![Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) gets pressure from Florida State defensive lineman James Williams (10) during the first half of an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 29, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2506,h_1409/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/270/01kdej5hc4a5em7qr33j.jpg "Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) gets pressure from Florida State defensive lineman James Williams (10) during the first half of an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 29, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Florida State football did not have a great 2025 season, which made the fan base worried for the future. The Seminoles had the horrendous 2024 campaign, where it included the 2-10 record that wanted individuals to pull their hair out.
The program decided to put matters into their own hands and put several transfers to the roster and coaches to the staff to see if it could any better.
Florida State elected to try and gets its defense better with assistant coaches such as defensive coordinator Tony White and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton, who both came from the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The defensive line could not get any pressure from defensive linemen Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr., who transferred to LSU and Oklahoma, respectively, in the offseason. The Seminoles tried their hand with adding former Nebraska pass rusher James Williams this past offseason.
With him having the connection with Coach White and Knighton, it was bound to have more success in Tallahassee since he always knew how the 3-3-5 defensive scheme operated. However, much like the last two years at Florida State have been, it was a train wreck.
On Friday afternoon, defensive end James Williams decided to transfer out of Florida State with two years of eligibility remaining.
BREAKING: Florida State EDGE James Williams is entering the @TransferPortal, his agency tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 26, 2025
The 6’6 259 EDGE has totaled 37 tackles and 8.5 sacks through 3 seasons
Williams started his career at Nebraska
2 years of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/b0DtkzAq8P
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Williams has recorded 19 tackles (three for loss) and 1.5 sacks during the 2025 season for the Seminoles. This was not the expectation for someone who recorded five sacks the year before in limited-capacity role.
Just like Norvell's tenure so far in Tallahassee, the era of James Williams was short-lived and disappointing. With both of the pass rusher's former assistant coaches in Tallahassee, this makes fans wonder if he will step down to the Group of Five level to find success again.
This was a very underwhelming defensive end transfer class for the Seminoles, as Western Kentucky's Deante McCray is the only one left from the defensive linemen that has not transferred out and/or graduated.