Florida State defensive end enters Transfer Portal

The Seminoles have a thin defensive end room heading into 2022.

The Florida State Seminoles have lost multiple non-contributors and reserves to the Transfer Portal since the end of the college football regular season. On Friday, the attrition continued as Seminoles' defensive end Marcus Cushnie entered the portal for the second time in his career. FSU added Cushnie to its roster late this summer after he transferred from Alabama A&M.

READ MORE: Florida State lands transfer offensive lineman from Wisconsin

The Florida native announced his decision with a message on social media.

"To my FSU family, I'd like to say it's been a blessing playing here this fall. I was welcomed with open hands and immediately treated with respect. To the whole coaching change, thank you for giving me the opportunity to play at my dream school and pushing me every day. To coach Haggins, JP, and Fuller, I'm forever grateful and indebted to all of you. The Knowledge I was about to soak up under you guys in such a short time will carry on with me forever. To coach Norvell, thank you for believing in me. I know you will become a legendary coach at FSU. And last, to my supports, thank all of you for supporting and encouraging me through this season, and to the DLine room, I never thought I would make this many brothers for life in a short amount of time. I wish ya'll nothing but the best."

"With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal to finish my last year. I have one year of eligibility and a redshirt remaining."

pic.twitter.com/c4m6fhJcjE

— Marcus C (@CushnieMarcus) December 17, 2021

Cushnie made it to Florida State weeks before fall camp began, putting him behind the eight ball to break into the rotation. He played sparingly throughout the 2021 season, recording three total tackles and 1.5 sacks. His best performance came against Massachusetts, where Cushnie reeled in two tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Prior to his time in Tallahassee, Cushnie began his career at Alabama A&M. He developed into a sought-after player on the transfer market following a 2021 spring season that saw him record seven sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in just four games.

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The 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end is the third player to depart from the room this offseason. Stars Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas entered the 2022 NFL Draft after exhausting their college eligibility following the season.

Florida State is in a troubling position at defensive end at the beginning of the offseason. The Seminoles are projected to return Quashon Fuller, Derrick McLendon, Patrick Payton, George Wilson, Byron Turner, and Leonard Warner on the edge in 2022. They also signed two defensive ends in the incoming recruit class; legacy Aaron Hester and Dante Anderson. That's a room that is ripe with potential but hasn't produced a ton to this point.

It's imperative for the coaching staff to pull a starter or two out of the portal like they did a year ago. One of the top options at this point is Albany transfer Jared Verse.

Stick with NoleGameday for the latest on transfer news involving Florida State.

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