Former Colorado, Florida State CB Omarion Cooper considering return to Seminoles

For the second offseason in a row, Omarion Cooper is in the NCAA transfer portal. He left Florida State to be coached by Deion Sanders but his stay with the Buffaloes lasted just one season. Cooper is one of the top available players available and is apparently interested in a reunion for the 2024 season.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Cooper is considering a return to Florida State. He signed with the Seminoles coming out of high school and has a previous relationship with head coach Mike Norvell and the staff. There would not be too much of a transition if Cooper goes back to Tallahassee.

Plenty of other programs are going after Cooper but the door is open for a return to his old school.

Cooper played in nine games with Colorado last season with eight starts. He recorded 37 tackles while breaking up five passes, forcing a fumble, and recovering another one. A productive season for Cooper compared to his first two years with the Seminoles.

Florida State gave him playing time right away and saw the benefits as Cooper was named the Devaughn Darling Defensive Freshman of the Year. He played in eight games as a true freshman with three starts, having 16 tackles, two interceptions, and four PBUs.

Cooper followed it up in 2022 with four starts in 12 appearances. Another interception was added to the resume — as was 14 tackles.

His role would likely be bigger as a fourth-year player but snagging an experienced defensive back this late in the portal cycle would be a win for Florida State.

Cooper played high school football at Lehigh Acres (FL) Lehigh Senior, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 414 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Deion Sanders calms anxieties surrounding transfer portal

While many fans have panicked about Colorado’s substantial losses in the portal, head coach Deion Sanders never worried. Earlier this month, the NFL Hall-of-Famer addressed the program’s substantial transfer departures.

“I wish you guys do a little more homework when you start talking about the portal and understand what we losing, What are we losing? I got time today,” Sanders said. “What are we losing? Potential? Where? You haven’t been watching practice have you? We good. We’re good.

“I trust the recruiting team,” Sanders said. “I trust that coaches and please have some faith in me. We aight. We alright. What happens with the portal man, and you guys need to know, a lot of people are fighting for backups. When a guy is a starter and he transfers you got to really think about that. I mean, is he really that? I don’t know how many starters have really transferred around the country.”