By james art 
The Florida State Seminoles are looking to retool an offense that was once one of the nation’s best in 2023, adding a slew of transfers and commitments to bolster both sides of the football.
With the losses of offensive linemen Darius Washington and Maurice Smith to the NFL, along with defensive end Josh Farmer declaring for the NFL draft, defensive end Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. on the NCAA transfer portal, head coach Mike Norvell has had to make significant adjustments on both sides of the ball.
Relying heavily on new talent, Norvell and new offensive line coach Herb Hand brought in guys like 4-star offensive line transfers Luke Petitbon from Wake Forest and Micah Pettus from Ole Miss, 3-star linemen Gunnar Hansen from Vanderbilt and Adrian Medley out UCF as part of the No.7 transfer class in the country.
BREAKING: Four-star 6-foot-9 offensive tackle Chastan Brown commits to Florida State
“That’s the experience. It’s the mentality, the size, the strength — these are guys who have done it at a high level.” Norvell said of the incoming transfer class. “I think they average over 25 starts for each of them. This is a group that really brings tremendous ability to this room.”
The Noles went through a major coaching overhaul, adding defensive line coach Terence Knighton and defensive coordinator Tony White to the mix. 3-star transfer defensive end Jayson Jenkins and Deamontae Diggs from Coastal Carolina, Deantae McCray from Western Kentucky and 4-star transfer defensive end James Williams from Nebraska to help bolster the line.
Norvell has always been committed to an “elite level” effort since joining the Seminoles, and what he expects from the new roster hasn’t changed.
“Everybody on defense, I wanted to see an elite-level effort — relentless pursuit of the ball and ability to be able to make plays and make plays and I think when you look at that defensive front, I think they all have great size. They were able to impact the quarterback ability to make an impact.”
Size and speed will be integral if the Noles want to return to dominance. Williams is 6’6”, 250 pounds and Jenkins comes in at 6’6”, 281 pounds. Diggs, at 6’5”, 260 pounds, helps anchor a defensive front with the kind of weight needed to push the competition.
2025 will be a crucial year for Florida State and Mike Norvell as they look toward the season opener against Alabama on Aug. 30 at newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.
READ MORE: Florida State legend named head coach at Mississippi Valley State University
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