Florida State football did not have the 2025 season that it wanted after it defeated Alabama in the opener. The Seminoles snowballed after losing to Virginia on the road in that dreaded Friday night tilt. Thankfully, wide receiver Squirrel White was fine after being involved in the field storming.
Florida State lost seven of its last nine games of the year, and it made fans want to fire head coach Mike Norvell. Having a 7-17 overall record in the past two seasons leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth, especially at the university that the legendary Bobby Bowden built.
The administration still decided to retain Mike Norvell for the 2026 season. This was surprising because many thought the nail in the coffin would be losing to Stanford on the road. This didn't mean that the Seminoles did not have talented players on their roster. It just didn't go their way. To be honest, the fan base is starving for any type of sustainable success.
The fan base is cautiously optimistic about how 2026 will turn out because of what happened last season. They don't want to get their hopes up. Phil Steele drops preseason rankings and awards every year, and four Florida State players were featured in the preseason All-ACC teams: Offensive lineman Nate Pabst, wide receiver Duce Robinson, linebacker Chris Jones, and cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls.
The Noles land 4️⃣ on Phil Steele’s preseason All-ACC teams 🏈 #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/a8fM04NyME
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) June 15, 2026
To be honest, these are some very good selections by Phil Steele, but I believe that he missed a couple of contributors who should be on the list as well. Here are three candidates that can make him completely wrong.
Wide receiver Micahi Danzy
Everyone remembers the Tallahassee native Micahi Danzy getting his 32-yard rushing touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the opener. Doak Campbell Stadium was absolutely insane after that occurred. Danzy switched from running back to wide receiver the previous offseason, and fans knew that the coaching staff had to use his record-breaking speed. The former Florida High School standout recorded 571 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season and is only scratching the surface of what he can be in 2026.
Defensive lineman Mandrell Desir
This snub of sophomore defensive lineman Mandrell Desir from Steele surprised me. The former three-star prospect was arguably the best and most consistent player on Florida State's defense last year. The Seminoles paid up their side of the bargain this offseason when he and his twin brother entered the transfer portal. Mandrell Desir had 6.5 sacks last season, which led the team. He saved the best for last at the end of the year when he recorded a sack in each of the final five games.
Defensive back Ashlynd Barker
Florida State fans know how important the Rover position is in Tony White's defense. Earl Little Jr. held that responsibility last year, but he has now transferred to Ohio State. The former Alabama transfer was inconsistent at times in 2025, but he was still awarded an All-ACC mention for his play. Ashlynd Barker will now step into the pivotal role, and I don't expect him to skip a beat, with Barker recording 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks last season.
Stats were found via ESPN.com
Add us as a preferred source on Google