FSU Football Offers All-American Defensive Line Transfer

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Jan 1, 2024 10:48 AM ET

Florida State will once again be utilizing the NCAA Transfer Portal to shore up its roster this offseason. The Seminoles have been hit with a series of losses, both expected and unexpected, on both sides of the ball. That means the coaching staff will probably be looking for more transfers than they might've expected at the beginning of December.

That search could lead to graduate transfers and also players who have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining. Ahead of the new year, Florida State extended a scholarship offer to Colorado State defensive tackle transfer, Grady Kelly. A redshirt sophomore in 2023, he's coming off a season where he recorded 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks while starting all 12 games and playing 536 snaps for the Rams.

A year prior, Kelly became the first Colorado State freshman defensive lineman to earn All-American Honors since 2011. He tied for seventh on the team with 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. His efforts resulted in him being named a Freshman All-American by College Football News.

Kelly is a Colorado native but he grew up in the Sunshine State - something that could benefit Florida State during the recruiting process. He was a three-star recruit in the 2021 class out of Navarre High School. Kelly finished his prep career with 133 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, and a school-record 26 sacks. He also competed in weightlifting, basketball, and track.

Since entering the transfer portal last month, Kelly has developed into a coveted player, picking up offers from FSU, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Michigan State, Minnesota, Boston College, Maryland, Houston, and Arizona State, among others.

It's expected that Kelly will have two seasons of eligibility remaining to utilize at the college level. The Seminoles could certainly use his services as the interior defensive line projects to look a lot different next year with Fabien Lovett and Braden Fiske making the leap to the professional level.

As of now, Florida State is only projected to return four scholarship defensive tackles in 2024: senior Darrell Jackson, redshirt junior Joshua Farmer, redshirt sophomore Daniel Lyons, and true freshman KJ Sampson. Redshirt senior Dennis Briggs is in the process of applying for a seventh season of eligibility while the program also added three-star Jamorie Flagg and three-star D'Nas White during the Early Signing Period.

It's worth noting that redshirt senior Malcolm Ray dressed out and played against Georgia in the Orange Bowl. He remains in the portal but there is still a possibility that he returns to the Seminoles.