Nole Gameday

Florida State offers No. 1 defensive lineman in the country

The Seminoles are taking a shot at the highly-regarded defender.

Tommy Mire

Elijah Golden/Twitter
In this story:

The Florida State Seminoles recently extended an offer to 4-star Class of 2026 defensive lineman Elijah Golden on Monday as the 'Noles continue to bulk up #Tribe2026.

Listed at 6'3'' and 260 pounds, Golden was credited with 61 tackles, 29 for a loss, 10 sacks, eight quarterback hurries, and a pass breakup in 11 games earning him MaxPreps Junior Second-Team All-American Honors and a Navy All-American Bowl invite this past fall.

Florida State recently hired defensive line coach Terrance Knighton away from Nebraska and the move could be paying dividends early on. With the departures of Joshua Farmer (NFL) and Patrick Payton (transfer) landing top talent for the future will be a priority for head coach Mike Norvell and Co.

READ MORE: NFL.com includes two FSU Football standouts among top-50 prospects before NFL Combine

Golden is a highly sought-after recruit and is listed as the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 40 player nationally. He is regarded as the No. 7 ranked prospect in the State of Florida.

He holds offers from some of the country's top programs, such as Oklahoma Sooners, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies, Auburn Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns, and Florida Gators, alongside Florida State. All in all, he has 37 offers, according to 247Sports.com.

The Sarasota, Florida native helped Cardinal Mooney continue an 18-game winning streak that included the state title, which started in September 2023. The Cougars finished their regular season with a record of 12-1.

Who Is Committed To FSU In The 2026 Class?

4-star WR Efrem White

4-star WR Darryon Williams

4-star DB Darryl Bell III

4-star RB Amari Clemons

4-star DB Tedarius Hughes

4-star LB Karon Maycock

4-star OL Xavier Payne

Who Does Florida State Have At Defensive Tackle For The 2025 Season?

Who Does Florida State Have At Defensive Tackle For The 2025 Season?

Redshirt Senior Darrell Jackson Jr.

Redshirt Junior Daniel Lyons

Redshirt Junior Jayson Jenkins

Junior Tyeland Coleman

Redshirt Sophomore KJ Sampson

Redshirt Freshman D'Nas White

Redshirt Freshman Jamorie Flagg

True Freshman Kevin Wynn

READ MORE: Breakout four-star quarterback expected to visit FSU Football in near future

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the offseason

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

More Florida State News

• Former FSU Football standouts, including Jared Verse and Jordan Travis, recognized at FSU-UM basketball game

• Malique Ewin dominates as FSU Basketball completes season sweep of Miami, 74-66

• Which Florida State true freshman has the potential to develop into something special?

• True freshman quarterback Kevin Sperry excited for FSU’s up-tempo offense under Gus Malzahn

Published
Tommy Mire
TOMMY MIRE

Tommy Mire joined NoleGameday in 2023 as a writer and editor. He initially worked as lead voice at SBNation's Tomahawk Nation and contributes to football, NFL and recruiting coverage. Connect with Tommy on Twitter at @TommyM3III

Home/Florida State Seminoles Recruiting