Xavier Chaplin is coming to Tallahassee. Time to dive in and see if he's a fit for the Seminoles.
Florida State took a new step toward building the offense in 2026, adding the massive and powerful Xavier Chaplin Friday morning.
Chaplin comes in with an imposing 6-foot-7, 348-pound frame via Auburn. He'll arrive sharing a Tigers connection alongside his offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
The now former Southeastern Conference performer joins a continuously growing portal class in Tallahassee. Time to break down what this move means for FSU.
Starter Experience
Inexperience doesn't apply to Chaplin.
He arrives as a 12-game starter for the Tigers last season. That includes facing the ranked foes on Auburn's schedule.
He's going to come in and push for starting duties immediately. It also sounds like Chaplin was one of two choices for Mike Norvell and the rest of the coaching staff.
Louisiana LT Bryant Williams entered the picture as another possibility. However, Williams revealed that South Carolina was the rising favorite in his recruitment. Leading into Chaplin coming over.
How Florida State can Maximize Chaplin
Chaplin likely will draw some concerns for these stats: Three sacks allowed and also 12 penalty markers.
Yet he played for what became a disorganized Auburn offense under Hugh Freeze. Chaplin tells Chris Nee of 247Sports that FSU created a plan for him before committing.
"I learned that they plan on trying to use me to showcase my talent the best they could. They are trying to get me out in open space," Chaplin told Nee. "They want to show how dominant I am as a player and as an offensive lineman."
Auburn ran a spread-to-run approach that featured wrinkles of Malzahn's RPO (Run Pass Option) scheme. There's a lot of zone blocking principles too. Yet still, multiple reports around the Tigers revealed Freeze "baffled" his players and not played to the line's strengths -- causing Freeze to become in over his head.
Where Chaplin Excels
Because of Freeze's play-calling, Chaplin and the front five struggled to showcase their run blocking consistency. He received a low 56.6 run block grade per Pro Football Focus.
However, Chaplin proved to be a better pass protector -- grading out at 71.0 there per PFF.
He comes in with familiarity over the projected QB1: Former Auburn teammate Ashton Daniels. Chaplin will have an idea of the checks Daniels can provide at the line of scrimmage.
But Florida State wants to get the ball out quick and not need to rely on mobility behind center. Chaplin's pass blocking strength comes in handy here.
Overall, Chaplin is a strong addition to FSU even though he's not considered a household name in the portal. But he fills a need especially for Daniels and incoming running back Quintrevion Wisner.