Last season, the FIU Panthers defense ranked 11th among Conference USA football programs, ranking No. 6 in rush defense and 10th in pass defense. However, the rankings themselves don’t do justice to how good certain aspects of this group were. Yet, there have still been some massive changes entering 2026.
Some of the major changes to the unit are at cornerback and the defensive line. However, through the transfer portal and past and current recruiting this offseason, Jovan Dewitt’s unit looks to be a strength in 2026.
FIU Football Defensive Preview
Cornerbacks
The main standout of the group thus far has been Florida Atlantic transfer Lawrence Johnson, who seems to be taking that first cornerback job. Last season with the Owls, Johnson played in eight games, posting 10 total tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes deflected.
“You can tell that he’s played football,” Dewitt said. “He’s been around football, has a high football IQ…I think he got his feet wet with the terminology and the understanding of it. The benefit of the OTAs, he’s really blossomed into what he wants to become.”
Da’Vontae Floyd, a Duke transfer, has also stood out thus far. Primarily a special teams player in the ACC, Floyd will get a lot more run on defense in 2026. Lafayette transfer Ryan Gadson has also been making a lot of plays, primarily on the outside. Both should factor into the defense this upcoming season.
Returner Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine, similar to last year, has gotten off to a slow start this spring. He later picked things up in the fall and was crucial in the late-season stretch for FIU. He finished the season with 19 total tackles and three passes deflected.
Safety
The room with the most depth on defense is at safety. Having Shamir Sterlin return, who had 65 total tackles and two interceptions, is massive for the FIU football program. He will be one of the two starting safeties to begin the season.
Transfer Wesley Miller from South Alabama will be another name to keep an eye out for. Coming off back-to-back 59 total tackle seasons in the Sun Belt, Miller should slot in as the second starting safety. Demetrius Hill has also been making some big hits this spring, but will likely see more time on special teams and rotate in and out on defense.
“I was excited about the pre-snap communication that (Demetrius Hill) had,” said Dewitt regarding the last scrimmage. “They gave us a funky formation, motioned it, and he got everybody on the same page. I knew he was gonna be locked in. We started doing those things. It was literally like having a co-coach on the field.”
Freshman Dominic Turnbull and Jakari Johnson have been good early. However, with so much depth in the room, they may just not factor into much this upcoming season. There is always the chance we see the next Jessiah McGrew, but that just hasn’t been the case yet.
Linebacker
Despite the departure of Johnny Chaney Jr., the linebacker room still has experience and is layered in a way that has veterans and younger players who have plenty of upside.
It all starts with the returning duo of Percy Courtney Jr. and Josiah Taylor. Courtney played in 10 games last season, posted 40 total tackles with seven tackles for loss and one sack. Taylor, in 13 games, had 72 total tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Within that returning group are redshirt junior Orlando Syph-Timmons and Kani Smith, two names that have impressed throughout the spring.
“I’ve been a Josiah (Taylor) fan since he was at Sebring,” Dewitt said. “I remember saying I thought he was going to be one of the better linebackers to come through here, and hopefully he proves me right, but I have a ton of confidence in him in any scenario.”
Appalachian State transfer Brayshawn Littlejohn, who is described as an “extremely physical” linebacker, has made plenty of plays this spring. He is coming off a season in which, in 12 games, he recorded 32 total tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Kansas transfer JaCorey “Pickle” Stewart is a name to keep an eye out for. Dewitt said, “he can run like the wind” in the most recent scrimmage. Although he has limited playing experience, he has been a performer all spring.
Defensive line
Defensive line may be the most shaky group for this FIU football program. However, the group of returners is strong, along with some new transfers that will be able to develop.
Kenton Simmons and Dante Anderson should be the two starting edge rushers. Simmons has been out all spring after undergoing offseason surgery, so we likely will not see him until the fall. As far as Anderson, he really made a name for himself during FIU’s undefeated month of November, posting 11 total tackles with four tackles for loss, three sacks and four forced fumbles. Factoring into that rotation should also be Robert Williams, who finished the 2025 season with six total tackles and 1.5 sacks.
King Massey, a redshirt freshman out of Raines, will make an impact. Standing at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Massey’s size will come into play and with the departure of Keegan Davis, playing time should open up.
On the inside, Germaine Carter, who played in 13 games, posted 19 total tackles with three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Sophomore Anthony Smith will factor into the Panthers rotation of interior defensive linemen. He played in seven gams this past season.
Interior defensive line is where you will likely see a transfer like RJ Moss out of South Alabama make an impact. Last season in 12 games played, Moss had 24 total tackles with one tackle for loss and a sack. He stands at 6-foot-3 273 pounds.
Elijah Simmons, a transfer from West Virginia, stands at 6-feet, 288 pounds. He only played in one game last season under former Conference USA coach Rich Rodriguez, but in 2024, he appeared in 11 games, posting 21 tackles, one sack, 5.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery
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