Florida State Loses QB Tate Rodemaker to Transfer Portal Ahead of Orange Bowl

The Florida State Seminoles already were dealing with the loss of starting quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury.

Florida State received another dose of bad news before its Orange Bowl matchup with Georgia on Saturday.

Quarterback Tate Rodemaker has informed Florida State coaches that he intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal and will forgo the Orange Bowl, according to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports. 

That means FSU is expected to start freshman Brock Glenn for the clash between the No. 5 Seminoles and No. 6 Bulldogs. Despite not being part of the College Football Playoff, a game between 13–0 Florida State and 12–1 Georgia initially appeared to be one of the best bowl matchups of the college football postseason.

“This decision to enter the portal was incredibly difficult,” a source close to Rodemaker’s family 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.”

Quarterback Tate Rodemaker is leaving Florida State and forgoing the Seminoles’ Orange Bowl matchup against Georgia.  :: Matt Pendleton / Gainesville Sun / USA Today Network

Florida State was left out of the CFP despite an undefeated record and ACC championship. That controversial decision was attributed to a season-ending injury to original starting quarterback Jordan Travis and the perception that such a loss rendered the Seminoles less worthy than Alabama, which earned the No. 4 and final spot in the Playoff. 

The source who informed 247Sports of Rodemaker’s decision also cited Florida State coaches’ openly recruiting 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 joins linebacker DJ Lundy and quarterback AJ Duffy as notable Seminoles players to enter the transfer portal. Receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman, running back Trey Benson and edge rusher Jared Verse have opted out of the Orange Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft.

The shorthanded Seminoles square off against the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. ET Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.