Florida State football will have its hands full this weekend, as the transfer portal window opens up. As it stands, the Seminoles have to generate a winning culture in Tallahassee after only having seven wins in two years.
This will never be the standard of this proud program. However, Florida State doesn't have to accept the mediocre results on the field. The Seminoles announced that they would be retaining head football coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season, which was not a popular decision by many.
With that said, Norvell is allowed to produce a better product on the field and it starts with obtaining difference-makers in the transfer portal. I realize that a ton of the discussion has been centered around the quarterback position, but I believe that getting quality offensive and defensive trenches is more important.
I get that the signal-caller can make-or-break a season, but so can players in the trenches. The Seminoles have a solid offensive line in Year 1 under assistant coach Herb Hand, so this article will focus more around the defensive line.
The transfer portal haul from last offseason was one to forget for Florida State, as three of the four defensive line have exited the program (Deante McCray is the only one that remains). The Seminoles didn't have all doom-and-gloom on the defensive line, as they had bright spots with the Desir Twins (Mandrell and Darryll Desir).
Plus, former four-star defensive tackle Kevin Wynn only appeared in four games last year, and it is looking to be a bigger piece in 2026. The good news is that the Seminoles look to be overhauling their front office, which should help to get quality transfers.
One piece that will be visiting Florida State this weekend is UCF defensive tackle transfer John Walker. I know that the jokes of "Florida State Knights" or "UCF Seminoles" are coming to the surface after the news, but Walker is a 6'4" and 324-pound monster that the Seminoles were involved with during his recruitment process. However, he decided to stay close to home with the Knights.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Walker recorded 39 tackles (three for loss), one sack, and one forced fumble during the 2025 season. This is exactly the type of pickups that I want: Players who are productive and violent on the defensive line.
With veteran defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. finished with his eligibility, this would be a solid acquisition for position coach Terrance Knighton to grab in the transfer portal. The Seminoles already secured nine defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle.
A commitment by Walker would give the Seminoles more flexibility in their rotation and give Florida State more experience at the defensive tackle spot.