Florida State football had many of its players decide to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Many individuals in the fan base thought that the team had given up on head football coach Mike Norvell.
The Seminoles have had four losing seasons in six years and have only had seven wins in two years, so the hesitancy is understandable. Wins matter, and Florida State has not had many of them. However, the administration has decided to retain Norvell for the 2026 season.
The Seminoles have to perform well from here on out.
Defensive linemen Mandrell and Darryll Desir return to Florida State for the 2026 season
One of the bigger storylines of the offseason was whether Florida State was going to find a way to retain true freshmen defensive linemen Mandrell and Darryll Desir. The former three-star prospects from the 2025 recruiting class were a brotherly duo that fans didn't think would contribute in Year 1.
However, defensive coordinator Tony White highlighted how important the pair would be to the defense, and fans didn't pay any attention to it.
Mandrell Desir became a True Freshman All-American and was the leading sack artist on the Seminoles' team during the 2025 season. He is looking to build off the success next season. Plus, his brother (Darryll) showed flashes as well.
Fans wondered if they would see them in Tallahassee for 2026 since they entered the transfer portal. While the reasoning was because of NIL negotiations, the Desir Twins are good players to keep on the roster away from the likes of Ohio State and Miami.
The Seminoles received some good news on Thursday night, as 247Sports' Matt Zenitz reported that the brothers have reached an NIL agreement and will be withdrawing from the transfer portal to return to Florida State.
Florida State star edge rushers Mandrell and Darryll Desir have agreed to massive new NIL deals with FSU and will be withdrawing from the transfer portal, their agency @LAASportsEnt tells @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 16, 2026
They’d ranked as two of the top players in the transfer portal. pic.twitter.com/EfDwPwtUPS
College football is a headache right now with the NIL leveraging and the transfer portal. It makes teams have to focus solely on player retention and/or acquisition of rosters all the time. I am glad that the Desir Twins drama is over. It is time to grind this offseason and get Florida State football back where they belong.