Sep 26, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks on during a stoppage in play against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

FSU football suffers major loss as starting defender ruled out for the year

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Nov 17, 2025 11:39 AM ET

This late in the college football season, everybody is playing through something. You'll be hard-pressed to find any player who claims they're 100% healthy in the middle of November. That's just the nature of the sport.

In the case of Florida State, the Seminoles have seen a handful of starters or contributors get banged up during the course of the year.

For the most part, the Seminoles have avoided long-term absences but the injury bug is rearing its ugly head with two games remaining in the regular season.

Redshirt Sophomore CB Ja'Bril Rawls To Miss Remainder Of Season

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

On Monday morning, head coach Mike Norvell announced redshirt sophomore cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury.

This is a major loss for the Seminoles as Rawls has arguably been the most consistent defender on the team. He missed the victory against Wake Forest after going down in the first half in the defeat to Clemson earlier this month.

Rawls was spotted in a sling following the game against the Tigers.

"Ja'Bril's gonna actually be out for the rest of the year, unfortunately," Norvell said. "He's had a really good season up to this point, and a guy that excited about what's ahead, but unfortunately will be out."

In seven starts this season, Rawls totaled a career-high 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, two pass deflections, and an interception. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

With Rawls out of the lineup, true freshman cornerback Shamar Arnoux is stepping in as a starter. Arnoux and senior Jerry Wilson will be the first faces at cornerback, with redshirt freshmen Charles Lester III and Cai Bates backing them up.

Considering the previous season-ending injury to junior Quindarrius Jones, the Seminoles are extremely thin at cornerback. They'll need multiple young players to step up and seize the opportunity in front of them.

Florida State returns to action against North Carolina State on Friday, November 21. The game will kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.