Florida State is making a calculated bet on its linebacker room, and the two transfers at the center of it bring very different things to the table. Chris Jones arrives with the kind of production that can change a defense quickly. Mikai Gbayor comes back into Tony White’s orbit with the hope that familiarity can pull more out of his game than North Carolina did.
Jones is the more proven piece. The junior from Southern Miss earned First-Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2025 after putting up 79 tackles and 15 pressures.
Pro Football Focus graded him as a player who can do more than just clean up plays near the line, though coverage remains an area to watch. He allowed a 75% completion rate in coverage over more than 700 defensive snaps, but his profile still points to a linebacker who can stay on the field for all three downs rather than just piling up numbers against the run.
The run game was where Jones stood out most. He posted a 67.8 overall defensive grade and a 76.8 run-defense grade, his best phase by far.
He logged 52 defensive stops and missed tackles at a 16.5% rate, all while carrying one of the heaviest workloads in the Sun Belt. The weekly grades back up the idea that he was rarely just a name on the stat sheet.
Jones turned in strong outings against Louisiana Tech (85.8 overall), Arkansas State (69.9), and Jackson State (78.8).
At 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, he has the build to work inside and still enough movement to handle backs and tight ends in space.
Gbayor’s path is different. After spending 2025 as a reserve at North Carolina under Bill Belichick, he reunites with White, who helped develop him at Nebraska.
His numbers in Chapel Hill suggest a player who had moments but never really settled in. Over 252 defensive snaps, Gbayor recorded a 67.1 overall defensive grade, a 67.5 run-defense mark, 23 tackles and 12 stops.
The issue was consistency, especially when it came to finishing plays. He missed seven tackles, which left him with a 17.5% missed tackle rate, and he never fully carved out a starting role after transferring.
Still, the fit with White matters. Gbayor’s best stretch came in Nebraska’s aggressive front in 2024, when he had nearly 50 tackles and 11 starts. Florida State is banking on that version of him resurfacing in a scheme he already knows.
The Seminoles don’t need these two to be the same player. Jones is the stabilizer, the linebacker with the resume.
Gbayor is the reclamation project with a built-in advantage because he already understands White’s system. If Jones plays like the All-Sun Belt linebacker Florida State targeted and Gbayor gets back to his Nebraska level, the Seminoles could end up with their best linebacker tandem since 2023, when Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune anchored the middle.
In Other News...
Florida State Suddenly Has A Late Answer To Its CB Depth Issue
Florida States cornerback picture has gotten a little more complicated, and maybe a little more interesting, as the NCAAs new five-in-five eligibility rule continues to draw legal pushback. Class of 2022 athletes have been excluded under the policy, but temporary restraining orders in Colorado and Louisiana have reopened the door for some of those players to regain college eligibility and, in some cases, access the transfer portal.
For the Seminoles, that matters because roster decisions at defensive back are still in flux, and the pool of possible options could expand in a hurry if more players become eligible again. Florida State has been operating with uncertainty at corner, and this latest legal wrinkle adds another layer to what had already been a position group worth watching closely as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Leaves Camp Feeling Better But One Defensive Loss Looms
Florida State is heading out of fall camp in a better place physically than it was a few weeks ago, and Mike Norvell sounded encouraged by the way several players have worked back into the mix. Nehemiah Chandler, Quintrevion Wisner, Mikai Gbayor, Jayvan Boggs and Andr Otto have either returned to practice or moved ahead of schedule in their recoveries, giving the Seminoles a healthier look as they turn toward the season. Norvell said the overall health of the roster is in a good spot, which is exactly what a team wants to hear coming out of camp.
Still, the picture is not entirely clean. Florida State also took a hit with Karson Hobbs, whose injury leaves a noticeable hole on the defensive side, and the way the Seminoles absorb that loss will be part of the early-season story. Even with the encouraging updates elsewhere, the defensive depth chart will now have to adjust to one less option, and that is the kind of camp development that can linger long after the pads come off. [Read more 🡒]
Desirrio Riles Could Be Exactly What FSUs Offense Needs
Desirrio Riles arrived in Tallahassee with a background that already makes him stand out in Florida States offense. A former University Christian and East Carolina player, he changed positions from quarterback to tight end in college and now looks set to open the year as the Seminoles starter at that spot, bringing a skill set that can help in more than one way.
For Mike Norvell, the appeal is obvious. Riles has shown he can contribute as both a receiver and a blocker, and that kind of versatility gives Florida State another layer to work with in the middle of the field and in the run game. If he settles in quickly, he could become the kind of dependable presence the Seminoles have been looking for. [Read more 🡒]