Florida State’s defense ranked No. 70 in the FBS in passing defense success rate in 2025, and lost multiple key pieces from a unit that was largely at fault for the team’s 5-7 finish. Jerry Wilson graduated, and Earl Little Jr. transferred to Ohio State, so Mike Norvell and first-year general manager John Garrett were forced into the transfer portal to find answers.
However, despite adding Ma’Khi Jones from Duke, Karson Hobbs from Notre Dame, and Nehemiah Chandler from South Alabama, defensive coordinator Tony White’s secondary is likely to be led by a few returners: Ja’Bril Rawls, Ashlynd Barker, and most unexpectedly, Quindarrius Jones.
Norvell praised Jones after the team’s second scrimmage of fall camp on Sunday night.
"I've really been pleased, you know, with Q Jones; obviously, we know Ja’Bril (Rawls) and the work that he's been able to do. He was a little bit limited early in the week, but was able to get some work tonight. But, you know, Q has been really good,” the seventh-year head coach told reporters.
It’s far from definitive, but it sounds like Jones is going to hold off Chandler and Charles Lester Jr. for the CB2 role, and his strong return from injury is helping to clarify one of the murkiest position rooms in Tallahassee this offseason.
CB2 could be the most important player on Tony White’s defense
There are a myriad of reasons for it, but the reality for 2026 is that Florida State isn’t spending at an elite level. And, because of its recent struggles and the uncertainty around Mike Norvell’s future, there weren’t many players taking hometown discounts to stay in Tallahassee.
That combination made it difficult for the Seminoles to land or hold onto truly elite talents this offseason. Duce Robinson came back after a first-team All-ACC season, and Ousmane Kromah is a big-time breakout candidate, but senior cornerback Ja’Bril Rawls could be the best player on the team.
Rawls played in just seven games last season, and while his ball production wasn’t elite, with just two pass breakups and one interception, he allowed just 6.7 yards per reception, No. 2 in the ACC among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps. He was a serious deterrent as well, averaging 8.6 snaps per target, the 10th-best rate in the conference (per PFF).
It’s great to have a lockdown cornerback to take away one side of the field, but it also puts serious pressure on his counterparts in the secondary because you can count on targets being funnelled in their direction. To that end, Florida State’s CB2 battle opposite Rawls has been one of the more underrated storylines out of fall camp.
If Jones, who suffered a season-ending injury against Miami last year, is the leader for those CB2 snaps, that allows Ma'Khi Jones to be FSU’s primary nickel defender while Chandler provides depth on the outside as he gets up to speed in the new system and adjusts to the speed of the ACC. That's probably the best outcome for this unit, and could point to FSU getting a bit of a bargain with Jones coming off his injury.
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