Before the Orange Bowl, Florida State loses quarterback Tate Rodemaker to the transfer portal.
Florida State received more bad news only days before its Orange Bowl game against Georgia on Saturday.
According to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports, Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker has informed his coaches that he intends to join the NCAA transfer portal and would skip the Orange Bowl.
That means FSU will likely start freshman Brock Glenn against the No. 5 Seminoles and No. 6 Bulldogs. Despite the fact that it was not part of the College Football Playoff, a game between 13-0 Florida State and 12-1 Georgia appeared to be one of the best bowl matches of the college football playoffs at first glance.
“This decision to enter the portal was incredibly difficult,” a family source told 247Sports. “However, with the unforgiving nature of the calendar relative to transfer portal players and bowl games and limited opportunities remaining for transfer quarterbacks, the family felt this move was in Tate’s best interest.”
Despite an undefeated season and an ACC championship, Florida State was left out of the College Football Playoff. That contentious decision was linked to initial starting quarterback Jordan Travis’ season-ending injury and the idea that such a loss made the Seminoles less deserving than Alabama, which received the fourth and final slot in the Playoff.
According to the individual who told 247Sports of Rodemaker’s decision, Florida State coaches were publicly courting other quarterbacks in the transfer portal, including Cam Ward and DJ Uiagalelei, indicating that Rodemaker was not in the Seminoles’ plans for next season.
Rodemaker is the latest Seminoles athlete to enter the transfer portal, joining linebacker DJ Lundy and quarterback AJ Duffy. Receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman, as well as running back Trey Benson and edge rusher Jahvid Best, have pulled out of the Orange Bowl to focus on the NFL draft.
The Seminoles take against the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
