Florida State's offensive line was serviceable in 2025 with the help of assistant coach Herb Hand. The Seminoles' offensive trenches have been a point of concern over the past decade, and the narrative eventually has to turn in a positive direction.
The Seminoles had pieces on the offensive line such as Micah Pettus, Luke Petitbon, Richie Leonard IV, Adrian Medley, and Gunnar Hansen that helped across the board. The offense didn't finish in the red zone, but it was not because of the efforts from the offensive line.
However, turning the page over to 2026, all of those contributors graduated for the Seminoles, and Herb Hand had to go back into the transfer portal and high school recruiting ranks to acquire more talent in the room. Fans are nervous that the offensive line will take a step back from last year. As a piece for discussion, let's list three things that we know about the Seminoles' unit going into 2026.
1. Xavier Chaplin will be the Seminoles' starting offensive tackle
Florida State knew that it had to replace the likes of Micah Pettus and Gunnar Hansen at offensive tackle. The Seminoles knew how important it was to get someone who could protect the quarterback's blind side, and redshirt senior offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin was the choice via the transfer portal. He has played 37 consecutive games over the past three seasons with Virginia Tech and Auburn, and has been a staple at left tackle in practice for Florida State.
2. Andre Otto is a lock at the offensive guard position
Florida State's homegrown recruits have not had much success lately when choosing to come to the Seminoles. Much like the quarterback position, they have chosen to play transfers over them, which hurts the perception of picking the Seminoles over others. However, redshirt junior Andre Otto has been described as a leader on the offensive line. Otto has been at Florida State for now his fourth year, and looks primed to be one of the starting offensive guards.
3. Nate Pabst will be the most valuable offensive lineman on the roster
Florida State fans could remember the days of former offensive lineman Darius Washington. I wonder what he is doing nowadays. Anyway, Washington was utilized at tackle, guard, and center during his time with the Seminoles. Florida State could have another Darius Washington on its hands, as newly acquired Bowling Green transfer Nate Pabst can play all three positions as well. Pabst may not be a lock to start at any one position because the coaching staff might rely on him at other spots if injuries occur.
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