Willie Taggart thinks Deondre Francois will land on his feet

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State coach Willie Taggart didn’t get into details Wednesday about his decision to dismiss starting quarterback Deondre Francois after a social media post accused him of domestic violence over the weekend.

But Taggart did say that part of the decision was trying to continue to change the Seminoles’ culture.

“I think it’s a big part of that,” Taggart said during his signing day news conference. “We’re just doing what’s right. You always do what’s right and for me, I always do what’s best for our football team. Like I told our guys, there’s no one individual bigger than our football team, including myself.”

Francois has reportedly entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, and Taggart is confident about the former blue-chip recruit’s future career.

“He knows if he needs anything, he can call,” Taggart said. “And I know he’ll land on his feet somewhere.”

Taggart also knows it’s been a rough few months around the program, starting with the 5-7 season. Taggart acknowledged the negativity Wednesday and said it’s his job to fix it.

The good thing, Taggart said, is that the locker room has handled everything well, including Francois’ exit.

“Our guys have been great…” Taggart said. “We always address whatever issue there is as a team, and make sure we also understand again what we’re doing and where we’re going and sometimes you make decisions not everybody is going to agree with it. That’s part of it. That’s the world we live in.”