Florida State is heading into the new season with plenty of noise around the program, and most of it has been negative. That is exactly why the start of camp matters. With fall camp close and the Week Zero meeting with New Mexico State only a little more than a month away, there is still room to look at this team and find a few real reasons for optimism.
The clearest one might be Duce Robinson. He has become the kind of player who fits the mood around the Seminoles before he even takes a snap.
As the son of a former FSU great, Robinson has made his affection for the school and for Tallahassee obvious every time he speaks about the program. Through spring practice and again at ACC Media Days, he came across as one of the roster’s most visible leaders, right there with quarterback Ashton Daniels.
On the field, Robinson is coming off a 1,000-yard season and looks set up to do even more. At Media Days in Charlotte, he said he wants to move around the formation, not just line up as an outside receiver.
That kind of flexibility should help Florida State get him the ball early and often. The offseason work around him points in the same direction, with the offense built to fit his skill set and speed placed around him at receiver.
If the passing game develops a clear identity, the whole offense should run cleaner. And in an era when portal relationships can feel temporary, Robinson has already built something real with the fan base, which makes his rise as an NFL prospect even more fun to track.
There is also reason to believe the front seven can be better than it was a year ago. That unit has enough pieces to be one of the stronger groups on the roster, even if there will be some debate about it.
The Desir brothers are back after standing out as one of the few bright spots from the 2025 season. Mandrell is now listed at 6’4” 270 pounds, while Daryll checks in at 6’5” 259 pounds, and both should be able to help set the edge in the 3-3-5.
They are not alone, either. Rylan Kennedy gives Florida State a pass-rush option it did not really have last season, and Deamontae Diggs and Deante McCray both add more flexibility, especially with McCray able to work inside as well.
The middle of the defense has its own returner worth watching in Daniel Lyons, who is back for his redshirt-senior year. Dane Brugler ranked him 19th among senior defensive tackle prospects in his preseason positional rankings for The Athletic. Behind him, Kevin Wynn enters year two and should have a real chance to make a jump after dropping weight in the offseason.
Linebacker has a good mix too, with Blake Nichelson and Omar Graham Jr. back and transfers Chris Jones and Mikai Gbayor joining them. Jones arrives after averaging more than 10 tackles a game at Southern Miss, while Gbayor already has familiarity with Tony White from their time together at Nebraska.
The coaching changes matter here as well. Florida State swapped position coaches but kept the same scheme, and that should help the group settle in.
Ernie Sims is now coaching linebackers after John Papuchis, and Tony White added Nick Williams to work with the edges alongside Terrance Williams. With a second year in the 3-3-5 and returners at every level, the front seven should be in line for a better season than the uneven one they put together last year.
The schedule will also tell the truth early. Florida State’s 2025 season was hard to read almost from the start, beginning with the upset of Alabama, then two easy wins, then a bye, and a top-10 ranking that made the picture even murkier. The slide that followed, including a four-game losing streak in October, only added to the confusion, even with blowout wins over Wake Forest and Virginia Tech later on.
This year should not leave nearly as much room for guessing. The Seminoles open against a veteran SMU team in a standalone Labor Day game, then head to Tuscaloosa two weeks later in a matchup that could put them at 1-2 before October arrives.
After that come road games at Louisville and Miami before the bye. Even with two easier games mixed in, this schedule is going to force answers fast.
If things go sideways, there will be nowhere to hide.
In Other News...
Ernie Sims Keeps FSU Linebacker Recruiting Surge Rolling
Florida States linebacker room has been one of the more active areas of the roster since Ernie Sims was promoted to linebackers coach, and the early returns on the recruiting trail have matched the staffs urgency. Sims has already helped the Seminoles land several linebacker commitments while the program continues to mix in experienced transfers and high school additions, giving the position group both immediate depth and a longer-term pipeline.
The next name on the board is Israel Samuel, a 2028 three-star linebacker out of Texas whom Florida State has offered as the search for future talent keeps rolling. Samuel already has a crowded offer sheet that includes several national powers, and the Seminoles are working to get him on campus in the near future, with a visit still to be arranged. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Adds Duke Safety As Defensive Rebuild Keeps Rolling
Florida States defensive overhaul kept moving this week with the addition of former Duke safety Makhi Jones, a portal pickup for the 2026 season who gives Mike Norvell another piece to work with on that side of the ball. Jones arrives with three years of eligibility left after a steady 2025 at Duke, where he played in every game and chipped in 35 tackles and a fumble recovery.
The fit is the part that stands out most. Jones is expected to slide into rover and nickel duties in Tony Whites defense, adding another versatile body to a portal class that has already become a major part of Florida States rebuild. He is one of 24 transfer additions overall and one of seven brought in for the defense, a sign the Seminoles are still shaping this unit with an eye toward both depth and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Just Made Clear Who Will Set The Tone On Defense
Florida State has spent the summer looking for the kind of defensive voice that can steady a young group, and Ashlynd Barker has been at the center of that conversation. The veteran safety has drawn consistent praise from the coaching staff for his work ethic and the way he carries himself in the program, the sort of presence that matters even before the pads come on. With his final season approaching, Barker is positioned to be one of the Seminoles most important figures in the secondary.
His offseason standing got another boost with the programs Break the Rock honor, a nod to the leadership and standard-setting that coaches want from their upperclassmen. It fits the way Florida State has described Barker throughout the summer workout period, as someone who sets an example in the room and on the field. For a defense that will lean on experience wherever it can find it, Barkers role looks less like a supporting piece and more like a tone-setter. [Read more 🡒]