Florida
Our way-too-early Florida college football rankings for 2025
We know, we know. College football’s national title game ended only a few hours ago. The celebration in Columbus, Ohio, is just now cranking up. Heck, Kirk Herbstreit’s pooch is still prancing somewhere in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
So why are we already making projections for the 2025 season? Because it’s a tradition like no other. Way-too-early forecasts have become embedded in the sport’s fabric, much like portal season, the Pop-Tarts Bowl and profanities by Nick Saban on live TV.
Who cares if they should be taken with a grain of salt? Our guess is, they’ll still make more than a few fans feel salty. All part of the fun.
Here then, is our way-too-early 2025 ranking of Florida’s seven Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
7. Florida International
2024 record: 4-8
3 key returners: DB Brian Blades II (six pass breakups), QB Keyone Jenkins (2,557 passing yards, 22 TDs), RB Kejon Owens (team-best 392 rushing yards, five TDs)
3 key departures: LB Travion Barnes (Baylor), S JoJo Evans (Louisville), WR Eric Rivers (Georgia Tech)
Impact newcomer: RB Ajay Allen (Miami)
Outlook: New Panthers coach Willie Simmons did arguably his best recruiting job of the winter by convincing both Jenkins and Owens to withdraw their names from the portal and remain at FIU. On the flip side, Simmons lost a procession of talented defensive players to the portal and must do some significant replenishing. Simmons, a Tallahassee native who posted four consecutive seasons of at least nine wins at Florida A&M, has the coaching and recruiting chops to succeed down south, but this will take time.
6. Florida Atlantic
2024 record: 3-9
3 key returners: DB Wendel Philord (42 tackles, four pass breakups), WR Jabari Smith (17 receptions), DB Jayden Williams (two interceptions)
3 key departures: RB C.J. Campbell (Rutgers), QB Cam Fancher (UCF), S CJ Heard (Vanderbilt)
Impact newcomer: QB Caden Veltkamp (Western Kentucky)
Outlook: New Owls coach Zach Kittley practically had to pilfer the transfer portal to replenish FAU’s decimated roster, but he pulled off a bonanza by signing Veltkamp, a 3,000-yard passer at Western Kentucky last season. As a bonus, he also landed one of Veltkamp’s top targets last year, Hilltoppers slot receiver Easton Messer (55 catches, 793 yards). Widely regarded as one of college football’s brightest young offensive minds, Kittley, 33, has the energy and ingenuity to turn around FAU. But his overhauled roster will need time to jell.
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5. UCF
2024 record: 4-8
3 key returners: Edge Nyjalik Kelly (team-high 5.5 sacks), RT Paul Rubelt (lone returning OL starter) DT John Walker (injured in 2024)
3 key departures: LB Xe’Ree Alexander (Washington), DL Lee Hunter (Texas Tech), RG Marcellus Marshall (Minnesota)
Impact newcomer: QB Tayven Jackson (Indiana)
Outlook: Count us among those who remain convinced Scott Frost didn’t forget how to coach. Also count us among those who believe he never really was crazy about leaving UCF for his alma mater (Nebraska), where he went 16-31 in four-plus seasons. Frost has some significant rebuilding ahead of him in his second stint in Orlando, and he has been forced to tap heavily into the transfer portal (more than two-dozen transfers) since his return in early December. But don’t be shocked if the Knights make some rumblings in the Big 12 in 2025. And if his second season (2026) remotely resembles the Year 2 of his initial go-round at UCF (see Colley Matrix), watch out.
4. USF
2024 record: 7-6 (topped San Jose State, 41-39, in Hawaii Bowl)
3 key returners: QB Byrum Brown (12 school records), WR Keshaun Singleton (428 receiving yards, three TDs), S Tavin Ward (team-high three interceptions)
3 key departures: S Tawfiq Byard (Colorado), RB Kelley Joiner (NFL draft), LB Jamie Pettway (NFL draft)
Impact newcomer: RB Cartevious Norton (Charlotte)
Outlook: Presuming Brown is healthy and still here, the Bulls should eclipse the seven-win plateau in Year 3 of the Alex Golesh era. The backfield must be replenished, but there’s proven talent on the perimeter and up front. The big question involves the defense and whether USF can develop more consistency on that side. After two .500 regular seasons, Bulls fans want to see Golesh’s “process” produce titles, or at least title-game berths.
