Florida State’s pass rush is starting to look like a real strength again, and the difference this time is depth.
After two seasons in which the Seminoles struggled to get consistent heat on opposing quarterbacks, the defensive front enters 2026 with more answers than it has had in a while. The return of Deamontae Diggs, the rise of the Desir twins and the addition of Texas A&M transfer Rylan Kennedy have given defensive coordinator Tony White a rotation that looks far less top-heavy than the one Florida State has leaned on in recent years.
That matters because the lack of pressure up front was a major reason the Seminoles slipped. In 2023, when Florida State went undefeated in the regular season, Jared Verse, Patrick Payton and Braden Fiske helped drive one of the ACC’s best pass rushes.
By 2024, that edge had disappeared. Florida State gave up 185 rushing yards per game, allowed 4.6 yards per carry and finished with just 27 sacks.
Last season brought improvement. Mike Norvell mixed younger players with transfers, and the defense cut its rushing average allowed to 138 yards per game while trimming nearly a full yard off its yards-per-carry number. The sack total climbed to 31, a step in the right direction even if it still left room for more.
Diggs is the biggest reason optimism is building. He missed the final nine games of the 2025 season because of injury, but the flashes were there when he was on the field.
He had a key sack against Alabama and, in only 32 pass-rushing snaps, posted a 63.9 Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade with two sacks, two quarterback pressures and a perfect tackling efficiency. His length and versatility give White the kind of matchup piece that can be moved around the formation.
The Desir twins have also pushed this group forward.
Mandrell Desir looks like the one leading the charge right now. In 2025, he earned a 69.5 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus and piled up 24 pressures, six sacks and 15 quarterback hits on 187 pass-rushing snaps. The bigger story is consistency - he wasn’t just popping in for highlight plays, he was making quarterbacks uncomfortable snap after snap.
Darryll Desir was efficient in his own right. He finished with a 68.5 pass-rush grade, 20 pressures, three sacks and five quarterback hits on 142 pass-rushing snaps. Together, the twins give Florida State two young edge defenders who can win their share of one-on-one battles.
There is work to do inside after Darrell Jackson was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. But Daniel Lyons and Deante McCray bring proven production to the middle.
Lyons had 15 pressures, three sacks and 12 quarterback hurries last season. McCray added 10 pressures and eight quarterback hurries while moving around the defensive front.
Kevin Wynn is another name to keep in mind. Injuries limited him to just 40 defensive snaps last season, but his 72.9 tackling grade hints at more upside if he can stay healthy.
With Kennedy added to the mix, Florida State no longer has to ask the same few players to carry the pass rush on their backs. The Seminoles have built something different here: a front that can rotate, stay fresh and keep pressure coming from multiple spots.
In Other News...
Former Seminole Luke Kromenhoek Faces A Defining Turn At USF
Luke Kromenhoeks move to USF has put the former Seminole in the middle of one of the more closely watched quarterback competitions in the state. He is battling transfer Michael Van Buren Jr. for the starting job heading into the 2026 season, and the two bring different backgrounds from previous Power 4 programs, giving the Bulls a pair of options as they sort out the most important spot on the field.
Head coach Brian Hartline said both quarterbacks are competing strongly and pushing each other to improve, which is exactly the kind of pressure USF wanted when it brought in experienced transfers. No official decision has been announced for the season opener, and for now the competition remains open as Kromenhoek tries to turn this chance into a defining step in his college career. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Could Suddenly Get A Familiar Name Back
A familiar name from Florida State basketball is back in the picture, and this one is coming through the courts rather than the transfer portal. Former Seminoles player Alex Steen has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking another year of eligibility, following a recent ruling that gave Class of 2022 athletes an extra season and extended the five-season model to athletes in the Class of 2023 and beyond.
Steens path to Florida State was already unusual, with three seasons at Florida Southern before he spent his senior year in Tallahassee. He had been preparing to move on to a professional career, but the lawsuit has opened the door to one more possible college run, leaving Florida State fans to wonder whether a player who was already headed for the next level could end up back in garnet and gold. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell Faces New Pressure After Florida States Latest Poll Snub
Florida States latest preseason AP Poll result landed with a familiar thud, and it comes at a time when the program is still trying to reestablish itself among the sports upper tier. The Seminoles were left unranked in the 2026 preseason poll, continuing a recent pattern that has kept them outside the top 25 more often than not and reinforced how much ground remains to be made up in the national conversation.
For Mike Norvell, the snub adds another layer of pressure entering the season. It is the fifth time in seven seasons his teams have begun unranked, a mark that now exceeds the number of preseason top-25 omissions under Bobby Bowden. With Miami, SMU and Louisville representing the ACC in the poll, Florida State again finds itself chasing league peers before the games even begin. [Read more 🡒]