Florida State’s linebackers have given the defense something to hang onto through an uneven start, but that unit is about to be tested in a much tougher and thinner form.
The Seminoles head to No. 10 Alabama on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC with several key pieces unavailable.
Coach Mike Norvell said senior Blake Nichelson, along with freshmen Izayia Williams and Daylen Green, will miss the game. Nichelson is out “an extended period of time,” while Williams and Green are done for the season.
Even with the injuries piling up, FSU’s linebacker room has shown real progress thanks in large part to the transfer market. Southern Miss transfer Chris Jones is tied for the team lead with 15 tackles and has added three quarterback hurries. North Carolina transfer Mikai Gbayor stepped into Nichelson’s spot in the 27-24 loss to SMU on Sept. 7 and has produced seven tackles and a sack in two games.
Caleb LaVallee, another UNC transfer who missed all of 2025 because of injury, made his presence felt against SMU with a tackle for loss and a pass breakup on the same series.
“I think this is one of the benefits of what we have with this defense and with this team is the depth in the room,” linebackers coach Ernie Sims Jr. said. “We brought in some guys in the offseason that we feel very confident about, and lo and behold it’s paying off for us. We got some guys we feel confident about even though we had some guys that went down.”
Omar Graham Jr., who has been with FSU since 2022, has also chipped in 11 tackles. Still, the group looks a lot different now without Nichelson and the two freshmen, and that matters against an Alabama offense that has shown more balance on the ground.
The Crimson Tide have 382 rushing yards and rank 48th in the FBS in rush offense. They ran for 155 yards on 40 carries, a 3.9-yard average, at Kentucky. Last season, Alabama finished 125th with 1,562 rushing yards, though it did manage 21 rushing touchdowns, which tied for 63rd.
One of the Tide’s main weapons is Daniel Hill, a 6-foot-1, 234-pound back who has 27 carries for 151 yards, good for a 5.6-yard average.
Then there is quarterback Keelon Russell, who is only two games into his second college season but has already shown he can escape pressure and make defenders pay.
“He puts strain on every single position,” Sims Jr. said. “Defensive line, how do we control the rushes?
How do we keep him in the pocket? How do we not allow him to do what he does best?
Run.
“He has the ability to be that plus-1 player. He’s challenging. You have to be very detailed with your game plan with him.”
FSU enters at 1-1 and has not won on the road since November 2023 against another SEC team, Florida.
The Seminoles will be back home on Sept. 26 against Central Arkansas, Norvell’s alma mater, at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network. That game will also include recognition for the school’s 2026 FSU Athletics Hall of Fame class, which features tight end Nick O’Leary, defensive end Bjoern Werner and left-hander Sean Gilmartin. Longtime athletics director Dave Hart will also be honored.
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