3. FSU
2024 record: 2-10
3 key returners: S Shyheim Brown (team-high 70 tackles), DT Darrell Jackson (32 tackles, 3.5 sacks), S KJ Kirkland (46 tackles, two pass breakups)
3 key departures: QB Luke Kromenhoek (Mississippi State), edge Patrick Payton (LSU), RB Lawrance Toafili (NFL draft)
Impact newcomer: QB Thomas Castellanos (Boston College)
Outlook: As promised, coach Mike Norvell has orchestrated a brisk overhaul in the wake of a disastrous autumn, bringing in two new coordinators (Gus Malzahn, Tony White) and an infusion of veterans from the transfer portal. The returners and replenishments on defense, along with White’s 3-3-5 scheme, should foster optimism, but the big question is whether the Seminoles will regain an offensive pulse. Castellanos, a 5-foot-9 dual threat, played briefly for Malzahn at UCF and possesses the skill set that meshes with Malzahn’s no-huddle scheme.
2. Miami
2024 record: 10-3 (lost to Iowa State, 42-41, in Pop-Tarts Bowl)
3 key returners: DT Rueben Bain (3.5 sacks), RB Mark Fletcher (545 rushing yards, eight TDs), LB Francisco Mauigoa (team-high 88 tackles)
3 key departures: DL Simeone Barrow (NFL draft), WR Xavier Restrepo (NFL draft), QB Cam Ward (NFL draft)
Impact newcomer: QB Carson Beck (Georgia)
Outlook: The Hurricanes got a coup of sorts by luring Beck — 24-3 as a starter at Georgia — from the portal. Beck, who likely will miss spring practice while recovering from elbow surgery, doesn’t have Ward’s hair-trigger release, but he possesses far more big-game experience than Ward had upon his arrival to Coral Gables. He’ll also be complemented by what projects as a solid offensive line and sturdy run game (see Fletcher, Jordan Lyle). The prevailing question is how the beleaguered defense will progress under new coordinator Corey Hetherman.
1. Florida
2024 record: 8-5 (topped Tulane, 33-8, in Gasparilla Bowl)
3 key returners: QB DJ Lagway (6-1 as starter), edge Tyreak Sapp (team-high seven sacks), C Jake Slaughter (first-team All-American)
3 key departures: WR Chimere Deke (NFL draft), LB Shemar James (NFL draft), edge Jack Pyburn (LSU)
Impact newcomer: WR Dallas Wilson (Tampa Bay Tech)
Outlook: Few SEC teams ended 2024 with more momentum than the Gators, whose season-ending four-game win streak included home upsets of ranked foes LSU and Ole Miss. Moreover, coach Billy Napier replenished his roster with a top-11 prep signing class in December. This is Lagway’s team now, and he’ll be flanked by talent both proven (Slaughter) and promising (Wilson). The most formidable challenge: a schedule every bit as ruthless as last year’s.
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If you’re kicking yourself for not filling up your vehicle over the weekend or earlier this week, you have good reason.
Gas prices have been going up steadily — sometimes sharply — since the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran started Saturday, Feb. 28.
In Tallahassee, prices have jumped 26 cents from last week with an average gallon of gas currently sitting at $3.08, according to AAA. The highest price on record in Florida’s capital city was $4.84 a gallon in June 2022.
Since Monday, March 2, Florida gas prices have jumped almost 36 cents for a gallon of regular, according to AAA.
The war is spreading throughout the Middle East and at least six U.S. soldiers have been killed, including one from Florida.
➤ Live updates: Senate won’t check Trump’s war
Here’s what you should know as the war with Iran continues.
Florida not alone in worrying about rising gas prices
Gas prices surge as Iran war closes Strait of Hormuz
Gas prices rise as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz threatening oil supply and raising fears of global economic fallout.
Gas prices were already rising before the attacks on Iran began Feb. 28. It’s a regular seasonal swing as spring arrives, according to AAA.
➤ Americans fret over gas prices as Iran war widens
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks that have now killed at least six U.S. servicemembers, including one from Florida.
➤ Florida Army Reserve captain killed in Iran war
Analysts said the war will likely drive up prices by an additional 20 to 30 cents per gallon, partly due to supply issues and partly due to global uncertainty.
Here’s a look at gas prices per gallon of regular provided by AAA this week:
- March 5: $3.251
- March 4: $3.19
- March 3: $3.061
Compare to:
- Week ago: $2.983
- Month ago: $2.891
- Year ago: $3.107
What’s average price of gas in Florida?
AAA posted the average price in Florida on March 5 was $3.241, slightly less than the national average of $3.251.
Here’s a comparison of the daily average price of a gallon of regular this week as provided by AAA:
- March 5: $3.241
- March 4: $3.198
- March 3: $3.068
- March 2: $2.883
In comparison:
- Week ago average: $2.940
- Month ago average: $2.882
- Year ago average: $3.084
Will Florida gas prices keep going up?
The national average price of gas is “likely to move toward $3.10 to $3.15 (per gallon) within one to two weeks … and to $3.20 to $3.25 within two to three weeks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, on March 1.
On March 2, DeHaan said he expected gas prices “at average stations” nationally to increase by 10 to 30 cents in the coming week.
