On The Bench: An FSU football podcast network

Florida State's  offense was good last season, but it fell short of great despite some top-tier personnel. The reasons for not maximizing the talent vary, but the approach FSU took to replacing the departing personnel probably paints a picture to give us a glimpse into what FSU wants to do better in 2024. And that's the jumping off point as the X's and Noles crew joins Brendan Sonnone in this epis...

FSU special teams coordinator John Papuchis joins OTB to discuss the development of several defensive ends, the significance of the edge defenders FSU landed and developed in the Transfer Portal over the last few years, and the confidence in FSU's special teams unit entering the spring. Then Zach Blostein, Dane Draper, and Clay Fink sit down for a recap of an active recruiting weekend for FSU. You...

Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins joins On The Bench to go over some elements of the offense ahead of spring practice.  From a veteran offensive line group hitting “that old man stride” to the timeline of expected contributions for third-year linemen, we get Atkins’ thoughts on trench development.  Plus insight into the additions of transfers Richie Leonard and Terrence Ferguson, the...

Florida State defensive coordinator Adam Fuller joins the show. He details why he's excited to coach up this group of defenders entering spring practice, provides the definitive answer to if Braden Fiske would've scored against Clemson had he recovered the fumble, and shares why we need not overthink alarm clocks. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on Apple Podc...

Florida State's  Tour of Duty access yielded some fun datapoints to absorb and analyze as we starting to get an idea of what this 2024 squad could look like. Chris Nee, Brendan Sonnone, and Dane Draper of  Noles247's On The Bench podcast  dive into what we took away from this first look at the 2024 Seminoles in this episode. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on...

Braden Fiske dominates the NFL Scouting Combine. A summer signing period? Zach's magic act. And hapless attempts to predict this year's King of the Spring. It's a frenzied episode of  On The Bench  that includes memories of 7-on-7 debacles, navel gazing, shade throwing, and sprinkles in some nuanced conversation on the latest happening about Florida State football. You can subscribe to On The Benc...

The latest in Florida State's lawsuit with the ACC involves ESPN weighing in. We get into what that means to begin this episode of On The Bench, and then diverge into recruiting tidbits before a game of Buy or Sonnone that takes us into the world of burrito debates, tip functions, and factors to follow on offense. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on Apple Podc...

We dive into our first MAILBAG of the offseason as Florida State is about a month away from spring practice. How does FSU's offensive pieces fit together? Will the 2025 recruiting class be better than this past cycle's? Conversations drift from focusing on building blocks for the program to letting grudges go in 2024. Oh, and Nee is sick. Sick of hoops and just sick in general. You can subscribe t...

Sifting through Florida State’s recruiting efforts during the last three weeks of Junior Days as well as diving into the commitment of four-star 2024 pledge Amaree Williams kick off this episode of On The Bench. We then reflect on the developments of the FSU/ACC lawsuits before getting into some Buy or Sonnone. A mattress delivery and Nee’s favorite NSD memories are part of this episode as well. Y...

Florida State  is onto the 2025 recruiting cycle. That means junior days and visits in the winter. The Seminoles hosted their second Junior Day of the cycle on Saturday, and FSU also had some noteworthy prospects at the Battle Miami 7-on tournament over the weekend. Chris Nee hosts this episode to catch up with Dane Draper (who was On The Bench covering the Junior Day) and Zach Blostein (who was a...

How does  Florida   State's  schedule shape up for 2024? It's not a particularly daunting opponent slate on paper, and the schedule sets up nicely for FSU to put together a solid season in a rebuild year. Noles247's Chris Nee and Brendan Sonnone break down the schedule and play a game of Wins and Losses (Buys or Sonnones). You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on A...

Florida State put together its first Junior Day of the recruiting cycle. Who was on-hand and which recruits do you need to get to know? Zach Blostein and Dane Draper recap the recruiting even and go over both of Zach's Crystal Ball selections in this episode of On The Bench. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts and Spotify . As...

