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Former FSU Football Running Back Sticking With FAMU After Miami Transfer Announcement

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated 1/30/24

The NCAA Transfer Portal gets wilder every year with players free to move on to new programs at a whim. While the avenue has benefitted some transfers, it doesn't always work out as expected for the vast majority who decide to test its waters.

Florida State had a handful of players enter the portal who were going to be in the two-deep or start for the Seminoles in 2024. Some of those departures weren't very surprising while others might still have fans shaking their heads.

The last couple of weeks have been tumultuous for former FSU running back Rodney Hill. After officially entering the portal on December 15, he received interest from numerous FBS and FCS programs before ultimately announcing his commitment to FAMU a week later.

However, that didn't put an end to the drama as Rattlers' head coach Willie Simmons chose to accept a position at Duke to lead off the new year. That move led to Hill and fellow former Seminole Qae'Shon Sapp to re-open their respective transfer recruitments.

Hill ultimately announced a second transfer commitment as he pledged to join Miami as a walk-on. The decision garnered a ton of attention on social media as the ex-Seminole geared up to play for one of the program's top rivals.

In the meantime, FAMU commenced a coaching search and ultimately decided to promote interim coach James Colzie as the next leader of the program. During his introductory press conference, Colzie dropped an interesting nugget as he shared that Hill is back with the Rattlers.

The transfer running back has not officially been announced as an addition by FAMU or Miami.

"We had the opportunity to get Rodney Hill back, which I think is going to be a great, great deal for us."

Hill spent the last two years with the Seminoles after joining the program as a three-star prospect in the 2022 class. He entered the rotation at running back this past season, recording 50 carries for 190 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 83 yards on the season. Hill recorded a season-high five carries for 42 yards in the close win against Boston College in September.

The Georgia native finished his time at Florida State with 77 carries for 334 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he'll continue his career in Tallahassee while suiting up for one of the most respected HBCUs in the country. FAMU went 12-1 and won the Celebration Bowl last season.

Outside of Hill, the Seminoles saw quarterback Tate Rodemaker (Southern Miss), quarterback AJ Duffy (San Diego State), running back CJ Campbell (FAU), wide receiver Goldie Lawrence (UCF), wide receiver Joshua Burrell, tight end Markeston Douglas (Arizona State), tight end Preston Daniel (Buffalo), offensive lineman Thomas Shrader (Appalachian State), offensive lineman Bless Harris (TCU), offensive lineman Daughtry Richardson (FAU), offensive lineman Qae'shon Sapp (ECU), defensive end Gilber Edmond (South Carolina), defensive lineman Dennis Briggs (Illinois), defensive tackle Malcolm Ray (Rutgers), defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase (Georgia Tech), linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner (UTEP), and kicker Tyler Keltner (Oklahoma) enter the portal during the recent transfer window that closed on January 4.