Florida State’s secondary is about to look very different in 2026 - and not by design. Two key starters from the 2025 season, safety Edwin Joseph and cornerback Ja’Bril Rawls, have officially entered the transfer portal.
Both were steady contributors on the back end of the defense and graded out as above-average starters, according to Pro Football Focus. In a sport where continuity in the secondary is gold, this is a development worth paying attention to.
Let’s start with Joseph. He’s been a visible presence for the Seminoles over the last two seasons, not just on the field but in the headlines too.
His relationship with head coach Mike Norvell had grown increasingly tense, with public disagreements that didn’t exactly stay behind closed doors. After a final exit meeting last week, Joseph made it official - he’s moving on.
Sometimes, it’s just time.
Rawls’ departure is more about fit and circumstance than friction. His journey at Florida State has been shaped by change - and not the kind that plays to his strengths.
His original position coach and lead recruiter, Marcus Woodson, was gone before he ever suited up in garnet and gold. Then came a scheme shift.
The defense he was recruited into under Adam Fuller was built around man coverage, which suited Rawls’ skill set. But when Fuller was replaced by Tony White and his 3-3-5, zone-heavy system, Rawls was asked to adapt.
To his credit, he did - and played well. But it’s clear this wasn’t the best version of him.
Now, he’s expected to be one of the more sought-after defensive backs in the portal. Interest has been building, and his next stop could come with a significant financial boost - potentially approaching seven figures. That’s a big number, and it doesn’t sound like Florida State was prepared to match it.
Individually, neither departure is a death blow to the Seminoles’ 2026 outlook. But together?
They paint a picture that’s harder to ignore. These weren’t just transfers.
These were developmental wins - high school recruits who were brought in, coached up, and turned into reliable starters. That kind of homegrown success has been hard to come by during Norvell’s tenure in Tallahassee.
Losing two of them, both in the same position group, stings a little deeper.
So what’s next for the Seminoles’ secondary?
At corner, there’s talent but not much certainty. Shamar Arnoux, Quindarrius Jones, and Charles Lester III are the top names on the depth chart heading into the offseason.
Arnoux has shown flashes and earned more playing time after Rawls went down, but he’s still developing. Jones, meanwhile, struggled in the zone-heavy scheme, and Lester - once a highly touted recruit - found himself behind Arnoux in the rotation.
There’s potential here, but it’s raw.
At safety, things are just as murky. Edwin Joseph is out, and while Earl Little Jr. and Ashlynd Barker were the other starters in 2025, their statuses for 2026 are far from locked in.
Little is weighing his options between the NFL and the portal, and while Barker is more of a question mark, he’s shown enough to be a valuable piece if he returns. But that’s a big “if.”
The bottom line: Florida State is heading into a critical stretch with some serious needs in the secondary. Whether or not more players leave, the Seminoles are going to have to hit the portal hard.
They’ll need at least one starting-caliber cornerback and safety, plus depth at both spots. This isn’t just about plugging holes - it’s about avoiding a major drop-off in a position group that’s already been thinned out.
The next few weeks will be telling. FSU’s ability to navigate the portal, attract the right fits, and stabilize its defensive backfield will go a long way in determining whether this is a manageable reset - or another setback for a roster that can’t afford to lose much more ground.