Florida State Defensive Starter Opts Out of Orange Bowl

As we inch closer to Georgia and Florida State facing off in this year's Orange Bowl, players on both teams are starting to announce their decisions regarding their future in football. For the Bulldogs, it has mostly been good news as quarterback Carson Beck announced on Monday that he would be returning to Georgia for another season and will play in the Orange. As for the Seminoles, they have had several players opt out of the bowl game and they just added another to the list. Defensive lineman Jared Verse has officially declared for the NFL draft and will not play against Georgia, per reports.

Verse joins his wide receiver Johnny Wilson and running back Trey Benson on the list of Florida State players who have declared for the draft and opted out of playing in the Orange Bowl. Georgia on the other hand has not yet had a single player announce that they will not be playing in the bowl game. Star tight end Brock Bowers even said he is still contemplating his decision.

During the 2023 season, Verse accumulated 41 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks this season. He was the anchor for the Seminoles on defense and will be a valued prospect in this upcoming NFL draft.

Florida State was already considered 14-point underdogs in this matchup prior to players opting out of the game, and now with three key contributors on both sides of the ball no longer in the picture, it's safe to assume that the spread will continue to climb in favor of Georgia.

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