Updated Dec. 8, 2025, 4:35 p.m. ET
Florida State didn’t have a dominant defense in 2025 by any means, but there was improvement under first-year coordinator Tony White. A big thank you can be attributed to true freshman defensive lineman Mandrell Desir.
The former three-star prospect played in all 12 games and totaled 30 tackles with seven tackles for loss. Desir was also responsible for a forced fumble and one pass breakup. That was good enough for him to be named to On3’s True Freshman All-American Team.
Here’s what Charles Power had to say about Desir’s play in 2025.
“Mandrell Desir was the most disruptive true freshman defensive lineman in college football this fall, leading all first-year interior defenders with 24 pressures and five sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6-foot-4, 262-pound Miami Norland product showed the versatility to line up across multiple spots on the defensive front, consistently generating disruption in the backfield with his initial quickness and motor.”
FSU didn’t have a good season overall going 5-7, and there’s fear that players will want to enter the transfer portal because of it. Mandrell along with his twin brother, Darryll, who also showed some promise this year, will be at the top of the list of players to retain for 2026.
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