Florida State University has bolstered its quarterback depth with the addition of transfer portal commitment Dean DeNobile, a Lafayette College redshirt junior signal-caller. DeNobile expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, 'It's a great school, this is FSU, this is the place people want to be. I actually committed. I'm excited to get to work. It's a great school. People dream to play at a place like this.'
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound quarterback from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, attended Morris Catholic High School before joining Lafayette. He has a proven track record of success, having been a team captain in both his redshirt junior and 2024 seasons. During his redshirt junior year, he achieved impressive statistics, including 223-of-348 passing attempts (64.1%) for 2,542 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while also contributing two rushing touchdowns. In his first year as a team captain in 2024, he started all 12 games, accumulating 226-of-347 passing attempts (65.1%) for 2,417 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, with two rushing touchdowns. His performance earned him All-Patriot League Second Team recognition.
DeNobile's recruitment was facilitated by quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker, who was also recruited to Lafayette by Florida State general manager John Garrett when he was the head coach there. The addition of DeNobile comes as Florida State already had quarterback Ashton Daniels from Auburn and redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry returning from the previous season. However, the team also welcomes incoming freshman Jaden O'Neal, who recently underwent knee surgery and is expected to miss the season.
The university's transfer portal strategy has been a topic of interest, with the potential to spark discussions about the balance between recruiting transfers and developing homegrown talent. As Florida State continues to build its quarterback room, the team's success in the upcoming season will be a testament to the effectiveness of their recruitment and player development strategies.
