#41

A.J. Cottrill

LB · Florida State · Fr. · #41

Returning to Florida State for 2026
Fr. · Tampa, Fla. → Jesuit
via seminoles.com ↗
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

A.J. Cottrill

LB · Florida State · Jr · #41

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
No recruit profile
CFB
College
Florida State
2023–2025
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted (yet)

Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025

1 coach
2023
Florida State
2024
Florida State
2025
Florida State

Played his entire career under Mike Norvell.

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2023Florida State13-1HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced
2024Florida State2-10HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Florida State5-7HC: Mike Norvell · Run-leaning

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2025Florida State1542.51.5------
2024Florida State1050.00.0------
2023Florida State420.00.0------
Career29112.51.5------

How he plays

Play style

Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.

CFB Index positional classification

2026 Outlook

Florida State

2026 Depth chart

Projected starter

Linebacker · Florida State

Returning around him

  • 13% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
  • 1 Florida State player drafted to NFL
  • Transfer portal: -21 net (22 in / 43 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Florida State · Last season: 5-7 (AP #25) · Talent rank #19 · 2026 recruiting class #16

DNA match

Player DNA

Balanced Linebacker

Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.

LB

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Anthony Koclanakis’s 2021 season.

Colorado State · 2021

#2

Derek Wingo

Florida · 2022

68%
#3

Jayden McDonald

Troy · 2021

66%
#4

Andrew Hines III

Bowling Green · 2025

64%
#5

Brandon Miyazono

SMU · 2024

64%

Matches Anthony on

Tackle volume
Class year
Solo tackle rate

Differs from Anthony on

Sack rate (higher)
Height (lower)

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kwame Sutton's junior season at Ohio (2023).

Kwame Sutton

71%match

Ohio · 2023

#2

Oscar McWood

Miami (OH) · 2023

68%
#3

Derek Wingo

Florida · 2022

68%
#4

Mike Jones Jr.

LSU · 2022

63%
#5

Swayze Bozeman

Southern Miss · 2022

62%

Matches Kwame on

Tackle volume
TFL rate
Weight

Differs from Kwame on

Class year (lower)

Heisman trajectory

Heisman Trajectory · 2025

Peak #8472

Final rank
#8472
Avg #9317.0
Finalist prob 0%

Peaked at #8472 this season.

Background

ACCOLADES: 2025: CSC Academic All-District...All-ACC Academic Team...FSU Team Honors - Special Teams MVP...graduated from Florida State with management degree in Fall 2025 2024: CSC Academic All-District 2023: All-ACC Academic Team...Don Powell Award 2022: ACC Academic Honor Roll 2025 (Redshirt J...

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