The 2026 Florida State Position Preview: Offensive Line. As we continue our Florida State position preview series, we move on to one of the most season-defining units – the offensive line.
For the second straight year, FSU is tasked with replacing its entire starting offensive line. Among the list of departures is First Team All-ACC and Honorable Mention All-American center Luke Petitbon, who started all 12 games and took the most offensive line snaps (795) last season.
Left guard Richie Leonard IV earned Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition after playing 664 offensive snaps and starting 11 of 12 games at left guard. In order to replace the talent lost, the Florida State coaching staff turned to the transfer portal, hoping that a strong portal class would gel together before the 2026 season starts.
For a position where success often hinges on development and retention, breaking in a portal-laden starting lineup for a consecutive season is not ideal, but the experience along the new-look front line is undeniable.
2026 Florida State Position Preview
Key Returners
André Otto (6-5, 315) returns after recording 79 offensive snaps and making 12 game appearances last fall. He is projected to start at left guard, but that is far from solidified, as left tackle is the only position with a clear favorite to start.
Otto started multiple games in 2024, seeing action at both right and left guard. Third-year lineman Jonathan Daniels (6-4, 315) will look to push for the right tackle role. A Pine Forest High School product with a four-star rating, Daniels totaled 81 offensive snaps and competed in six games for FSU last season.
For Daniels to start week one, his pure upside will have to shine through as he carries less experience than the portal additions. Regardless, both Otto and Daniels are expected to see the field next season.
The backup to All-ACC center Luke Petitbon – Chavez Thompson – will make a serious push for a starting job in fall camp. As a first-year player, he took 68 snaps and played in four games. Thompson has a multi-sport background out of Cocoa High School, starting at center and finding success as a wrestler.
Jayden Todd (6-6, 314) rounds out the list of returning offensive linemen expected to make an impact. In 2025, Todd tallied 47 snaps as a reserve offensive lineman and special teams asset.
Transfer Additions
Replacing all five starters from a unit that paved the way for a top 30 scoring offense is not an easy task to do. Florida State prioritized experience once again in its offensive line evaluations.
Xavier Chaplin (6-8, 354) comes to Tallahassee after starting 37 consecutive games over the past three seasons with Virginia Tech and Auburn. He started all 12 games at left tackle for the Tigers last season, earning a 90 grade or higher in five games, including a season-high 97 vs Missouri.
According to PFF, Chaplin had an overall PFF grade of 56.6, with a 71.1 in pass blocking but a 56.4 in run blocking. Penalties were a major issue for Chaplin last year, as he was penalized 12 times, which tied for sixth-highest in the nation. At Virginia Tech, he had better PFF scores, earning overall grades of 69.9 in 2024 and 62.2 in 2023.
With a massive frame and significant experience, Chaplin seems to be locked in at left tackle. Purdue transfer Bradyn Joiner (6-2, 328) allowed just one sack on 791 snaps and has started 17 games in his career. Like Chaplin, he also had a stint at Auburn, being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2024 before transferring to Purdue.
Versatile lineman Nate Pabst (6-7, 310) transfers in from Bowling Green with experience at right guard, right tackle, and left tackle. In five seasons with the Falcons, Pabst has started 38 games, earning Second Team All-MAC honors in 2025. Last season, Pabst allowed just one sack over 354 pass plays and combined for 766 offensive snaps.
Chimdia Nwaiwu (Stephen F. Austin) and Paul Bowling (Troy) both bring notable experience. Nwaiwu had a league-best 82.5 pass blocking rate with SFA last fall, leading to All-Southland Conference First Team accolades. Bowling started and played in 12 games in his first collegiate season.
Projected Starting Lineup
- LT Xavier Chaplin
- LG André Otto
- C Bradyn Joiner
- RG Nate Pabst
- RT Chimdia Nwaiwu
Outlook
If Florida State wants to have a successful 2026 campaign, the offensive line has to be a position of strength. The experience is there from transfer additions like Chaplin, Pabst, and Joiner, but how offensive line coach Herb Hand chooses to utilize this group of players could determine if the front line makes a difference in the fall.
Main Image: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
