Florida State’s defense wasn’t a complete disaster in 2025, but ranking No. 79 in the country by adjusted EPA/play and No. 67 by points per drive won't compete in the ACC, let alone for a spot in the College Football Playoff. It was certainly a bigger problem than an offense that was No. 26 by points per drive, so it demanded a bigger effort to rectify this offseason.
Part of that solution was rebuilding a linebacker group that last season was led by Elijah Herring, Blake Nichelson, Justin Cryer and Omar Graham Jr. Nichelson and Graham are both back, but the transfer portal pickups of Mikai Gbayor from North Carolina and Chris Jones from Southern Miss are expected to force last year’s tandem into depth roles for defensive coordinator Tony White.
Gbayor is an interesting and versatile piece who should fit nicely into White’s 3-3-5 structure, but Jones, who flipped to Florida State 10 days after committing to Ole Miss, is going to be at the heart of the Seminoles defense, presumably the ‘green dot’ linebacker relaying the calls to the rest of the unit.
That’s a big responsibility for a Sun Belt transfer, and in a lot of ways, FSU’s defense could hinge on how smoothly his transition to the ACC goes. While his game isn’t perfect, after diving into the film, there are quite a few reasons for optimism.
Chris Jones scouting report
Profile:
- Eligibility left: 2 years (JR)
- Height: 6’1”
- Weight: 231 lbs
- Previous school: Southern Miss
- 2025 production: 135 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF
Strengths:
Tackling machine - You’re hear to know the reasons Jones had so many tackles at Southern Miss last season, not just that he did. There are a multitude of them that we’ll get into, but some players just have a knack for sniffing out the ball carrier and Jones appears to be one of them.
Eye discipline - The athletic traits jump out quicker, but watching Jones play, he isn’t often fooled by eye-candy in the backfield. At times, that’s because he triggers a bit later and relies on his athletic edge over the Sun Belt to make up for that split-second. He may not have that luxury in the ACC to such an extreme level, but he’s still a plus athlete at the position.
Efficient pursuit - Jones is light on his feet, has a quick first step, and finds the hole almost like a running back. He does a great job of wedging himself between blockers to penetrate the backfield and rarely wastes many movements as he’s evading or shedding blockers.
Weaknesses:
Coverage instincts - Jones doesn’t look particularly comfortable in zone drops and can look lost at times when asked to pursue after the catch in space
Lack of length - I question the 6’1” listing because at times he can struggle to find the ball through traffic, especially in short-yardage. There are instances where he’ll guess wrong, not because he’s fooled, but because it seems he can’t find the back. The bigger concern, though, is his length. I’d suspect he may even have a minus wingspan, which shows up when he’s attempting to make one-on-one tackles in space. He finished the year with a 16.7 percent missed tackle rate.
Chris Jones will be an asset in the run-game, but coverage is a real question
Even with his lack of length and occasional issues in space, Jones’ first-step quickness, willingness to trigger downhill, and comfort shedding and wedging himself between blockers will make him a real asset for Florida State against the run. Even against a higher level of competition, his sideline-to-sideline speed appears to be real, and that’s something the Noles desperately needed to infuse into White’s defense.
The tape matches the production. Jones has a nose for the football and should be a tackling machine this season. A whiff from time to time may jump out, but there will likely be far more good than bad when he’s playing downhill. When he’s not, the questions will arise.
Jones doesn’t appear particularly comfortable in zone coverage and that’s what White asks his defense to do a lot of. He can be versatile as a blitzer, doing a good job converting speed to power or setting a relatively hard edge for a lighter playing in the trenches. That will allow FSU to work around his biggest weakness but eventually, White is going to have to ask his mike linebacker to play in space.
Jones has the athletic traits he needs to be a solid zone coverage player, though longer arms would be an asset. Will the spatial awareness ever get to the level it needs for him to be average to good in coverage? Right now, I lean no. If that’s correct, it doesn’t mean he’ll be a net-negative player, but it does put a cap on his effectiveness and probably on the ceiling of this FSU defense as a whole.
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