By james art 
The Florida State Seminoles are looking to reimagine an offense that was once one of the nation’s best in 2023, adding a slew of transfers and tackle commitments on both sides of the football.
With the losses of offensive linemen Darius Washington and Maurice Smith to the NFL, along with defensive tackle Josh Farmer declaring for the NFL draft, defensive ends Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. on the NCAA transfer portal, head coach Mike Norvell has had to to make significant adjustments on both sides of the ball.
Leaning heavily on incoming talent, Norvell and new offensive line coach Herb Hand brought in guys like 4-star offensive line transfers Luca Petitbon from Wake Forest and Micah Pett from Ole Miss, 3-star lineman Gunnar Hansen from Vanderbilt and Adrian Medley from UCF as part of the #7 transfer class in the country.
Breaking: Four-star 6-foot-9 offensive tackle Chastan Brown has committed to Florida State
“It’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’re averaging over 25 starts across the country for each of them. It’s a group that really brings tremendous ability to this room.”
The ‘Noles went through a major coaching overhaul, adding defensive line coach Terrence Nathan and defensive coordinator Tony White to the mix. 3-star transfer cornerback Jason Jenkins and Coastal Carolina’s Deamontae Diggs, Western Kentucky’s Deantae McCray and 4-star defensive lineman 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 wavered.
“Everybody defensively, I wanted to see an elite-level effort — relentless pursuit of the ball and skill to be able to go and make plays and I think when you look at that defensive front, I think they all have great size, ability. impact. “
Size and speed will be integral if the ‘Noles are 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 bolster 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 looks ahead to their season opener against Alabama on Aug. 30 inside newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.