The countdown to the 2025 Florida State football season is underway. Ahead of fall camp and FSU’s season opener vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide, we’re taking a look at the Seminoles’ roster, position-by-position. Today, a look at the tight ends.

Florida State’s tight-end room features an up-and-coming returning player, a veteran transfer and a highly-touted freshman. Does any other position group on the roster boast a member from each of those categories? Chris Thomsen’s group should be one of the focal points of the FSU offense and a difference maker to a team that desperately needs them.

FSU position previews:

2024 lookback: The tight end room actually became a positive later in the season as Mike Norvell embraced the youth movement. Landen Thomas and Amaree Williams each broke out as best as one can in a brutal passing offense and laid the foundation for a positive year two in the program.

Main name to know
Florida State put on a full-court press to land Landen Thomas out of South Georgia and keep him away from UGA during his high school recruitment and their efforts seem to be rewarded. Thomas played in all 12 games in 2024 and started the final seven as he came into school with a college-ready frame and became a safety blanket for the young quarterbacks. Thomas returns in year two as the clear #1 in the tight end room should be a mainstay on the field as new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, similar to Norvell, loves to utilize the TE position. Thomas bulked up over the offseason and Seminoles.com lists him at 6’4’’ 239 pounds. If Tommy Castellanos fixes Florida State’s passing game woes, Thomas could be a 2025 breakout candidate.
Returning players
Normally the “returning players” category focuses on members of the 2024 team, but considering Amaree Williams spent the spring at DE he does not qualify for this spot. Instead, Markeston Douglas returns for the second (third?) time after transferring to FSU from Arizona State after the 2024 season. While clearly a notch below Thomas and incoming transfer Randy Pittman Jr. on the depth chart, Douglas has won a conference title in two-straight seasons and that winning pedigree is vital for a team coming off a 2-10 season. Douglas also stood out as a quiet leader on the 2023 team, and if the strange transfer portal antics become water under the bridge, there is no reason he could not take on a similar role in 2025.
New faces

Randy Pittman Jr. joins his former head coach in Tallahassee as the tight end spent two seasons at UCF before committing to FSU out of the transfer portal. He started 10 games in 2024 and caught 32 passes, including two touchdowns and played in every game in 2023 including one start. Pittman Jr. fits the Jaheim Bell mold of two seasons ago, even if he does not have the athleticism that of the now-New England Patriot. Pittman Jr. provides a veteran presence to a youthful position group and should be a jack-of-all trades player who can lineup inside and block or shift out wide and catch passes from the slot.
Similar to Thomas, the Seminoles held off a furious push from Chase Loftin’s home-state school, Nebraska, and secured the 6’6’’ Omaha, NE native’s commitment in their 2025 recruiting class. Loftin certainly has the build to contribute early and enrolling in the winer always helps a freshman’s chances to see the field early. Norvell seemed excited about how Loftin progressed throughout spring and their may be an opportunity for him to make an impact in 2025.