Tylon Lee was already a big defensive lineman, weighing in at 230 or 235 pounds. But then Lee was given the freedom to eat. By eating carbs — he mentioned rice, chicken and Panda Express, in particular — as well as hitting the weights, Lee bulked up to his current weight of 277 pounds.

“I eat anything, it doesn’t really matter what it is,” Lee said. “I didn’t start putting on the weight until my senior year, which is crazy. … I just keep on eating. They say it’s good weight. I take their word. Just tone it up and get big.”

Lee is an intriguing late addition to Florida State’s 2025 class, a commitment to UCF and then Mississippi before signing with the Seminoles in December. As a senior, he had 87 tackles, 40 tackles for loss and six sacks for Pace (Fla.) High. Rivals ranked him as among the top 50 prospects in Florida the class of 2025.

After his commitments elsewhere, Lee said he felt comfortable with the FSU coaching staff.

“Florida State, it’s a great school,” Lee said. “There’s a legacy left here with the old coaches, old players. The coaches, they’re going to push you. Not only on the field but off the field. I got some good connections with people around here. They’re going to take care of you and make sure you’re straight.”

Where Lee lines up for FSU is a question mark. He could be an end or tackle in the Seminoles’ three-man front. For a lineman his size, strongside defensive end makes sense.

“They got me moving around everywhere, the end, the tackle,” Lee said. “It doesn’t matter where I play. Just know I’m going to eat and attack the line of scrimmage. I know how I fit in pretty good. I’m a versatile player. I play everywhere.”

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Lee is acclimating to FSU’s offseason workout. Just like he eats, seemingly all in, he embraces the work.

“Tour of Duty is a mindset thing,” Lee said. “It’s good. I’m getting used to it. The more I do it, the more I get a feel of it. It’s easy. It’s clockwork. It will get you right.”

Lee is also building a relationship with FSU defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.

“He’s a great coach,” Lee said. “He’s going to push you. He’s going to tell you what’s real and what’s not. He’s going to set a standard, what he expects out of you. He sees it in you. That’s how all of the coaches are. They are going to see it in you and they are going to push you. Push you like you’ve never been pushed before.”

Every player can use a push. Lee also has a drive to push himself, saying that “effort is something that can’t be taught.” That mindset was built with a three-year career at Pace where he had 236 tackles, 70 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

“It doesn’t matter where the ball is at, you have to chase it regardless," Lee said. "That’s the main thing about football. You have to have that motor, that acceleration. You always got to be on your game.”

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