FURMAN OL PEARSON TOOMEY (JAN 3-5)
As Florida State looks to add quality pieces to an offensive line unit that is veteran-laden yet struggled at times in 2023, Furman offensive line transfer Pearson Toomey has emerged as a top target for the Seminoles.
Toomey will spend Wednesday through Friday in Tallahassee as he looks to find a new home for his final year of eligbility. Toomey, a fifth-year offensive lineman and a Jacksonville Beach native swiftly picked up scholarship offers from South Carolina, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Pitt, USF, and others when he entered the Portal in mid-December.
Toomey is a three-year starter at Furman, receiving All-Southern Conference 1st Team honors in 2022 and 2023. He had a 77.7 PFF Grade in 2023, with a strong performance against South Carolina — a program that also expects him on campus for a visit during this window.
Toomey is listed at 6-foot-3, 295 pounds. He played left tackle at Furman but projects as a guard at the P4 level.
CHARLOTTE LB NIKHAI HILL-GREEN (UCF COMMIT) (JAN 3-5)
Florida State badly needs help at the linebacker position and Charlotte linebacker transfer Nikhai Hill-Green could provide that.
With the departure of starting FSU linebackers Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune to the NFL along with rotational piece DJ Lundy to Colorado, FSU is searching for quality transfers to add to a very young linebacker room.
Hill-Green could provide the veteran presence that the Seminoles need in a room full of talented young ‘backers. This past season at Charlotte, he was second on the team with 73 tackles, including 48 solo stops. He had 9.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He also recorded three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
The main hurdle for the ‘Noles with Hill-Green is that he’s actually committed to UCF right now. However, if he does make it to FSU’s campus this week as expected, that would indicate he’s very much open to reconsidering that December decision.
He didn’t play at Michigan, his first school, during the 2022 season. In 2021, he appeared in all 14 games with six starts at linebacker and also played special teams. He had 50 tackles, including two for a loss and one pass breakup. In 2020, he appeared in three games on special teams, recording a tackle.
PURDUE EDGE NIC SCOURTON (JAN 4-5)
Purdue edge rusher transfer Nic Scourton is, without a doubt, the most talented transfer Florida State is in on at the moment. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound edge defender played two seasons for the Boilermakers. Prior to his collegiate career, he played at Bryan High School in Bryan, Texas. As a freshman in 2022, he played in all 14 games for Purdue. He had 22 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
As a sophomore in 2023, he started and played in 11 games. He had 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 3 batted passes, and 1 forced fumble.His 10.0 sacks led the Big Ten and ranked 9th in the FBS.
The good news is that FSU is on his visit schedule this week as Noles247’s Clay Fink first reported. He’ll arrive on campus Thursday and will stay into Friday. The bad news is that the program getting him on campus first is Texas A&M — a school he grew up only 15 minutes away from.
If the Seminoles can withstand the Aggies initial push, that would allow them to make their in-person pitch to the nation’s top transfer pass rusher. FSU may have the most to sell to Scourton among the schools in his top four (A&M, Missouri & Oklahoma). They produced Jermaine Johnson into a first round NFL Draft pick and are likely to do the same with Jared Verse, another transfer defensive end, this upcoming draft.
SYRACUSE LB STEFON THOMPSON (JAN 4-6)
As FSU continues to hunt for transfer linebackers, Syracuse linebacker transfer Stefon Thompson is an intriguing option. He played in primarily an edge rusher role at ‘Cuse but his movements suggest he could transition into more of a traditional linebacker if he were to enter FSU’s defensive scheme.
According to his Syracuse bio: “Standout linebacker who earned a starting nod as a true freshman from the first game of the 2020 season. In 36 collegiate games played (21 starts), has 169 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 20.0 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.”
Thompson will be on campus at FSU from Thursday to Saturday. We’re not sure if any other programs are involved with Thompson at this time
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER DL EMMANUEL OYEBADEJO (JAN 5-7)
FSU is going overseas to find talent in the trenches!
