FSU football: Impact of Harvard OL Jacob Rizy committing to Noles

The spring semester started earlier this month, but that hasn't stopped the FSU football coaches from continuing their damage in the transfer portal. FSU learned Harvard offensive lineman Jacob Rizy committed to the Noles Wednesday night. Rizy was second-team All-Ivy in 2022 and earned first-team honors in 2023. He has experience at center and tackle, which makes him a valuable piece to the puzzle. Rizy lists at 6'5" and 310 pounds and will have two years of eligibility remaining once he enrolls at FSU this summer. Rizy was on campus last week and decided between the Noles, Northwestern, and others.

The addition of Rizy gives FSU offensive line coach Alex Atkins, another combination to unlock. FSU has struggled to keep tackles and center Maurice Smith healthy in recent years. The addition of Rizy provides competition at both spots, and provides stability and depth at the positions. The only viable option to play center if Smith went down with an injury was Darius Washington. Washington, like Rizy, has the versatility to play multiple positions at a high level. Rizy also provides insurance at center or the tackle positions in 2025 once players like Maurice Smith, Washington, and Robert Scott exhaust eligibility. Another underrated key strait is Rizy's smartness. He's obviously intelligent since he will graduate from Harvard, but that's usually verlooked by fans on a surface level. The ability to process information quickly is invaluable along the offensive line. He also brings experience, which could provide value to the younger guys on the roster like Lucas Simmons and Andre Otto. Rizy fits a common theme among transfer portal players, with multiple years of eligibilty and versatile. Rizy not enrolling until the summer isn't ideal, but we've seen guys like Dillan Gibbons do it and contribute the followin fall. This is another area where his Ivy League background can help expedite that process.