SEC transfers expected to help Florida State in 2024
Acquiring talent out of the transfer portal has become a key to success for Florida State under head coach Mike Norvell. Of the 10 FSU players selected in the most recent NFL Draft, all but one joined the Seminoles through the transfer portal during their college careers.
Norvell and FSU restocked their roster through the portal again this offseason, but Warchant‘s Ira Schoffel broke down what makes this year’s transfer portal class a little bit different in Tallahassee.
“It’s same story, different year,” Schoffel said at the On3 Roundtable. “There’s a lot of homegrown players too, Mike Norvell will point that out all the time, but they did another really good job in the transfer portal and really got some guys from big-name schools.”
Jared Verse and Braden Fiske both heard their names called by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft after starting their college carrers at Albany and Western Michigan respectively.
But this offseason, many new Seminoles previously played in the conference many regard as the most completive and talented in college football — the SEC.
“This is a little bit different, you look on the defense, you got a defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., who was a five-star recruit. Originally went to Georgia, now he’s an FSU legacy, but he’s a guy that originally signed to Georgia. At safety or nickelback you’ve got Earl Little who signed at Alabama, played there. Shawn Murphy, who was at Alabama, you got a linebacker Cam Riley who came in from Auburn,” Schoffel listed. “So you’ve got several SEC players. Guys who either started or played a lot of SEC schools that are infusing that defense with some physicality and experience at a really high level.”
Schoffel’s listed players from the SEC join the Seminoles with a combined 100 game appearances in their college careers. Those additions quickly bolster a Florida State’s defense with experience despite losing numerous veteran contributors from the ACC’s top scorning defense last season.
“Offensively it’s the same story. At running back, Roydell Williams transferred in from Alabama, they brought in five guys from Alabama and all those guys are gonna play key roles this season. Also wide receiver Malik Benson and then on the offensive line, they brought in three transfers who I think could have a big impact,” Schoffel said pivoting to the line of scrimmage.
“TJ Ferguson and Richie Leonard at guard, they played at Alabama and Florida respectively. And they also brought in, a little bit different, an interior lineman from Harvard Jacob Rizy who I think is another guy that can play.”
Between players who put their hand in the dirt to skilled playmakers, it seems that Florida State has all their boxes checked from their SEC transfer portal haul, taking full advantage of Nick Saban‘s retirement from Alabama in January.
“So they have brought in not just numbers in terms of transfers, but guys that played at really the highest level and played there and played well and in most cases, and I think they’re gonna give a really nice jolt to this team,” Schoffel concluded.
All eyes will be on FSU’s newcomers very soon, as the Seminoles kick off the college football season across the pond in Dublin, Ireland to face Georgia Tech on August 24.