FSU got the best cornerback from the transfer portal before it opened

FSU football has nearly 30 guys who will enter the transfer portal on January 2nd. However, one of them, and arguably one of the best defensive players on the 2025 FSU team, will not enter as planned.

Redshirt sophomore Ja’Bril Rawls, the No. 1 cornerback in the transfer portal, will return to FSU for the 2026 season. The announcement dropped on New Year’s Eve on Wednesday afternoon.

Rawls battled injuries in 2025, but managed to play in seven games and tally 40 tackles, two TFLs, one interception, one fumble recovery, and two passes defended. He was the only defender with multiple 10+ tackles in a game.

It’s funny, I just wrote this about Rawls on Tuesday:

“It seems more and more like these defensive backs were upset Surtain wasn't retained because he let them do whatever they wanted. Rawls is the only guy worth keeping, but even he hit the transfer portal looking for more money as teams came after him. I'm not saying not to get a bag, but if Rawls is good enough, he'll get drafted next year and really get the bag while helping the program that gave him a shot out of high school when many others didn't.”

I was referring to how the FSU players from the 2022-23 team could have gone elsewhere, but wanted to stay at FSU and help it return to prominence. That’s exactly what they did, and it appears that Rawls is cut from that same cloth.

These are the type of players that FSU needs in the program. One of the things I admired most about Rawls while in high school was how he came to FSU several times to camp and compete for a spot when other teams were not pursuing him heavily. That same mentality is what made him one of the better cornerbacks in the ACC.  

This is a great news the day before the transfer portal officially opens.