Florida State's defensive line didn't have many bright spots during the 2025 season, other than veteran Darrell Jackson Jr. (who exceeded his eligibility) and youngster Mandrell Desir (who they had to scratch and crawl to keep for next year).
The fan base thought the reunion of former Nebraska defensive end James Williams with defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton would help the Seminoles' defense take the next step in 2025. However, that was not the case.
It seemed like opposing offenses had all day to throw the football, and barely had much pressure other than the opener against Alabama. The Seminoles crashed and burned to close out the year.
Florida State is going to depend on Texas A&M defensive end transfer Rylan Kennedy in 2026
Florida State elected to hire Syracuse's Nick Williams as defensive ends coach. This move shows that the Seminoles are serious about grabbing a young, energetic coach who recruits well and develops at a solid level.
Williams has quite a few young pieces to work with, as the Seminoles grabbed 2026 prospects such as Franklin Whitley, Earnest Rankins, Jaemin Pinckney, Jalen Anderson, Cam Brooks, and Chris Carbin. This type of depth could pay dividends for the future.
With that said, it is difficult to depend on true freshmen defensive linemen consistently unless they are can't-miss talent. Florida State has Mandrell Desir, Darryll Desir, and Kevin Wynn that they will rely on in 2026. They had to battle out the NIL negotiations this offseason.
The Seminoles only grabbed one defensive end transfer in the portal with Texas A&M's Rylan Kennedy. He is expected to make a huge impact for Florida State. Even though his statistics don't jump off the page with the Aggies, as he recorded 14 tackles (3.5 for loss) and two sacks (according to ESPN Stats and Information), he has tremendous size at 6'3" and 240 pounds.
The hope is that he isn't a James Williams- type of player, where Kennedy can only excel in a situational pass-rushing role in the defense. However, the Seminoles must feel relatively confident that he works out in 2026 because the defensive line depth is largely unproven.