FSU football was not able to get into the College Football Playoff by the committee due to the reasoning behind not being the same team without their redshirt senior quarterback Jordan Travis. While both backup signal callers Tate Rodemaker and Brock Glenn performed admirably in his absence, the committee felt as though it was best for the one-loss SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide to jump the Seminoles.
The Seminoles are one of the leaders to land the services of Oregon State quarterback transfer DJ Uiagalelei. There are obviously mixed feelings about acquiring the veteran signal-caller due to his time with the Clemson Tigers, where he was benched for current starter Cade Klubinik. During his one season with the Beavers, Uiagalelei played admirably where he completed 180 of his 315 passes (57.1%) for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns with only seven interceptions.
The other name that FSU has been linked to is Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward, who has proven to be a dynamic dual-threat weapon at times. During the 2023 season, he completed 323 of his 485 passes (66.6%) for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He also had 120 rushing attempts for 144 yards and eight touchdowns. His best passing season came in 2021 where he completed 384 of his 590 passes (65.1%) for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
With the Florida State fanbase, it seems as though Ward is the most coveted option given that his skillset closely resembles that of Jordan Travis. However, the arch-rival Miami Hurricanes seem to have the inside track given that he has recently taken a visit to Coral Gables. The Hurricanes could also be willing to pay more on the NIL side of things. If I were the Seminoles, I would consider focusing my attention on acquiring Uiagalelei.
It has yet to be seen if Florida State can get him on campus. Plus, the Seminoles have a plethora of positions that they need to acquire via the transfer portal especially if certain players on the roster do announce their intentions of leaving. The positions include interior offensive lineman, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, as well as others.
Personally, I believe Ward is the higher upside option for this offense. However, I think that head football coach Mike Norvell can be successful with veteran DJ Uiagalelei at the helm.