FSU football: Top needs from the transfer portal for 2023 class

FSU football finished off its regular season with five consecutive wins and a ton of recruits in the stands to see the victory over the Florida Gators.

That win could affect a handful of 2023 high school players but will have most of its impact in the 2024 class and beyond.

I expect the coaching staff to add 3-5 prep players in the 2023 recruiting class, with the rest coming from the transfer portal.

It depends on how many players leave after this season, but I could see the coaching staff hitting the transfer portal hard for the third straight year.

Mike Norvell and staff have shown the propensity to identify quality players who also fit major positions of need.

The majority of the impact players have come from the transfer portal: Dillan Gibbons, Jammie Robinson, Fabien Lovett, Jared Verse, Jermaine Johnson, Keir Thomas, Trey Benson, Mycah Pittman, Johnny Wilson, D’Mitri Emmanuel, and Tatum Bethune name a few.

I know many folks don’t believe recruiting from the transfer portal is sustainable. However, Mike Norvell usually adds guys with multiple years of eligibility which helps add stability while younger guys develop. The portal will officially open on December 5.

Here are the top needs from the transfer portal for the 2023 recruiting class.

Offensive Tackle

The FSU coaching staff knew they needed more help on the offensive line although they showed improvement in the 2021 season.

It’s why they added four guys from the transfer portal. However, they lost two of those before any meaningful games got played, and another dealt with injuries throughout the season.

However, the offensive line showed massive improvements despite the terrible injury luck and could be on the brink of becoming a dominant unit in the ACC.

The staff brought in arguably its most talented offensive line haul in the last five years from the high school ranks, and all of them were able to redshirt, which is something that hasn’t happened in the same time span.

Those guys will benefit from having that year to get stronger and develop and will become the foundation of the unit soon. However, this team will need more depth and experience in the offensive tackle position.

That will allow guys who are guards to play their more natural position and improve the line overall. Quality offensive tackles are hard to come by in the transfer portal, but FSU should find a higher-quality player after the performance of the team in 2022.

Linebackers

The Tatum Bethune addition from the transfer portal last recruiting cycle made the linebacker unit the best FSU has seen since 2015.

The duo of Bethune and Kalen Deloach helped improve a defense that lost a ton from its defensive line with the departures of Keir Thomas and Jermaine Johnson. They also helped clean up some coverage issues we saw in the secondary since they were better in space this season.

However, Bethune and DeLoach played banged up for most of the season. DJ Lundy showed some improvement, and Brendan Gant emerged to get some snaps and played better than expected.

I expect Bethune and DeLoach to return next year, and the Noles have some talented guys incoming, but they still need to continue raising the floor in that room.

The good news is FSU runs a ton of 4-2-5 and only requires two linebackers most of the time. I’d bring in at least one experienced linebacker with multiple years of experience remaining.

That provides depth and stability, with FSU likely losing both guys after the 2023 season.

Defensive Backs

The FSU football secondary has been tough to figure out this season. On paper, they are one of the better secondaries in the nation.

However, when you watch the games, they lacked depth and lost too many contested battles. Renardo Green was the only cornerback FSU could count on consistently.

Kevin Knowles and Greedy Vance were inconsistent in the slot, although the latter improved as the season progressed.

I believe AZ Thomas will become a starter at cornerback with another offseason under his belt. Maybe Omarion Cooper can regain his form from 2021 after battling an injury most of the season?

However, FSU will lose Jammie Robinson to the NFL Draft, and they may lose Akeem Dent if he declares. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 1-2 guys enter the portal.

The coaching staff has three defensive backs committed from the prep ranks, but I’d take a safety and a cornerback from the transfer portal if they could find the right fit.

The Noles desperately need better play from its secondary in 2023, especially if the defensive line takes a step back with all they’ll lose from this year’s team.

Defensive Tackle/Edge

FSU will lose two massive pieces from their defensive line in Robert Cooper and Fabien Lovett and could lose Jared Verse from the edge if he declares for the NFL Draft.

I had these positions as my No. 1 priority from the transfer portal going into the Florida game Friday night.

The Gators have one of the better offensive lines in the nation and it showed as they bulled FSU’s defensive front for good portions of the night. FSU only had one sack and three tackles for a loss in the game.

Granted, Florida offensive linemen did their share of holding, but there’s a massive drop-off when those three guys are not in the game.

FSU will lose two massive pieces from their defensive line in Robert Cooper and Fabien Lovett and could lose Jared Verse from the edge if he declares for the NFL Draft.

I had these positions as my No. 1 priority from the transfer portal going into the Florida game Friday night. The Gators have one of the better offensive lines in the nation and it showed as they bulled FSU’s defensive front for good portions of the night.

FSU only had one sack and three tackles for a loss in the game. Granted, Florida offensive linemen did their share of holding, but there’s a massive drop-off when those three guys are not in the game.

FSU has a solid nucleus of young players in the wings, but they need continued development and time in the strength and conditioning program.

I like Joshua Farmer, Dennis Briggs, Daniel Lyons, Ayobami Tifase, Antavious Woody, Bishop Thomas, Patrick Payton, and Derrick McLendon.

However, I’d likely take at least 1-2 defensive tackles and an edge player(if Verse leaves) if I felt they could be difference-makers in 2023.

Parting Thoughts

I know a lot of folks gave FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller a lot of undeserved hate this season. The defense outperformed the talent on the roster by a long shot because the defense doesn’t have a ton of high draft picks on that side of the ball.

The same way we saw the FSU offensive line improve by leaps and bounds by taking players from the transfer portal? I feel like the same can take place at defensive tackle.

The coaching staff has already shown they can identify and sign impact players from the transfer portal at the defensive end position in the last two recruiting cycles.

They’ve proven they can find guys at linebacker and on the offensive line. Jammie Robinson is the only true difference-maker they’ve found at defensive back, but I think they can use his track record and recent success to change that.

I expect the coaching staff to be more selective with their choices and will likely show patience as guys become available.

It’s all about finding the right mixture of talent, mindset, and fit for the direction they’re going.