Florida State football was a laughing stock in 2024 as they fell to a 2-10 record. The Seminoles were not used to the product that was displayed on the field since the program was used to competing for conference and national championships.
The new coaching staff made a variety of roster moves via the recruiting ranks and transfer portal that were productive for the success of the team in 2025.
I was a big fan of pickups such as quarterback Thomas Castellanos, wide receivers Duce Robinson and Squirrel White, as well as linebacker Elijah Herring.
This article isn't to diminish what has already been done. Florida State is currently sitting at 7.5 on their over/under win total for next season, according to FanDuel Sportsbooks.
The fanbase would certainly take a 7-5 or an 8-4 season after what transpired last year, but the expectations at Florida State are extremely high. Norvell placed faith in the season by handing off the keys to the offense to former UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn.
Malzahn has always been considered a good offensive mind who has been known to run the football at an effective rate. While everyone seems to be worried about the offensive end with how the 2024 version went, I seem to be more cautious about the defense.
The Seminoles brought in former Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White to lead its defense. I thought it was a slam-dunk hire for Florida State, but I have some concerns about the defensive end spot.
We see the impact that former players such as Jared Verse, Jermaine Johnson II, Keir Thomas, Braden Fiske, Joshua Farmer, and even Patrick Payton had when rushing the passer for the Seminoles. It can single-handedly change the outcome of a football game.
ESPN's Pete Thamel heard from NFL scouts that the 2024 Florida State defensive line was one of the best in the country. That notion went out of the window after the Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech. The Seminoles thought it would have solid production from defensive ends Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr., but it never translated to success.
Payton transferred to LSU, and Jones Jr. transferred to Oklahoma, so there will be new blood in Tallahassee for the 2025 season.
The Seminoles picked up defensive end prospects such as LaJesse Harrold, Tylon Lee, Derryl Desir, and Mandrell Desir from the recruiting ranks. Then, they added Nebraska's James Williams, Tennessee's Jayson Jenkins, Western Kentucky's Deante McCray, and Coastal Carolina's Deamontae Diggs.
The four defensive ends had a combined 14.5 sacks during the 2024 season for their respective teams. That certainly isn't a ton of production from that amount of players. The Seminoles only had 27 sacks as a team last year.
I thought that Florida State would have ponied up more NIL money to get a proven every-down pass rusher to solidify the position room at such a crucial position on the defense. With that said, I am very high on those transfers and recruits delivering in 2025, but I have my hesitancies after last season.