Florida State’s path back to a real defensive identity starts up front.
After a season that featured too many missed pressures and too many late-game breakdowns, the Seminoles need their defensive line to become the force it was supposed to be. The talent is there, but last year’s production fell short of the standard. Florida State averaged just under three quarterback pressures per game and 2.5 sacks per game, numbers that simply won’t get it done.
The results showed up in the standings, too. Four of the Seminoles’ seven losses came by eight points or less, and too often they couldn’t slam the door when it mattered.
They gave up 13 points to Pitt after taking a 24-21 lead into the fourth quarter, and they also lost to Virginia in overtime. More often than not, opponents were the ones dictating the game.
If Florida State is going to have the kind of 2026 season it wants, the front four has to drive the turnaround. The group includes several players who will be expected to take on bigger roles and produce more consistently.
Mandrell Desir is at the top of that list. Re-recruited out of the transfer portal with his brother Darryll, the 6-4, 260-pound end made an immediate impact as a true freshman. He finished with 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and one quarterback hurry, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors and Freshman All-American recognition from On3.
Darryll Desir also flashed as a true freshman, putting up 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hurries. He entered the transfer portal, then withdrew his name after deciding with his brother to stay with the Seminoles.
Deante McCray added 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack and three quarterback hurries in 2025, while Deomantae Diggs logged two tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss last season.
Rylan Kennedy, a transfer from Texas A&M, brought 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in a reserve role and will push for a starting job in fall camp.
Kevin Wynn, listed at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, is another player in the mix for playing time. The No. 10 defensive lineman nationally in the 2025 class according to 247 Sports, the consensus four-star recruit had just one tackle and one pass breakup last season after arriving with big expectations. That followed a senior year in high school that included 59 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
There are other bodies in the room competing for snaps, and Florida State will need that group to keep building chemistry and unity. That’s the formula the Seminoles are counting on if they want a defense that can actually change games again.
In Other News...
Florida State Just Added A Linebacker Fans Have Been Waiting For
Florida State has added linebacker Mikai Gbayor to its 2026 roster, giving the Seminoles another experienced piece as the defense continues to take shape under Tony White. With one year of eligibility left, Gbayor arrives with a well-traveled college resume and enough production to suggest he can help right away in a room that needs reliable depth and competition.
For Florida State, the appeal is obvious: Gbayor has seen different systems, handled meaningful snaps, and now lands in a defense that is still being reshaped. His path has included stops at Nebraska, Missouri and North Carolina, and the Seminoles are banking on that experience translating quickly as camp approaches and the battle for roles begins to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Has More NFL Talent Drawing Buzz Than Fans Realize
Florida States recent NFL pipeline has become easy to overlook in the middle of a season prep cycle, but the numbers keep stacking up under Mike Norvell. The Seminoles have produced 19 draft picks in his era, and more than half of them came off the board in 2024, a reminder that the programs talent base has been translating to the next level at a steady clip. With the 2024 opener against New Mexico State approaching, the roster is already drawing a different kind of attention from evaluators.
That buzz is showing up again for the 2026 draft cycle, where 12 Seminoles landed on the Shriners Childrens East-West Bowl top 1000 prospects list. Florida State tied Clemson for fourth-most ACC players on the list, trailing only Miami, Louisville and Virginia, which says plenty about where the leagues deeper draft conversations are starting to point. The headline names are there, but so are a long list of other players who could keep this draft thread growing well beyond the first wave of preseason attention. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Entered The Race For Another Blue-Chip Defender
Florida State spent the summer building real momentum on the defensive front, landing five pledges there and adding names like four-star lineman Sam LeJeune and reclassified end Meshi Dobson to the mix. That run has kept the Seminoles active with younger defensive talent, and it has also given the staff room to keep pressing into the next wave of prospects before the cycle really takes shape.
One of the more intriguing targets now on the board has already drawn attention from several major programs, and his profile keeps rising as the offers pile up. He was named Defensive Line MVP at UA Next Baltimore in June and helped DeMatha Catholic finish a perfect sophomore season with another state title, the kind of rsum that explains why Florida State is trying to get in early and stay involved. [Read more 🡒]