Cornerback Ronald Darby is the latest Florida State underclassman to announce his intention to enter the draft.
Florida State released a statement Friday concerning Darby bypassing his senior season. "He was a phenomenal player for us here at Florida State, and I think he has a chance to be a great pro," Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said in the release.
Darby joins junior cornerback P.J. Williams, sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston and junior defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. as Seminoles who have announced plans to leave school. FSU still is awaiting word from junior defensive tackle Eddie Goldman. Sophomore kicker Roberto Aguayo announced Thursday that he is staying in school.
Darby (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) is a former high school track star who should run a blistering 40-yard dash in the pre-draft run-up, though he was inconsistent in coverage this season.
Darby, from the Baltimore area, was a consensus national top-25 prospect in the 2012 recruiting class and played well as a reserve as a true freshman that fall, winning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He started the past two seasons, and would finish his career with two interceptions and 16 pass breakups. While he has top-flight speed, he has some technique issues and often is too reliant on his speed, gambling unnecessarily.
If Darby does leave, free safety Jalen Ramsey could move to cornerback, which is the position he played in high school. FSU was deeper at safety than corner this season. FSU started just one senior on defense this season, but because of potential underclass defections, the Seminoles could need five new starters on that side of the ball. FSU will return just four starters on offense.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
