Florida State is officially 2-2 to start the 2026 season after defeating Central Arkansas in Tallahassee in Week 4. The win provided few answers to many of the problems surrounding coach Mike Norvell's team, and the staff also missed key opportunities to work in some of the younger players. Those opportunities could have been vital with growing injury issues across the board.
One key player who has been dealing with an injury is starting safety Ashlynd Barker, who is an important part of the defense. Barker was seen wearing a cast in the games against SMU, Alabama, and Central Arkansas, but an exact prognosis on the injury was never given. Today, safeties coach Evan Cooper confirmed that Barker has a broken bone in his forearm, which has become more of a cause for concern than a display of toughness.
Rover Ashlynd Barker has been sporting a cast over Florida State's last few games, and safeties coach Evan Cooper says that he has a broken bone in his forearm.
— John Evans (@_jpevans_) September 29, 2026
Had to lean on him early with some other injuries in the room, but still needs Barker to play better.
Barker playing through an injury exposes Florida State's lack of a true backup plan
Florida State has battled injuries in the secondary early, with starters like Ja'Bril Rawls and Barker playing below 100%. Some bumps and bruises can be expected, but when it comes to playing with a broken bone, the Seminoles should not be in a position where the starter still needs to play.
Barker currently has 19 total tackles, a pass defense, and an interception this season for Florida State. Cooper admitted he would have liked to see Barker rest more, but other injuries in the secondary forced him back into action. The amount of injuries is not necessarily the issue, but the lack of game-ready depth is the real problem.
The current situation that the Seminoles' staff has created involving Barker exposes two things: Norvell failed to recruit enough depth in the secondary, and Florida State did not have a real plan for when injuries began to hit. If an injured player, who has struggled at times this season, is better than some of the depth players, then what would the rest of the roster look like on the field?
With players like Jordan Crutchfield and KJ Kirland available now, there is no real reason to continue to play Barker while he is injured. Barker was previously one of the highest-rated safeties by Pro Football Focus in the FBS through two games, but he has slowed down in the last two games. The play of Barker has not been good enough to potentially outweigh the risks that come with playing injured.
Florida State has a problem with being properly prepared for both the season and potential situations that may arise, and that lack of preparation is an issue that comes from the top. Norvell has developed a reputation as who struggles to meet the real needs of his team when recruiting, and playing injured players is yet another example of the Seminoles sitting in a position that could have potentially been avoided in the first place.
For Norvell, allowing Barker to continue to play through an injury is also an interesting decision because of the potential results. If Barker were to suffer another injury or something more serious while playing with a broken bone, that would reflect very poorly on both Cooper and Norvell.
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