FSU football: Amari Gainer commits to North Carolina for 2023 season

Former FSU football legacy player Amari Gainer completed his fourth year with the Noles this season and entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.

Gainer was among the leading tacklers for FSU over the past two seasons in a limited capacity and dealt with an injury early this season before returning to action in the final six games.

The former four-star recruit from Tallahassee was what we’ll call a tweener. He didn’t quite have the size and length to play defensive end, and his coverage as a linebacker was a liability which called for limited snaps in FSU’s scheme.

That’s likely why he entered the portal with a blessing from Coach Mike Norvell for an opportunity to get on the field more in his final year.

Gainer officially visited West Virginia, and many thought that would be the landing spot, but he officially committed to North Carolina Friday afternoon:

North Carolina fans should be familiar with Gainer since he played against them in 2020 and 2021 when FSU upset the ranked Tarheels in both games. North Carolina’s defense was awful for much of the 2022 season, so adding an experienced player like Gainer seems like a nice pickup. ,

North Carolina has two solid linebackers, but the defense was among the worst in sacks and tackles for a loss. Gainer is at his best when coming off the edge or coming downhill when he knows where the ball is going.

He plays with great physicality and generally makes the tackle when he’s in position. He should see quality snaps in a defense that needs all the talent they can get, which bodes well for him in his final season. Amari Gainer is a true Seminole and represented the program in a first-class manner. Here’s to hoping he balls out in Chapel Hill in 2023.