Florida State expected to hire Nebraska DL coach Terrance Knighton
Two new coordinators have been hired by Florida State. Now, it’s time for the position coaches.
With the news of Gus Malzahn being the Seminoles’ new offensive coordinator and Tony White taking over as the new defensive coordinator, head coach Mike Norvell is continuing to round out his coaching staff for the 2025 season.
Warchant has learned that Florida State is finalizing details to bring in highly regarded Nebraska defensive line coach Terrance Knighton to fill the same position at FSU. HuskerOnline, On3’s Nebraska site, reported this morning that Knighton told his Cornhuskers players on Wednesday that he is leaving the program to pursue another position.
Knighton has spent the last two seasons with the Huskers where he and White helped put together one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. The Nebraska defensive line especially has been one of the best units in the conference — and country — since they arrived in Lincoln with head coach Matt Rhule before the 2023 season.
This season, the Huskers are 14th in the country in rushing defense (105.8 yards per game) and third in rushing touchdowns allowed. They gave up six all season long.
Comparatively, Florida State was 107th in the country in rushing defense (184.7 yards per game) and gave up 21 rushing touchdowns this season.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Jackson Arnold
OU QB to enter transfer portal
- 2
Alabama flips LSU commit
Tide moves up the rankings
- 3New
Ben Herbstreit
POTUS sends heartfelt note
- 4
Lincoln Riley
USC coach talks job rumors
- 5Hot
Jahkeem Stewart
USC lands five-star DL
Before Nebraska, Knighton worked with Rhule as the defensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and 2022.
The Temple graduate also played in the NFL for seven years, finishing his playing career in 2015 with Washington. He also played with the Jacksonville Jaguars and in Super Bowl XLVIII with the Denver Broncos.
There is no word yet on how this would affect FSU’s longtime defensive tackles coach, Odell Haggins, but it has been rumored for a few years now that the former Seminoles All-American might transition to an off-the-field role with the program.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for more on this story.
Join Warchant for Market-Leading Florida State Football coverage!
Warchant.com provides just what passionate FSU fans expect: Market-leading coverage of Seminole athletics and recruiting.
Join the largest Florida State fan community and receive all the benefits that come with it:
- Elite team and recruiting coverage of the program you love.
- Exclusive video and board Q&A’s with Warchant staff.
- Interaction with the most passionate Seminole fans across multiple board forums.
- 10% off all Garnet & Gold purchases while holding an active membership. Member exclusive discounts once a month at even higher savings.
- Access to Warchant member benefits and giveaways at site events.
- So much more!
SIGN UP: Join Warchant’s FSU Community for $1 today
Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State football fans on the Tribal Council.