President Trump: Oil prices may be high ‘for a little while’
President Donald Trump told reporters March 3 oil prices may be high “for a little while.”
As soon as the war ends, “these prices are going to drop, I believe even lower than before,” Trump said.
In a post on TruthSocial March 3, Trump said: “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”
How can you find the cheapest gas?
Whether you’re traveling or at home, gasbuddy.com offers information to find the cheapest prices for gasoline.
Enter your state, city or ZIP code to find the Top 10 gas stations and cheap fuel prices.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
Florida
Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’
It only took three weeks for a group chat for conservative students at Florida International University (FIU) to become a place where participants eagerly used racist slurs, prompting widespread condemnation from community leaders.
Abel Alexander Carvajal, secretary of Miami-Dade county’s Republican party and a student at FIU’s College of Law, reportedly started the chat after the killing of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, in September 2025.
But on Wednesday, the Miami Herald published leaked WhatsApp conversations in which the college Republicans made racist, sexist, antisemitic and homophobic comments, including variations of the N-word used more than 400 times. Knowledge of the chat’s existence was revealed on the same day that Republican lawmakers in Florida pushed forward a bill to rename a one-mile stretch of road alongside FIU in honor of Kirk.
William Bejerano, who the Herald noted once tried to start an anti-abortion group at Miami Dade College, was the most prolific user of the N-word. Using the slur, Bejerano called for dozens of acts of extreme violence against Black people, including crucifying, beheading and dissecting.
Dariel Gonzalez, then the College Republicans’ recruitment chair, who has recently applied to become a GOP committee member, responded to the calls for violence by saying: “How edgy.” He repeatedly used “colored” to describe Black people, including writing: “Ew you had colored professors?!” and “Avoid the coloreds like the plague,” according to the Herald.
Carvajal, who was appointed to a two-year role on the city of Hialeah’s planning and zoning board earlier this year, confirmed to the paper that the group chat was his doing, but he denied knowledge of the problematic comments until the publication contacted him about its logs last week.
“It’s been five months since this was sent and this is the first time I’ve seen this message,” Carvajal told the Herald.
“I guess to an extent, I bear some responsibility, cause I created a chat. But if I had seen this at the moment, I would have removed [Bejerano] from the chat. I probably would have even blocked his number.”
The Herald found that Carvajal had deleted 14 messages sent by other participants in the chat and 42 of his own messages before the publication obtained the chat’s logs.
He also participated in some of the racist discussions. While referring to a Black student who allegedly left FIU’s College Republicans after a member of the group “called her a [N-word]”, the Floridian reported that Carvajal wrote: “Why didn’t miggress leave?” Elsewhere in the chat, the publication reported that Carvajal used “Miggress”, “Migglet” and “Migger” to refer to Black women, Black children and Black people, in general.
At one point, Gonzalez wrote: “You can fuck all the [K-word, a slur for Jewish people] you want. Just don’t marry them and procreate.”
Ian Valdes, the Turning Point USA FIU chapter president, responded, “I would def not marry a Jew,” before changing the group chat’s name from “Uber [R-word slur for disabled people] Yapping” to “Gooning in Agartha”. “Gooning” is a gen-Z slang term for male masturbation, while “Agartha” is a mythical white civilization promoted by Heinrich Himmler, one of the most powerful leaders in Nazi Germany next to Hitler.
Gonzalez reportedly described Agartha to the group chat as “Nazi heaven sort of”.
Kevin Cooper, the first Jewish chair of the Miami Dade Republican party, condemned the group chat in a statement published to X and called for Carvajal’s resignation.
“The majority of our board voted to request Carvajal’s resignation. We have commenced removal proceedings and look forward to resolution from the Republican Party of Florida,” he wrote.
That call was echoed by Juan Porras, a Republican state representative and Miami-Dade GOP state committee member, who said in a statement: “Leadership carries responsibility. When someone in a leadership role engages in this kind of behavior, it damages the trust placed in our party by voters across Florida. For that reason, I am asking the Miami Dade Republican party secretary to step down from this position.”
In a joint statement, Florida Republican state senators Alexis Calatayud, Ileana Garcia and Ana Maria Rodriguez denounced the chats and called for the expulsion from party leadership of its participants.
“The individuals in the group chat have exposed how profoundly misaligned their beliefs are to the views of the Republican party of Florida,” their statement said. “We call for the immediate expulsion of the individuals disseminating from any level of leadership of the Miami-Dade Republican Party … We will not tolerate bigotry or discrimination.”
Multiple leaked group chats from young Republicans have created controversy in recent years.
Last year, Politico published messages from a group chat of more than 100 conservatives across the country in which users also made racist and antisemitic comments. In 2022, a Young Republican group chat from North Dakota was revealed as a cesspool of homophobic and antisemitic rhetoric.
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