Florida State linebacker becomes first roster departure to hit the transfer portal

There's a twist with the NCAA Transfer Portal this year. Due to new regulations, the portal won't open until January 2, giving college athletes 15 days to decide if they want to test the waters.

Things could get particularly chaotic as the spring window has been eliminated. Expect a lot of movement across the sport, including in Tallahassee.

Less than a week has passed since Florida State's 2025 season ended in Gainesville. The program immediately began exit meetings and now, the portal departures are underway.

FSU Redshirt Freshman LB Plans To Enter Portal

On Thursday afternoon, redshirt freshman linebacker Jayden Parrish revealed his intentions to enter the portal after two seasons at Florida State. Parrish can still change his mind before the action officially gets started, as redshirt junior Omar Graham Jr. did last year.

Parrish spent the last two years as a reserve linebacker for the Seminoles. He didn't see the field in 2024 while redshirting. This fall, Parrish made two appearances, recording three tackles in FSU's 77-3 victory against East Texas A&M.

Considering the state of the linebacker room, which strugged mightily throughout the season, it's not a positive indication that Parrish was unable to crack the lineup or two deep.

The Florida native signed with FSU as a three-star prospect in the 2024 class.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 232-pounds, Parrish is expected to have three seasons of eligibility remaining at the college level.

Florida State does have multiple upperclassmen eligible to return for another year. Plus, the Seminole signed four linebackers in their #Tribe26 class; four-star Izayia Williams, three-star Karon Maycock, three-star Daylen Green, and three-star Noah LaVallee.