Florida State football didn't have the season that it wanted last year, as it had a 5-7 record. This was disappointing after beating Alabama in the opener by a score of 31-17. It was surprising to many fans and outsiders, who thought the Crimson Tide would overwhelm the Seminoles.
When watching the game, Florida State set the tone running the football on offense as well as being able to be physical on defense. Head coach Mike Norvell's squad didn't let its foot off the gas pedal.
One standout on the Seminoles' defense was defensive back Earl Little Jr. The former high four-star prospect was a transfer that came in from Alabama, so the motivation to prove his old team wrong where they should have kept him on the roster.
Defensive back Earl Little Jr. didn't play in Ohio State's spring game on Saturday
Earl Little Jr. brought physicality early on to the defensive coordinator Tony White's scheme. Coach White mentioned Little Jr. as being "Him" when describing the junior as a player. He was tasked with being the ROVER position in the defense, which is a hybrid mix of safety and linebacker.
Little Jr. seems to be more comfortable moving from cornerback to safety. This was a beneficial move halfway through the 2024 season. The former Alabama transfer looked to be one of the better defenders in the conference after three games, but much like the rest of Florida State's team, his production and consistency fell off.
Earl Little Jr. announced that he would be entering the NFL Draft this offseason originally, and fans thought that it was a bit strange that he would do that since it would benefit him more coming back to school for his senior season.
Then, the defender decided to withdraw his name from the draft and enter the transfer portal instead. When it rains, it pours for the Seminoles lately. While Earl Little Jr. was inconsistent at times, he still had the potential to be one of the best defenders in the country and was even on an All-ACC team at the end of the year.
Fans were worried that Earl Little Jr. would go to an arch-rival Miami or another team that would be devastating, but instead, Ohio State picked him up in the portal, hoping that he would be another Caleb Downs for them.
He has received rave reviews this offseason from the Buckeyes' coaching staff. He figures to be a huge part of their defense. Ohio State had its spring game on Saturday, and fans were wondering if they would see Earl Little Jr. in action.
Ryan Day said transfer safety Earl Little Jr. missed Ohio State's spring game due to a cleanup procedure on his knee. He'll return in a few weeks.
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) April 18, 2026
"This is the right time to get them done to get put behind us as much as we'd love to see him evolve with the defense."
Unfortunately, Little Jr. had a cleanup procedure on his knee and did not play in the spring game. To be honest, the former defensive back will be missed, but Ashlynd Barker, who is playing the ROVER position in 2026, will be just as good as Earl Little Jr.
Fans should be excited about the Seminoles' secondary during this upcoming season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google