Florida State cornerback just gave Miami some free bulletin-board material

Speaking at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte on Wednesday, Florida State cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls made his feelings plain and simple: he "hates" the Miami Hurricanes.

The two programs meet on October 17 in Miami Gardens, and Rawls just made sure both sides will have a little extra motivation for it, whether he meant to or not.

Florida State and Miami will meet on Oct. 17

Florida State and Miami have played 70 times. Miami holds a 37-33 edge in the all-time series and has won the last two meetings, including a 28-22 decision in Tallahassee last October.

Rawls started the first seven games of the 2025 season at cornerback before a season-ending injury cut his year short. He briefly entered the transfer portal after the season before deciding to stay in Tallahassee. He was alongside quarterback Ashton Daniels and receiver Duce Robinson at ACC Kickoff.

Florida State enters 2026 trying to turn around a 2025 season defined by five one-score losses. The program has been on a downward trajectory over the last few seasons. Any spark, such as a win against the Hurricanes, could help Mike Norvell keep his job beyond this season.

Miami, on the other hand, arrives as one of the favorites in the conference and the country, adding Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah to an offense that's already coming off a run to the national championship game. It will be important for Miami to take the Seminoles seriously and to not get tripped up by an in-state rival that would love nothing more than to ruin the Canes season.

Bulletin-board material tends to age badly when it's aimed at a team with more talent and more motivation already, and Miami has made a habit of finding reasons to stay locked in. Whether the quote ends up mattering will be decided on the field in October, but if the Hurricanes needed one more reason to circle that date, Rawls just handed them one for free.

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