Florida State’s linebackers are being built around a simple edge this season: hit first, hit hard, and make life miserable for whoever has the ball.
That’s the picture Ernie Sims painted as he watched his group through fall camp. The Seminoles’ linebackers coach said this unit looks and feels different, with Southern Miss transfer Chris Jones at the center of it. Sims wants them to be “apex predators.”
“I think the common thing is that these guys are eager,” said Sims. “You know, when I look into the eyes of these young men, you can see the desire.
You can see the intensity. You can see that they want to have some type of impact on this defense and on this team.
So, I think we all have a lot of anticipation and excitement of what this group can bring.”
Jones brings the kind of production and temperament that jumps off the page. He piled up 135 tackles and finished in the top ten nationally in tackles per game with 10 stops per contest.
Last season at Southern Miss, he had eight games with double-digit tackles, including a high of 15 in losses to Louisiana Tech and Texas State. He also added 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.
For Sims, that’s the essence of the position.
“Well, that's the heart of what a linebacker is,” said Sims. “And you know that I mean there's a lot of people that talk about it and write about it, but not many people have actually played the position. It's a difficult position, and the demand that it takes to play the position at an elite level is very special."
Jones has also stepped into a leadership role with the younger players around him, giving Florida State a linebacker who fits the garnet and gold and, in Sims’ eyes, looks like a natural central-casting answer for the spot.
The name itself carries weight at Florida State, even though there’s no family connection. Jones could follow in the footsteps of Marvin Jones, a three-time All-American who won the Butkus and Lombardi Awards and went in the first round to the New York Jets in 1993. Marvin Jones is also remembered for “The Hit” on a Miami Hurricanes receiver in the 1992 rivalry game, a collision so violent it sent the receiver horizontal in midair before he landed flat on his back.
That’s the standard the Seminoles are chasing again. To get there, this linebacker group has to clean up the run game, shut down lanes, and finish plays with force instead of arm tackles. They’ll need to range from sideline to sideline and arrive with violence of action.
The bigger picture is just as clear. Florida State was No. 105 in turnover margin last season at -5, and Sims’ group is expected to help change that.
The Seminoles need takeaways to protect leads, keep teams out of the red zone, and turn close games their way. Four of their losses last season came by seven points or fewer.
Now the challenge shifts from camp talk to game action, with New Mexico State waiting on Saturday.
In Other News...
Florida State Fans Now Face A Troubling Devin Carter Injury Question
Devin Carter has become the latest Florida State injury storyline to watch, and this one carries more uncertainty than the usual day-to-day practice update. A public Instagram post from his father, Dexter Carter, said the wide receiver has been dealing with fractures to four lumbar transverse processes, and it painted a picture of a player pushing through significant pain while still trying to stay involved. For a Seminoles offense that values depth and continuity, any extended absence at receiver is worth monitoring closely.
Mike Norvell confirmed Carter is currently unavailable because of injury, but stopped short of adding much detail beyond that. The public account has left fans with more questions than answers, especially after the post said the injury worsened when Carter was hit while wearing a no-contact jersey. For now, Florida State is left waiting on the next update, and Carters timeline remains one of the more unsettling unknowns around the program. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Fans Heading To Doak Face A Game Day Traffic Squeeze
Florida States 2026 football opener at Doak Campbell Stadium will arrive with more than the usual first-game buzz, as fans heading to the final Saturday in August will also have to navigate a tightened traffic plan around campus. The Tallahassee Police Department and Florida State University have already laid out parking guidance, recommended routes and adjusted traffic flow for the day, with the SeminoleSafe App set up as a real-time resource for updates before and after kickoff.
The added wrinkle is the calendar, with Florida A&M also scheduled to play at home on the same day, a setup that could stack traffic across the city and make the approach to Doak more crowded than usual. For Seminole fans, that means leaving extra time, paying close attention to the universitys guidance and expecting a busier-than-normal game day even before the seasons first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Ashton Daniels Rumor Puts Florida State's Week 0 Commitment In Focus
As Florida State turns the page toward its season opener, the quarterback picture has settled in a way that leaves little room for interpretation. Ashton Daniels was named the starter in the spring and held that spot through fall camp, and the Seminoles official depth chart made it clear he is still in line to open the year under center.
Still, the chatter around Daniels surfaced enough for David Pollack to ask about it publicly, which says something about how closely people are watching the Seminoles first real decision point of the season. For Florida State, the important part is that the rumor never turned into a camp battle, and the Week 0 commitment appears to be exactly what the staff said it was all along. [Read more 🡒]