Florida State  locked up  Mike Norvell  for the foreseeable future, making him one of the highest paid head coaches in the country while also making a statement about where the program is – and where intends to go – as a consistent power at the top of the sport. On The Bench  dives into the impact of Norvell’s contract extension before turning our attention to recent Portal additions. We then have...

Today's episode of On The Bench focuses on two major talking points during a pivotal moment for Florida State’s football program. We begin with a rundown of the NCAA violations FSU incurred during the recruitment of Amarium Mims, what it means for Alex Atkins and future recruiting efforts, and how FSU got caught when everyone else is doing the same thing as them (including the program that turned...

Florida State  has, at this moment, put together a Top 5 class in the Transfer Portal. The emphasis on quality while blending experienced players with high-upside ones is a formula FSU has used successfully before, and it’s leading to good results so far in the rankings process. That doesn’t mean FSU is finished, nor does it mean that this cycle has been perfect. Noles247’s  On The Bench  podcast...

Florida State's  Portal efforts are kicking into high gear during a pivotal week. The Seminoles secured their signal caller in  DJ Uiagalelei  and are now making a final push to round out their 2024 roster as the window for Transfer Portal entries and visitors winds down. This  On The Bench , with Trey Rowlanc and Brendan Sonnone, goes over FSU's Portal targets and efforts. We discuss  Evan Stewar...

Florida State fell to UGA in the Orange Bowl. The X's and Noles guys to hop on to discuss the future of the program.

Florida State's quest to exit the ACC could take a step forward with an upcoming Board of Trustees meeting. On The Bench dives into the significance of an emergency BoT meeting being called for Friday, and what could be on the agenda as there's a belief that FSU is weighing litigation against the ACC to free up its Grant of Rights. Then we discuss the good and the bad from the Early Signing Period...

Florida State hosted transfer quarterbacks Cameron Ward and DJ Uiagalelei this week, and Noles247 has the intel on both recruitments as the Seminoles try to finalize their QB for 2024. Plus what we're hearing on Marvin Jones Jr.'s recruitment, and exit interviews with official visitors. Oh, and a game of Buy or Sonnone, Early Signing Period edition. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles...

A conversation on NIL as it applies to Florida State and the college-football landscape starts off a show full of recruiting info and analysis.  On The Bench  begins with the developments of DJ Lundy and Rodney Hill, which cascades into a deeper conversation on the way NIL is perceived on a broader sense as fans and players alike try to adjust to the new norm in college football. Then it's full-bl...

Florida State is in a bit of a moving week. No real major developments above the surface in terms of commitments, but parts are moving as we’re nearly a week out from the Early Signing Period.  So what parts of the puzzle are we trying to piece together? Noles247 tries to make sense of quarterback recruitments in the Transfer Portal, the read on Jeremiah Smith, LJ McCray, and more in this episode...

This episode of On The Bench is all about the Transfer Portal, recruiting, and the happenings with Patrick Payton. It's recorded on Wednesday morning, so nothing has probably changed since then. You can subscribe to On The Bench, X’s and Noles, and Beyond The Bench on  Apple Podcasts ,  Google Podcasts  and  Spotify . As always, five-star reviews and comments on Apple Podcasts are appreciated! Als...

Chris Nee is unleashed as he and Trey Rowland process the snub to end all snubs. First they're joined by Ingram Smith to provide an update on the support The Battle's End has received in the last 24 hours, with 600+ new members, as the fan base has responded admirably to the unprecedented act of mental gymnastics that ESPN and the CFP made to keep FSU out of its "playoff." And then we let Nee cook...

Reacting to a historical snub as undefeated FSU is left out of the College Football Playoff. Some salty language.

Florida State answered the call. With their backs against the wall and their third-string true freshman QB FSU's defense stepped up and had the game of a lifetime. Join Coach AB, Trey, and Kev as they break down the game.