The 2025 college football season is in the books—and it was another season to forget for the Florida State Seminoles football program. As the nation crowned the Indiana Hoosiers champions less than two weeks ago, the FSU season ended early, as the team struggled to another sub .500 finish. There were certainly glimpses of hope in Tallahassee, but things often ended in despair. For every key win, impact player, and upset victory, there was equal heartbreak, familiar mistakes and inexplicable defeats.
In the new college transfer portal era, teams can change their fortunes is just one offseason, or they can watch their roster crumble in a mass exodus. The Seminoles have been key players in the portal each year, plugging holes with impactful additions. But as of late, the Seminoles have seen growing numbers depart the program. In this most recent window, the Seminoles had 35 players depart, while last offseason 33 players hit the portal.
In this exercise, we’ll dive into 2025’s outgoing class. Could one of those players have been a difference-maker for FSU this past season? We’ll review their results and see how they performed for their new team.
What’s the verdict? Benson could’ve potentially paired well with Duce Robinson. But would he cut down on Micahi Danzy’s snaps? Brian Courtney’s numbers look impressive, but he faced a noticeable drop in competition. And fans saw how Ferguson performed last season. In the end, I think Benson’s the only departing offensive player that would’ve been a contributing factor for FSU, not to mention his potential boost to the FSU return game.
What’s the verdict? Despite how the relationships ended in Tallahassee, both Payton and MJJ could’ve been contributors on the defensive side of the ball for FSU. Additionally, there’s an argument for both Durojaiye and Kelly providing meaningful snaps.
Ward and Murphy could’ve been impactful for a struggling position group.
And finally, Cooper would’ve a chance in the secondary, especially with the injuries to Quindarrius Jones and Ja’Bril Rawls.