Emmanuel Oyebadejo plays his football for the University of Exeter in England and the 6-foot-7, 315-pound defensive lineman — who has only played football for about a year — has garnered interest from Florida State.
The Seminoles will host Oyebadejo on campus this week (Jan 5-7) as they look to learn more about the foreign lineman. Oyebadejo, who you can read more about here, is expected to have three years of eligibility if he transfers to a program in the United States.
INDIANA RB JAYLIN LUCAS (JAN 5-6)
Florida State is working on adding a running back transfer or two to its roster for the 2024 season and Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas could make some sense. But FSU’s interest in him could be for more than simply his rushing ability.
First of all, FSU wide receiver Ja’Khi Douglas is his older brother. Lucas is also an elite returnman.
In his true freshman season in 2022, Lucas was tabbed as a first-team All-America kick returner by CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, Walter Camp and USA Today. That was after putting up 591 yards on 22 kick returns and returning two to the endzone. In 2022, Lucas had similar production by putting 572 kick return yards on 22 attempts along with another kick return for a touchdown.
Lucas has been been pursued by schools like Oklahoma State, Penn State and Louisville since he entered the Transfer Portal in December.
FAU WR LAJOHNTAY WESTER (JAN 5-TBD)
FSU is looking to make some quality additions to its wide receiver room this offseason and Florda Atlantic star wideout LaJohntay Wester is a name to know.
In 2023 for FAU, Wester hauled in 108 receptions for 1,168 yards and 8 touchdowns. Wester ranked No. 12 in receiving yards amongst all pass catchers in the FBS this past season. His performance this past season came after two-straight 700-yard plus finishes in 2021 and 2022. He’s a productive, veteran option at wideout in the Transfer Portal.
Florida State is expecting Wester on campus this week, as they’re one of several schools expected to earn visits from him along with the likes of Baylor, Colorado, Penn State and Ohio State. FSU is slated to be his last stop as of right now.
TROY WR JABRE BARBER (JAN 6-7)
Jabre Barber, like Wester, is another productive, veteran option at wide receiver that Florida State is exploring in the Transfer Portal.
Barber, in 2023, finished with 75 catches for 999 yards and five touchdowns on the season.
South Carolina, Florida State, Texas A&M, and Kanas State are all on the visit schedule for the 5-foot-10, 175 pounder as of right now with the Seminoles slated to earn his last visit.
OTHER NAMES TO KNOW
Toledo RB Peny Boone:
FSU likely needs to add a transfer running back and there aren’t many better options than Peny Boone. Boone’s only planned visit right now is to Louisville (Jan 5) but he’s also considering trips to Florida State and Miami. FSU is still working on setting up a visit date with Boone — who is one of the most sought after running backs in the Transfer Portal right now.
Texas A&M WR Evan Stewart:
FSU wants to upgrade its receiver room and there isn’t a better player at the position in the portal right now than Evan Stewart from Texas A&M. He’s a dynamic athlete who can change the scoreboard on any given play. FSU is among the schools contending in his transfer recruitment.
Colorado State DL Grady Kelly:
The defensive line is always a priority position group for Florida State in the Transfer Portal and Colorado State defensive lineman Grady Kelly provides a solid option for FSU. Kelly grew up in Navarre, Florida — only a few hours west of Tallahassee. He’s a young player, just finishing up his second year of college football, and he’s put up respectable stats and PFF grades thus far. Kelly could be a visitor this week.
West Virginia DL Tomiwa Durojaiye:
As stated above, FSU is likely to take multiple more defensive lineman in the Transfer Portal and an interesting name that popped into the portal yesterday is Tomiwa Durojaiye out of West Virginia. He, in his redshirt freshman season, finished with 6 TFLs and 3.5 sacks for the Mountaineers. FSU briefly recruited Durojaiye out of high school — so there is some familiarity there. He is a visit candidate for this week as well.
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