The Florida State defense appeared to be in for a long day when the Virginia Cavaliers went right down the field on their second drive to take a 7-0 lead. They would have to cherish that touchdown because not a single point was scored by them after that, as FSU put up the final 38 to roll to a victory.
For the game, Virginia only had 37 yards rushing and went three for 15 on their down, plus they missed all four of their fourth-down attempts. On top of that, their offensive line got absolutely dominated as Florida State's defense racked up 10 sacks.
Without question, this was the top defensive performance of 2026 for the Seminoles. Here were the top three defensive players for them on Saturday.
Chris Jones
What else can you say about Jones? Week in and week
out, he continues to prove that he's the leader of FSU's defense. Against Virginia, Jones was tied for the team lead with six tackles, with four of them being solo, which included a big fourth-down stop on the Cavaliers' first drive in the second half. Also, Jones had 1.5 sacks in the game. He's been a top-tier addition from the transfer portal.
Rylan Kennedy
Kennedy, another portal add, produced his best game for the Seminoles so far. Three of his four tackles were of the solo variety, and two were for loss. He also has two sacks against Virginia, giving him at least one in each of the last two games, and his four sacks on the year lead the team. He's definitely coming into his own in Tallahassee.
Mikai Gbayor
This can be seen as the transfer game defensively because Gbayor did his thing against Virginia as well. His six tackles tied Jones for tops on the team, with five being solo stops. He was also a part of the sack party as he amassed one himself. Along with Jones, Gbayor has helped the linebacker spot be the top group on Tony White’s defense this season.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscience
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Top defensive players in FSU's win over Virginia
