FSU football transfer tracker: Keon Coleman opts out, will enter NFL Draft

In a month of one disappointment after another, FSU received more bad news Wednesday. Top receiver Keon Coleman announced via his Instagram account that he is opting out of his senior season and will enter the NFL Draft. He is one of numerous FSU players who will not be playing against Georgia in the Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 4 p.m. (ESPN).

Not only has it been a rough month for the Seminoles, it hasn’t exactly been a merry Christmas either. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker went public with his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Christmas Day, leaving the Seminole with Brock Glenn as the starting quarterback for the Orange Bowl.

The Seminoles did get some good news this month when legacy edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. announced his decision to transfer from Georgia to FSU. His father played at FSU from 1990-92.

Coleman’s move isn’t entirely surprising, given the season the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder had as he burst on the scene after transferring from Michigan State. Coleman had 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 catches, sharing the spotlight with fellow receiver Johnny Wilson as FSU cruised to a 13-0 season. Wilson has also decided to enter the NFL Draft.

Coleman posted on his Instagram account:

“We gave it everything we had and, unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to prove that we were the best team in college football this year. I’m forever grateful for the fans, my coaches and my teammates who are now my lifelong brothers.”

The numbers on FSU’s roster have been falling like dominoes this month. Other Florida State stars like defensive end Jared Verse, running back Trey Benson, tight end Jaheim Bell, linebacker DJ Lundy, and safety Akeem Dent will also not play in the Orange Bowl. Lundy has already announced he has committed to play at Colorado.

Starting quarterback Jordan Travis was lost for the season with a lower leg injury with two games left in the season and FSU’s hope for a national championship were derailed when the College Football Playoff committee left the undefeated Seminoles out of the final four teams.

FSU is now searching for an answer to the loss of Travis and Rodemaker in the transfer portal. Former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward and former Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (DJU) have both taken visits to Tallahassee. Neither player has made a decision.

Lundy entered the portal last week. So far, FSU has had 15 players enter the portal.

And there is still no sign of defensive end Patrick Payton entering the portal, which makes it appear as if he was merely exercising a bluff in order to gain more NIL flexibility. The ‘Noles, however, are reportedly not budging on the number already agreed upon with Payton.

Sorry, Paul Finebaum, FSU — not Alabama — has earned its way into College Football Playoff | Commentary

QB A.J. Duffy

Vitals: RS-Freshman, 6-2, 217

Resume: He came to FSU out of Rancho Verde High in California by way of IMG Academy in Bradenton. He was a 4-star QB and played in the Under Armour All-American Game.

Role: Duffy never really broke into the QB rotation at FSU, and was even passed on the depth chart by true freshman Brock Glenn. He was listed as the third-string quarterback after Jordan Travis’ injury.

Outlook: The move could provide depth issues for FSU. The Seminoles now have just five players in the quarterback room on the roster.

LB DJ Lundy

Vitals: RS-Junior, 6-1, 244

Resume: Was a 3-star prospect out of Georgia’s Irwin County High.

Role: Lundy was a part-time starter, rotating at times with Kalen DeLoach, but was mostly DeLoach’s backup. He ended the season with 54 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2 sacks and an interception.

Outlook: He is the second FSU linebacker to enter the portal, joining Dylan Brown-Turner. FSU had two linebackers sign out of high school last week, but the position will be lacking with the depatures of Tatum Bethune and DeLoach, both of whom are out of eligibility. The ‘Noles will need to hit the portal for some linebacker help.

WR Winston Wright

Vitals: RS-Senior, 5-10, 183

Resume: Was a 3-star receiver out of Savannah (Ga.) Memorial Day High, where he had nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards during his career.

Role: Transferred to FSU after two solid seasons at West Virginia, but he was injured during the preseason and never saw the field at FSU.

Outlook: This move will have no impact on the Seminoles. Wright left the team earlier this season and has not been in the picture for a while.

TE Markeston Douglas

Vitals: RS Junior, 6-4, 285

Resume: Was a 3-star prospect out of Haywood High, where he played just one season of high school football. Douglas was a Class AA all-state basketball player for Haywood.

Role: Played in all 13 games as a backup for the Seminoles this season, catching 11 balls for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Outlook: The Seminoles, who make good use of the tight end position, are stacked at this spot. With the ‘Noles expected to return third-leading receiver Jaheim Bell (39 catches, 503 yards, 2 TDs) and fourth-leading receiver Kyle Morlock (19, 255, 0), the window of opportunity was not very wide for Douglas, who will be looking for a larger role elsewhere. Bell and Morlock are redshirt-juniors.

TE Preston Daniel

Vitals: RS Junior, 6-4, 236

Resume: Came out of Memphis (Tenn.) Evangelical Christian High where he was unrated as a prospect.

Role: He played in all 13 games this season, but in a far lesser role than the other three tight ends ahead of him. He caught one pass, although he made it count with a 4-yard touchdown in a victory over Louisville in 2022. Also played a huge role on special teams, and was a terrific blocker as the up-back on punts.

Outlook: As mentioned above, the Seminoles are stacked at tight end, although the departure of Douglas and Daniel does leave depth concerns for FSU, which will need to be answered from the portal or this year’s recruiting class. The Seminoles do have a commitment from Colquitt County (Ga.) High 4-star tight end Landen Thomas (6-4, 235).

