Florida State’s Defensive Line Transfer Haul: Did the Seminoles Add Enough Firepower?
Florida State hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, pulling in 23 players from the portal and a few more from the JUCO ranks to round out its 2026 roster. And while the Seminoles addressed needs across the board, one position stood out as a critical area for improvement heading into the offseason: the defensive line.
After a 2025 season that lacked consistent pass-rush production, especially off the edge, FSU knew it had to inject speed and disruption into the front four. The question now is whether the additions they made are enough to move the needle-and whether they hit the right balance between need and quality.
Let’s take a closer look at what FSU brought in on the defensive line, what it means for the roster, and where things still feel a bit thin.
Pre-Portal Outlook: A Clear Need for Disruption
Coming into the portal window, FSU’s defensive line was a mixed bag. The interior had some promising pieces, but the edge was a concern. The Seminoles didn’t get much juice from their pass-rush specialists last season, and that lack of pressure showed up in key moments.
The blueprint was clear: add a veteran presence inside to help anchor the middle and find someone-anyone-who could threaten the edge with speed.
DL Additions: Two Transfers, Two Different Roles
EDGE Rylan Kennedy (Sr., Texas A&M)
- Size: 6-3, 240
- Career Stats: 37 games, 40 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 4 PBUs
- 2025 Snapshot: 14 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 176 snaps, 14 QB pressures
- PFF Grade: 67.1
- Transfer Grade: 87 (per 247Sports)
Kennedy brings speed, plain and simple. That’s his calling card, and it’s the trait FSU is betting on. He’s got the burst to get off the line and pressure the quarterback, and his 11.2% pass-rush productivity rate (15th among DEs nationally) hints at untapped potential.
But here’s the catch: this is Year 4 of his college career, and the production hasn’t quite matched the athleticism. While he’s flashed in spurts-especially against lower-level competition-he hasn’t consistently delivered in meaningful situations. That makes him more of a situational weapon than a plug-and-play starter.
If FSU uses him as a rotational pass-rush specialist, he could thrive. But if they’re expecting him to anchor one side of the line every down, that’s a big leap of faith.
iDL Jordan Sanders (RS Sr., Texas State)
- Size: 6-4, 315
- Career Stats: 41 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF
- 2025 Snapshot: 13 games, 3 starts, 16 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 365 snaps, 11 QB pressures
- PFF Grade: 78.2
- Transfer Grade: 86 (per 247Sports)
Sanders is a solid addition in the middle. He’s played a lot of football-36 games over four seasons-and brings the kind of size and strength you want in a rotational interior lineman. He’s not a game-wrecker, but he’s reliable and can hold his own in a two-gap scheme.
There’s even a little pass-rush upside here. He’s shown the ability to push the pocket and create pressure, and if he can improve his gap recognition, he could carve out a steady role.
Still, it’s telling that he wasn’t a full-time starter at the Group of Six level. That likely caps his role as a rotational piece rather than a cornerstone.
What’s Missing: Speed, Depth, and a True Game-Changer
The biggest issue here isn’t who FSU brought in-it’s who they didn’t.
The Seminoles made a strong push for UCF nose tackle John Walker, a plug-and-play interior force who could’ve solidified the middle immediately. But he chose Ohio State instead. They also missed out on Noah Carter, a hybrid edge rusher who would’ve paired nicely with Kennedy to give Tony White the kind of athletic tandem he didn’t have in Year 1.
And while FSU did retain Mandrell and Darryl Desir-two young defensive linemen with intriguing upside-that retention came at a cost. The focus and resources spent on keeping them likely limited what FSU could do elsewhere in the portal. It was a smart move long-term, but it left the edge group thin in the short term.
Right now, the pass-rush plan looks like a patchwork: hope Kennedy can develop into more than a situational guy, hope Sanders can give you quality snaps inside, and hope someone like Daniel Lyons or Kevin Wynn can take a leap and fill the void left by Darrell Jackson.
That’s a lot of hoping.
Final Thoughts: A Missed Opportunity
Let’s be clear-this isn’t a total failure. Sanders is a solid get, and Kennedy has traits worth betting on. But for a team that needed to get faster and more disruptive up front, this portal cycle feels like a swing that caught more air than contact.
FSU may not be done at EDGE-there’s still the possibility of post-spring additions if waiver situations or academic hurdles clear. But relying on late-summer reinforcements at such a vital position is risky, especially when development time is already tight.
If Kennedy hits, and if Sanders becomes a steady contributor, this group could look better than it does on paper right now. But as it stands, FSU didn’t get the edge speed it desperately needed-and that leaves a critical question mark heading into 2026.
Report Card Grade: D
Plenty of effort, but not enough execution. The Seminoles needed more than what they got.