Seminoles’ White to return for senior season

“Senior year going to be one to remember, mark my words.”

Unheralded cornerback Marquez White will return to FSU for his senior season.

White announced via social media Sunday evening that he intended to complete his eligibility at FSU, clarifying the future of at least one underclassman who was mulling over the possibility of turning pro.

“Senior year going to be one to remember, mark my words,” White wrote on his personal Twitter account.

White’s decision to return to Tallahassee is not surprising, but it is a significant development. White, in his first year as a starter, proved to be a competent replacement to Ronald Darby as FSU’s field corner. Fellow corner and AllAmerican Jalen Ramsey — who could be a top-five selection if he declares for the 2016 NFL Draft — earned the most attention this season, but White held his own opposite of Ramsey. In November, Pro Football Focus noted that White led the country in receiving yards allowed per snap, with 0.33. He also ranked first in coverage snaps per reception with 31.6.

If Ramsey does declare for the draft, as expected, FSU will have at least one proven cornerback in White.

White (6-0, 184) is considered the No. 21 cornerback in the 2017 class, according to NFL Draft Scout, so another strong year as a starter could catapult White into the top tier of defensive backs.

Noteworthy FSU underclassmen who have not announced whether they will return for their senior seasons or not include Ramsey, defensive end DeMarcus

Marquez White, cornerback for FSU Seminoles

Walker and kicker Roberto Aguayo.

UCF exit

Lorenzo Costantini has left the UCF football staff and will join Georgia Southern’s staff as the defensive coordinator.

Costantini served two stints as an assistant coach with the Knights from 2000-03 and again from 2013-15. He will join his former colleague Tyson Summers, who served as UCF’s defensive coordinator before departing in 2014. Summers was recently named head coach at Georgia Southern, replacing Willie Fritz.

Costantini’s hire was first reported by footballscoop.com.

UCF’s new coach Scott Frost is still working to complete his assistant coaching staff since being named head coach Dec. 1. He recently flew back to his home in Oregon to complete his move to Orlando and could finish assembling his staff as early as this week.

So far, Frost hired three assistant coaches in quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco and former Colorado receivers coach Troy Walters and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M college head coach Ryan Held. Frost has not announced which areas Walters and Held will coach at UCF, indicating he’d prefer to wait until all staff members are in place.

Last season’s receivers coach Sean Beckton and cornerbacks coach Travis Fisher are still currently on the UCF staff.

FSU adds commitment

In a bit of a mix-up after the Under Armour All-American Game Saturday, Keion Joyner ended up committing to Florida State.

Joyner, an outside linebacker from Havelock (N.C.), was apparently prerecording his commitment announcement with ESPN for a later release. The audio of the recording, however, was piped out through the Orlando Citrus Bowl’s public address system and many people took the commitment as part of ESPN’s regular coverage of the game.

ESPN eventually released the video.

Joyner, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, becomes the 18th commitment to the Seminoles 2016 class, but it doesn’t come without its own controversial back story.

Joyner was dismissed from his high school team for reasons that are still unclear, but he kept in constant contact with FSU defensive ends and linebackers coach Brad Lawing, who moved from UF to FSU after Will Muschamp was fired.

“For the next four years I will be taking my talents to ... Florida State. Go ’Noles,” Joyner said on the video.

He said it was his relationship with Lawing that won him over.

“The coaching chemistry that me and Coach Lawing have. He was checking out my grades and he just wanted to stay on top of things,” Joyner said.