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Florida State hit the transfer portal pretty hard this offseason, which was an expected move. One area that needed to be addressed was linebacker, and the Seminoles added multiple. The one generating the most buzz is Chris Jones, who played two seasons at Southern Miss.
He's coming off an incredible year for the Golden Eagles. Jones was the top tackler in the Sun Belt Conference with 134, and he also produced 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble. He's projected to be one of the starting linebackers in Tony White’s defense.
As far as making an impression, Jones has already done that during the spring and summer. Seminoles' head coach Mike Norvell handed out major kudos when speaking about Jones during the ACC Kickoff media event.
“He challenges himself. And with all the tackles that he’s had, there have still been some missed opportunities. He is, on a daily basis, trying to do everything he can mentally, physically just to go be all that he can. But he has a great knack for finding the football, but also the physical abilities and the desire and want-to to make it happen when he gets to the ball," Norvell said via Warchant.
His teammates are feeling the same way. Redshirt junior cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls was also very complimentary of Jones.
“Oh, it’s explosive,” Rawls said. “It’s explosiveness, bro. Like he’s big, but nobody talks about his explosiveness. He’s very explosive and very twitchy and athletic. And at the size he’s at, it’s insane.”
Jones is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can read and diagnose fast and fill gaps against the run. He displays the ability and speed to cover running backs as well as tight ends in the passing game. In Tony White’s 3-3-5 scheme, Jones will be a vital piece in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU transfer linebacker is already making a strong impression
