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Noles News: Could Marcis Ponder be the next Zach Edey?
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- Noles News: Could Marcis Ponder be the next Zach Edey?
Football
Florida State hosts Clemson on Halloween, with "Operation Garnet Storm" being the theme of the game. A drone show and the honoring of Peter Warrick will happen this Saturday.
Offensive line coach Herb Hand spoke with Jeff Culhane ahead of Week 8's game against the Tigers. You can watch it on the Seminoles Unconquered app.
FSU Athletics will host a Trunk or Treat on Langford Green before the Seminoles take on Clemson on Halloween.
Florida State president Richard McCullough issued a letter to Seminole fans addressing frustration with the state of FSU athletics, saying the search for a new athletic director will begin soon:
We are not asking you to lower expectations. We are telling you that we share and embrace them.
Florida State football will honor Peter Warrick with an NFF College Football Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute during Saturday's game against Clemson:
"Peter Warrick was one of those players who could change a game every time he touched the ball," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He was a tremendous talent and a big reason Florida State enjoyed such an incredible run in the late 1990s, capped by the 1999 national championship. We're thrilled to welcome him into the College Football Hall of Fame and honor him in front of the Seminole faithful."
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day, the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the NFF Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept an NFF Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many NFF Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them with one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
A two-time First Team All-American (consensus in 1998 and unanimous in 1999), Warrick helped lead Florida State to a 45-4 record and four consecutive top-three national finishes, including the 1999 national championship under NFF Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden.
Warrick capped his career with MVP honors in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, scoring a bowl-record 20 points as the Seminoles completed the first wire-to-wire No. 1 season in AP Poll history.
The Bradenton, Florida, native now becomes the 10th Seminoles player inducted into the Hall, joining Fred Biletnikoff (1962-64), Ron Sellers (1966-68), Ron Simmons (1977-80), Deion Sanders (1985-88), Terrell Buckley (1989-91), Charlie Ward (1989, 91-93), Marvin Jones (1990-92), Derrick Brooks (1991-94) and Warrick Dunn (1993-96). Hall of Fame coaches who headed the Florida State program include Bobby Bowden and Darrell Mudra.
Members of the 2026 class include Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire), Ki-Jana Carter (Penn State), Bruce Collie (Texas at Arlington), George Cumby (Oklahoma), Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh), Marvin Harrison (Syracuse), Garrison Hearst (Georgia), Chris Hudson (Colorado), Mark Ingram (Alabama), Olin Kreutz (Washington), James Laurinaitis (Ohio State), Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), Herman Moore (Virginia), Terence Newman (Kansas State), Bob Novogratz (Army West Point), Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska), Peter Warrick (Florida State), Eric Weddle (Utah), and coaches Jim Margraff (Johns Hopkins [MD]), Gary Patterson (Texas Christian), Chris Petersen (Boise State, Washington) and Ken Sparks (Carson-Newman [TN]).
The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Including the 2026 NFF Hall of Fame Class, only 1,129 players have been inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played the game during the past 158 years. From the coaching ranks, 241 individuals have achieved NFF Hall of Fame distinction. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (0.02%) of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.
Basketball
Florida State appeared in CBS Sports' preseason top 100 teams at No. 62. Matt Norlander had this to say about the Seminoles, and particularly, of Marcis Ponder:
If Luke Loucks is the real deal, then I'm going to be wrong and have FSU at least 15 spots off the mark. Sixty-two happens to be where FSU finished in KenPom last season, coincidentally enough. The Seminoles turned over almost the entire roster after an 18-15 tour that included a 10-3 record in their last 13 games.
This could be FSU's first season of 20-plus wins since the 2019-20 season that could've seen the 'Noles make a Final Four. Loucks has brought some run-and-fun style to Tallahassee, putting up 80.4 points per game and ranking top-30 in tempo. In addition to four four-star freshmen who will make FSU a higher-rated team a year from now, there's a potpourri of transfers that I expect to be led by UNC Asheville transfer Kameron Taylor and Colorado forward speedster Sebastian Rancik. Freshman C Marcis Ponder might eventually turn into the most undeniable college basketball rebounder since Zach Edey.
Shon Abaev dropped 20.5 points per game in the preseason along with 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Former FSU alum Devin Vassell surprised Hallandale High School students with new shoes and a donation to the school's athletic program.
Scottie Barnes leads all Noles in the NBA with 17 points per game with Toronto, per RealGM. He and the Raptors will host the Orlando Magic in two straight games next up on Oct. 28 and Oct. 30.
Soccer
Jessi Wynn wrote a profile on Sam Erbach, who has made an immediate impact in her first season at Florida State, posting four goals and four assists through 12 games after two standout seasons at Xavier:
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All Sports
FSU Baseball is having its Garnet & Gold All-Star Game on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium.
Jamie Arnold, a standout for FSU who turned pro with the Athletics, will be in attendance.
Want to get to know Jace Estes? You're in luck.
Looking for a game to go to this Hallo-weekend? FSU has you covered with a few options.
Florida State's Seminole Rewind site added six new collections highlighting the history of FSU football and soccer:
The Seminole football section now includes a collection called Iced Out that features the numerous rings awarded to championship and bowl teams throughout the school's history.
The Hallowed Grounds collection includes artifacts, photos and memorabilia from FSU's beloved Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU Greats has authentic artifacts and information on Seminole football players whose numbers/jerseys are retired.
The soccer section of Seminole Rewind has also grown by three collections. Taking Five displays memorabilia from FSU's 2025 NCAA National Championship, and Back for More contains materials from the 2023 NCAA National Championship. Fielding Seminole Soccer covers the program's early years at Florida State.
