​Florida State entered the offseason determined to overhaul its linebacker room. In a move driven by a mix of needs and new directions, the Seminoles said goodbye to John Papuchis, Elijah Herring, and Stefon Thompson while welcoming Ernie Sims, Chris Jones, and Mikai Gbayor to the mix. Last season exposed a lack of athleticism at times, as opponents consistently tested the linebackers, especially by getting running backs involved in the passing game and by wearing the unit down with the grind of the run game. FSU hopes that injecting new energy with Sims’s leadership and adding Jones and Gbayor, along with a second year in the 3-3-5 alignment, can turn the linebackers into a defining strength of the defense in 2026.
Looking back at 2025, the year was unusual for the linebackers, marked by moments of brilliance and some costly breakdowns. The most memorable episodes tended to be those where the backers were isolated by more athletic players, leading to points for the opposition. Within that context, junior Chris Jones emerged as one of Mike Norvell’s standout transfers, coming to Tallahassee after two dominant seasons at Southern Miss. In 2025, Jones earned First-Team All-Sun Belt honors, logging more than 10 tackles per game. The Seminoles are banking on him translating that production to the next level, giving FSU its strongest linebacking group since the 2023 duo of Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune. At 6’1” and 231 pounds, Jones brings both the size and the versatility to play in the box or in space.
Senior Blake Nichelson has a long Florida State tenure that’s become increasingly surprising in how consistently he has remained in the program, even as the room around him has evolved. The veteran’s 2025 campaign finished on a high note, as he started the final six games and credited Clemson with seven tackles in the season finale. The expectation is that a new coaching perspective, led by Ernie Sims, can unlock the potential still housed in Nichelson, a consensus four-star recruit from his high school days.
Redshirt senior Omar Graham Jr. is another constant in a revolving door of personnel. Despite initially exploring the transfer market, he chose to stay in Tallahassee and is set to be one of the few Seminoles who has spent his entire college career in the same program under Norvell. He played in all 12 games last season but started only five, a step back from 2024. PFF graded him at 65 overall, up from 61.8 the year before, yet his tackling grade dropped notably from 82.2 to 61. He’ll have more chances to start in multiple spots this season, and the staff will be looking for him to regain his form as a reliable contributor.
Redshirt junior Caleb LaVallee, a former UNC transfer, is another piece the Seminoles hope to get meaningful minutes from in 2026. He missed almost all of 2025 due to a leg injury but returned healthy in the offseason, drawing praise for his spring performance and for the athleticism he brings to the linebacker room. Norvell highlighted LaVallee’s impact in the latter stages of camp, suggesting he will be an important part of the rotation and could push for starting opportunities depending on how the season unfolds.
In sum, Florida State is betting that a combination of new faces, a solid year under the 3-3-5 alignment, and a sharper coaching approach at the linebacker level will elevate the unit from a liability in the prior season to a bona fide strength in 2026. The mix of veteran presence with fresh talent aims to create a linebacking corps that can chase ball carriers across the field, disrupt in short and intermediate passing windows, and set the tone for the defense as a whole.