Florida State football has been on the negative side of the headlines over the past two years. The bleeding hasn't stopped, as Mandrell and Darryll Desir have announced that they would be entering the transfer portal.
This is very bad news, as the Desir Twins were one of the few bright spots in what was a miserable stretch to end the 2025 season. There was a time when the fan base thought defensive coordinator Tony White was crazy because he mentioned the brothers as players who could contribute as freshmen.
However, they exceeded expectations (especially Mandrell) for what individuals thought that they could be as players. The scary part about it is that they are just scratching the surface of what they can be.
Florida State football fans' worst nightmare is if the arch-rival Miami Hurricanes try to get involved with the Desir Twins. Given that both of them are from the Miami area, that always sends alarm signals, especially with how productive the Hurricanes have been with their defensive linemen Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.
Head football coach Mario Cristobal could be wanting to make an aggressive move if the offer presents itself. However, 247Sports' Cooper Petagna talks about what he would do on social media if he were in the Seminoles' shoes with the decision of retaining them.
Would give the family over 3Ms and let them figure it out. https://t.co/fNiUtuNTrc
— Cooper Petagna (@cooperpetagna) January 5, 2026
While this could all be an attempt to leverage for more money from Florida State, this is smart for the Desir Twins because they were certainly worth every penny with how they played. With that said, if the Seminoles give them three million dollars, how would they distribute the rest of the funds to the remaining needs on the roster?
Either way, I agree with Cooper Petagna. Give them in the ballpark of what they are asking for and not low-ball young talent that could be a cornerstone of the program for at least two more years.