FSU football will likely have more roster turnover than many fans expect this offseason. Joshua Farmer, Darrell Jackson, and AZ Thomas have declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Several players have announced they plan to enter the transfer portal, and there are likely more who plan to or will be told to by the coaching staff.
Mike Norvell and the staff closed well on the 2025 high school recruiting class. They signed 18 players and expect at least 10 to enroll for the Spring semester in January.
However, many will not be ready to assume impactful roles for the 2025 season, meaning FSU will need to hit the transfer portal to obtain players to fill roster needs at several positions. The transfer portal officially opens on Monday, December 9th.
It's something that Mike Norvell and some of the supporting staff have done a great job of over the past two years. They didn't have the success hit rate with their 2024 portal haul as they did in 2022 and 2023. The biggest misses were on the offensive line, wide receiver, and quarterback.
They relied more on their high school evaluations instead of valuing production which differed from their most successful formula in prior years.
I anticipate they'll value production again, with the players they target in this Winter portal cycle. Here are the five biggest transfer portal needs.
Wide Receiver
One of the biggest weaknesses for the 2024 FSU team was the wide receiver position. FSU lost Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman to the 2024 NFL Draft. They had veteran guys returning, like Kentron Poitier, Darion Williamson, Deuce Spann, and Ja'Khi Douglas.
All projects out of high school and battled injuries for the better part of their careers, and Douglas was the most dependable, only standing 5'9" and 185 pounds.
FSU coaches knew they likely couldn't depend solely on these guys to carry the load, so they added former Alabama receiver Malik Benson and former LSU receiver Jalen Brown.
Benson had little production at Alabama but elite speed. Brown had elite speed but didn't catch a pass at LSU while redshirting.
Douglas led the team in every statistical receiving category, and Benson was second with 25 receptions, 311 yards, and one touchdown. The rest offered literally nothing, and all will likely be gone from the program unless Brown decides not to enter the transfer portal.
FSU brought in a talented group of receivers in its 2024 recruiting class, but they won't be ready to make huge impacts in 2025. This means FSU will need to hit the portal for 1-2 proven receivers to carry the load and hope Hykeem Williams finally leaves up to his five-star ranking out of high school and Destyn Hill fully recovers from his injury that kept him out all of 2024.
Defensive End/Linebacker
FSU will move to a multiple 3-3-5 defense under new defensive coordinator Tony White in 2025. FSU defensive end Sione Lolohea exhausted eligibility, and Byron Turner Jr. and Dante Anderson entered the transfer portal.
It's not clear what Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. plan to do. I'd expect the latter to come back, but many want to see the former enter the transfer portal or declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. The rest of the guys have no proven production.
FSU has several linebackers eligible to return in 2025, but one has already entered the transfer portal, Omar Graham Jr. That leaves Blake Nichelson, Juice Cryer, and Shawn Murphy. There are a few freshmen who didn't get to play much in 2024.
I'm positive Tony White will likely target and bring a few players from the Nebraska program he's coming from. They'll likely target other players that fit the scheme.
They know better than I what type of player they want to fit the scheme, but it'll be players who can likely do a bit of both positions.
Defensive Tackle
As mentioned, FSU will lose its two starting defensive tackles to the NFL Draft. The good news about moving to the 3-3-5 scheme is not needing quite as many defensive tackles.
FSU has some talented young guys at the position like Daniel Lyons and Kelvin Sampson.
Colorado State transfer Grady Little had some production in 2024. Freshman D'Nas White and Jamorie Flagg didn't appear in four games and won't be ready to contribute in 2025.
White isn't a difference-maker and I'm not sure Lyons would be in 2025. Sampson has good potential but would probably be a year away. Freshman Kevin Jennings fits the mold to be the guy, but you can't expect that from a freshman.
FSU likely needs 1-2 defensive tackles from the portal who would be plug-and-play guys in 2025 to anchor the defensive front. This is where the misses by Odell Haggins in defensive tackle recruiting over the past few years have come home to roost.
Quarterback
I wrote about the need for FSU to pursue a quality transfer portal quarterback on Saturday. It's not that I don't like Luke Kromenhoek. He has excellent upside, but it's more about the need to win in 2025 and not gamble on a young guy with only two career starts.
Especially not a young guy who had to play behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football. Kromenhoek didn't get the chance to develop because of DJ Uiagalelei getting hurt, and Brock Glenn not showing much more promise than Kromenhoek when he got his shot.
FSU can't miss like they did in the portal when looking for a quarterback last year. However, it already appears there will be several quality options that may fit Gus Malzahn's offense. FSU has some money to get a quality guy, and that would be a perfect transition to Luke Kromenehoek(or Brock Glenn if he stays) in 2026. It would also give freshman Kevin Sperry a year to redshirt and develop, resetting the quarterback room.
Offensive Line
FSU can hit on all of these positions, but if they don't the offensive line right, none will matter. The poor offensive line play is arguably the biggest culprit behind the 2-10 season.
Yes, DJ Uiagalelei didn't play near as good as we thought. The wide receivers and tight ends had way too many drops.
However, FSU couldn't run the ball anywhere near what everyone thought going into the season. Opposing defenses didn't respect the run game and stacked the box because they knew the offensive line couldn't protect long enough FSU to do damage through the air.
When the offensive line managed to give the QB time, receivers either dropped the pass or the QB missed the mark.
FSU has a few viable pieces returning in 2025, like Richie Leonard, Andre Otto, and Jaylen Early. However, they need at least four quality offensive linemen from the transfer portal.
They have some wildcards who could factor in like Lucas Simmons and Jacob Rizy. Could one of the redshirt freshman from the 2024 class ascend? I'd doubt it, but maybe whoever the new offensive line coach is can expedite their development.
The offensive line is the most important unit FSU must improve in 2025.
Parting Thoughts
Mike Norvell has always understood the importance of getting quality guys in the Winter Transfer Portal window so they could enroll in the Spring semester.
Players who enroll in the Spring adjust quicker to how things are done. They have more time to learn the playbook and build rapport and trust with teammates and coaches.
They have time to hit the weight room and continue developing physically. Coaches learn more about their strengths and weaknesses, putting them in positions to succeed.
I expect FSU to be aggressive in this portal cycle to maximize the opportunity to flip the roster quickly. They already have several official visits set for players at some of these key positions.
They don't have long to work, which has worked in their favor in years past, because guys planning to enroll in the Spring must make decisions quickly to get in on time.
Stay tuned to Chopchat and keep track of who plans to enter the transfer portal from the team here.