Transferring to Tallahassee
Moore, McClellion add to Seminoles’ depth in secondary
As a sixth grader growing up in Delray Beach, Jarques McClellion made his first trip to Florida State with his mother, grandmother and little brother in tow for a football camp. During the visit, he remembers feeling as if he was at home.
He may be a little older, but McClellion felt that same connection when he stepped back on campus earlier this month, this time as a Seminole after transferring from Arkansas in December.
“I told my mom this is the school that I want to go to and land at and build my legacy,” said McClellion, reflecting on that first visit. “As soon as I stepped foot on campus, it felt that same way from being that sixth grader. It felt like a blessing. I’m just happy.”
McClellion is among nine FSU players who joined the program during the offseason.
The 6-foot, 184-pound defensive back spent the past three seasons in Fayetteville, where he started 20 games for the Razorbacks. He decided to sit out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and the pandemic prompted him to transfer closer to home.
“Being a Seminole has been in my family, in my bloodline,” McClellion said. “We’ve always been Seminoles fans since Day 1 when I was a baby. I always wanted to play for Florida State, so when Coach [Mike] Norvell gave me the offer, I wanted to come here and play.
“I feel like it’s God’s blessing because now my mom can finally see me play.”
Brandon Moore built a successful career at UCF, but after spending the past two seasons recovering from a torn ACL, the Sanford native
decided a move to FSU could help him fulfill his dream of playing football at the next level.
It didn’t hurt that one of his closest friends, quarterback McKenzie Milton, also transferred to FSU during the offseason.
“KZ was my first roommate at UCF, so we were already cool when we were like 18 years old and we’re 23 now,” Moore said. “We got hurt together, sort of similar injuries but a little different, but we rehabbed together for two years every day. I can call him for anything.”
While Moore weighed many factors, Milton’s presence was a big selling point.
“He was here, so I knew I wasn’t coming here by myself,” Moore said. “I knew I didn’t want to go far from home, and he was here and he was calling me once I entered the portal. He said, ‘Bro, it’s such a good fit. You’re going to love everything here. I feel like you’ll enjoy it and the coaches are cool and you’ll fit right in with the team.’
“I feel like that’s what won me over also.”
McClellion and Moore bring a wealth of experience to a young secondary that lost veterans Hamsah Nasirildeen, Cyrus Fagan, Jaiden Lars-Woodbey and Asante Samuel Jr. The duo and redshirt sophomore Jammie Robinson, a South Carolina transfer, have a combined 54 career starts they’re bringing to a position that features 15 underclassmen.
“We’re all just combining because at the end of the day, we want to be known as DBU,” McClellion said of his new teammates. “We want to shock the world and let them know the things that we can do. And we want them to know we’re the best defensive backs in the nation.”