Could Tyler Jefferson be the next quarterback to lead Florida A&M football's offense?
Possibly.
Jefferson announced his decision to transfer away from Central Michigan to join the Rattlers two weeks ago, following his on-campus visit at FAMU. Jefferson, a rising redshirt sophomore, also had offers from Bethune-Cookman and HBCU national champions runner-up South Carolina State.
If Jefferson becomes FAMU's starter for the 2025 season, he will succeed Daniel Richardson , who starred for the Rattlers in 2024 and earned the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Newcomer of the Year award. Richardson also played at Central Michigan from 2019 to 2022, departing a year before Jefferson arrived.
The left-handed dual-threat quarterback Jefferson is 6-foot and 235 pounds. He joins FAMU's quarterback room with Junior Muratovic, Bryson Martin, and Traven Green.
Jefferson, 20, spent his high school football career at Fort White High School (freshman and sophomore year) and Hawthorne High School (junior year) before transferring to Columbia High School in Lake City for his senior season.
He graduated from Columbia in 2023.
Jefferson was Class 1A First Team All-State, First Team All-Area, and the Mainstreet Daily News' First Team selection. He also won two Football Offensive Most Valuable Player awards in 2019 and 2020.
While at Hawthorne, Jefferson quarterbacked the Hornets to a 10-1 record and an appearance in the Florida High School Athletic Association's Class 1A state title game in 2021.
As a senior at Columbia, Jefferson completed 58 of 99 passes (58.6 percent) for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also rushed for 475 yards and five touchdowns. Columbia finished 9-3 that season.
Jefferson was ranked a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals. Additionally, ESPN ranked Jefferson the 24th-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation.
He chose Central Michigan over offers from Power 4 football programs Florida State, Kentucky, and Maryland, among other NCAA Division I schools.
Jefferson spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Central Michigan, redshirting his first year.
In 2024, Jefferson played seven games and started three for the Chippewas.
Jefferson's first start came against Eastern Michigan in Week 8, where he completed two of eight passes for six yards and rushed 13 times for 79 yards in the 38-34 loss. Jefferson's best game passing was when he subbed in during a 27-25 loss versus Ohio, where he completed eight of 13 passes for 95 yards.
Jefferson adds a new dynamic as a quarterback, primarily dangerous with their legs, something FAMU hasn't been accustomed to in recent years.
Jefferson will likely have to earn the starting quarterback job at FAMU through good performances at spring football and preseason training camp.
The Rattlers typically begin spring camp in March. Fall camp starts 30 days before FAMU kicks off its 2025 season.
Quarterback
Tyler Jefferson, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver
Mekhi Maddox, Lincoln High School (Tallahassee, Florida)
Defensive Line
DJ Jones, Virginia
Sammy Mitchell IV, Western High School (Davie, Florida)
Xavier Perkins, Florida State
Linebacker
Justice Cross, Murray State
Defensive Back
Patrick Alston Jr., St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Chase Dexter, Air Force Preparatory
Daylyn Ditson, East Carolina
TeQuan Latimore, Charlotte
Jalik Thomas, Appalachian State
Dion Villiers, Tennessee State
Kicker
Andrew Abu-Akel, Western Michigan
Cooper Badics, Edward Waters
Punter
Alexander Davis, Mississippi Valley State
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football transfer QB Tyler Jefferson: What to know about the lefty
