IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!
Florida State football will begin its preparation this summer as the Seminoles take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, August 30th at 3:30 PM EST on ABC. The game will be here before you can blink, as we have thirteen Saturdays before the exciting matchup.
Head football coach Mike Norvell knew that the program needed to hit the reset button. He hired and fired several coaches and added pieces to the roster via the transfer portal and recruiting ranks.
With that said, two players on the Seminoles' roster wear the No. 13 jersey number: Senior defensive end Deamontae Diggs and junior tight end Randy Pittman Jr.
DEFENSIVE END DEAMONTAE DIGGS
Florida State fans were thrilled to pick up defensive end transfers, such as Nebraska's James Williams and Western Kentucky's Deante McCray. Much of the discussion this offseason has been centered around Williams and McCray being starters.
I would say that an underrated transfer pickup that doesn't get talked about enough is Coastal Carolina's Deamontae Diggs. He is a veteran piece that could be a viable part of the Seminoles' roster. During the 2024 season, Diggs recorded 34 tackles (seven for loss) and five sacks.
Head football coach Mike Norvell mentioned that Diggs was someone that they didn't know what to expect, but he performed relatively well during spring practice. At worst, I believe that the Coastal Carolina pass rusher will be a rotational piece.
TIGHT END RANDY PITTMAN JR.
I can see it now... Florida State football fans are already stating that tight ends are boring and no one cares about them. However, the position has been used during the Norvell era, and Malzahn uses tight ends in his offenses.
Pittman Jr. was a former four-star prospect who was previously committed to the Seminoles, but he decided to back off of his pledge and sign with Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights. During the 2024 season, he recorded 32 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback transfer Thomas Castellanos could hopefully use Pittman Jr. as a security blanket if he is in third-down conversions.