Florida State is losing another starter from its 2024 defensive line.

Redshirt junior defensive end Patrick Payton has decided to enter the transfer portal and play his final year of eligibility elsewhere, he announced via an Instagram post on Wednesday.

Payton had 35 tackles, led the Seminoles with 11 tackles for loss and was tied for the team lead in sacks (four) this past season. He also blocked a field-goal attempt against Clemson.

It was overall a frustrating year 4 for Payton, who had three sacks in the win over California but struggled to put pressure on the quarterback with any consistency. Payton had seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023, playing on a defensive line with first-round pick Jared Verse, second-round pick Braden Fiske and Joshua Farmer (who declared for the draft in early December.

Payton has 110 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in his career. His 32 tackles for loss puts him in a tie for 15th on FSU’s all-time list. He was the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022.

While Payton has a history of playing games with the portal -- he announced he was entering the portal last offseason but never actually did and returned to the Seminoles -- it seems unlikely the FSU staff would again engage in that behavior with Payton, especially considering his drop-off in production this season.

The bit of good news for FSU is that it will not be losing a third member of its starting defensive line from the 2024 season as originally feared. Darrell Jackson announced Monday that he'll return for the Seminoles in 2025, reversing course from his original decision to declare for the NFL Draft.

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