Florida State suffered a significant blow today, announcing that freshman lefthander Kyle Long has withdrawn from the school, citing academic concerns. Long, whose father Howie starred for the Oakland Raiders and whose brother Chris was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, is built like a football player (6-foot-7, 285 pounds) and has power stuff to match, with a fastball that has topped out at 95 mph in the past. He ranked as the Seminoles’ top recruit this year, though it’s uncertain how much he factored into their plans as a freshman because his secondary stuff is underdeveloped. Still, he was a key building block for the future and probably would have seen time as a freshman on FSU’s young pitching staff.

As for Long’s future, the Tallahassee Democrat is reporting he will transfer to a junior college closer to his home in Virginia. The statement issued by Florida State offers this nugget: "After falling behind academically, Kyle and his family have decided that it is in his best interest at this time to be closer to home while he tried to get back on track academically."