1/7/2023 football Edit

Florida State defensive end Jared Verse returning for 2023 season

Curt Weiler • TheOsceola

Senior Writer

Another key Florida State Seminole is running it back.

FSU's All-ACC defensive end Jared Verse announced Saturday that he will be returning for the 2023 season, joining the ranks of quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett as Seminoles delaying their professional futures to return for one more season at FSU.

Verse announced the news on his Twitter account on the one-year anniversary of the day he committed to FSU as a transfer last Jan. 7.

"We're not done yet. See y'all in 2023," Verse said in a video he posted with highlights of his first season at FSU.

This news comes as a bit of a shock as Verse was considered a fringe first-round NFL Draft pick after an impactful first season at FSU after transferring in from FCS Albany. In his first season at FSU, Verse was tied for second among ACC players in sacks (9) and second in tackles for loss (16.5).

The 6-foot-4, 248-pound defensive end also had 41 total tackles, a blocked field goal and recorded at least a half-tackle for loss in every full game in which he played.

He became the second first-year FSU defensive end transfer in as many years to be named a first-team All-ACC player, joining Jermaine Johnson. While he didn’t repeat Johnson’s crown as ACC Defensive Player of the Year, he did finish fourth in voting.

After another full offseason in FSU’s strength and conditioning program, Verse will enter the 2023 season as a frontrunner for ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a potential preseason first-team All-American.

With another season at FSU, he could very well play his way into surefire first-round-pick status. That's quite a journey from being an unranked recruit coming out of high school.

His return, especially paired with the others, continues to add fuel to the fire that will be the Seminoles’ preseason hype entering the 2023 season.