Florida State DE Patrick Payton enters transfer portal
Florida State junior Patrick Payton, who started for each of the past two seasons, is joining fellow starting defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. in the transfer portal. Payton announced his decision on Wednesday.
The departure caps off a disappointing junior season for Payton, who was expected to be a breakout star in 2024. After racking up 43 tackles and seven sacks as a redshirt sophomore, Payton added some weight and was expected to be a team leader this past season.
Instead, he recorded just four sacks and 35 tackles — down from 43 the year before — and the Seminoles struggled through a 2-10 campaign.
Under new defensive coordinator Tony White, Florida State will have to replace three of its four starting defensive linemen from 2024, as Payton and Jones are transferring and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer has declared for the NFL draft.
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Rising senior Darrell Jackson originally declared for the draft but announced this week he is coming back for his final year of college. Florida State also is expected to transition to a 3-3-5 defensive system under White.
Payton is the 18th FSU player to announce he is entering the portal since the end of the 2024 season; two other underclassmen (Farmer and cornerback Azareye’h Thomas) have declared for the NFL Draft. Here is an updated list of the Florida State departures.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for more on this story.
Here is an updated list of the FSU players who have officially entered the transfer portal.
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