Mike Norvell returns for his seventh season as head coach at Florida State and will face increased pressure if the Seminoles fail to deliver a winning season. The Seminoles usher in a new offensive coordinator in Tim Harris Jr. and are excited for Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels to lead them at quarterback. Daniels is electric as a dual-threat, but is coming off a season where he only played four games, so keeping him healthy is a must. The Seminoles lost their top two running backs from last year, but are excited for Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner to showcase his talents. Duce Robinson returns as the top pass catcher from a season ago with 56 receptions. The Seminoles return two of their top three receivers from 2025. Florida State’s main concern on offense is its offensive line, where no starters from last year’s team remain, as they will rely on four transfers led by Xavier Chaplin, who follows Ashton Daniels from Auburn, and Purdue transfer Bradyn Joiner.

Tony White enters his second season as the Seminoles’ defensive coordinator. Florida State lost its top tackler, Earl Little, to the transfer portal and returns just four of its top eleven tacklers from a year ago. The Seminoles are optimistic to watch UNC transfer Mikai Gbayor at linebacker, provided he is healthy. Ja’Bril Rawls and Ashlynd Barker head up a secondary that has a lot of new faces from a year ago.

Florida State will have a new special teams look in 2026 as special teams coordinator Adam Scheier comes over from UNLV. The Seminoles will have a new field goal kicker and punter, and the return spots have yet to be determined. With so many new pieces in the trenches and on special teams, Florida State’s ability to improve up front will go a long way toward determining whether 2026 is a bounce-back year.