FSU castoff Deondre Francois joining FAU as walk-on graduate transfer

Former Seminoles quarterback could compete for starting job in 2019

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Former Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois is joining Florida Atlantic as a walk-on graduate transfer.

Francois, who was dismissed from the Seminoles by head coach Willie Taggart in February, confirmed to ESPN on Monday that he will join the Owls and is immediately eligible to play.

He would fill a void for FAU head coach Lane Kiffin, who suspended quarterback Chris Robison in March, citing an "internal matter."

Robison started 11 games for the Owls in 2018, throwing for 2,540 yards and 12 touchdowns. He enrolled at FAU last year after transferring from Oklahoma.

Francois went from Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year as a redshirt freshman in 2016 to unwanted after FSU's disastrous 2018 season.

In his first season under Taggart, Francois threw just 15 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as the Seminoles finished with a losing record for the first time since 1976. 

Francois was dismissed from the team shortly after his girlfriend posted a video on Instagram, claiming he abused her.

This isn't the first time Kiffin has added a Florida State castoff quarterback to his roster. De'Andre Johnson transferred to FAU in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Owls before transferring to Texas Southern earlier this year.

Johnson began his career at FSU, but he was kicked off the team before the 2015 season after punching a woman in the face at a Tallahassee bar.

With Robison out, Francois immediately becomes the most experienced quarterback on FAU's roster and will likely compete for the starting job in 2019.