Florida State football has worked relentlessly to get players on campus during the transfer portal window. The Seminoles need all the help they can get, as they have accumulated seven wins in the last two seasons. That will not cut it for a program that has championship expectations.
The fan base is on its last straw with head football coach Mike Norvell, and Florida State needs to win now. To make matters worse, the Miami Hurricanes will be facing off against Indiana in the national championship game next Monday.
Having a rival that hasn't been successful in over twenty years reach the championship game is something that disgusts many fans watching it unfold. However, it isn't over for Coach Norvell. He can still find a way to redeem himself, but he needs to secure offensive and defensive transfers in the trenches.
Defensive lineman Jordan Sanders could be someone to monitor
Assistant coach Herb Hand has been productive during the transfer portal window, where he has secured four offensive linemen, including Bowling Green's Nate Pabst, Purdue's Bradyn Joiner, Troy's Paul Bowling, and Auburn's Xavier Chaplin. On top of that, he might still be finding more pieces to put in the rotation for 2026.
However, the same cannot be said about the defensive line. Even though assistant coach Terrance Knighton signed nine defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle, they have lost significant pieces in the group, such as Mandrell and Darryll Desir (who are still in the negotiation stage).
The only defensive linemen that they have secured are Texas A&M edge transfer Rylan Kennedy, who new assistant coach Nick Williams will get a chance to work with. However, Kennedy can't be the only defensive lineman that they get in the portal.
Taking a closer look at Texas State transfer defensive lineman Jordan Sanders, who is visiting FSU today https://t.co/zZIXnWkda8
— Chris Nee (@CNee247) January 10, 2026
According to a report from Noles247's Chris Nee, Texas State defensive lineman transfer Jordan Sanders will be visiting Florida State today.
Sanders wasn't very productive for the Bobcats in 2025, where he recorded 16 tackles and a forced fumble (according to ESPN Stats and Information). This won't excite the fan base, as the defensive lineman looks to be a depth piece, and all that individuals are worried about is retaining the Desir Twins.
With that said, Florida State had its chance to get a solid run stopper in former UCF defensive tackle transfer John Walker, but they let him visit Ohio State after he visited Tallahassee, and he eventually committed to the Buckeyes.