RB CJ Campbell

Vitals: RS-Sophomore, 5-9, 196

Resume: An unrated running back out of high school whose only FBS scholarship offer came from FSU. He blew up after a stellar senior season at Bay High in Panama City where he rushed for 1,351 yards in just eight games after moving from Louisiana.

Role: Played sparingly in 2023, but had a big game in the blowout win over Alabama State when he scored on a 70-yard touchdown run. Had seven carries all season for 117 yards.

Outlook: FSU shoud be unfazed with the departure of Campbell. The ‘Noles/ main runners, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili are redshirt juniors and are likely to return for their senior seasons. There are six running backs remaining on the roster. They also have two 4-star commitments for the position in the 2024 class in Kameron Davis (5-10, 200) out of Dougherty High in Albany, Ga., and Micahi Danzy (6-1, 175) of FSU School in Tallahassee.

DL Ayobami Tifase

Vitals: RS-Freshman, 6-4, 299

Resume: Came out of Baltimore’s Concordia Prep as a 3-star lineman. Helped team to a Maryland Class B state title in 2021.

Role: He played with the scout team last year as a true freshman, taking his redshirt year. This season he played in three games, mop-up duty against Southern Miss, Syracuse and North Alabama.

Outlook: Tifase never really materialized as an impact player on the FSU defensive line and found himself behind true freshman KJ Sampson on the depth chart. This should have little impact for the ‘Noles.

LB Dylan Brown-Turner

Vitals: Freshman, 6-1, 181

Resume: Was a 3-star prospect out of Dallas South Oak Cliff High. Helped lead squad to back to back Class 5A-2 state titles in high school.

Role: He played in one game during his time at FSU, recording one tackle against Southern Miss.

Outlook: Linebacker could be a concern for the Seminoles next season. They have 10 left on the roster for 2024 with Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach out of eligibility. The ‘Noles do have two 3-star commitments for the position in Jayden Parrish (6-1, 210) of Delray Beach Atlantic and Timir Hickman-Collins (6-1, 218) from Indian Land in Fort Mill, S.C.

OL Bless Harris

Vitals: RS-Senior, 6-5, 326

Resume: Came to FSU as an unranked player our of New Orleans St. Augustine High, where he was first team all-district and all-metro.

Role: He started one game last season, but was injured and missed the rest of the season. Harris never really got to reach his potential due to injuries. He will have one remaining year of eligibility, as the NCAA has granted him a hardship year.

Outlook: Since Harris was never really able to make his mark at FSU, the impact of the ‘Noles losing him to the portal is unknown. He played backup to both tackle sports on offense this season, but he would have still been stuck behind returning starters Robert Scott Jr., and  Jeremiah Byers.

OL Qae’shon Sapp

Vitals: RS-Freshman, 6-4, 325

Resume: Was a 3-star talent at Lee County, Ga., high school. He helped his team to a Georgia state championship during his junior season.

Role: Sapp never appeared on the Seminoles depth chart in 2023. He has three years of eligibility left.

Outlook: His lack of playing time will have little impact for FSU moving forward.

OL Daughtry Richardson

Vitals: RS-Freshman, 6-5, 315

Resume: A 3-star prospect out of Miami Central, Daughtry helped Central to the Class 5A Florida state title in 2021.

Role: Played in just three games in two seasons at FSU, one of them a redshirt season as a freshman.

Outlook: Seminoles could have been looking at Daughtry to step up next season, but he’s decided to try his fate elsewhere.

OL Thomas Shrader

Vitals: RS-Junior, 6-5, 295

Resume: Came out of Venice High where he was a 3-star tackle and helped Venice to several state playoff runs, including a state championship during his sophomore season.

Role: Injuries have plagued him, but he did see action in nine games this season as the Seminoles completed a 13-0 regular season and ACC Championship.

Outlook: The Seminoles are two-deep on the interior offensive line, so Shrader would’ve once again competed for playing time behind at least three other players. He’ll be looking to make more of an impact at another program. He is the second offensive lineman to enter the portal, so the Seminoles will definitely be looking to add depth, but they do have five offensive linemen committed out of the high school ranks, including Oviedo tackle Tye Hylton (6-4, 270).

DL Malcolm Ray

Vitals: RS-Junior, 6-2, 292

Resume: Came to Tallahassee out of Miami’s Carol City High where he was all-state as a junior and helped Carol City to the Class 6A state title. He was a 3-star prospect.

Role: He was a rotational defensive tackle this season, but had a far more productive year in 2022 with five starts. He’s had 41 tackles over three seasons. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Outlook: Ray’s departure will subtract from the body count on the depth chart, but Ray had fallen a bit. He was the third-string nose tackle at the end of the regular season and sophomore Josh Farmer had passed him in the rotation. The ‘Noles will likely look to the portal for some D-line help, but they do also have touted Washington, D.C., Gonzaga commit DD Holmes (6-6, 250) coming in, as well as Miami Booker T. Washington recruit Jamorie Flagg (6-3, 300).

K Tyler Keltner

Vitals: R-Senior, 5-11, 188

Resume: Tallahassee Lawton Chiles product who signed with East Tennessee State, where he was a two-time All-Southern Conference kicker.

Role: He transferred to FSU to battle Ryan Fitzgerald for the place-kicking job, and lost. He has one more yer of eligibility and will be looking for an opportunity. Fitzgerald remains on the roster and is a redshirt-junior.

Outlook: Keltner never really had an outlook at FSU once he lost the kicking duties to Fitzgerald. The ‘Noles will need a back-up kicker, but it’s not likely a top priority right now.