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North Carolina transfer LB Mikai Gbayor commits to Florida State

Danby: Daniel Hager01/15/26DanielHagerOn3

North Carolina transfer redshirt senior linebacker Mikai Gbayor has committed to Florida State, On3’s Pete Nakos reports. He was tabbed as the No. 428 ranked player (No. 37 LB) in On3’s Transfer Portal Industry Rating.

Gbayor made previous stops at Nebraska and Missouri before spending the 2025 season with Carolina, where he recorded 39 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Over the span of his career, Gbayor boasts 112 tackles, three pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.

Prior to enrolling at Nebraska out of high school, Gbayor was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 638 overall player in the 2021 class, according to the Rivals Industry Rating. He was the No. 64 LB in his class and the No. 13 overall player from the state of New Jersey, hailing from Irvington.

Florida State looks to bounce back from back-to-back disappointing seasons

It was a disappointing season for the Florida State Seminoles, who were coming off their worst season in program history (2-10 in 2024). The year opened strongly with a marquee victory over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee, which propelled them to a No. 14 ranking in the AP Poll Rankings.

Following that win, however, FSU went just 4-7 over its final 11 games and missed the postseason for the second consecutive season. Florida State administration made the decision to retain head coach Mike Norvell, who claimed that the program was ‘close’ near the end of the season.

“I believe that we are close,” Norvell said. “You lose six games, and it sucks. Like I said, we have absolutely not been close to the expectation of what I have for this team, for what I have and for what I know is the overall expectation of Florida State football, in general.

“But I do believe in where we’re going. I do believe in some of the progress that we’ve been able to see, but it’s not consistent enough. Even in games, where there’s — it’s not like there’s games where we haven’t shown up. We’ve been able to gain yards. We’ve been able to hold teams to less. You go through all that.”

Across six seasons in Tallahassee, Norvell has led the ‘Noles to a 38-34 (22-26) record.

Florida State’s Transfer Portal Additions

Mikai Gbayor is the 14th Transfer Portal addition for Florida State.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.