Florida State has lost a major number of starters on both sides of the ball leading up to the Orange Bowl against Georgia. There have been a ton of Seminoles to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft or decide to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
That was reflected on the depth chart that the program released on Tuesday evening as a ton of names were missing from the two-deep. The absences included a pair of redshirt senior defensive backs who were originally expected to play in the game.
NoleGameday has been informed by an FSU spokesperson that cornerback Renardo Green and cornerback Jarrian Jones have decided to opt out and focus on preparing for their transition to the professional level. A short time later, Green took to social media to express his gratitude for his time in Tallahassee.
"First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to represent this great program and play for the greatest fans in college football. To my family, thank you for always supporting me and being there for me every step of this journey. To the Seminole faithful, I want to thank you for embracing a kid who wanted to play at FSU since he was five years old and providing me with the best environment in college football and allowing me to grow and mature into the man I am today."
"Thank you to coach Norvell for believing in my abilities since you stepped foot on campus and giving me an opportunity to represent FSU. I would also like to thank coach Fuller, coach Surtain, and coach Shannon for ensuring I reach my potential."
"Lastly I cannot thank everyone in this note but coach Storms, Anthony Midget, Corey Fuller, and the entire staff at FSU must be acknowledged for their unwavering support and helping along the way. To my teammates, I will never forget the memories made on and off the field with the greatest guys anyone could ask for, I will cherish them forever."
"After much time and prayer with my family, I have decided to forego the bowl and enter the 2024 NFL Draft."
Jones (90.5) and Green (84.3) graded out as Florida State's two best players on defense, according to PFF. Jones played in 12 games, finishing with a career-high 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, three pass deflections, three interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. Green started in all 13 games, recording 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections, and one interception.
Following the season, Green was named Second-Team All-ACC while Jones was regarded as an honorable mention. They both have accepted invitations to participate in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl after the new year.
The pair of starting defenders join safety Akeem Dent as members of the defensive backfield to opt out. The list of Seminoles on defense not expected to play in the game includes Dent, Green, Jones, Jared Verse, Fabien Lovett, Malcolm Ray, and DJ Lundy.
Florida State and Georgia will meet in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 30. The game will kick off at 4:00 p.m. and is set to be televised on ESPN.
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