:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5953567/20130101_ajl_su8_404.0.jpg)
Right after the Florida State Seminoles took care of the Northern Illinois Huskies in the Orange Bowl 31-10 Tuesday night, they got some bad news in the secondary although it wasn't entirely unexpected. Junior cornerback Xavier Rhodes announced he won't be returning to Florida State, choosing to leave school a year early for the NFL Draft. Rhodes was voted to the All-ACC first team at the end of the regular season and is projected to be a first-round draft pick by CBS Sports who also rates him as the 18th best overall player in this year's draft class.
Rhodes finished the season tied for a team high with three interceptions and eight interceptions over his career at FSU. He also recorded 35 tackles and a team high 10 passes defended on the year. His teammate, defensive end Bjoern Werner, has yet to make a decision as to whether he'll join Rhodes in leaving school early for the NFL Draft.