Noles News: FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and defensive coordinator Tony White lay out vision and goals for Seminoles

recruitment

football

For the second straight year, Florida State has entered the transfer portal for a high-profile name at quarterback – this time the Seminoles have secured the commitment of former Boston College starter Thomas Castellanos. It’s a reunion of sorts, as Castellanos was the first quarterback to commit to Gus Mahlzan during his tenure at UCF, playing five games before landing in Chestnut Hill:

In two seasons at Boston College, Castellanos threw for 3,614 yards, ran for 1,307 yards and scored 47 total touchdowns. However, he proved to be a poor fit for new BC coach Bill O’Brien’s professional offense, as his rushing average dropped from 1,113 yards at 5.2 yards per carry as a sophomore to 194 yards at 2.1 yards per carry as a junior .

He left the program before the end of the season, making him a polarizing figure. There are conflicting opinions as to whether Castellanos left his team or whether he was treated poorly by the coaching staff. As with anything, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Mike Norvell and his staff are clearly pleased with how Castellanos explained the situation after his review.

FSU originally recruited Castellanos as an athlete with the promise of trying him out at quarterback, running back and wide receiver before settling on a position.

Florida State defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. was the latest player to enter the portal:

Jordan Silversmith commented on the departure of Luke Kromenhoek and what it reflects about the new age of college athletics:

Malzahn and new defensive coordinator Tony White spoke to the media on Wednesday and explained their vision of what their side of the ball will look like for Florida State:

“I’m a big believer in running the football downhill…It makes everything better as far as pass protection, better for the quarterback, everything. I think the most important thing is just the emphasis on the downhill game and the commitment to it.”

“We will play fast. I think that’s the most important thing: we’re going to play fast. We will lead football downhill. We’re going to throw it vertically.”

“When this opportunity came up, it came so last minute, out of the blue, that I thought it was an opportunity I had to take advantage of. You just couldn’t miss it…When you talk about Florida State, you’re talking about one of the true, great, historic football programs.”

“When I come here and look at the squad, there are some really, really talented people here. Some really, really good football players, some really good young men when I get to know them. We’re going to be diverse, we’re going to put guys in the best positions possible so they can go out there and they can play really fast and not confused.”

All sports

Florida State officially announced plans for its lacrosse-only stadium on Wednesday:

Florida State Lacrosse will play its inaugural season in spring 2026 as the 13th women’s lacrosse program in the ACC. FSU’s lacrosse-only facility will include a turf field, a press box and multiple seating options for fans, as well as a team building with locker rooms, meeting rooms, a team lounge and other areas for student-athletes.

“This is another exciting step for our lacrosse program,” said Michael Alford, Florida State vice president and director of athletics. “PBK is an industry leader in fan-friendly, functional spaces for the future of college sports. Our all-lacrosse stadium will feature multiple social areas, fan amenities and a variety of seating options to provide an exceptional viewing experience for our fans and help give our team a true home-field advantage.”

PBK is an award-winning architecture, engineering and consulting firm that is a leader in design solutions. PBK has an impressive and diverse range of sports facilities, including stadiums, playing fields, swimming pools and team buildings for some of the best sports departments in the country.

“The home of Seminole lacrosse will provide our student-athletes with a state-of-the-art facility in which to train and strengthen their bonds as teammates,” said Florida State head coach Sara Tisdale. “This stadium will incorporate elements that no other program in the country has, giving us an immediate advantage for the first group of FSU lacrosse players while showing future Seminoles that this facility is truly designed to produce an incredible student-athlete to produce.” experience. As we prepare to host our first game, Florida State’s loyal fan base will be welcomed to a facility that creates a dynamic environment in which they can cheer us to victory.”

Florida State signed 14 players in November as part of its inaugural signing class. The first season begins in February 2026.

Florida State Soccer announced the signing of redshirt senior Erin Flurey:

The former Syracuse forward started a total of 49 games for the Orange, including 37 consecutive starts since her freshman season. She totaled 35 points with 15 goals and five assists, leading Syracuse in 2023 and 2024 and second on the team in 2022. Flurey scored seven goals in the ACC and became the only Syracuse player with multiple conference goals in Episode -past seasons since 2019.

The Manchester, New Hampshire native was strong on and off the field, earning the Syracuse Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for six consecutive semesters beginning in the fall of 2021. Additionally, she earned ACC Academic Honor Roll honors in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and a spot on the 2022 All-ACC Academic Team. Last season, she was named to the Academic All-America and All-District Women’s Soccer Team Appointed in 2024.

Flurey helped Manchester Central High School win back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018, earning First Team All-State honors both seasons as an underclassman. She broke Central High School’s single-season scoring record with 27 goals and was captain of her school in her senior season. Flurey was president of the National Honor Society and a member of the National English Honor Society.

Flurey’s parents both played college sports, while her mother Nicole played soccer at Keene State University and her father David played baseball and ice hockey at New Hampshire College.