The Cincinnati Bearcats bolstered their wide receiver room ahead of their move to the Big 12 Conference by snagging former Florida State wide receiver Keyshawn Helton from the transfer portal.
Keyshawn Helton Transfers to Cincinnati
With several departures to the transfer portal and the 2023 NFL Draft, Cincinnati adds a pass-catching playmaker as Scott Satterfield prepares to lead the Bearcats into the Power Five next season. A four-year player for the Seminoles, Helton gives Cincinnati a player with experience playing at the top level of college football.
Box-score scouts for the Bearcats might not initially be impressed with the addition of the former three-star recruit of the 2018 recruiting class. Helton saw action in just two games in the 2022 college football season, registering no receiving statistics in appearances against Duquesne and Boston College.
Furthermore, Helton has just 61 receptions in his five-year Florida State career. With those, he’s tallied 819 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 13.4 yards per catch.
He is, however, just one season removed from the most productive season of his career — a 285-yard, two-touchdown campaign where he snagged a career-high 19 receptions.
MORE: When Is the College Football Transfer Portal Deadline in 2023?
While the box score might not be impressive, it’s worth remembering that Helton’s time in Tallahassee has been interrupted by missed time. His sophomore season in 2019 was curtailed by a season-ending injury against Clemson, while he had a two-game absence in the 2021 campaign.
A certified sub-4.4 second 40-yard dash athlete, Helton adds an explosive speed threat from the slot for either Evan Prater or Emory Jones — another transfer portal grab for Cincinnati this season.
A high school state championship competitor in the long jump and 400-meter, Helton combines impressive athleticism with deceptive catch radius for his size. Meanwhile, his special-teams experience as a kick and punt returner is an added bonus for the Bearcats.
Helton Quick Facts
- Class: Fifth-year senior
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 175
- Hometown: Pensacola, FL
- Career receptions: 60
- Career receiving yards: 812
- Career average yards per catch: 13.5
- Career receiving touchdowns: 8
