Another day and another major contributor from the 2025 defense decides to enter the transfer portal.
Earl Little Jr., one of the stalwarts for the Seminoles in the secondary this season, will test the market out in the portal. Little's return was uncertain after he seemed to be wavering between returning to Tallahassee or entering the 2026 NFL Draft. It turns out he may go in a different direction altogether.
NEW: Florida State star DB Earl Little Jr. plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/PtHuoUMjMi pic.twitter.com/uQUxdZsA6e
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 6, 2026
This is the latest domino to fall in a 36-hour stretch which can simply be defined as chaos. During that time, FSU announced the signing of a transfer quarterback, Ashton Daniels, and their top target at running back, Tre Wisner.
But the Seminoles have also suffered some terrible PR hits with the announcement that the Desir twins and Amaree Williams, three young talents that FSU was hoping to build around for 2026 and beyond, will enter the transfer portal. There is word that the Desirs haven't officially entered the portal yet, which lends itself to the belief that they are simply using it as a negotiation tactic, but either way, it looks really bad.
There's no glossing over Little's impact this past season. The former Alabama transfer led the Seminoles with 76 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. The four interceptions were the most for a Seminoles defensive back since 2021 and Little was one of two players in the ACC in the regular season with at least 75 tackles and four interceptions. Little's efforts earned him Second Team All-ACC honors.
FSU's secondary is going to look a little different
Had Little returned, there would've been an argument that FSU had the best secondary in the ACC with the announced returns of cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls and safety Ashlynd Barker. FSU also received a commitment from transfer cornerback Nehemiah Chandler, a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference player for South Alabama in 2025.
But the expected loss of Little stings a lot, not only for his production, but for his leadership.
The transfer portal window opened on January 2 and will last through January 16 and FSU will likely continue to see movement in both directions.