FSU football: Noles land best defensive back from transfer portal

FSU football already has the best recruiting class from the transfer portal, but the coaching staff continues to acquire more talent via that method.

FSU lost All-ACC safety Jammie Robinson to the NFL Draft just over 12 hours ago and needed help at cornerback before that news broke.

Well, all the FSU coaches did was go out and get the best defensive back in the transfer portal in Virginia’s Fentrell Cypress.

Cypress officially visited FSU football back in December and announced his commitment Sunday afternoon via his Twitter account:

Cypress was All-ACC Second Team in 2022 with 39 tackles, and 13 passes defended. He checks in at 6’1″ and 184 pounds and graded out at No. 8 nationally via Pro Football Focus in 2022 with a coverage grade of 87.6. Transfer rankings are still in their infancy stages, indicative of Travis Hunter and Denver Harris ranked higher than Cypress.

However, he’s played against much better competition than Hunter and has more experience and production than Harris. Cypress will help fill a void at cornerback for the Noles. Renardo Green was steady for the Noles, but injuries to Omarion Cooper and Jarrian Jones did no favors for the FSU secondary. AZ Thomas flashed but still had some freshman moments.

They were good statistically but still allowed too many wins in critical situations or 50-50 balls. This is an area where Cypress can come in and contribute immediately with his length and experience. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

His addition helps sure up the cornerback position and will allow Adam Fuller to have flexibility with other players potentially playing other positions in the secondary. FSU now has 14 blue-chip players in its 2023 recruiting class for a blue-chip ratio of 56 percent.

FSU will need to add more help from the portal at the safety position, but it’s clear they are making a run at winning a championship in 2023.