Florida State heads into Saturday night’s Halloween matchup with Clemson carrying a fresh availability report and a little more clarity on who will, and won’t, be available at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles are coming off the bye and back into ACC play, with updated availability reports due Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then again two hours before kickoff Saturday. It’s the kind of game that can still turn tense fast for FSU, even against a Clemson team that has struggled by its standards. The Tigers have taken nine of the last 10 meetings and haven’t lost in Doak Campbell Stadium since 2014.
Florida State already knew it would be without several key pieces long-term. Running back Ousmane Kromah, safety Karson Hobbs, linebacker Izayia Williams, and linebacker Daylen Green are out for the season, while running back Samuel Singleton Jr. and linebacker Blake Nichelson are expected to miss an extended stretch.
Wednesday evening’s first ACC availability report added a new wrinkle: true freshman wide receiver Devin Carter is no longer listed after sitting out the first seven games with a back injury. Carter is lined up to make his debut Saturday night, though it remains to be seen how much he’ll actually be involved on offense. For now, Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy, Jayvan Boggs, and Jasen Lopez have handled most of the work at receiver.
One of the more notable names on the report is senior cornerback Quindarrius Jones, who is already listed as out despite Florida State having had the open week. Jones also missed the Seminoles’ game against Central Arkansas at the end of September and dealt with injuries for much of last season.
With Jones unavailable, Nehemiah Chandler is expected to start in his place, while Charles Lester III should also be prepared for a bigger role.
Clemson, meanwhile, listed seven players as unavailable for the game.
In Other News...
Florida State May Have Found A Frontcourt Force Sooner Than Expected
A new face in Florida States frontcourt is starting to look more than just intriguing. Marcis Ponder, the 7-foot freshman who arrived as a football-to-basketball conversion, has already trimmed down to help his conditioning and is giving the Seminoles a different kind of presence inside. For a team trying to climb after last seasons struggles, that kind of size and energy can change the tone of the paint quickly.
Ponders recent preseason showing against Auburn offered an early hint of what he can do when he settles in. He finished with 13 points and 21 rebounds, a line that stood out even in an exhibition setting and gave coach Luke Loucks another reason to think Florida State may have found help in the frontcourt sooner than expected. With Ponder and a batch of new transfers in the mix, the Seminoles suddenly have more room to imagine a better edge around the basket. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell Faces Rising Pressure As Florida State Heads Into Clemson
Mike Norvell is heading into Clemson with the kind of scrutiny that comes when a programs ambitions keep colliding with reality. Florida State still has the look of a team trying to steady itself after the highs of 2023, but the Seminoles have spent too much time dealing with losses, late-game frustrations and defensive breakdowns to quiet the noise around the program.
The recent double-overtime defeat to Miami only sharpened the questions, and the criticism has not been limited to whats happening on the field. Florida State also has work to do in the transfer portal, while the universitys recent firing of its athletic director has added another layer of uncertainty, with no search firm hired yet to find a replacement. All of it leaves Norvell walking into a high-profile test with his future already part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Florida States ACC Push Now Rests On One Huge QB Question
Florida States ACC push is starting to look a lot like the conference race itself: crowded, volatile and heavily dependent on quarterback play. Week 8 across the league offered another reminder that every contender is being shaped by what happens under center, with several ACC passers delivering the kind of performances that can swing a divisional race and change how the rest of the season is read. The next round of games only raises the stakes, because the teams chasing position in the standings are now carrying as much pressure as momentum.
For Florida State, the bigger question is no longer whether the path exists, but whether the Seminoles can get the kind of quarterback play that keeps them on it. Recent evaluations of ACC signal-callers have made clear how quickly the balance can shift from one week to the next, and the Seminoles are right in the middle of that conversation as Week 9 approaches. If the quarterback situation settles the way Florida State needs it to, the league picture opens up fast. If not, the margin for error gets even thinner. [Read more 🡒]