A calm Florida State spring was jolted by an incident in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night. Transfer kicker Conor McAneney was arrested on multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer. His arrest report now reveals more details about what actually transpired in those hours.

According to the official report, Conor McAneney received medical treatment after getting arrested. This happened after getting struck twice by a police officer. He was transported to Broward Health Medical Center as a precaution before being taken to Broward County Jail. His booking photo later showed a swollen, bloodied lower lip.

Originally from Plumbridge, Tyrone, in Northern Ireland, McAneney transferred to FSU in January 2026 after a successful freshman season at Quincy University. His path was not the usual one as he competed in Gaelic football at CBS Omagh in Ireland before transitioning to American football.

After a successful stint at Quincy, he joined Florida State to compete for the starting kicker position following the departure of previous specialists to the transfer portal. The arrest has complicated matters for him as he is now on indefinite suspension from all team activities.

Of the 15 allotted spring practices, Florida State completed just three of them before heading into break. The roster has nearly 50 new faces, 23 of which are transfers, so each rep is going to count. In Conor McAneney’s case, the suspension slows him down in a competition where he was already behind the frontrunner.

The Seminoles have Oklahoma State transfer Gabe Panikowski, whose path looks clearer with McAneney suspended. The former is an experienced kicker and the winner of the Fred Mitchell Award 2024. It is given to the country’s best non-FBS college football kicker. Behind him, however, there is no depth at kicker. The two were supposed to take on after Jake Weinberg and Bruno Reus transferred out.

The incident of the arrest spread like wildfire in town, forcing Florida State to act promptly. This is a huge setback for Conor McAneney, who arrived at FSU this winter as a transfer from Quincy University, a DII program in Illinois.

He converted 7 of 10 field-goal attempts there, with a long of 45 yards, and even earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors during his time. He was likely competing for a backup role in FSU unless he had a strong camp to bag the starting role. Now, that opportunity is on hold indefinitely.

Background to the arrest

It all started with McAneny arriving at the Rock Bar on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, after already being removed from other bars in the evening. Security attempted to remove him again, but the situation escalated when he allegedly refused to leave. The report states he grabbed onto parts of the building to resist being escorted out. That’s when a patrol officer intervened and things turned physical.

The officer wrote that he attempted to pull Conor McAneney away from the structure, but the kicker allegedly grabbed the officer’s arm and shirt in an effort to pull him down. The report notes the officer nearly fell backward toward oncoming traffic during the scuffle. At that point, the officer punched the 20-year-old twice in the face, bringing him to the ground. Even then, the report claims he continued resisting arrest.

Head coach Mike Norvell can’t afford any more problems in his roster as he heads into 2026. While the Florida State administration officially retained him for 2026, analysts suggest he is likely on his “last lifeline” and must achieve significant on-field success to remain the head coach beyond this year. The Seminoles are just 7–17 over the last two seasons and have struggled significantly in conference play, going 3–13 in the ACC during that span.

They have also not won a true road game in over two years, with their last road victory dating back to the 2023 regular-season finale against Florida. To add on to the problems, a string of player arrests, including Conor McAneney, Ricky Knight III, and Charles Lester III, has added further scrutiny to the program’s culture and Norvell’s management of the roster.

What comes next for Conor McAneney remains uncertain. Legal proceedings will play out, and FSU will eventually have to decide whether there’s a path forward. And as spring practice resumes next week, the Seminoles will move forward, just without one of their newest additions.