Report: FSU Fans Shocked As Star Officially Appears In NCAA Transfer Portal
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Florida State fans were shocked on Christmas Day when the program lost its second starting quarterback of the season after reports broke that redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker would be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. The move left the Seminoles with one scholarship quarterback remaining on the roster – true freshman Brock Glenn – as they prepare for the Orange Bowl.
On Thursday morning, Rodemaker officially appeared in the transfer portal database. He can now freely communicate with other programs as he searches for his next home. Rodemaker is expected to have one season of eligibility remaining.
The Georgia native spent four years in Tallahassee after signing with the program as head coach Mike Norvell’s first commitment. Rodemaker took over down the stretch after Jordan Travis was knocked out for the year but suffered an injury of his own that sidelined him for the ACC Championship.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Seminoles have publicly been pursuing experienced transfer quarterbacks. The coaching staff even hosted former Washington State star Cameron Ward and former Oregon State standout DJ Uiagalelei for official visits earlier in December. It’s clear that Florida State is looking to upgrade the position entering 2024 and that’s an aspect that might’ve rubbed Rodemaker the wrong way.
FSU absolutely has to add another signal-caller or risk entering next year relying on true freshman Brock Glenn and incoming freshman Luke Kromenhoek.
During his career at Florida State, Rodemaker completed 68/118 passes for 901 yards with seven touchdowns to five interceptions in 22 appearances, with three starts. He made two starts over the last two seasons, guiding the Seminoles to victories at Louisville and at Florida.
Outside of Rodemaker, the Seminoles have seen quarterback AJ Duffy (San Diego State), running back Rodney Hill (FAMU), running back CJ Campbell (FAU), tight end Markeston Douglas (Arizona State), tight end Preston Daniel, offensive lineman Bless Harris (TCU), offensive lineman Thomas Schrader, offensive lineman Daughtry Richardson (FAU), offensive lineman Qae’shon Sapp (FAMU), defensive tackle Malcolm Ray, defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase, linebacker DJ Lundy (Colorado), linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner, and kicker Tyler Keltner enter the portal.
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.
Florida State should be champions if only undefeated team, players say
Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn said the Seminoles should “absolutely” be considered national champions if they end the season as the only undefeated Power 5 team in college football.
Glenn said the prospect of raising a banner has been discussed among players, and he said the Seminoles remain focused on finishing out an undefeated season in the Capital One Orange Bowl in spite of a playoff snub and a host of bowl game opt-outs.
“The Orange Bowl is an awesome bowl, one of the best in the country, and we have a great opportunity in front of us playing Georgia,” Glenn said Thursday. “It’s still a big game for us, and we’re taking it serious. We’re focused on the guys we have here to help us win the game.”
Glenn was Florida State’s third-string quarterback for much of the season before being vaulted into the starting role after an injury to Jordan Travis and the transfer of backup Tate Rodemaker.
Florida State is 13-0 but was left out of the College Football Playoff because of Travis’ season-ending injury. The Seminoles’ opponent Saturday is two-time defending champion Georgia, which was knocked out of the playoff with an SEC title game loss to Alabama.
Florida State was leapfrogged by two one-loss teams in the playoff committee’s final rankings, setting up the possibility that the Seminoles would be the last undefeated team from a Power 5 league still standing if No. 1 Michigan (13-0) and No. 2 Washington (13-0) both lose in the College Football Playoff.
That’s a tantalizing prospect for some Seminoles.
“It’s only right,” linebacker Kalen DeLoach said. “Nothing else needs to be said if we’re the only undefeated team.”
There’s plenty of precedent from the pre-playoff era, when teams split championships, claimed championships or celebrated titles awarded by entities outside the premier polls.
UCF finished the 2017 season with a 13-0 record after a stunning upset of Auburn in the Peach Bowl and subsequently claimed a national championship despite being left out of the College Football Playoff, which was won that season by a one-loss Alabama team.
On the other hand, some Florida State players were a bit more circumspect about the notion of throwing a parade for a championship the rest of the country isn’t likely to consider official.
“That’s tough,” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said. “I don’t know. Would it be phony? That’s weird. Would it be cool? Sure. But would it be a little bit cooler to actually be in [the playoff] and feel that confetti drop?”
Nearly a month has passed since the committee dropped Florida State out of the top four in its final rankings after the Seminoles’ 16-6 victory over Louisville in the ACC championship game, arguing that the Seminoles were not good enough to win a national championship without Travis.
That decision still stings, DeLoach said, but it’s also motivation for Florida State’s game against Georgia.
“I think about it every day,” he said. “These guys put in so much work. I only want the best for us. To go out there for 13 games straight and do what we do — there was nothing else we could’ve done. So we’re definitely going to take advantage of this opportunity to make it one more.”
Even a handful of Georgia players, who had their own arguments for a spot in the playoff, said they understood Florida State’s frustration.
“You put a lot of stress on to one player when a team is 80 to 130 players,” Georgia defensive back Kamari Lassiter said. “The committee made their decision, and they thought it was the best one. Who am I to say they’re wrong? But it’s tough.”
How much the frustration played a part on a bevy of Florida State opt-outs remains a point of debate, but the bottom line is the Seminoles will be without at least 19 players who had significant roles during the season, including tailback Trey Benson, wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, tight end Jaheim Bell, edge rusher Jared Verse and safety Akeem Dent.
Travis and tailback Lawrance Toafili are among key players who will miss the Orange Bowl because of injuries.
Those who will play in the game said there were no hard feelings toward anyone who opted out, but DeLoach said skipping this last step toward an undefeated season was simply never a consideration for him.
“You only get so many opportunities to put that uniform on, and I want to make sure I take advantage of all my opportunities,” DeLoach said. “When it’s all said and done, I’m going to really wish I could put that uniform back on again, so I want to just go out there with my brothers. We’ve been through so much, and to go out there for one more game, it’s going to mean the world to me.”
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