Florida State’s rebuilt offensive line is already drawing attention, and Xavier Chaplin hasn’t even taken his first snap in Garnet and Gold yet.
USA TODAY included the veteran left tackle among the ACC’s 10 most impactful transfers ahead of the 2026 season, a notable nod for a Seminoles front that has been overhauled through the portal for a second straight offseason. Chaplin is expected to help protect Ashton Daniels while Florida State replaces all five starters from last year’s offensive line.
The move makes sense on paper. The Seminoles needed a proven presence to steady a unit with so much newness around it, and Chaplin brings exactly that. Across his time at Auburn and Virginia Tech, he stacked up 37 consecutive starts, giving Florida State the kind of experience that can settle a line quickly.
“In Chaplin, they got just that … and at one of the most important positions in the sport,” USA TODAY’s Craig Meyer wrote.
Chaplin’s résumé is strong, too. He earned third-team All-America honors in 2023 and honorable mention All-ACC recognition in 2024.
After transferring to Auburn last offseason, he started all 12 games at left tackle. Now the 6-foot-8, 346-pound lineman is back in the ACC for what will be his final college season, with a chance to anchor the left side of Florida State’s rebuilt front.
He’s the most established piece in Mike Norvell’s group up front, but the line is still a work in progress. Florida State spent fall camp mixing and matching combinations, and Norvell has liked the overall ceiling of the unit.
“I think it’s a group that they’ve got a high potential,” Norvell said. “Guys that are capable of creating space and moving people.”
How fast that potential turns into production will depend on how quickly the Seminoles’ new pieces click together. Florida State added Chaplin, Nate Pabst, Bradyn Welch-Joiner, Chimdia Nwaiwu, and Paul Bowling through the portal, while returners André Otto and Chavez Thompson have also pushed for spots.
Offensive line coach Herb Hand stopped short of locking in a starting five when he spoke with the media Wednesday, but he liked where things stood with August 29 approaching.
“Nothing’s set in stone right now,” Hand said. “But I like the way that the unit’s coming together.”
Chaplin was Florida State’s lone addition on USA TODAY’s list. Miami had the most ACC players recognized, with Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate, and Damon Wilson II all making the cut.
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