What to Expect from Florida State's Defense Ahead of Gators' Bout with Seminoles

FSU could provide a struggling Gators' offense trouble, but there is a path for Florida to upset the Seminoles.

Florida State Seminoles safety Earl Little Jr. can make plays at each level of the defense. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

To close their season, the Florida Gators face a tough Florida State defense aiming to stay dominant and earn a bowl bid. Despite FSU's 5-6 record, its defense could provide the Gators' biggest challenge, giving up 20.1 points per game and 318.7 yards from scrimmage.

With little at stake, what should UF expect from FSU, and how should they attack this group?

Scheme

FSU runs a standard 4-2-5 defense that can shift into a 3-3-5. Linebackers attack running lanes and blitz from multiple angles. Defensive coordinator Tony White relies on a strong front, with every linebacker showing sideline-to-sideline speed.

Head coach Mike Norvell views the Florida offense not as a rival but as a step in their season.

"We still have a job to do. It's about the job. It's about going to get the job done this week to be the best we've been throughout this season, and then we move to the next phase of it," Norvell said this week. "I know what I want that to be. Going to get a sixth win, that's the focus, and then you get to carry it to the next part of it."

Desir

Mandrell Desir, part of a four-star package deal with his twin brother Darryl, is an underweight defensive tackle (6-4, 262 pounds) who plays bigger than his size suggests. Off the snap, he prefers the bull rush, trying to leverage his way into the backfield, then sheds the blocker to reach the quarterback.

But his hand technique—using jabs, swipes, and sweeps—is what leads to his six sacks. Unfortunately for Desir, Jake Slaughter, playing his final home college game, is experienced and motivated, making it likely that Desir will have little impact in both the run game and pass rush.

You can go ahead and lock in Mandrell Desir as a True Freshman All-American at DT pic.twitter.com/nyd1EeEf4h

— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) November 9, 2025

Busy Defender

Safety Earl Little is the FSU player relied on to make plays at all levels. Listed as a safety, the Alabama transfer can play in the box, deep center, or move into the alley against the run. He excels in coverage but has trouble tackling, missing 12 attempts, according to Pro Football Focus. UF can exploit this by sending Jadan Baugh on a route if Little is near the line, since Little struggles to stop ball carriers in open space.

Fletcher runs over Earl Little Jr. pic.twitter.com/dkhPYBUzdC

— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) October 5, 2025

Bottom Line

The Gators don't need to hold anything back. Passing should keep the chains moving, energize the scoreboard, and excite the fans. Other than bragging rights, the main motivation now is to give the fans a happy sendoff from the Swamp.