Florida State football has had a productive day in the transfer portal, where they have addressed the quarterback position as well as the offensive line. The Seminoles are nowhere close to being complete, as the program has to acquire more talent.
The Seminoles have won seven games in the past two seasons, so the expectations are low in Tallahassee, with the administration deciding to retain head football coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season.
However, Coach Norvell has been successful at Florida State before, so it is all about making the right choices to get the program back to their winning ways. The defensive line is something that the fan base wants to see get evaluated in the portal.
Why is the tight end position a large priority?
We have seen other positions step in as a high priority, such as defensive back, running back, and now tight end. Florida State elected to take a commitment from East Carolina tight end transfer Desirrio Riles on Tuesday afternoon.
UPDATE: BOOM! East Carolina tight end transfer Desirrio Riles has committed to Florida State.🍢 #GoNoles #fsufootball #desirrioriles #fsutransferportal #noles pic.twitter.com/ORwAqrKNjH
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) January 6, 2026
Riles finished with 28 receptions for 362 yards and two touchdowns during the 2025 season for the Pirates (according to ESPN Stats and Information). He was a former three-star prospect that the Seminoles were involved with in high school for a little bit, and he is from Jacksonville, Florida.
We saw the news that he was visiting the campus. The Seminoles struck out on target Rocky Beers to Oklahoma, so the pursuit was still strong.
The coaching staff views the tight end position with high importance. Even with bringing back Landen Thomas and having youngster Chase Loftin on the roster, Florida State felt the need to add more. It makes sense considering that Randy Pittman Jr. is in the portal and is going through his visit process.
However, the fan base would love to see defensive linemen and linebackers obtained in the transfer portal. If the Seminole faithful doesn't see it, they could find themselves having PTSD from Florida running back Jadan Baugh having 266 rushing yards in the season finale against Florida State.