Florida State linebacker Chris Jones came away encouraged by what he saw from his position group during the Seminoles' recent scrimmage, pointing to a combination of physicality, improved chemistry and an increasingly aggressive mentality.
Jones, a junior transfer from Southern Miss, said Tuesday that the linebackers have embraced a message from first-year position coach Ernie Sims: play fast, get to the football and respond to mistakes with violence. Sims was elevated to linebackers coach in January after serving as FSU’s assistant linebackers coach last season.
“The linebacker core played great in my opinion,” Jones said. “I feel like this year we have more intensity, more strength to the ball. Coach Sims says all the time, ‘Solve your mistakes
with violence.’ And that’s what we try to do every day, try to fly to the ball as a unit.”
He described physicality as an essential part of his game, even acknowledging that head coach Mike Norvell occasionally has to remind him to pull back during practices when players are not supposed to finish tackles to the ground.
“I just love being physical,” Jones said. “That’s why I play the game.”
Jones brings considerable experience to Tallahassee after recording 180 tackles across two seasons at Southern Miss. He started all 13 games in 2025 and finished with 134 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors.
That experience has also placed Jones in a leadership role within a linebacker room that includes freshmen Izayia Williams, Karon Maycock, Daylen Green and Noah LaVallee. Jones said the veterans understand the younger players are watching how they prepare, communicate and respond each day.
One teammate who has particularly impressed Jones is Caleb LaVallee. The senior linebacker appeared primarily on special teams during his first season at Florida State after transferring from the North Carolina Tar Heels and battling injuries, but Jones praised his intelligence, athleticism and communication.
“He remind me of Luke Kuechly,” Jones said. “I’m not going to lie. Like how he manages the game. When I’m out there tired, he’s communicating to me.”
Jones has found a similarly demanding matchup on the other side of the ball in sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah, who he called "probably the best back I've faced."
“Ous is probably the best back I’ve faced since I’ve been in college,” Jones said. “He’s quick, he’s shifty, he can pass pro.”
For Jones, those daily battles are part of the identity Florida State is attempting to establish before the season begins. Whether competing with Kromah, communicating alongside LaVallee or setting an example for the younger linebackers, Jones repeatedly returned to the same theme: playing together and playing physically.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State linebacker embraces physical identity
