Florida State didn’t have a good 2025 season, but one player made a significant impact as a freshman. Mandrell Desir, a three-star prospect out of high school, shined under the collegiate lights.
The 6-foot-4, 262-pounder led the Seminoles’ defense with 6.5 sacks. Desir also racked up 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup. This led to several accolades for him, including being named an FWAA Freshman All-American.
After such a huge year, the expectations for Desir are even higher coming into his sophomore campaign. However, his approach, just like his twin brother Darryll, remains the same.
“Shoot, I’m just still regular me,” Desir told Warchant. “That’s how me and my brother think. Like, we don’t really let that take a part in our game. We’re still going to play how we play.”
Darryll didn’t have as big a freshman year as Mandrell, but he was also a very solid contributor for FSU. He recorded 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack as he appeared in all 12 games.
Defensive coordinator Tony White brought a new 3-3-5 scheme to Florida State last season, and although there were improvements, there were also mistakes, as expected. In year two, White will have a plethora of guys back, and they will have a better understanding of what he wants.
As noted, Desir had a very good freshman season. With that said, the goal for any player is to elevate his game year to year. Last season, Desir says he was trying to remember his assignments from play to play.
With a season full of immense expectations coming up, Desir says he is focused on one particular aspect of his game that he feels will resonate throughout the entire trench unit and improve them as a whole.
“I try to focus on running to the ball … just 100 percent running to the ball. I want to do that all game,” said Desir. “We’re going to be near the ball every time. if you see the ball, you’re going to see the D-Line.”
Desir has become a cornerstone piece of FSU’s defense, and he’ll be a huge factor in how they perform as a unit this upcoming season.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Mandrell Desir talks spring practice, sophomore year focus
Reporting by Matthew Lenix , FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
