College football is full of players heading to the transfer portal every offseason now. That is the reality that the sport is facing. Fans have to get used to their favorite players potentially going elsewhere. The highest bidder always seems to get the job done.
One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was that Florida State was able to retain defensive linemen Mandrell and Darryll Desir. The former three-star prospects were a dynamic duo that the coaching staff couldn't lose.
The defensive line needed life after the 2025 season, and Mandrell Desir (more specifically) performed well with a team-high in sacks. They are also expected Darryll Desir to have a huge second year under defensive coordinator Tony White.
The Desir Twins were a given, but fans didn't mention much about defensive back Earl Little Jr, who transferred to Ohio State.
Earl Little Jr. is already getting glowing reviews from the Ohio State Buckeyes
Little Jr. came in from the Alabama Crimson Tide, and he didn't do much during the 2024 season. That isn't saying much because no one really did anything with the Seminoles when they had that disastrous 2-10 campaign.
Defensive coordinator Tony White was hired at Florida State, and he opened fans' eyes by describing Earl Little Jr. as "Him". This was high praise from someone who barely played, and when he did, it wasn't up to the standard at Florida State.
Little Jr. was moved over to the Rover position, which is one of the more versatile spots in Coach White's multiple 3-3-5 defensive scheme. It was a mix of a safety and a linebacker. The former Alabama transfer began to get aggressive with tackling offensive players.
This translated over to the main reasoning behind Florida State beating Alabama in the season opener, where he struck fear in the Crimson Tide offense. There are now Ohio State sources that have indicated that Little Jr. is showing that same aggression over in Columbus.
"He's one of those dudes where you have to be really careful when you're going to make a tackle because you could get friendly-fired by him."
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) April 2, 2026
-@Bcarp3 on how much of a MISSILE Earl Little Jr. is
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Earl Little Jr. was a dynamic player here at Florida State, but there were inconsistencies in his skill set that prevented him from being truly dominant. This isn't a shot at the defensive back because players don't get awarded First-Team All-ACC for being just "alright".
This could be a situation where he put everything together and can be viewed as an All-American candidate for Ohio State. We at ChopChat wish him nothing but the best in the new chapter of his journey at Ohio State.