TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State tight end Christo Kourtzidis will transfer, his father, Akis, confirmed Thursday. The move leaves a gaping hole at a key position on the Seminoles' roster.
Kourtzidis played sparingly as a freshman in 2012, but figured to see more action this year after senior Kevin Haplea suffered a season-ending knee injury during summer workouts.
Kourtzidis was battling his way back from his own injury as well. He suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in Florida State's Orange Bowl win over Northern Illinois in January but continued to work out through the first week of spring practice. After a half-dozen practice sessions, however, the team determined surgery was the best option.
With Kourtzidis' departure, Florida State has just two scholarship tight ends on its roster -- freshman Jeremy Kerr and junior Nick O'Leary, who is also recovering from serious injuries following a motorcycle accident this summer.
O'Leary is expected to be ready for the start of fall camp -- which opens Aug. 6 -- but coach Jimbo Fisher said earlier this week that the team was already going to have to be creative in filling voids at tight end.
"Kerr has got to come on, and then we also have some of our big linemen," Fisher said. "You can flip-flop, bring extra linemen in the game, do different things to create those edges. We'll have to work and make sure we do have a plan."
Kourtzidis was a three-star recruit out of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran in FSU's highly regarded 2012 signing class.
