Florida State officially named John Garrett as its general manager on Jan. 1. A few days later, the transfer portal opened up.
A considerable chunk of the 2026 team includes high school prospects that signed before he arrived. Or veterans who opted to return in December. Still, there were battles along the way in January as Garrett, coach Mike Norvell and others on FSU’s staff made decisions on the fly — while they were mapping out transfer portal visits, some Seminoles were tempted to look elsewhere and entered the portal, too.
Given the perspective of time to reflect and the advantage of observing how the players developed over the offseason, spring, summer and early in camp, Garrett reflected on how the team took shape.
“What I’m most excited about is the players that we were able to retain,” Garrett said in early August to FSU fans in Jacksonville, a gathering the Osceola attended. “We put a lot of investment and emphasis on retaining some of our defensive linemen, our veteran players.
“And then we put a big emphasis on bringing in veteran, productive offensive linemen. We had to replace all of the starters. They were all seniors, they graduated. We put a big emphasis on that. We did that. Really pleased with the offensive line and how it’s coming together.”
There’s no secret to why Garrett, Norvell and the staff did that. In part, it was turnover on the offensive line and defensive tackle Darrell Jackson was drafted, too. Games are won by teams that have consistent line play and lost by those that have a weakness there.
And there’s also the fundamental aspect of football. Even the most elusive quarterback needs blocking.
“We needed to do that so the quarterback can play well — 35 years of football, most quarterbacks play well with a good offensive line,” said Garrett, who has been an assistant coach in college football and the NFL. “All of the best teams that I’ve been around, it starts up front. It’s a cliche but it’s true. You got to protect the quarterback and you got to get after the quarterback. Really pleased with those two groups.”
Garrett spent two years at FSU working with the offense (2022-23), a time that coincided with Jordan Travis’ best seasons. After a few years at Duke, including a surprise run to the ACC championship in 2025, Garrett returned to Tallahassee just a few weeks after that title.
During the gathering in Jacksonville as well as an interview with the media in late July, Garrett reflected on big-picture decisions as well as individual players on this team.
Evaluate prospects, identify the right fit
Recruiting has changed dramatically in the NIL / revenue sharing era. While a cynic could argue it’s more about the money a prospect is offered by a program, Garrett’s view is pragmatic. Evaluate prospects. Identify people and personalities who fit the program.
Those core principles should exist regardless of the budget to acquire talent.
“The best way to determine long-term success is to be really good at identifying the people that will help your organization perform well,” Garrett said. “Bring in good players. No matter how much money you have or how long the contract is, the real decision is bringing in people in the organization that are going to help you.
“Take a look at pro sports, those that have the most money, if that were the case, they would win their championship in their league every single year. You still have to make really good decisions if you have $20 or $200. That’s why the evaluation process is so critical.”
Ashton Daniels’ fit with FSU
Garrett, Norvell and then-offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn had extensive conversations with Anthony Colandrea, DJ Lagway and Ashton Daniels during their visits to FSU. Colandrea left and landed at Nebraska. Lagway departed and picked Baylor, his dad’s alma mater.
Daniels was FSU’s choice. While the game film and resume are inconsistent, Garrett remarked that Daniels’ leadership came across from day 1.
“He’s a natural at it. One of the things that is so important in evaluating a quarterback is all the intangibles,” Garrett said. “… There’s so many aspects of decision making, processing, judgement, leadership, and that’s what he exemplifies. It was evident when he came to visit on his transfer portal visit. It was obvious that he was a natural leader of the team, which is something that we needed.”
Norvell remarked after one of FSU’s preseason scrimmages that Daniels had a good command of the offense. Later in August, he said Daniels had the respect of teammates. What doubts there are in Daniels, who has a history of turnovers at Stanford before a bounce-back year at Auburn in four games, Garrett sees a quarterback who fits in well with the team and makes the right decision.
“We needed to get someone that could stabilize that position, make good decisions and get the ball where it’s supposed to be thrown,” Garrett said. “And so far he’s done that. And everybody gravitates to him.”
FSU’s difference-maker
Part of the reason for optimism on offense is the skill talent around Daniels. From Ousmane Kromah, Samuel Singleton Jr. and Tre’ Wisner at tailback to Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy and younger receivers, there’s a wealth of options and a knowledge that Daniels doesn’t need to be Superman in Norvell’s offense.
It also helps that Robinson made his decision to return to FSU for 2026 days before the portal opened. He was in on meetings with all of the quarterbacks who visited, and Robinson earned preseason second-team All-America honors by the Associated Press after enjoying a 1,000-yard season in 2025.
“We’re glad he’s on the team. On the field, you just notice him because of his size, speed and athleticism,” Garrett said. “The way he interacts with his teammates and the natural leader that he is, he shows so much respect for the game, how it’s supposed to be played, the teammates, the coaches. It’s remarkable.
“He’s one of the true professionals in how to do it. He’s a fantastic leader for us and he sets the pace and is a great example to everyone on the team.”
Retention, acquisition on defensive front
Mandrell Desir and Darryll Desir flirted with a transfer in January before deciding to stay at FSU. The defensive linemen know what’s expected after a year in the program.
“Retaining the two twins was really big for us, made a significant investment there. They’ve just improved,” Garrett said. “… Watch the highlights and watch these two guys get after it. They just set the pace. It’s a wonderful effort, toughness, competitiveness every play. I like our defensive linemen.”
Garrett said he feels good about two of FSU’s edge rushers. Texas A&M transfer Rylan Kennedy is “going to be a really good player for us.” Junior college transfer Jalen Anderson was also one of the most improved Seminoles from spring practice to the Jacksonville practices, Garrett said.
A top dog at linebacker
FSU needed an impact transfer at linebacker and landed one in Southern Miss’ Chris Jones, who was one of the top tacklers in the Sun Belt in 2025. Jones had 134 tackles and averaged more than 10 tackles per game.
“It was evident on his visit. This guy just loves football,” Garrett said. “He is a bird dog. You know those bird dogs that zero in on that bird. He is zeroing in on the football. He has great anticipation of where the ball is going to be. Instincts. He has a knack for slipping blocks. He is just a tenacious player that just plays with relentless pursuit. His attitude and his love for the game and his competitiveness is infectious.”
What FSU values in a prospect
Garrett was speaking just minutes before Jordan Travis took center stage in Jacksonville. He had seen Travis in practices and in games at FSU in 2022-23 when he was the Seminoles’ director of scouting for offense.
When asked about Travis, Garrett used the opportunity to outline some of FSU’s core values when evaluating prospects.
“We look for three things regardless of position — effort, toughness, competitiveness,” Garrett said. “And he did a remarkable job exemplifying those three things. When you can get mental and physical toughness and competitiveness at a high level from the quarterback position it really just permeates through the whole team.
“He was able to do that combined with his remarkable skill set where he was really an effective passer of the football, he could make plays out of the pocket, he was really hard to tackle. He just elevated the team in so many ways. There are not going to be many like him.”
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