The kicking game isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when building a football team, but especially in college, where results can vary greatly from kicker to kicker, it’s critical to get it right. Oftentimes, that starts on the recruiting trail.
For Mike Norvell, those efforts were primarily focused on Noah Ash, a three-star placekicker from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a few hours' drive from Tallahassee. However, on Monday, Ash committed to Auburn, so with the top kicker in the state plucked out of his backyard, Norvell pivoted across the country in an attempt to pry Gabriel Goroyan out of California.
According to Chris Nee of Noles247, FSU special teams coordinator Adam Scheier offered Goroyan on Monday. The same day, Goroyan told Noles247 that he has set up an official visit to Florida State on June 19.
FSU looking to sneak in the back door with LA kicker Gabriel Goroyan
UCLA has seemingly recommitted itself to football since hiring Bob Chesney away from James Madison, and with that renewed support, the Bruins have the No. 12 recruiting class in the country, one spot better than LSU. That’s not territory UCLA has occupied in a long time, and while it remains to be seen whether Chesney can finish the deal and get this class of commits to campus for next season, the Bruins have undeniably raised their standing on the recruiting trail.
With that effort from Chesney’s staff, it’s not a surprise that UCLA is the clear team to beat for Goroyan, who took his official visit to Westwood over the weekend. Goroyan also has trips to Wake Forest, Virginia, and Stanford.
Last season, Jake Weinberg was Florida State’s kicker, and after a solid year as a redshirt freshman, he transferred to Miami. Weinberg does not have great range, going 3-8 on kicks over 40 yards last season, but inside 40 yards, he went 9-11 on field goals.
Heading into 2026, FSU appears to be in a tough spot when it comes to the kicking game. With Weinberg gone, FSU brought in two place kickers: Gabe Panikowski, who did not kick for Oklahoma State in 2025 after going 15-15 on field goal attempts for FCS Idaho State in 2024, and Conor McAneney, who was arrested in Fort Lauderdale in March.
McAneney faced charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and trespassing, according to Broward County jail records. However, his felony charges were later reduced, and Florida State lifted his suspension. McAneney is a Division II transfer from Quincy University.
Norvell is entering a lame-duck season, so he may not ultimately be around to see it, but pursuing a kicker like Goroyan could bring some much-needed stability to the special teams unit. It’ll take an upset to outdo UCLA, but landing an official visit is a good sign for Norvell and his staff.
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