Florida State To Be Without At Least 14 Players In Orange Bowl Due To Opt-Outs And Transfers

The Seminoles are going to look like a much different team in the Orange Bowl against Georgia.

There is less than a week remaining until No. 5 Florida State matches up with No. 6 Georgia in the Orange Bowl. After winning the first 13 games on its schedule and coming away victorious in the ACC Championship for the first time in nine years, the Seminoles will have a much different roster when they kick off against the Bulldogs.

Following a historic snub, Florida State has seen over 16% of its roster decide not to play in the game for a variety of reasons. The decision from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee has essentially decimated the 'Noles at a number of positions and younger players will be asked to step up on both sides of the ball.

At least 14 players across the roster won't be suiting up and that number could bump up to over 20 depending on how the next few days unfold. Obviously, star quarterback Jordan Travis is out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury. Outside of him, running back Trey Benson, wide receiver Johnny Wilson, wide receiver Keon Coleman, tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive end Jared Verse, and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett all have opted out of the game to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

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All seven Seminoles earned ACC honors for their performances throughout the season. Benson (906 yards, 14 TDs) led the team in rushing, Coleman (658 yards, 11 TDs) led the ACC in receiving touchdowns, and Verse (41 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks) led the team in sacks. Wilson (617 yards, 2 TDs), Bell (503 yards, 2 TDs), and Lovett (22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack) were all crucial parts of the team's success as well.

There have also been seven members of the roster to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and commit to other programs. Quarterback AJ Duffy (San Diego State), running back Rodney Hill (FAMU), running back CJ Campbell (FAU), tight end Markeston Douglas (Arizona State), offensive lineman Bless Harris (TCU), offensive lineman Daughtry Richardson (FAU), and offensive lineman Qae'Shon Sapp (FAMU) have all found new homes. Duffy, Hill, Campbell, Douglas, and Harris were all on Florida State's most recently released two-deep for the conference championship against Louisville.

A couple of other scholarship players are in limbo as defensive tackle Malcolm Ray, linebacker DJ Lundy, offensive lineman Thomas Scrader, defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase, and linebacker Dylan-Brown Turner are all in the portal. Plus, Seminoles such as safety Akeem Dent, linebacker Kalen DeLoach, linebacker Tatum Bethune, cornerback Renardo Green, cornerback Fentrell Cypress II, and defensive tackle Braden Fiske haven't publicly stated if they'll play or not.

It is worth noting that the Orange Bowl schedule for press availability leading up to the game has Cypress, DeLoach, and Fiske meeting with the media on Thursday. It seems doubtful that they would be attending a press conference for the game if they didn't intend on playing against the Bulldogs.

At the minimum, 11 of the players not expected to play were listed in the two-deep on Florida State's last depth chart. That number could rise as high as 15 if some of those who are in the portal decide to sit out. The Seminoles will release their depth chart for the contest on Monday - Christmas Day.

On the other side, Georgia has had 19 players enter the portal with the most significant loss being starting linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson. There have been other members of the two-deep to move on such as cornerback AJ Harris, cornerback Nylan Green, outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr, linebacker Xavian Sorey, linebacker Darris Smith, linebacker CJ Madden, defensive tackle Jonathan Jefferson, wide receiver Jackson Meeks, wide receiver Zeed Haynes, offensive lineman Aliou Bah, offensive lineman Austin Blaske, and quarterback Brock Vandagriff.

Bulldogs starting quarterback Carson Beck previously announced he was playing in the contest while grappling with the possibility of going pro. Star tight end Brock Bowers has been non-committal thus far. No one from Georgia's roster has publicly opted out to prepare for the draft.

Florida State and Georgia will meet in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 30. The contest will kick off at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

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