Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker plans to enter the transfer portal and will not play in the Orange Bowl against Georgia, a team source confirmed Monday.
The redshirt junior took over as the Seminoles' starter after Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending left leg injury against North Alabama on November 18th, but was sidelined in Florida State's win over Louisville in the ACC Championship on December 2nd A head injury sidelined newcomer Brock Glenn in his place.
Rodemaker threw for 901 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in his four-year tenure at Florida State. He made his first career start on November 25, when he completed 12 of 25 passes for 134 yards and led the Seminoles to a 24-15 victory over Florida.
Florida State failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff despite going 13-0 this season. They will face the Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
With Rodemaker unavailable, FSU will likely rely on Glenn against Georgia. In his only career start, Glenn went 8 of 21 for 55 yards and was sacked four times in FSU's 16-6 win over Louisville.
Why Rodemaker is leaving now
The redshirt junior has two seasons of eligibility remaining and realizes it would be wise to explore his options as the Seminoles coaching staff continues to pursue more proven transfers. Florida State brought in Washington State transfer Cameron Ward and Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei on official visits and appears to be landing one of those two targets to replace Travis. If Rodemaker wants a better chance of being a starter in 2024, it makes sense for him to move on.
If Rodemaker waits until after the Orange Bowl, it could be harder for him to find a program looking for a starting quarterback and get him enrolled on time. In fact, 46 FBS scholarship transfer QBs have already made commitments to new schools. The 30-day winter transfer window for underclassmen ends January 2nd. – Max Olson, senior college football writer
What this means for Florida State in the Orange Bowl
The Seminoles started as 13-point underdogs against No. 6 Georgia in the Orange Bowl and will have a hard time pulling off an upset without many of their star players. Running back Trey Benson, wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive end Jared Verse, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett Sr. and safety Akeem Dent have all declared they are turning pro and had already opted out of the Orange Bowl withdrawn before Rodemaker's decision.
This game provides an opportunity for Glenn and a number of young players in the program to show what they can do heading into 2024 as the Seminoles look to reload and chase another ACC title and a bid to the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff . –Olson
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(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)