Florida State’s already thin running back room got thinner again Monday, when the Seminoles removed senior back Gemari Sands from the roster.
Sands is no longer with the team, and he was not dressed out or on the sidelines for Saturday’s 38-7 win over Virginia. The reason for his departure or dismissal has not been made clear.
The move leaves Florida State scrambling for depth at a position that has taken hit after hit. The Seminoles entered the 2026 season with just six running backs on the roster, and Quintrevion Wisner was dealing with injuries throughout fall camp.
Then Samuel Singleton Jr. went down with a lower-body injury in the loss to Alabama during the first month of the season. Singleton Jr. did not suffer a season-ending injury, but he is expected to miss a large chunk of the rest of the year.
That left FSU with five healthy running backs, and now the number has dropped again.
Sands arrived in Tallahassee in January after transferring from Florida Atlantic and spent the offseason competing for a reserve role behind Ousmane Kromah, Singleton Jr. and Wisner. Even after Singleton Jr.’s injury, Sands was not brought up as one of the main options to absorb those snaps. Instead, Norvell mostly pointed to Wisner and freshman Amari Thomas.
In game action, Sands appeared in one contest for Florida State. He played seven special teams snaps in the 27-24 loss to SMU and helped spark a touchdown by recovering a muffed punt after Daniel Hughes’ tornado kick.
Now the Seminoles have to protect what remains in the room. Kromah, Wisner and Thomas are the key names still standing, and former walk-on Zay Parks is one of the few other available bodies behind them.
Florida State also moved sophomore tight end Gavin Markey to running back after using him there when injuries piled up in the preseason. Markey is now officially listed as a running back on the updated roster, and he played in one game last season.
Sands’ college resume includes three seasons at Florida Atlantic, where he played in 24 games and totaled 136 carries for 582 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 43 catches for 277 yards and led the Owls in rushing in 2025.
A three-star recruit in the 2023 class, he starred at St. Thomas Aquinas in high school.
According to 247Sports, Sands was ranked as the No. 991 overall transfer and the No. 78 transfer RB. Earlier this year, he was also named in a lawsuit by Florida Atlantic that says he owes a portion of his previous contract to the program.
Florida State returns to action Friday, Oct. 9 against Louisville. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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