Florida State defensive end Jared Verse announces he will defer NFL Draft dreams, return for 2023
In a Florida State football offseason that has been filled with plenty of positive developments, the Seminoles just received maybe their most encouraging news to date.
Jared Verse, who is considered to be one of the best defensive ends in college football, announced via social media Saturday that he will defer his NFL Draft aspirations and come back to FSU for another season.
In returning to the Seminoles, Verse turned down potentially being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Dane Brugler with the Athletic represented many NFL Draft analysts who projected Verse to be a first-round selection. In his late-November mock draft, Brugler predicted the Atlanta Falcons would select Verse with the No. 15 overall pick.
How much Verse impressed in his first season at the Power Five level helped him earn those first-round projections.
The first-year transfer from the University at Albany immediately shined at FSU, earning first-team All-ACC honors. Verse recorded a team-high nine sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss across 12 games, along with 47 tackles and three quarterback hurries.
The 6-foot-4, 248-pound Verse emphatically decided against opting out of the Cheez-It Bowl, which inspired optimism about his chances of returning. His seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks helped the No. 13 Seminoles (10-3) complete their season with a 35-32 win over Oklahoma (6-7) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Dec. 29.
With that victory, FSU captured its first 10-win season since 2016 and 25th in program history.
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🖤 #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/MIyeglWXlX
— Jared Verse (@JaredVerse1) January 7, 2023
Stage is set for Florida State to have special 2023 season
The Seminoles bringing back Verse and several other key players only improved their chances of taking another step forward next season.
Quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson, wide receiver Johnny Wilson and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett are among FSU’s other draft-eligible players who have previously announced that they are returning.
Not to mention the Seminoles have an eight-player 2023 transfer class that might be the best in the country.
Five of the nation’s top 50 2023 transfers on 247Sports – Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress (No. 4), South Carolina tight end Jaheim Bell (No. 8), Western Michigan defensive tackle Braden Fiske (No. 13), UTEP offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers (No. 26), Shorter University tight end Kyle Morlock (No. 47) – are included in that group.
247Sports and On3 rank the class No. 1 and No. 4 nationally.
Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Jared Verse will defer NFL Draft, return to Seminoles for 2023
