Florida State football will be doing its best to add pieces to their roster via the transfer portal during the window that opens today (Friday, January 2nd). The Seminoles have a wide variety of needs after they had a combined seven wins in the last two years.
This doesn't sit well with the fan base, but head football coach Mike Norvell is still capable of getting it turned around, with him previously accomplishing 10-win and 13-win seasons.
Norvell already saw players announcing their returns such as wide receiver Duce Robinson, tight end Landen Thomas, and cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls, but there is still work to be done to get the Seminoles where they want to be.
Offensive line is likely a big need for the program during the window. Sure, the quarterback position is a major talking point, with youngsters Kevin Sperry and Jaden O'Neal being the only ones on the roster. However, someone has to block for whoever the signal-caller is.
Assistant coach Herb Hand did a solid job with the offensive line in adding several veteran transfers. This was expected to be an opportunity to get younger players to develop while the veterans play in 2025.
Unfortunately, a player such as offensive tackle Lucas Simmons announced that he would be entering the portal, which was supposed to be a building block for the program. There are youngsters such as Sandman Thompson, Andre Otto, and Jonathan Daniels that could play in 2026.
However, one name that CBS Sports National College Football Senior Reporter Matt Zenitz reported that Tennessee offensive tackle Lance Heard is expected to enter the transfer portal.
Tennessee All-SEC offensive tackle Lance Heard is expected to enter the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/JpI6nhyXaB
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 1, 2026
This could be an opportunity for Heard to leverage more money during the window from other schools, since he had been Tennessee's starting left tackle for the past two years.
However, Florida State football should 1000% invest in paying for Heard to come to Tallahassee. He was a former five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle that started his career with the LSU Tigers, but he later transferred to Tennessee.
If the Seminoles want to be serious about being a major contender during the 2026 season, Heard would be a piece that would elevate the offensive line to new heights (just like Florida State did with Ole Miss's Micah Pettus last offseason).