Florida State is walking into Monday night’s matchup with SMU already short-handed, and the latest blow landed just hours before kickoff. Darryll Desir has been ruled out, adding to a growing injury list that leaves second-year defensive coordinator Tony White with a much tougher task against Rhett Lashlee’s offense.
Desir is one of several Seminoles who will not be available. The Gameday report also lists KJ Kirkland, Jordan Crutchfield, and Chuck Kennon as sidelined in the secondary, while veteran linebacker Blake Nichelson is out as well. After a 34-17 Week 0 win over New Mexico State, Florida State appears to have come out of that game more banged up than expected.
That matters because the Seminoles did not generate much of a pass rush in the opener, and the challenge only gets steeper against No. 19 SMU at Doak Campbell Stadium. White is now staring at a high-powered Mustangs passing game with fewer answers on the back end and less help up front.
The last time Florida State saw SMU was before White arrived in Tallahassee. In the Mustangs’ first ACC season, they beat the Seminoles 42-16, getting 254 passing yards and three touchdowns from Jennings, who is now in his third year running Lashlee’s offense.
Florida State’s pass defense was already under pressure. In 2025, the Seminoles ranked No. 57 nationally in passing success rate and gave up 6.5 yards per dropback, which ranked No.
- New Mexico State then threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in Week 0, exposing communication problems in the secondary.
With Kirkland, Crutchfield, and Kennon unavailable, those issues could get even louder.
That’s part of what makes the Desir loss so damaging. Darryll, not his twin brother Mandrell, led the team in QB pressures in 2025.
Mandrell had 6.5 sacks as a true freshman, but Darryll was the one producing the most consistent disruption. He posted a 30% pass rush win rate on 20 pass-rushing reps against the Aggies, and even with a modest showing last week, he remains a key piece of the front.
The Desirs entered the transfer portal this offseason after arriving as three-star recruits and quickly outplaying that label in Year 1. Their return gave Florida State a boost, especially with the program’s tight offseason budget, and Mike Norvell and White were counting on both brothers to play major roles.
Now one of them is out, and the pressure only increases on a Seminoles team that already looked uneven in Week 0. Florida State is also hoping for more from its two JACK linebacker additions, Rylan Kennedy from Texas A&M and JuCo transfer Jalen Anderson. Anderson was the more effective of the two against New Mexico State, but neither flashed much juice off the edge.
All of that leaves Florida State trying to piece together a pass rush and a coverage plan against a dangerous SMU attack, with White needing to find something creative fast.
In Other News...
Former Florida State Transfers Are Off To Some Eye-Opening Starts
Opening weekend gave Florida State fans an early look at just how much talent has flowed out through the transfer portal, and plenty of those former Seminoles wasted little time making an impression elsewhere. The review of the first slate of games showed former FSU quarterbacks, defensive backs and other transfers logging meaningful snaps, with Pro Football Focus data helping paint the picture of who settled in quickly and who immediately became part of the action for their new teams.
Quarterback play drew some of the most attention, but it was not just the signal-callers who stood out. Players such as Earl Little Jr. and Joseph also showed up in the defensive numbers, while the report tracked everything from completions and rushing production to tackles and receptions allowed. For Florida State, it is another reminder that the transfer market can reshape rosters in a hurry, and that the Seminoles will keep seeing familiar names pop up on Saturdays as those new situations develop. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Reignited A Recruiting Battle With Florida
Florida State is using a big home game as a recruiting stage, bringing in 2027 athlete Kamarion Johnson for its matchup against SMU as it continues to press for one of the more intriguing names in the next cycle. Johnson, a versatile standout from Clinch County High School in Georgia, has shown he can help in plenty of ways, turning heads on offense, defense and special teams while already carrying a commitment to Florida.
The Seminoles are not backing away from that part of the rivalry, either. Even with Johnson pledged elsewhere, Florida State is still working to stay in the picture and see whether it can chip away at Floridas hold on him, which makes this visit one worth watching as the recruiting battle develops. [Read more 🡒]
Ann Bowdens Birthday Brings Back A Florida State Legacy Fans Cherish
Ann Bowden marked her 94th birthday on Sept. 7, a reminder of how deeply the Bowden family remains woven into Florida State history. As the longtime wife of legendary coach Bobby Bowden, she was part of the fabric of an era that still resonates with Seminole fans, and her move from Tallahassee to Alabama in 2025 brought a quiet shift for a family whose name has long carried special meaning in the programs story.
Even after leaving Tallahassee to be closer to family, Ann remains in good health, and her birthday offered another moment for fans to reflect on that legacy. The Bowden family home, sold at auction in March 2026, is now back on the market, with potential negotiations involving Seminole Boosters, Inc., keeping one more piece of that history very much in play. [Read more 🡒]