Florida
Former Florida State Wide Receiver Transferring To MAC Program
Florida State has retooled its wide receiver room through the NCAA Transfer Portal after multiple starters and contributors moved on from Tallahassee. The Seminoles will have an array of different pass-catchers to support quarterback transfer Thomas Castellanos in 2025.
Earlier this week, former FSU wide receiver Darion Williamson announced his transfer to Miami (OH). Williamson entered the portal in December to explore his options elsewhere. The veteran spent the last five seasons with the Seminoles after signing with the program as a three-star prospect in Mike Norvell’s inaugural recruiting class in 2020.
This past season, Williamson appeared in all 12 games, contributing on special teams and as a member of the wide receiver rotation on offense. He caught five passes for 71 yards, including a 35-yard reception in the loss to SMU in September.
In total, Williamson appeared in 41 games, making two starts, and hauled in 35 receptions for 454 yards and one touchdown. His best performance with the Seminoles came in 2022 in a victory against Boston College where he caught five passes for 98 yards in one half of action.
READ MORE: Former FSU Football Standout Accepts Invitation To Reese’s Senior Bowl
The Tennessee native had a ton of potential but injuries limited his contributions over the years. He’ll have a chance to instantly play a big role on a Miami (OH) squad that is losing its top three wide receivers.
Williamson stands at 6-foot-3, 202 pounds. He’s expected to have one season of eligibility remaining. Williamson got an extra year due to COVID-19 and redshirted in 2022. Williamson played in five games that season but one of those appearances was in the bowl game against Oklahoma, which doesn’t count towards the redshirt rule.
FSU has six scholarship wide receivers eligible to return in 2025; junior Hykeem Williams, redshirt sophomore Jalen Brown, sophomore Lawayne McCoy, sophomore BJ Gibson, redshirt freshman Elijah Moore, and redshirt freshman Camdon Frier.
The Seminoles signed four wide receivers during the Early Signing Period; four-star Jayvan Boggs, four-star Tae’Shaun Gelsey, three-star Teriq Mallory, and three-star JUCO Jordan Scott. The program also landed USC wide receiver transfer Duce Robinson and Tennessee wide receiver transfer Squirrel White.
Last month, the program officially announced the addition of new wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr.
Williamson is one of 19 scholarship players to enter the transfer portal since the conclusion of a 2-10 season. Redshirt senior wide receiver Deuce Spann, redshirt junior tight end Jackson West, redshirt junior defensive end Byron Turner Jr, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Tomiwa Durojaiye, senior defensive back Omarion Cooper, sophomore wide receiver Destyn Hill, redshirt freshman defensive end Lamont Green Jr., redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Julian Armella, junior tight end Brian Courtney, redshirt sophomore tight end Jerrale Powers, junior defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., redshirt sophomore linebacker Shawn Murphy, true freshman quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, freshman defensive end DD Holmes, redshirt junior defensive end Patrick Payton, redshirt junior defensive tackle Grady Kelly, senior wide receiver Malik Benson, and redshirt freshman linebacker DeMarco Ward have also declared their intentions to move on.
READ MORE: Florida State Drops In On Blue-Chip Miami Commitment
Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason
Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
• FSU Basketball Sets Program Record in Upset Victory Against Miami
• 13 Former Florida State Stars Advance To NFL Playoffs
• LA Chargers Safety, Former FSU Star Derwin James Earns AFC Defensive Player of the Month
• Florida State Among Programs Standing Out To Younger Brother Of Seminole Legend
Plans for a new Wawa to open in Port St. Lucie were approved.
A new Wawa fuel station and convenience store will open in Port St. Lucie now that the plans have been approved.
The Wawa will be at the corner of Village Parkway and Becker Road in front of the Lowe’s which is expected to open in the summer of 2026, according to the city’s website.
The plans for a Wawa convenience store and eight fuel pumps were submitted to the city Dec. 3, 2025.
What will go in Port St. Lucie’s Southern Grove?
The plans for the Shoppes at Southern Grove show there will be a new Lowe’s store and six additional outparcels.
The six additional outparcels include the following:
- Gas station: 5,915 square feet
- Outparcel A: 1.2 acres
- Outparcel B: 1.14 acres
- Outparcel C: 1.83 acres
- Outparcel D: 1.04 acres
- Outparcel E: 1.02 acres
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
SUNRISE, Fla. – Five Florida Panthers players and five staff members will represent their home countries at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, taking place May 15 through May 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States.
Marek Alscher, 22, will represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time. He previously played for his home country at the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, skating in seven games to help the Czechs capture the bronze medal over Finland. Alscher made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, notching three assists over four games played. He also skated in 52 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, recording 11 points (3-8-11).
