I mentioned that I was most confident in what FSU offensive line coach Herb Hand could do in the transfer portal after what he did in short order after arriving at FSU a year ago. He has proven me right after landing another commitment from the transfer portal on Saturday afternoon.
Stephen F. Austin offensive lineman, Chimdia Nwaiwu, chose the Noles and becomes their fifth o-line addition from the transfer portal in a week. He has an elite wingspan at 88 inches, logging time mostly at right tackle, though he’s played some at left. His best attribute is his pass-blocking ability(due to his long arms), and he’s got some work to do in the run game.
However, Nwaiwu fits the formula that Herb Hand concocted perfectly. He’s a guy with experience with multiple years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted in 20243 and played over 800 snaps as a redshirt sophmore at Stephen F. Austin in 2025. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining:
UPDATE: BOOM! Stephen F. Austin offensive tackle transfer Chimdia Nwaiwu has committed to Florida State.🍢 #GoNoles #fsufootball #chimdianwaiwu #fsutransferportal #noles pic.twitter.com/ow6hKLL4RZ
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) January 10, 2026
The combination of experience and eligibility remaining to help bridge the gap for the younger offensive linemen on the roster seems to be the formula. It makes sense, because FSU is replacing its entire starting offensive line from last year.
This approach helps break the cycle of relying on the portal so much. It'll help improve continuity and likely high school recruiting since those guys should eventually get on the field. Nwaiwu likely gives FSU a better option at tackle than what Lucas Simmons would provdided, and is less of a question mark since he has legitimate experience.
FSU was looking at Bryant WIlliams from Louisiana, but Nwaiwu could be the better take since he has two years of eligibility remaining. Williams committed to Arkansas on Friday.