FSU football: Major impact? Auburn transfer LB Cam Riley commits to FSU

FSU football coaches have been extremely quiet in the spring transfer portal session, but things have heated up in the last day. The Noles got a commitment from a former player, Omarion Cooper on Tuesday and received another Wednesday from Auburn transfer linebacker Cam Riley. The transfer linebacker position was a need going into the spring, and FSU brought DJ Lundy back after he entered the transfer portal for a short stint. They also took Alabama transfer Shawn Murphy, who enrolled this spring and went through spring camp. The coaches have lauded the development of some of the young linebackers but must have felt the need to add more experience to the room to complement DJ Lundy. Riley has one year of eligibility left, he's listed at 6'5" and 240 pounds. The one year of eligibility remaining likely means he won't scare off any of the young linebackers on the roster.

Riley doesn't have the typical build of a linebacker at his height but has been productive over the past few years. He appeared in 35 games over the past three seasons. The staff typically prefers their transfer players to enroll in the spring to get valuable reps in the system. Riley missed that opportunity and will be on a learning curve between the summer and fall. Can he make an impact? His experience will be key, and Randy Shannon is a good talent developer. The coaching staff likely believes he can fill a role on defense, or they wouldn't have taken his commitment. My biggest question about Riley is can he cover in space at his size? He has two passes defended over the past two years. How they used him at Auburn could factor into that, but we'll see soon enough. Riley committed to NC State originally, while FSU pursued earlier this spring but de-committed recently.