Florida State has been clear in its intentions during this transfer portal window that it wants to grab talent for its roster in 2026. The Seminoles have to go back to the 2023 campaign to find a winning season in Tallahassee. It has been a long grind for the Florida State football fan base.
Head football coach Mike Norvell has remained confident that he can get it turned around. The arch-rival Miami Hurricanes have set the blueprint for acquiring offensive and defensive linemen.
While it takes more than just that, the trenches should be a foundation of a program. Florida State brought in four defensive linemen in last year's portal cycle, and they all underperformed. The Seminoles cannot afford misses like that in the trenches if it wants to be successful.
On the other hand (no pun intended), assistant coach Herb Hand got the most out of his transfers, as the offensive line was serviceable (maybe even slightly above average) in 2025. However, the program knew that it had to go back into the portal because all the starters were graduating seniors.
Herb Hand has been cooking on the recruiting trail with quality transfers
Coach Hand has shown his ability as a developer, but now he is making his presence known on the recruiting trail. His offensive line has had remarkable strides, and transfers are seeing that growth in Tallahassee and want to be part of it.
Hand has already grabbed four offensive linemen in the transfer portal with Purdue's Bradyn Joiner, Auburn's Xavier Chaplin, Troy's Paul Bowling, and Bowling Green's Nate Pabst. However, the Seminoles might not be done with acquiring offensive linemen.
Florida State is now hosting Stephen F. Austin offensive tackle transfer target Chimidia Nwaiwu on campus for a visit.
SFA OL Transfer Chimdia Nwaiwu at #FSU for his visit. pic.twitter.com/Q4aNXkR1mV
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) January 10, 2026
Nwaiwu started in 14 games at right tackle this season, and has offers from Northwestern, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Houston, and Arizona.
He is listed at 6'5" and 296 pounds and would be a solid offensive tackle prospect to pair along with Auburn transfer Xavier Chaplin. While this isn't suggesting that Nwaiwu would be a starter at tackle, it is always a smart investment to add more bodies to the trenches.