Jordan Travis, Jared Verse, and Trey Benson discuss staying or leaving Florida State
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The Seminoles concluded the 2022 regular season with a high-scoring victory against the Gators. The performance secured Florida State's ninth win (and counting) of the campaign as fans stormed Doak Campbell Stadium to celebrate the success ahead of the team's first trip to the postseason under head coach Mike Norvell. The trajectory and vibes around the program are at an all-time high after a few rough years between the lines.
READ MORE: Two former FSU quarterback commits announce intentions to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
With that being said, multiple players on the team have decisions to make that could signifcantly impact the bowl game and beyond. Following the win against Florida, a couple of Seminoles who will need to weigh their options over the next few weeks shared their early thoughts and where they're learning.
Redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Travis made significant progress as a passer in his fourth season in Tallahassee. He completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,796 yards with 22 touchdowns to four interceptions this season and still has a chance to break 3,000+ passing yards in the postseason.
The Florida native started every game in the regular season for the first time in his career has an opportunity to be named to the All-ACC team. There's a possibility he could put his name in the Heisman discussion with a return to Florida State in 2023 alongside a stacked offense.
The contest against the Gators marked Senior Day for the Seminoles. Interestingly enough, Travis chose not to be honored - which may be an indication of which direction he's leaning at this time.
“I’m going to continue to pray to God. I’ve just got to keep working. I have so much room for improvement,” Travis said on Friday. “I’m going to celebrate tonight, man. This career has been amazing. It’s been a blessing from the man upstairs. Keep praying to God and keep working.”
Next up at the podium were starting defensive end Jared Verse and running back Trey Benson. Verse has devleoped into one of the breakout stars for the Seminoles this season after transferring in from FCS Albany. He's recorded 41 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks this season. He ranks second in the ACC in TFLs and third in sacks despite suffering an injury against Louisville that limited him for a few weeks.
The goal when he got to Florida State was for Verse to always go to the league. But no one expected the possibility to become this legitimate this fast. He's been appearing as a first-round draft pick in multiple mock drafts throughout the year and holds the skillset NFL clubs are searching for in an edge rusher.
"I'll definitely sit down with the coaches, sit down with a couple of my teammates, figure out where their heads are at, where my head is at. Before I make any big decisions I want to meet with the coaches," Verse said. "But being here, I just love it. The whole experience of being here. Having the opportunity to be able to play at the next level, not everybody gets that opportunity. It shows my hard work paid off. It just means a lot to know all that hard works paying off. I'm definitely going to sit down and think about it."
Benson also transferred to Florida State over the offseason after beginning his career at another program. A former four-star recruit, he suffered a serious knee injury two years ago at Oregon and contributed sparingly the following season. Benson has hit his stride after working his way into the rotation in Tallahassee.
The Mississippi native has recorded 100+ rushing yards in four of his last five appearances after taking advantage of the opportunity that was left on the table when Treshaun Ward was knocked out of the lineup. Benson leads the team with 141 carries for 965 yards and nine touchdowns. He's also caught 12 passes for 111 yards.
There's almost a certainty that Benson will break the 1,000+ yard rushing mark in Florida State's bowl game. He would be the first Seminole running back to do so since Cam Akers in 2019. Benson leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally with 6.84 yards per carry. His swift trajectory and previous injury history has some debating if he should test the professional waters while the iron is hot.
"This year has moved fast for me,” Benson said. “I'm still pretty young. I'm going to put thought into it, talk to my family about it.”
One interesting tidbit is that Benson and Verse are roomates at Florida State. It sounds like they're going to discuss their decisions with one another and could influence each other.
A player who appears unlikely to return to the program is redshirt junior safety Jammie Robinson. The two-year starter and all conference defender noted that the win over Florida was his last home game. Robinson was honored as part of the senior day festivities and has played four seasons at the collegiate level.
Outside of the aforementioned players, there are quite a few other Seminoles who have the potential to pursue NFL careers such as offensive lineman Robert Scott, wide receiver Johnny Wilson, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett, linebacker Kalen DeLoach, linebacker Tatum Bethune and safety Akeem Dent.
Florida State and the coaching staff will likely push for the majority of those names to return and run it back for another season. The Seminoles could enter 2023 as a legitimate contender for the conference and a ranked team.
The program will learn its postseason destination and opponent on Sunday.
READ MORE: Checking in on Florida State's Bowl Projections ahead of Conference Championship weekend
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.
