FSU linebacker enters transfer portal

Dec 5, 2022 - 6:01 PM

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Florida State Seminoles football’s Amari Gainer has announced he’s headed to the transfer portal.

Gainer, who spent five season in Tallahassee, has been at Florida State since 2018.

He appeared in just seven games this season, easing back into action after being held out early in the year due to an undisclosed injury.

“First, I would like to start off by thanking God who is the head of my life. He’s put me in so many positions to do what I love. I want to Thank my family for always being there for me. To all my teammates, thanks for becoming my brothers and being what I needed while here at Florida State University. To the coaches/trainers that have helped develop me as a person and player, Thank you. To my fans/ supporters, I want to thank you for your endless support. Now it’s time to do what’s best for my future and family. I will be entering the Transfer portal as a Grad Transfer. God Bless.”

He’s the third FSU defender to be moving on after his season, following freshman defensive back Sam McCall and defensive linemen Shambre Jackson and Jarrett Jackson.

This season, he registered 17 tackles (7 solo, 1.5 assisted), as well as one sack and one forced fumble.

From his official FSU football bio:

2021:

Appeared in all 12 games with three starts…recorded 59 tackles, including 5.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…Bill McGrotha Award winner…ACC Honor Roll…Seminole Scholar…started at Wake Forest and registered season-high eight tackles, including career-high-tying 2.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry…matched season-high tackles total, with 0.5 for loss, vs. Louisville…opened season with six tackles vs. No. 9 Notre Dame…had six stops and one quarterback hurry vs. Jacksonville State…made two tackles vs. Syracuse…registered five stops at North Carolina…recorded six tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one forced fumble vs. UMass…made two tackles, 1.0 for loss, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup in start at Clemson…had seven tackles, all solo, with 1.0 tackle for loss vs. North Carolina State…started vs. Miami and recorded four tackles and one pass breakup…made five tackles in season finale at Florida.

2020:

Played in all nine games with five starts and recorded 65 tackles, 5.0 for loss with 0.5 sack, one forced fumble and three quarterback hurries…led team in tackles…Bobby Bowden Leadership Award recipient…ACC Honor Roll…Seminole Scholar…recorded career-high-tying 12 tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one quarterback hurry at North Carolina State…opened season with 10 tackles, including career-high-tying 2.5 for loss and 0.5 sack, vs. Georgia Tech…made eight tackles, 1.0 for loss, at No. 12 Miami…had three tackles, 0.5 for loss, in 41-24 win vs. Jacksonville State…recorded 11 tackles, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry at No. 5 Notre Dame…forced fumble ended Fighting Irish’s first offensive drive and led to 3-0 FSU lead…had two tackles, 0.5 for loss, in 31-28 victory vs. No. 5 North Carolina…made seven tackles in back-to-back games at Louisville and vs. Pitt…recorded five solo tackles, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry in 56-35 win vs. Duke.

2019:

Appeared in all 13 games with nine starts and recorded 69 tackles, including 7.0 for loss with 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five quarterback hurries…ACC Honor Roll…led FSU in quarterback hurries and ranked third among Seminoles in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks…tied for 12th in the ACC and was one of only two freshmen in the conference with two forced fumbles…registered career-high 12 tackles, with 0.5 for loss, in 38-31 victory at Boston College…made first collegiate start in 31-13 win vs. North Carolina State and recorded nine tackles, including career-high 2.5 for loss with career-best 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble…was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance vs. Wolfpack…opened season with two tackles and one quarterback hurry vs. Boise State…made two tackles at No. 25 Virginia…recorded five tackles in 35-24 victory vs. Louisville…had eight tackles, including four solo stops, at No. 2 Clemson…made two tackles at Wake Forest…recorded five tackles, including 1.0 for loss, in 35-17 win vs. Syracuse…registered five tackles, including 1.0 sack, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries vs. Miami…had six tackles, 1.0 for loss, and one quarterback hurry in 49-12 win vs. Alabama State…made seven tackles, 0.5 for loss, in regular season finale at No. 8 Florida…recorded six tackles, 0.5 sack, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry in Sun Bowl vs. Arizona State.

2018:

Appeared in four games…made collegiate debut at Syracuse…also saw action at North Carolina State, at No. 3 Notre Dame and in 22-21 win vs. No. 22 Boston College…redshirted 2018 season.

BEFORE FSU:

Three-star local product that shows tremendous range and can play sideline to sideline or use his speed to get to the quarterback…amassed 93 tackles, including 24 for loss with 12 sacks, in 10 games in 2017…was named All-Big Bend Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state his senior season…as a junior earned honorable mention all-state honors in addition to first-team All-Big Bend team after recording 77 tackles, including 23 for loss with eight sacks…father Herb Gainer played wide receiver for Florida State from 1984-87 and his mother also attended FSU…chose the Seminoles over Miami, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Purdue among others