Transfer windows are a gamble. Sam Erbach looks like a smart bet.
The Xavier midfielder joined Florida State for the 2026 season and didn't waste a minute — scoring the Seminoles' first goal of the year in a 4-0 opening win over Stetson on August 13. First official appearance. First goal. Statement made.
What she's bringing from Xavier
This wasn't a player who needed time to find her feet somewhere new. At Xavier last season, Erbach started all 22 matches, registered 18 goals and 16 assists, and accumulated 52 points. That 16-assist haul set a single-season program record. She left as the Big East Co-Midfielder of the Year, an All-Big East First Team selection, and a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American.
Those are the numbers of a player who dictates games, not one who fits into them.
The jump from Xavier to Florida State is a significant step up in competition — the Seminoles are perennial national title contenders, and the margin for error is tighter. But Erbach's early return suggests she's built for it. "Everyone is so good," she said of training with FSU, "which makes it a lot easier to get so much better." That's the mindset of someone who wants to be challenged, not protected.
What this means for FSU's season
Florida State enters 2026 with championship ambitions — Erbach described the team in one word: "intense" — and a forward line that can now add a proven creator to the mix. Her combination of goals and assists at Xavier suggests she's the kind of player who makes those around her better, not just one chasing personal numbers.
Her role, as she frames it: "be dangerous in attack." Given what she did in her first 90 minutes in Garnet and Gold, that's not a goal — it's already a reality.
