Seminoles Poised to Extend NFL Draft Pipeline
Florida State’s lone combine invitee, dominant defensive lineman Darrell Jackson Jr., is projected as a top-100 pick, potentially keeping FSU’s streak of sending a player into the first four rounds of the NFL Draft alive for the 12th time in 13 years. Jackson Jr., who started 24 straight games and earned All-ACC honorable mentions while racking up 77 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks over two seasons, could land with the Jaguars at No. 81, per PFF’s mock draft. FSU’s pipeline has included stars like Jameis Winston and Jalen Ramsey, and Jackson Jr. hopes to join that legacy.
Breaking news: FSU hasn’t just been churning out NFL talent like it’s a sausage factory; they’re practically the Hormel of collegiate football. Enter Darrell Jackson Jr., the human wrecking ball who may soon be wearing teal and black—or black and teal—on Sundays. Will he extend a near-constant draft streak, or will he be the next in a long line of Seminoles who mysteriously fall into the undrafted abyss before suddenly popping up as practice squad legends? Either way, fans can already hear the familiar whirr of draft-day hype machines revving up in Tallahassee’s swampy heart.
The Undercover Transfer Ready to Surprise FSU Fans
Florida State’s defense welcomes former Duke safety Ma’Khi Jones, a three-star transfer who racked up 35 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a recovery over 14 games in 2025. With four years of eligibility left and a sturdy 78.1 run-defense grade from PFF (albeit a shaky 59.3 in coverage), Jones joins a secondary depleted by departures to Ohio State, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Arkansas. The Seminoles also added Ma’Khi’s fellow transfers CJ Richard Jr., Carson Hobbs, and Nehemiah Chandler, but Jones’s downhill aggression makes him the sleeper to watch this season.
If FSU’s roster were a superhero movie, Ma’Khi Jones would be the overlooked sidekick who steals the show right before the credits roll. Sure, he’s a modest three-star recruit—perfect for a school that turns average gadgets into world-saving doohickeys—but when the cameras are off, he’s already plotting to jackball every running back in sight. Expect plenty of surprising highlight reels of Jones bulldozing opponents, followed by underpaid commentary praising his “effort” and “physicality”—buzzwords that really mean “this guy’s out here bouncing linebackers off his helmet like pinball bumpers.”
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