According to a report from Rivals national analyst Greg Smith, Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White has accepted an offer to become Florida State’s next DC.

White isn’t the only Husker employee who will be leaving the program. Smith also reports that defensive coach Terrance Knighton will join White at Florida State.

White spent the last two seasons at Nebraska. In his first season in Lincoln in 2023, White was one of 57 nominees for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football. This was the second straight season he was nominated, as he also received the recognition in 2022 at Syracuse, where he spent three seasons from 2020-22 under former head coach Dino Babers.

White’s 2024 unit finished the regular season ranked 14th in the country in rush defense (105.75), 23rd in yards per carry (3.49) and 19th in both rush defense Scoring defense (19.8) as well as in total defense (315.4). Nebraska did not allow a rushing touchdown in seven home games this season.

White’s unit in 2023 had the program’s best statistical season since joining the Big Ten in 2011. That season, the Huskers ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing defense (92.92, 9th), total defense (303.5, 11th) and scoring defense (19.8, 20th). The Blackshirts were also among the five teams with the most improvements in rushing defense and total defense while boasting the 11th-most scoring defense.

After the 2023 season, White was a candidate for the head coaching position at UCLA and San Diego State, as well as the USC defensive coordinator role. He stayed at NU and received a raise to $1.6 million.

After the departure of the defensive coach Evan Cooper in July hired head coach Matt Rhule on a short-term basis from John Butler, who spent the last 13 seasons in the NFL and served as the Buffalo Bills’ secondary coach and passing game coordinator for the last six.

Butler and inside linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek would be candidates to be Nebraska’s next DC if Rhule wants to stay with the team.

After going undefeated in the 2023 regular season and winning an ACC championship, Florida State endured a disastrous 2024 season that resulted in a 2-10 record. On November 10, head coach Mike Norvell fired three of his assistants, including OC/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, DC Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.

Fuller has been the Seminoles’ DC since 2020. After the 2023 season, he signed a three-year contract extension that gave him a salary increase to $2 million for 2024 and 2025.

While White and Norvell have never coached together on the same team, both have spent time at Arizona State. Norvell spent 2012-15 in Tempe as the OC and quarterbacks coach, while White served as the Sun Devils’ cornerbacks coach and defensive coordinator in 2018-19.

This is the second straight season a Nebraska employee has left Lincoln for Tallahassee. After the 2023 season, Phil Simpson, defensive quality control coach and former Rhule player at Temple, joined Florida State as a defensive analyst. Simpson is a Miami native and an experienced high school coach in the state.