FSU football: Possible linebacker options on the roster?

FSU football missing on blue-chip linebacker recruit Wesley Bissainthe means they don’t have a ton of recruiting options left at the position unless they hit the transfer portal.

While that may be a viable option, there could be a few options already on the roster.

I’ve talked about how Mike Norvell is actively trimming the roster of guys that likely will not be contributors in the future on the latest Built For Playmakers Podcast.

Four players have already entered the transfer portal, and I’m sure there’s more to come. There could be a couple of options that could serve as stop-gaps until the next recruiting cycle:

• Brendan Gant
• Jadarius Green-McKnight
• Shyheim Brown

Gant is a former four-star recruit and No. 117 overall player in the 2019 recruiting cycle, appearing in every game his first two seasons at safety, totaling 67 tackles and one interception. He lists at 6’2″ and 208 pounds and plays with a physical mentality. If he were to add 5-10 pounds, maybe he could make the switch down in the box. His safety background may help in pass coverage.

Jadarius Green-McKnight is a former four-star recruit and No. 219 player in the 2020 recruiting cycle, appearing in two games in 2021. Green-McKnight tried to transition from safety to linebacker this year and can maybe develop into a serviceable player? He lists at 5’11 and 218 pounds, which should be enough size to play the position in a pinch.

Shyheim Brown is a player that enrolled at FSU in the 2021 class. He made some waves at practice as safety in some practices but only appeared in three games. Brown lists at 6’2″ and 205 pounds but plays bigger than that. FSU looks to bring in some talented defensive backs, and it might get crowded, so a move to linebacker could be the quickest way for Brown to see the field.

There are other linebackers like Stephen Dix and Jordan Eubanks who are options. However, neither looked like they would play significant snaps in 2021. We’ll have to see how the coaching staff want’s the handle the situation, but maybe they can find at least one option out of the listed players until they can address the position if they don’t find options in the portal or the high school ranks.