Can Jones and Gbayor Revive Seminoles Linebacker Legacy?

While Florida State has searched for consistency at linebacker, Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator Tony White are betting that two transfer additions can stabilize the middle of the defense.

The headliner is junior Chris Jones, whose production at Southern Miss suggests he could become the program’s most impactful linebacker in several years.

Jones arrives in Tallahassee after earning First-Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2025, posting 79 tackles and 15 pressures. Jones could be better in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) allowing a 75% completion rate in coverage across more than 700 defensive snaps. His PFF profile paints the picture of a linebacker that is able to participate in all three downs rather than simply a volume tackler on early run downs.

Jones finished with an overall defensive grade of 67.8, highlighted by a 76.8 run-defense grade that is his strongest phase in his game. He was equally comfortable attacking downhill or flowing sideline-to-sideline, recording 52 defensive stops while missing tackles at a manageable 16.5% rate despite handling one of the largest workloads in the Sun Belt.

His weekly grades also tell an encouraging story. 

Jones produced elite outings against Louisiana Tech (85.8 overall), Arkansas State (69.9), and Jackson State (78.8), showing he rarely disappeared for long stretches. Even when offenses avoided him in coverage, he still impacted games with his physicality between the tackles. 

At 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds, he possesses the frame to thrive inside while maintaining enough athleticism to match running backs and tight ends in space.

If Jones is expected to be Florida State’s new centerpiece, Mikai Gbayor represents the reclamation project.

After spending 2025 as a reserve at North Carolina under Bill Belichick, Gbayor reunites with White, the defensive coordinator who helped develop him at Nebraska. 

His statistical profile reflects a player who flashed but never consistently found a rhythm in Chapel Hill. 

Across 252 defensive snaps, Gbayor posted a 67.1 overall defensive grade and an encouraging 67.5 run-defense mark while recording 23 tackles and 12 stops.

The biggest concern was tackling efficiency. 

Gbayor missed seven tackles, resulting in a 17.5% missed tackle rate, and never fully settled into a starting role after transferring. 

The familiarity with White’s defensive system may prove just as valuable as any physical trait. Gbayor’s best football came in Nebraska’s aggressive front, where he recorded nearly 50 tackles and 11 starts during the 2024 season. Florida State hopes that returning to that scheme unlocks the version of Gbayor that made him one of White’s trusted defenders before injuries and transfers interrupted his development.

For the Seminoles, the equation is relatively straightforward. Jones provides proven production and leadership, while Gbayor offers experience within White’s system and valuable depth with starting upside.

If Jones performs like the All-Sun Belt linebacker Florida State recruited and Gbayor rediscovers his Nebraska form, the Seminoles could field their strongest linebacker tandem since 2023 when Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune patrolled the middle of the defense. In a conference where explosive offenses dominate, that may be one of the biggest swing factors in Florida State’s 2026 season.