Florida State Defenders Tatum Bethune, Fentrell Cypress II Appear On Preseason Watch Lists

The Seminoles have accounted for 16 total watch list selections during the preseason.

Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune and defensive back Fentrell Cypress II are on watch lists for the Butkus Award and Thorpe Award, respectively, which were both released Thursday.

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Bethune appeared in all 13 games last season with 11 starts and earned All-ACC recognition after recording 84 tackles, including 9.5 for loss with 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry. His tackles and tackles for loss totals both ranked second on the team and first among FSU’s linebackers. Bethune made a season-high 14 tackles, including a career-high-tying 2.5 for loss, at No. 14 NC State and was one of two ACC players with at least 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in a game in 2022. The senior from Miami posted a game-high 11 tackles, 0.5 for loss, in the 45-38 victory over Florida and recorded a career-high 1.5 sacks in a 41-16 win over Georgia Tech. He added another double-digit tackle game with 10 stops and his first career fumble recovery in the 35-31 victory at Louisville.

Cypress, a first-team All-ACC performer according to Pro Football Focus last season at Virginia, was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List and voted to the Preseason All-ACC team last week. He was rated as the No. 2 transfer portal prospect nationally by On3 and No. 4 overall by 247Sports after appearing in 18 games with 14 starts during four seasons for the Cavaliers, totaling 57 tackles, 0.5 sack, one interception, 14 pass breakups and one fumble recovery. The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native led the country with an average of 1.6 pass breakups per game in 2022, and his 14 total pass breakups were tops in the ACC and ninth nationally. He started all nine games he played last season and added 39 tackles and one fumble recovery to his pass breakups total. He started all six games he played in 2021, registering 16 tackles, including 0.5 sack, and one interception that he returned 66 yards for a touchdown.

Florida State has accounted for 16 total watch list spots this season. Quarterback Jordan Travis is on watch lists for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, while defensive lineman Jared Verse joined Cypress on the Bronko Nagurski Watch List and is also on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. Running back Trey Benson is on watch lists for the Maxwell, Paul Hornung and Doak Walker awards, offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers is on the Outland Trophy Watch List, offensive lineman Maurice Smith is on the Rimington Trophy Watch List, tight end Jaheim Bell is on the watch list for the Jim Mackey Award, punter Alex Mastromanno was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List and both Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson are the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award.

FSU is one of five schools nationally to have multiple winners of both the Butkus Award and the Thorpe Award. The Butkus Award was first presented to the top collegiate linebacker in 1985, and the Thorpe Award has been presented annually to the nation’s top college defensive back since 1986. The 2023 Butkus Award semifinalist list will be announced October 30 with finalists revealed on November 20 and the winner announced on or before December 6. This year’s Thorpe Award semifinalists will be announced October 31 with finalists set to be revealed November 28 before the winner is announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on December 7.

The Seminoles open their 2023 season in primetime on Sunday, Sept. 3, vs. LSU. Their season opener kicks off inside Camping World Stadium in Orlando at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

*Press release courtesy of Florida State Athletics

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