Florida State kicker Jake Weinberg entered the transfer portal after a mediocre redshirt freshman season and signed with the arch-rival Miami Hurricanes. Ironically, Miami also signed another kicker with more experience and consistency, likely meaning Weinberg will be the backup kicker with the Hurricanes.
Life comes at you fast. FSU wasted no time hiring a new FSU special teams coordinator, and FSU grabbed a former All-American (Idaho State) kicker who didn’t miss a single field goal in 2024. Gabe Panikowski is the name. He transferred from Idaho State to Oklahoma State in 2025, redshirting, before transferring to FSU.
I know some fans may wonder why he redshirted in 2025, but that doesn’t matter because he’s ready to kick in 2026. He’s already in Tallahassee putting in work and turning heads in his latest video from inside the Indoor Practice Facility:
50 and 55 yards out. Grateful for this opportunity. pic.twitter.com/mFkjwbL1pd
— Gabe Panikowski (@GPanikowski) January 17, 2026
The first kick from 50-yards would have probably been good from 60, as it hit the back wall about a fourth of the way up from the ground. Weinberg had a big leg, too, but struggled with any type of consistency.
Panikowski has a strong leg, but can make the intermediate kicks as well. Of the 15 field goals he made in 2024, three were from 20-29 yards, nine came from 30-39, one was in the 40-49 yard range, and two came from 50+ yards.
That’s in the same ballpark as recent FSU All-American kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who went 13-13 in 2024. Hopefully, FSU will have him kicking plenty of extra points, but in the event they need to kick a field goal, it’ll be refreshing knowing they have someone with lots of experience. The only question is, can he perform with a much bigger crowd than Idaho State?