Aleksander Barkov, 30, missed the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to injury but had been named to Finland’s preliminary roster in June of 2025. He previously earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games alongside current Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, and earned a silver medal representing his home country at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship. At the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, Barkov served as captain of Finland.
Anton Lundell, 24, will be participating in his second IIHF World Championship after earning a silver medal with Finland in 2021, where he posted seven points (4-3-7) in 10 games as a 19-year-old. He helped Finland capture the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games this season and previously earned gold at the 2019 IIHF U20 WJC and 2018 IIHF U18 WJC, as well as a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 WJC.
Sandis Vilmanis, 22, will represent Latvia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in his career. He played for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February as well as at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain in 2024 where he produced four points (2-2-4) over five games. Vilmanis made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, logging five points (3-2-5) in 19 games with Florida while compiling 38 points (17-21-38) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Panthers affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Matthew Tkachuk, 28, will attempt to become the first American to join the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal), as well as the first player in NHL history to win all three parts of the Triple Gold Club within a 12-month span. This will be Tkachuk’s first time participating in the IIHF World Championship.
In addition to his 2026 Olympic gold medal, Tkachuk also earned gold representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U20 WJC. He served as alternate captain for the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
Florida will have four staff members representing the United States. Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson is serving as General Manager for the second time after holding the position in 2024. Panthers Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager and Florida’s Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli will work as athletic trainer. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito will serve on the Advisory Group.
Panthers Assistant General Manager Gregory Campbell will assist with evaluating and selecting players for Canada.
Panthers fans can stay up to date on all the Cats’ representatives at the 2026 IIHF World Championships at FloridaPanthers.com/WorldChampionship.
2026-27 Florida Panthers Territory Memberships are available now! Click here to learn more. For all the latest in Panthers news, concerts and events at Amerant Bank Arena & FTL War Memorial, sign up for ’93 Society newsletter and receive information straight to your inbox. Visit FloridaPanthers.com or SeatGeek.com for all ticketing needs.
A Martin County slaughterhouse near Lake Okeechobee could increase toxic algal blooms in the C-44 Canal, St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
There have been 81 algal blooms in the past two years within 2 miles of a proposed slaughterhouse in western Martin County, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Algal Bloom Dashboard.
The slaughterhouse will increase pollution and bring more potentially toxic algal blooms to Lake Okeechobee, whose waters sometimes are released into the C-44 Canal and flow into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in Stuart, opponents say.
Chancey Bay Ranch owner Tuny Mizrachi has proposed building a 56,784-square-foot slaughterhouse on 26 acres of his 2,046-acre-property at 8401 SW Connors Highway, abutting Lake O.
5 ways a slaughterhouse can increase Lake Okeechobee pollution
The Guardians of Martin County have raised at least five concerns with the Martin County Commission:
- Meat processing facilities, though necessary, have the potential to be noisy nuisances and significant sources of disease and pollution for air and water.
- The facility would be a new source of pollution in a watershed that’s designated as “impaired” because of elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.
- The facility would be a potential new source of pollutants near one of Martin County’s lowest income and most ethnically diverse communities.
- There’s no evidence the facility has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or plans to follow effluent limitation guidelines or conduct water-quality monitoring.
- The South Florida Water Management District has permitted the facility to withdraw 6.7 million gallons of water per year for 20 years from Florida’s surficial aquifer, despite it being subject to varying levels of saltwater intrusion, especially in Martin County. The SFWMD has designated all of Martin County a Water Resource Caution Area.
Blood, feces, oil, grease, ammonia and antibiotic residue from the proposed slaughterhouse would contribute to harmful algal blooms, including toxic cyanobacteria, Martin County Administrator Don Donaldson wrote to the DEP and SFWMD.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
-
Pittsburg, PA3 minutes agoHere are all the free movies you can watch outside this summer in Pittsburgh
-
Augusta, GA9 minutes ago25-year-old woman killed in shooting on Cameron Drive
-
Cleveland, OH21 minutes ago
U.S. Navy warship to be commissioned in Ohio
-
Austin, TX27 minutes agoTexas Metro Areas Are Coming for Chicago
-
Alabama33 minutes agoGov. Ivey announces America 250 Alabama Celebration
-
Alaska39 minutes agoThis Alaska cruise port lets you experience the wild, untouched state
-
Arizona45 minutes agoDozens of repossessed Spirit Airlines jets now parked in Arizona desert
-
Arkansas51 minutes agoDave Van Horn press conference: Arkansas baseball coach, players recap Game 1 loss at Kentucky | Whole Hog Sports