Florida State has a right tackle problem Mike Norvell has no time to solve

For a team with so many questions heading into the 2026 season, the Florida State depth chart was relatively set early in the preseason, even if Mike Norvell refused to release it. Offensively, the only real battle of major consequence took place on the right side of the offensive line with three players: Chimdia Nwaiwu, Nate Pabst, and Paul Bowling, vying for two spots. 

Ultimately, Nwaiwu landed at right tackle with Pabst, who can play both inside and out, at right guard, but even against New Mexico State in Week 0, it didn’t look great for the newcomers. It wasn’t a great debut overall for an offensive line breaking in five new starters, but Nwaiwu stood out as the biggest issue, and with No. 19 SMU looming on Labor Day, there’s no time for head coach Mike Norvell and offensive line coach Herb Hand to get it resolved. 

Chimdia Nwaiwu had a shaky FSU debut

In 2025, Florida State also replaced its entire offensive line with five new starters and had a remarkably high hit rate in the transfer portal. This year, however, with a tight budget after back-to-back losing seasons and Norvell’s $50 million buyout looming as a potential line item for the school, FSU certainly didn’t go five-for-five again. 

During fall camp, Hand called Pabst his most reliable blocker. And even next to Nwaiwu, he looked strong at guard. Bradyn Welch-Joiner had a few shaky moments but was largely solid at center, and even with an ill-timed first-half false start in the red zone, Xavier Chaplin was good at left tackle. The problem is that the offensive line is a weak-line unit, and FSU has one in Nwaiwu; it may have another in Andre Otto, but that’s less clear. 

Nwaiwu transferred to Tallahassee from Stephen F. Austin, and in his FSU debut, the 6-foot-5, 307-pound senior allowed three pressures and one sack, along with multiple whiffs in the run game. He struggled to handle New Mexico State’s stunts, too often allowing rushers to cross his face, and overall displayed very little pop when he tried to deliver a blow to the defender. 

Ashton Daniels' athleticism can mitigate some of the pass-protection concerns. On his touchdown pass to Samuel Singleton Jr., it was an ugly Nwaiwu rep that flushed him from the pocket. However, because Daniels isn’t capable of playing from the pocket on 20+ straight dropbacks in a game, Norvell and Hand had to be creative with their protection looks- false pulls on screens, pulling guards to sell hard play-action, etc.- which more often than not appeared to create confusion on the right side and, a few times, led to quick pressures. 

That could be a product of the fall camp shuffling on the right side, or, maybe more likely, Nwaiwu just isn’t very good and will continue to be a limiting factor for this FSU offense all season. 

FSU didn’t get a chance to tinker with Paul Bowling and now SMU is on deck

Had Florida State rolled to a 30-point victory in Week 0, as was expected, the Seminoles could have gotten a chance to try out the Bowling-Pabst combination on the right side. Considering Nwaiwu won out, it probably wouldn’t have been better, but game reps are the best way to evaluate. 

Instead, Florida State let the Aggies hang around, so now Norvell and Hand either have to stick with Nwaiwu after a less-than-promising debut or throw Bowling out there for his first action as a Seminole against one of the league’s presumed title contenders. That’s not a great place to be. 

SMU graduated its top-two pass rushers from last season, but Jahkai Long is back in the edge rotation, Aakil Washington is healthy after medically redshirting last season, and USF transfer Ira Singleton IV is coming off a year with 26 pressures and a 17.6% pass-rush win rate. 

It won’t be the toughest defensive line Florida State faces all season, but it’s a major test this soon into it, and one it may not be equipped to pass.

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