K.J. Kirkland
K.J. Kirkland
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. This is his third year in the same secondary at Florida State. One game to point at: 8 tackles against Florida — Week 14, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Mike Norvell.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Norvell
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida State | 31 | 10 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | 1 |
| 2024 | Florida State | 45 | 26 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Florida State | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 77 | 36 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | 1 |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 31–17
vs Alabama
1 SOLO · 2 TOT
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Florida State
Returning around him
- 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
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Raider Damuni’s 2024 season.
Matches Raider on
Differs from Raider on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Donovan Dyson's junior season at Massachusetts (2025).
Matches Donovan on
Background
ACCOLADES: 2025: Graduated from Florida State with recreation and tourism management degree in Spring 2026 2024: FSU Team Honors - Devaughn Darling Award (Defensive Freshman of the Year) 2025 (Redshirt Sophomore): Appeared in 12 games with four starts...contributed 31 tackles, 3.0 tackles for los...