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One major concerning trend involving Florida State football transfer portal acquisitions

That's probably the only reason they came to FSU, because nobody else wanted them?
ByKelvin Hunt|
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Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Squirrel White (4) reacts after making a catch against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Aug 30, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Squirrel White (4) reacts after making a catch against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State football has struggled to acquire top-tier players from the transfer portal over the past two recruiting cycles. Players who come with former star power or a coveted high school recruiting ranking usually have some type of injury history.

The news of Squirrel White announcing his retirement from his short stint as an UDFA with the Chicago Bears got me thinking. Is that one of the major reasons Florida State was able to get these players tos tart with? Maybe other teams were aware of the injury histories and didn’t need to take the risk?

Think about it, going all the way back to the 2022 recruiting cycle: Johnny Wilson, Trey Benson, Caziah Holmes, Mycah Pittman, and Kayden Lyles all had histories of getting hurt before coming to FSU. Luckily, Wilson, Benson, and Pittman were great contributors. Holmes was just another guy, and Lyles never played.

If we look at 2023, 2024, and 2025: Jaheim Bell, Roydell Williams, Shawn Murphy, Gavin Sawchuck,

Gavin Blackwell, Caleb LaValle, Squirrel White, and Jayson Jenkins all had injury issues before getting to FSU.

Florida State is working to develop more revenue streams to fight battles for more talented players.

It has been a calculated gamble for Mike Norvell and Florida State, even when they were ahead of the game with transfer portal acquisitions. However, Sawchuck, Blackwell, LaValle, White, and Jenkins offered little to nothing in production on the field last year. The 2026 transfer portal class followed the same trend with the higher profile guys. Running back Tre Wisner dealt with injuries while at Texas, and Mikai Gbayor had the same issues at North Carolina.

It seems to go back to Florida State operating on a budget that won’t allow them to go after the best players, so they have to try to find talent that could come with risks or slipped through the cracks somehow. The latest transfer portal class is the weakest on paper regarding star rankings. However, most of the players have lots of experience and some production. We’ll see if this class can be more productive than last year's.  

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