Mike Norvell comments on transfer addition of coveted WR Keon Coleman

Already one of the big winners in the transfer portal this cycle, Florida State added another impressive talent in former Michigan State wide receiver Keon Coleman. The Seminoles made his addition official on Tuesday, announcing the news with a statement from head coach Mike Norvell.

“I am excited for Keon Coleman to be joining the Nole Family,” Norvell said in a statement. “He is a productive playmaker who has already showcased his immense talents at the collegiate level. He brings size, speed and an aggressive mindset to our receiver position. He is an ideal fit with our program built for playmakers, and his unique skillset will help us continue to field one of the most explosive offenses in college football.”

In 12 games at Michigan State, Coleman caught 58 passes for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. He and quarterback Payton Thorne both entered the portal late in the spring window and became highly sought-after transfers. Thorne ultimately ended up at Auburn.

Florida State is preparing to face some high expectations in 2023. The Seminoles have 87% of their production coming back this year, according to ESPN — 80% on offense and 94% on defense. But that hasn’t stopped Norvell and the staff from diving head-first into the portal, bringing in the No. 9-ranked transfer class in the country, according to the On3 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

Leading the group is former Virginia cornerback Fentrell Cypress, who checked in as the No. 3 overall transfer to hit the portal this cycle, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings. Florida State has five of the top 50 transfers coming in, including former UTEP offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers and former South Carolina tight end Jaheim Bell — the Nos. 11 and 17 transfers, respectively, in the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

Coleman is the No. 28 overall transfer and the No. 11-ranked wide receiver to hit the portal.

With so much returning production, Florida State didn’t necessarily have to rely on the portal this offseason. However, by doing so, the Seminoles took an opportunity to get that much better.

That’s why On3’s J.D. PicKell said the portal was a “luxury” for Norvell and FSU.

“Florida State, no stranger to the portal,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “Mike Norvell is arguably the Portal King. There’s gonna be a lot of people saying, ‘Well, Lincoln Riley,’ ‘Well, Deion Sanders, Lane Kiffin.’ I hear you. I hear you. But what you don’t understand, Florida State and Mike Novell, they have made their bed this way. They’re no stranger to this game. And they had a lot coming back production-wise. … They didn’t have to go out in the portal and retool some of the positions that they did.

“Still, go and get the top corner and the transfer portal and Fentrell Cypress, one of the best tight ends of the transfer portal in Jaheim Bell from South Carolina. They’re not new to this. … They’re just continuing to stock up. They didn’t have to, but they have the luxury of being able to do that, adding players that can help ensure that they can be competitive for what they want to be competitive for in 2023.”