Due to opt-outs and transfers, Florida State will be without at least 14 players in the Orange Bowl.
The Orange Bowl game between No. 5 Florida State and No. 6 Georgia is in less than a week. When the Seminoles take on the Bulldogs, their squad will be much different from when they started the season, having won the first 13 games of their schedule and emerging victorious in the ACC Championship for the first time in nine years.
Over 16% of Florida State’s players have chosen not to participate in the game for a variety of reasons after a historic snub. The ‘Noles have been virtually decimated at several spots by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s decision, and younger players will be expected to step up on both sides of the ball.
Depending on how the next few days go, at least 14 guys on the roster won’t be suiting up, and that figure may rise to almost 20. Obviously, a leg injury will keep standout quarterback Jordan Travis out of action for the rest of the season. Other than him, Fabien Lovett, defensive tackle, defensive end Jared Verse, tight end Jaheim Bell, wide receiver Keon Coleman, running back Trey Benson, and defensive end Johnny Wilson have all chosen to sit out the game in order to be ready for the 2024 NFL Draft.
ACC awards were given to all seven Seminoles in recognition of their outstanding season-long play. Verse (41 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks) led the team in sacks, Coleman (658 yards, 11 TDs) led the ACC in receiving touchdowns, and Benson (906 yards, 14 TDs) topped the league in rushing. The success of the team also included Wilson (617 yards, 2 touchdowns), Bell (503 yards, 2 touchdowns), and Lovett (22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack).
Additionally, seven players have committed to other programs through the NCAA Transfer Portal. New homes have been found for quarterback AJ Duffy (San Diego State), running backs Rodney Hill (FAMU), CJ Campbell (FAU), tight end Markeston Douglas (Arizona State), offensive linemen Bless Harris (TCU), Daughtry Richardson (FAU), and Qae’Shon Sapp (FAMU). In preparation for the conference title game against Louisville, Florida State’s most recent two-deep lineup was Duffy, Hill, Campbell, Douglas, and Harris.
Defensive tackle Malcolm Ray, linebacker DJ Lundy, offensive lineman Thomas Scrader, defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase, and linebacker Dylan-Brown Turner are among the other scholarship players who are in limbo. In addition, a number of Seminoles, including defensive tackle Braden Fiske, safety Akeem Dent, linebackers Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach, cornerback Renardo Green, and cornerback Fentrell Cypress II, have not officially said if they will participate or not.
It’s important to remember that Cypress, DeLoach, and Fiske have media meetings on Thursday as part of the Orange Bowl program for pregame press availability. It seems unlikely that they would be at the game’s news conference if they weren’t planning to face the Bulldogs.
Eleven players who were not expected to play were, at the very least, included in Florida State’s two-deep on the most recent depth chart. If some users of the portal choose not to log in, that number could increase to as high as fifteen. On Monday, Christmas Day, the Seminoles will make public their depth chart for the game.
Conversely, Georgia has lost 19 players through the gateway, with starting linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson being the most notable casualty. A number of players from the two-deep have also moved on, including defensive tackle Jonathan Jefferson, wide receivers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes, offensive linemen Aliou Bah and Austin Blaske, quarterback Brock Vandagriff, and outside linebackers Marvin Jones Jr., Xavian Sorey, Darris Smith, and CJ Madden.
Carson Beck, the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, had earlier declared he was participating in the game despite considering a professional career. So far, star tight end Brock Bowers has shown no inclination to commit. To prepare for the draft, no player on Georgia’s roster has openly chosen to withdraw.
On Saturday, December 30, Florida State and Georgia will play in the Orange Bowl. The match will begin at 4:00 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN.
