Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and whatever staff he plans to retain must have had exit interviews with players since the season concluded last week. The first of what will likely be several players entering the transfer portal announced their departure on Thursday.
Former three-star linebacker Jayden Parrish was the first player from the FSU roster to announce he plans to enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.
Parrish was part of the 2024 recruiting cycle and the No. 705 player nationally. He appeared in two games this season and amassed three tackles after redshirting last season.
He had offers from other places like Miami, Auburn, Kentucky, Indiana, UCF, South Florida, and others. The 6’1” 232 232-pound linebacker worked with the scout teams last season before getting all three of his tackles in the East Texas A&M game this year.
It looks like the writing was on the wall when he couldn’t crack the two-deep, and others like walk-on AJ Cottrell got on the field for multiple games. The linebacker unit was among the worst on the defense, which is also telling if he couldn’t get on the field. FSU also signed one of its best linebacker classes in recent memory on Wednesday, and that likely buries him deeper on the roster.
FSU has had several linebackers, like Parrish, who have gone unnoticed and found homes at smaller schools, where they have become productive. DeMarco Ward found a home at Memphis after transferring from FSU. Here’s to hoping the same will happen for Jayden. Good luck, young man!