Jaylen King: Transferring to Florida State was a no-brainer

Florida State quarterback Jaylen King called it a no-brainer to transfer to play for the Seminoles. The former East Tennessee State QB will have to backup Tommy Castellanos for now, but he’s eager to learn at an ACC program.

The Seminoles are coming off a disastrous season and well, there’s nowhere to go but up. King saw an opportunity and took it as FSU looks to rebuild in 2025.

King revealed his reaction when he first got the call from Mike Norvell and company. He couldn’t say yes fast enough.

“Unbelievable. I didn’t think it was real,” King said. “I mean, it was a no brainer, you know, like this is where everybody wants to be. So when the opportunity struck, like that’s where I want to go, this is where I want to be, no questions asked.”

With what King has at his disposal, he can develop at a substantial rate. He’s just excited to hit the ground running.

“Oh, it’s been great,” King said. “This is the what everybody dreams of, especially where I come from, it’s been great. You got all the resources here, everything that you need, so there’s no more complaining about what you don’t have. So you really have no excuse. The guys who brought me in, I’m still learning names, still getting to know guys, but it’s a great place to be.”

King was an overlooked prospect coming out of high school at Charlton County in Georgia. He’d originally go to Gardner-Webb and then East Tennessee State, both of which are FCS programs, and hit the ground running as a starter. 

Over the course of two seasons, he’d throw for 2,759 yards and 20 touchdowns, though he did have a turnover problem, throwing 19 interceptions. On the ground, he was able to rush for 825 yards and another 10 touchdowns.

“I’m just trying to prepare mentally,” King said. “And just take the coaching and watch the guys like Tommy and just sit behind them and go over behind him like he’s going to take the snap like he’s doing.”

As a team, Florida State struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball last season, particularly at quarterback. The Seminoles finished 2024 ranked 116th nationally in passing offense, averaging just 180.3 passing yards per game. Their 11 team passing touchdowns were tied for 123rd nationally. That was also part of why the Seminoles only finished 131st in scoring offense, averaging 15.4 points per game.