2026 FSU Position Previews: Linebackers
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Florida State attempted to revamp its linebacker room in the offseason. For varying reasons, out are John Papuchis, Elijah Herring, and Stefon Thompson, and in come Ernie Sims, Chris Jones, and Mikai Gbayor. Last year, opponents targeted the lack of athleticism in the linebacking room and usually found success by taking advantage of running backs out of the backfield in the passing game or by wearing them down in the running game. The Noles hope that some new juice, along with a second year in the 3-3-5, can let the linebackers be the hallmark of FSU’s defense in 2026.
FSU position previews: Linebackers
2025 lookback: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but it was a strange year for the linebackers. There were moments of brilliance and moments of disaster. However, most will remember the moments of disaster when FSU’s linebackers were isolated by more athletic skill players, usually turning into points.
Main name to know
- Junior Chris Jones: Jones is one of Mike Norvell’s headline transfers this past season, coming to Tallahassee after two dominant years at Southern Miss. In 2025, Jones was named First-Team All-Sun Belt after recording over 10 tackles a game. Florida State hopes that the junior can continue that production at the next level, giving the Noles their best linebacker since the 2023 tandem of Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune. Listed at 6’1” and 231 pounds, Jones has the size and athleticism to do just that, as he can play in the box and out in space.
Returning players
- Senior Blake Nichelson: After all the twists and turns in the linebacker room the last few seasons, it is almost shocking that Nichelson will spend all four years of his collegiate career at Florida State. What might be even more shocking is that it feels like he has still not reached his full potential in Tallahassee. The senior finished the 2025 season strong, starting the final six games of the year and recording seven tackles against Clemson. Hopefully, a new voice in the room, Ernie Sims, can unlock a consensus four-star recruit from four years ago.
- Redshirt senior Omar Graham Jr.: Back in 2026 despite an initial dive into the transfer portal, Graham Jr. is also set to be one of the few Seminoles in the Norvell era to spend his entire career in Tallahassee. He played in all 12 games last season but started just five, a step back from 2024. He did improve in the eyes of PFF, grading out at a 65 overall vs. a 61.8 the year before, but saw his tackling grade slip heavily (82.2 to 61). He’ll have the chance to start for the Seminoles in multiple spots.
- Redshirt junior Caleb LaVallee: What will FSU be able to get out of the former UNC transfer this season? He missed basically all of 2025 with a leg injury but bounced back healthy in the offseason, getting accolades for his performance in spring, especially in the back half of camp, where Norvell made sure to highlight how much his athleticism brought to the linebacker room. He’ll figure into Florida State’s rotation heavily and, depending on how things shake out, could emerge as a starter.
- Redshirt senior AJ Cottrill: A former walk-on who worked his way into the two-deep last season, he had 15 tackles (2.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks for the Seminoles in 2025. He should be back to more of a reserve role in 2026 in addition to heavy special teams usage.
New faces
- Redshirt senior Mikai Gbayor: Gbayor is now on his third program in three years after playing the 2025 season as a reserve linebacker with North Carolina. Before his stint in Chapel Hill, the redshirt senior spent three seasons at Nebraska under Tony White and recorded almost 50 tackles with 11 starts in 2024, White’s final year in Lincoln. Gbayor will hope that reuniting with his former defensive coordinator will get him back to the level he played at in 2024, his final season of eligibility. He missed a good chunk of spring after suffering an injury but should be good to go once fall camp rolls around.
- Freshman Izayia Williams: After a whirlwind recruitment that included six commitments, FSU managed to secure his services. Williams is the Seminoles’ highest-rated linebacker signee since Nichelson and brings high expectations with him, despite tearing his ACL during his senior season and missing all of spring. He’s a speedy, physical defender who also got time at running back in high school and, once he’s fully healthy and acclimated, has every tool you could ask for to be an essential piece of White’s defense.
- Freshman Karon Maycock: The true freshman had a huge spring, getting compliments for his playmaking and presence. While some schools viewed him as a safety during the recruiting process, he was brought to Tallahassee as a linebacker and that seems to be paying off early dividends. He’s got a shot at cracking the rotation in 2026 if he continues to acclimate to the college game quickly.
- Freshman Noah LaValle: The younger brother of Caleb, Noah got some praise during spring camp while making some plays. It’ll take some work for him to find himself in the two-deep, but he’s got the path and potential to do so.
- Freshman Daylen Green: The three-star signee didn’t make much noise during spring, so he’ll use fall as a chance to continue to find his place.
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