The transfer portal closed a couple of weeks ago, but I thought FSU might add at lease one guy from Miami or Indiana once they played in the final game of the season. That didn’t happen, so FSU finished its transfer portal haul with 23 signees and 35 departures.
Overall, the players departing were mostly non-contributors or young players who were not going to contribute anytime soon. Did FSU get better? I think so, despite going relatively cheap in the transfer portal, meaning FSU didn’t chase many big-time names. They opted to sign players with proven production. They signed some with production and eligibility remaining, and who could fit what they need.
Although FSU didn’t spend a ton of money, will the grades reflect that? Let’s check out each unit:
-Quarterback: FSU signed Auburn’s backup quarterback Ashton Daniels and offensive JUCO Player of the Year Malachi Marshall. Daniels has some talent and could fit the offense, but has had severe turnover problems. He’s not the most accurate passer. Marshall is an intriguing prospect who won’t arrive until the summer. However, he has a lot of potential to compete for the job in 2027. If he were an early enrollee? I’d give him a shot to win the job. They also took Dean DeNobile, who has experience. FSU has depth at QB now and competition. I’ll give it a C+ because Daniels could potentially be a poor man’s Jordan Travis.
-Running back: FSU signed Tre Wisner from Texas. He’s a former 1,000-yard rusher who’ll contribute immediately. They also took Gemari Sands from FAU. He’ll likely be a depth piece. I didn’t think the position was a huge need, but they have production and depth. I’ll give it a B+.
-Offensive line: Herb Hand drastically improved the offensive line through the transfer portal last year and will need to do the same this year. Hand added Bradyn Joiner, Chimdia Nwaiwu, Xavier Chaplin, Paul Bowling, and Nate Pabst. That’s five guys with experience, and some have more than one year of eligibility remaining. It’s not a star-studded list, but I like what they did here without breaking the bank. I’m going with a B+.
-Tight End: FSU kept Landen Thomas and lost Randy Pittman. They added Desirrio Riles from ECU. He’s more of a pass-catching threat than a blocker. His production was as good or better than Pittman's, but I’m not sure he’ll play with the edge Pittman had when healthy. He’s not terrible, but I don’t assign a ton of value to the tight end position either. I’m go with a C+.
-WR: FSU keeping Duce Robinson was everything for this position. They also kept Jayvan Boggs after he entered the transfer portal, but didn’t add anyone new. I’m giving them an A+ just for keeping Robinson in the fold.
Florida State has some solid pieces, but they need to take another step in Tony White's second year on defense and get solid QB play on offense
-Defensive tackle: FSU retained the Desir twins and Kevin Wynn, so that’s a massive win, although it looked like they were going to lose all three. They added Jordan Sanders from Texas State, who’ll likely serve as a depth piece. If I’m judging this soley on the addition of Sanders, I gotta go with a C-.
-Defensive end/EDGE: FSU added Texas A&M’s Rylan Kennedy, but his production has been mediocre at best. However, I’d take him over James Williams(who they lost to the portal). I’ll also throw in Mikai Gybor in this category, although he’s listed as a linebacker. He has shown the ability to get after the quarterback and is familiar with Tony White’s defense. His addition bumps this up to a C+.
-Linebacker: I like what FSU did at linebacker. The addition of Chris Jones was a big-time addition. Gybor will float between LB/Edge. I’m going with a B+ here.
-Defensive backs: I like what the Noles did at defensive back. They added experience, length, and versatility. They also have some guys with multiple years of eligibility remaining. Nehemiah Chandler is already a favorite of mine. CJ Richard and Ma’Khi Jones were excellent additions. I’m going with a B+ here.
-Special Teams: FSU added a kicker, punter, and long snapper. All of them have experience, so I’ll go with a B.
Overall, it's not terrible considering how much they had to spend to retain certain players. I wish they had done more at QB, DT, DE, but I think the team has some potential if they can form an identity and learn to play for one another.