There have been plenty of surprises in Tallahassee after the NCAA Transfer Portal window opened two weeks ago. Florida State has seen multiple members of its roster elect to test the transfer waters who were expected to play big roles on the team in 2024.

On Monday evening, 247Sports’s Matt Zenitz reported that rising star defensive tackle Joshua Farmer intended to enter the portal. However, Farmer denied the report on social media and informed NoleGameday that the news was false.

Farmer is coming off a breakout season where he recorded 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass deflections. He was named FSU’s Defensive Most Improved Player and was a Second-Team All-ACC selection. Farmer did enter his name in the portal database in the spring but ultimately returned to the program.

The Florida native has appeared in 30 games, with 13 starts, during his three years with the Seminoles. All of those starts came during the 2023 campaign. He’s totaled 48 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and two pass deflections in garnet and gold.

Florida State’s defensive line depth has been decimated over the last couple of weeks due to portal entries and upcoming graduations. The program can’t afford to lose Farmer to the portal with just four projected scholarship defensive tackles projected to return next year; Farmer, junior Darrell Jackson, redshirt freshman Daniel Lyons, and true freshman KJ Sampson.

The Seminoles have seen quarterback AJ Duffy (San Diego State), running back Rodney Hill, running back CJ Campbell, tight end Markeston Douglas (Arizona State), tight end Preston Daniel, offensive lineman Bless Harris, offensive lineman Thomas Schrader, offensive lineman Daughtry Richardson (Florida Atlantic), offensive lineman Qae’shon Sapp, defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase, linebacker DJ Lundy, linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner, and kicker Tyler Keltner enter the portal.

Defensive tackle Malcolm Ray publicly announced he was entering the portal but has yet to do so at this time.

Star defensive end Patrick Payton previously declared his intentions to do so but removed the references on social media and never officially appeared in the database.

he 2023 College Football Playoff is set to take place on December 31, in which Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama will compete for a National Championship. There has been outrage across the country about the four teams chosen by the College Football Playoff Committee. Numerous politicians and public figures have publically questioned the decision to leave out 13-0 Florida State in favor of 12-1 Alabama and Texas.

Earlier in December, U.S. Senator Rick Scott (Fla.) wrote the executive director of the playoff committee, Bill Hancock, for clarity on the decision and was met with reasons detailed during the playoff selection show on ESPN. However, Senator Scott expressed his dissatisfaction in a letter on Monday.

“Dear Mr. Hancock, I appreciate your response on Friday, December 15, to my letter dated Monday, December 4, regarding the unprecedented exclusion of the 13-0, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Champion Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles from the College Football Playoff (CFP). Unfortunately, your response failed to answer all 10 of the questions I posed in my initial letter,” Senator Scott’s letter read.

“In your response, you thanked me for writing to you about college football. I am troubled by your oversimplification of the problem at hand. The work you and the Selection Committee do has implications that stretch far beyond the football fields or athletic departments of our nation’s universities. This is bigger than just college football.”

The letter continued to detail the economic impact delivered by Florida State’s exclusion and reiterated Senator Scott’s original request.

“To provide needed transparency and restore confidence in your organization, I again request that you immediately respond to this letter with the following information:

1.  The “listing step” and “ranking step” votes of each member of the Selection Committee for the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
2. Any notes, recordings, or reports detailing the deliberations of the CFP Selection Committee in deciding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
3. Any emails, text messages, or other written communication exchanged between the members of the Selection Committee regarding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
4. Any emails, text messages, or other written communication exchanged between members of the Selection Committee and CFP company officers, Board of Managers and / or Management Committee regarding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
5. Any emails, text messages, or other written communication exchanged between members of the Selection Committee and individuals affiliated with ESPN regarding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3,
6. Any emails, text messages, or other written communication exchanged between members of the Selection Committee and individuals affiliated with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regarding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
   Any emails, text messages, or other written communication exchanged between members of the Selection Committee and any individual(s) not affiliated with the CFP regarding the CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
   1. The statistical data and game video for the Seminoles reviewed by members of the Selection Committee during the deliberation process.
   2. Any documentation of recusals granted to Committee members for the
      CFP rankings released on Sunday, December 3, 2023.
   3. The CFP ethical and conflict of interest standards.”