Jordan Travis on Florida State missing College Football Playoff after his injury: 'It sucks'

Former Florida State Seminoles starting quarterback Jordan Travis is in Indianapolis for the 2024 NFL Combine ahead of the draft schedule for April. Now Travis is not participating in any of the physical activities as he is recovering from surgery to repair a gruesome leg injury he suffered during the Seminole’s 58-13 victory over Northern Alabama to secure their 11th win of the season.

Despite losing their starting quarterback with two games remaining on the 2023 schedule, Florida State was able to finish off the year undefeated with a 13-0 record, which included a victory over Louisville to capture the ACC title. Although the Seminoles were undefeated Power 5 champions, they ultimately were not selected to participate in last season’s College Football Playoff.

At the NFL combine, Travis was asked about that situation and his feelings about Florida State missing the College Football Playoff after their impressive 2023 season. And the former Seminoles star quarterback provided yet another respectable answer to the question he has faced since selection Sunday.

“Yeah, I mean, it sucks; it does suck,” said Travis. “But, at the end of the day, you gotta control what you can control,” said Travis. “I learned that throughout my life, throughout my career. So I just try to keep my head down and try not to listen to the outside noise. This Florida State team was really special, and I think we’re seeing that at the combine here with the athletes and just the people that we have on the field.

“But you can’t control that. So we gotta move past that. And I look forward to seeing Florida State win a lot of football games next year.”

Florida State’s Braden Fiske off to hot start at NFL Combine

For comparison, Kiper ranked Fiske as the No. 7 defensive tackle in the draft. Nonetheless, after showing off his speed at the NFL Combine, he’s likely to move up the list. Fiske also put his explosiveness on display, recording a 33.5″ vertical jump and a 9’9″ broad jump.

After five seasons at Western Michigan, Fiske spent last season in Tallahassee after joining the Seminoles in the transfer portal. In his lone season with Florida State, he tallied 43 tackles and tied a career-high with six sacks.

During his collegiate career, Fiske totaled 191 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles with two recoveries in 57 games. Lance Zierlein at NFL.com complimented Fiske’s agility ahead of the draft.

“Defensive tackle with below-average mass and length who makes up for it with above-average quickness and a constantly revving engine. Fiske uses sudden hands and nimble feet to whip single blocks. Once he finds daylight, he flies to whoever has the ball,” Zierlein wrote.

“He doesn’t have the anchor to sit down and muddy gaps, so scheme will be important for him. Fiske is a hustle rusher who can win quick or late if opponents don’t play with proper hand usage and match his energy. He lacks ideal measurables but has a chance to become an impact defender.”

The NFL combine began on Feb. 26 and will continue through March 3.