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As fall camp approaches for the Florida State Seminoles, beginning on July 29, the Seminoles linebacking corps will be looking for improvement over last season.
Coach Mike Norvell raided the transfer portal for some help in that regard, and landed a tackling machine that was one of the best at his position last season. This will be one of the strongest units on the team.
A transfer from Southern Miss, Chris Jones averaged 10 tackles per game on his way to 135 total stops last season. That was good enough for No. 7 in the FBS. Now he comes to Tallahassee to prove he can replicate that production at a Power 4 program.
Jones posted eight games with double-digit tackles for the Golden Eagles, including a season-high 15 tackles against Louisiana Tech and Texas State. For his efforts, Jones earned first-team All-Sunbelt honors. Jones has the potential to be one of the best linebackers ever to play at Florida State.
Playing in 12 games last season, Blake Nichelson started the final six games of the season. Nichelson posted 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery, and recorded a season-high seven tackles against Clemson.
Last season, Omar Graham played in 12 games and started five for the Seminoles. He recorded 38 tackles, including a season-high eight tackles against Stanford.
A transfer from North Carolina, Caleb LaVallee missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. Once he arrived at Florida State, LaVallee performed well in spring practice and Norvell raved about LaVallee’s athleticism.
Ashlynd Barker is listed as a defensive back, but will play rover this season, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker role. Barker was second on the team with 48 tackles in 2025.
Playing as a true freshman this season, Karon Maycock had a great spring practice where he showed off his playmaking skills for the coaching staff. He chose the Seminoles over offers from Florida, Syracuse, Alabama and Texas. Maycock totaled 149 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and nine sacks during his prep career at Miami Central High School.
During his recruitment, he was sought after as a safety, but Norvell signed him as a linebacker. Maycock could see the field much sooner than expected if he continues to quickly learn the college game.
This is one of the deeper position groups on the team and Norvell is excited about what the linebacking corps can accomplish on the field in 2026. When fall camps begins at the end of this month, Norvell will find out just how far this group has come since spring practice and summer workouts.
Florida State kicks off the 2026 season when they host New Mexico State on August 29.
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Coach Mike Norvell raided the transfer portal for some help in that regard, and landed a tackling machine that was one of the best at his position last season. This will be one of the strongest units on the team.
Chris Jones
A transfer from Southern Miss, Chris Jones averaged 10 tackles per game on his way to 135 total stops last season. That was good enough for No. 7 in the FBS. Now he comes to Tallahassee to prove he can replicate that production at a Power 4 program.
Jones posted eight games with double-digit tackles for the Golden Eagles, including a season-high 15 tackles against Louisiana Tech and Texas State. For his efforts, Jones earned first-team All-Sunbelt honors. Jones has the potential to be one of the best linebackers ever to play at Florida State.
Blake Nichelson
Playing in 12 games last season, Blake Nichelson started the final six games of the season. Nichelson posted 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery, and recorded a season-high seven tackles against Clemson.
Omar Graham Jr.
Last season, Omar Graham played in 12 games and started five for the Seminoles. He recorded 38 tackles, including a season-high eight tackles against Stanford.
Caleb LaVallee
A transfer from North Carolina, Caleb LaVallee missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. Once he arrived at Florida State, LaVallee performed well in spring practice and Norvell raved about LaVallee’s athleticism.
Ashlyn Barker
Ashlynd Barker is listed as a defensive back, but will play rover this season, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker role. Barker was second on the team with 48 tackles in 2025.
Karon Maycock
Playing as a true freshman this season, Karon Maycock had a great spring practice where he showed off his playmaking skills for the coaching staff. He chose the Seminoles over offers from Florida, Syracuse, Alabama and Texas. Maycock totaled 149 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and nine sacks during his prep career at Miami Central High School.
During his recruitment, he was sought after as a safety, but Norvell signed him as a linebacker. Maycock could see the field much sooner than expected if he continues to quickly learn the college game.
This is one of the deeper position groups on the team and Norvell is excited about what the linebacking corps can accomplish on the field in 2026. When fall camps begins at the end of this month, Norvell will find out just how far this group has come since spring practice and summer workouts.
Florida State kicks off the 2026 season when they host New Mexico State on August 29.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
