Following his senior season, former Florida State slot receiver Keyshawn Helton entered the transfer portal and eventually committed to the Bearcats on Wednesday afternoon.
Helton totaled 61 catches for 819 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in four years at Florida State but only appeared in two games this season before entering the portal in December.
During his time in Tallahassee, Helton showed off his dynamic catch radius and elite speed, highlighted by an impressive touchdown catch in a win over Syracuse in 2021.
Midway through his sophomore year, the Florida native suffered a season-ending injury in the midst of his most productive campaign with 239 yards and three touchdowns in six games.
#Bearcats pick up a commitment from Florida State slot receiver Keyshawn Helton! The senior has 61 catches for 819 yards and eight touchdowns during his career. pic.twitter.com/3C6XzbC8vd
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) January 4, 2023
Cincinnati Football: Florida State transfer slot receiver Keyshawn Helton commits to Bearcats
After returning from the injury, Helton racked up 32 catches for 397 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 18 games including a leaping touchdown reception against Jacksonville State.
In addition to being a dangerous slot receiver, the Bearcats latest commit was a kick and punt returner at Florida State. Helton will likely be a candidate to return kicks next season.
Despite missing out on a few targets, Cincinnati brought in five potential starters from the portal and hope to add more in the coming days after hosting a pair of transfers on Wednesday.
Utah State edge rusher Daniel Grzesiak and Western Illinois offensive lineman Sidney Fugar took an official visit to Clifton yesterday and are potential additions for the Bearcats moving forward.
#Bearcats announced commitments from 15 recruits on Wednesday to kick off the early signing period including four transfers, highlighted by quarterback Emory Jones!https://t.co/eTpW3Fil4G pic.twitter.com/beDCU60MRV
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) December 23, 2022
Cincinnati Football: Bearcats offer several future recruits, potential transfers
Other transfers that recently received an offer include Notre Dame tight end Cane Berrong, Utah Tech defensive tackle Justin Kirkland and Texas State defensive lineman Davon Sears Jr.
In the aftermath of early signing day, the Bearcats new-look staff led by first-year head coach Scott Satterfield will continue to focus on the portal after adding five transfers this offseason.
Cincinnati announced commitments from 15 recruits last month to kick off the early signing period including four players from the portal, highlighted by Arizona State quarterback Emory Jones.
Within the last month, the Bearcats had more than a dozen players enter the portal including departures from cornerback Ja’Quan Sheppard, wide receiver Jadon Thompson and others.