Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker is planning to enter the transfer portal and won’t 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 Nov. 18, but was sidelined with a head injury for Florida State’s win over Louisville in the ACC championship on Dec. 2. Freshman Brock Glenn started in his place.
Rodemaker has thrown for 901 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in his four-year tenure at Florida State. He made his first career start on Nov. 25, going 12-of-25 passing for 134 yards to lead the Seminoles to a 24-15 win over Florida.
Florida State failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff despite going 13-0 this season. They’ll take on the Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
With Rodemaker unavailable, FSU is expected to rely on Glenn against Georgia. In his one career start, Glenn went 8-of-21 for 55 yards during FSU’s 16-6 win over Louisville and was sacked four times.
Why Rodemaker is leaving now
The redshirt junior has two more seasons of eligibility and recognizes he would be wise to explore his options while the Seminoles’ coaching staff continues to pursue more proven transfers. Florida State has brought in Washington State transfer Cameron Ward and Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei for official visits and appears likely to land one of those two targets as the successor to Travis. If Rodemaker wants a better opportunity to be a starter in 2024, it makes sense for him to move on.
Rodemaker waiting until after the Orange Bowl could make it more difficult for him to find a program seeking a starting quarterback and get 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 closes on Jan. 2. — Max Olson, college football senior writer
What this means for Florida State in Orange Bowl
The Seminoles opened as a 13-point underdog against No. 6 Georgia in the Orange Bowl and are going to have a tough 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’re going pro and had already opted out of the Orange Bowl 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 try to reload and chase another ACC title and a bid in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. — Olson
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(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
