FSU FOOTBALL
Florida State football finished with a 2-10 record last season, so there was a massive change that head football coach Mike Norvell made, where there was a mass exodus of coaches that exited Tallahassee.
This is to be expected since the Seminoles underperformed and didn't meet the standard of competing for conference and national championships.
New defensive coordinator Tony White made headlines recently when he stated that some players on the team need to step their *expletive* up. That was a hefty quote, where he discussed Earl Little Jr., KJ Kirkland, and Ashlynd Barker.
KJ KIRKLAND IS HERE
This was noteworthy since there was no mention of Shyheim Brown or Conrad Hussey at the safety position. Our own Kelvin Hunt wrote about the Hussey news, which didn't seem like a shock since he hasn't done much in the Garnet and Gold, but it is always a shame not to see a former four-star prospect pan out.
With that being said, the focus should be on KJ Kirkland as he was a starter at the safety position at times in 2024. He played with a ton of heart and showed production. Kirkland recorded 46 tackles (one for loss) and two pass breakups.
Florida State began the 2024 season with veteran transfer Davonte Brown, who they picked up in the transfer portal, at safety, and you started to see Kirkland migrate into that role. This is a new scheme on defense, but it is encouraging that the Jacksonville native is taking the reins once again for the Seminoles in 2025.