Florida State head coach Mike Norvell needed reinforcements in his special teams and brought two kickers from the transfer portal. One was Gabe Panikowski, who came from Oklahoma State and is a former first-team All-American. And the other was Conor McAneney, a lesser-known kickoff specialist from Division II’s Quincy University. But now, according to reports, he is arrested on a serious battery charge and may even lose his spot in the program.

FSU’s new kickoff specialist, Conor McAneney, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday on charges of battery against a law enforcement agent. He reportedly resisted an officer and obstructed with violence, apart from trespassing on an occupied structure. As per court records, the charges are listed as third-degree felonies, and McAneney is currently held in jail.

Bond amount for all three charges is currently listed at $0.00, and each charge is currently listed on the County Sheriff’s record as “pending trial.” South Florida reporter Andy Slater first broke the news of McAneney’s arrest and shared the photo of McAneney’s arrest. The photo showed the FSU kicker with a swollen lip and a bruised face.

The 6’3″ and 191 lbs kicker played 11 games last season at Quincy University, Illinois. He converted 7 of his 10 on-field goal attempts, and his 45-yard attempt stood the longest. During that time, Mcanneney also won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Special Teams player of the week award. In total, he averaged 60.2 yards on 49 kickoffs and had 16 touchbacks. But now that he is arrested, what will happen to his place in FSU’s roster?

Florida State, under Mike Norvell, has gone through several instances like Conor’s. In November 2025, Ricky Knight III was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary with assault and battery and one count of criminal mischief. Quickly after the charges, head coach Mike Norvell suspended Knight indefinitely from all football-related activities. Similar was the case with Charles Lester III when he was arrested in February last year. However, his fate wasn’t like Knight’s.

Will Florida State retain Conor McAneney in its roster

Lester was arrested on a DUI charge by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in February. Lester posted a $500 bail bond and was released immediately after the arrest. Many speculated about his place in the Seminoles’ roster, but FSU decided to address Lester’s situation internally. “We are aware of the situation and are gathering all information. We will be addressing it internally,” an FSU spokesperson said.

Apart from Charles Lester, in the summer of 2024, Syheim Brown was also charged with a DUI and arrested. FSU suspended him for a game against Memphis in 2024, but he wasn’t removed from the team’s roster either. In all, Florida State’s policy, in recent years, often mandates temporary suspension for felony arrests and misdemeanours, which also includes internal discipline as the case warrants.

However, since Conor McAneney’s case looks serious from its facts, an indefinite suspension looks to be on the cards. The program, though, hasn’t released a statement yet. But since Conor is the starting Kickoff specialist and the deputy place kicker behind Gabe Panikowski, he may well be let off with few game suspensions, if the charges turn out to be true.