The transfer portal isn’t even officially open yet, but the Florida State Seminoles got some very good news anyway on Wednesday.

Star cornerback Ja’Bril Rawls, who announced he was entering the portal earlier in the month, told On3.com that he would instead be returning to Florida State for the 2026 season. He immediately becomes one of the cornerstones of next year’s defense for coordinator Tony White.

Rawls, who came to Florida State as a lightly heralded three-star recruit, didn’t play much his first two seasons on campus. But 2025 was a breakout year for the Pensacola native. Before being injured and missing the final month of the season, Rawls was one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC.

He had six tackles against Alabama in the opener and then had the best game of his career — 11 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception — at Virginia a few weeks later. He also had six tackles against Miami and 10 solo tackles against Pitt.

He finished the season with 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery. According to Pro Football Focus, Rawls was the fourth-highest rated defender on the Seminoles overall and the highest-rated defensive back.

He also allowed just 6.7 yards per catch, which was the second-best mark for a starting corner in the ACC and the eighth best in the entire country.

The 6-foot-1 Rawls will be a redshirt junior in 2026. White has already said, multiple times, that he feels Rawls is a potential NFL draft pick and could be one of the best corners in the country by the time his career is over.

And now, because of Wednesday’s news, it appears that Rawls’ career will indeed continue at Florida State.

The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until Jan. 2 and runs for two weeks before it closes for the 2026 season.

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