringing in Tom Herman as an assistant. The move gives the Seminoles an assistant with previous FBS head coaching experience, something the staff did not have before Monday.
That detail stands out for a reason. Herman last coached in college football in 2024, when he was fired midseason at FAU after a 2-8 start to his second year in Boca Raton. His recent record doesn’t jump off the page, but his background as the former head coach at Texas gives Florida State a clear fallback option if the program ever needs someone to steady things in a midseason shakeup.
On the baseball side, Link Jarrett’s program saw three of its starting pitchers taken in the MLB Draft over the weekend as part of a seven-player haul. Wes Mendes, Trey Beard, and Bryson Moore were all selected, giving Florida State another reminder of the kind of pitching turnover that can hit after a strong season.
And at Doak Campbell Stadium, longtime public address announcer Woody Hayes made it clear he was caught off guard by news that he would not be back for a 17th year in the role. Florida State has not publicly explained the decision, and Hayes said he still hasn’t gotten much of an answer either.
“I tried to get more answers than what I got, and I was met with, ’We’re going in a new direction,'” Hayes told WCTV. “I brought up another subject.
We’re going in a new direction. I’m more than happy to take constructive criticism, but I’ve received nothing like that.”
In Other News...
Florida State's Tom Herman Move Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
Florida State is reportedly adding Tom Herman to its coaching staff for the 2026 season, bringing in a familiar name with head-coaching experience and a background that includes a stop at Florida Atlantic and a stint as an offensive analyst for the Chicago Bears. The move gives the Seminoles another veteran voice on the offensive side, and it comes at a time when every staffing decision around the program is being watched a little more closely than usual.
Hermans arrival also lands against a backdrop of uncertainty around Mike Norvells future, which is why the hire is drawing more attention than a standard offseason addition. Even without a final public label on Hermans role, the optics of bringing in someone with his resume suggest Florida State wants options in place as it looks ahead, and that alone makes this one worth following well beyond the initial announcement. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Roster Update Signals A Stronger Leaner Team Before Fall Camp
Florida States latest roster refresh offers an early look at how the Seminoles have spent the offseason before fall camp opens later this month. The updated list shows weight changes for 53 players since spring, a sign that the program has been monitoring bodies closely as it tries to get the roster into better shape for the grind ahead.
The numbers point to a team that is both adding size and trimming down in spots, with eight players up by more than 10 pounds and four down by more than 10. Those shifts are spread across position groups and classes, and the details should give coaches a useful snapshot of who is arriving in better condition, who is still filling out, and which names will be worth watching once camp begins. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Made An Early Move For A Major QB Target
Florida States second and final Elite Camp before the recruiting dead period gave the staff one more chance to make an impression on a growing list of quarterbacks, and Chandler Dyson was among the most notable names on campus. The four-star prospect in the 2028 class recently visited Tallahassee and got a chance to throw in front of Mike Norvell and quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker, a timely look after Florida State had only just entered his recruitment.
Dyson already has a long list of suitors, with offers from programs such as LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, South Carolina and Syracuse, and he has also made recent stops at LSU, Ole Miss and South Carolina. For Florida State, the early appeal is obvious: landing in the conversation this soon matters, and the Seminoles will now try to turn that camp visit into a stronger foothold as the recruitment keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]