The college football transfer portal closes two weeks after it opened and many local players have entered their names in hopes of finding new college homes that will be a better fit for their goals and skills. There’s a pool of talent floating around, but here are the names of some local talents hoping to catch new schools, and some that make sense for Rutgers and smaller colleges around the state to explore.
Texas A&M offensive lineman Chase Pistontis, the former No. 1 player on the NJ.com Top 50 list who started at right tackle as a true freshman this fall, entered the transfer portal last week. A future Day 1 NFL Draft pick will likely be chosen by schools across the country to attend because there is that combination of things that bigs who make the NFL have. If Bissontes leaving College Station was solely about firing Jimbo Fisher and replacing him with Mike Elko and his staff, his hiring would be wide open. But if it’s more about trying to get away but wanting to play close to home, how great would that be for Rutgers.
However, one can only imagine the price tag for a highly sought-after player like Bisontes — an elite offensive tackle with 12 starts under his belt, multiple position positions, three years of eligibility remaining, and future play on Sundays.
Now 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Bissontes has started 12 games this year and was named a freshman All-American. If his play continues to trend upward, Bissontes should eventually join the New Jersey fraternity of all-time offensive linemen that is headlined by four-time NFL All-Pro and Indianapolis Colt Quinton Nelson, who looks like Bissontes.
In addition to the Bisontis and the local players we covered when the portal opened on December 4, here are some other notable local players who have recently entered the portal in hopes of finding a new home:
– Defensive line Fadel Diggs (6-5, 250), another A&M transplant who played high school ball at Camden in Woodrow Wilson, is rated a four-star prospect, is among the top 5 nationally, and is expected by some to join the Syracuse program — where he rushed Defensive line coach Elijah Robinson – once Diggs officially visited the school.
– Florida defensive line Will Normana 6-foot-4, 300-pound former 4-star defensive lineman from Eastside (Camden), who was a top 10 member of the NJ.com Top 50, has entered the portal and will take an official visit to Syracuse this weekend.
– Originally a linebacker from Red Bank Catholic, now a 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior out of Boston College, who spent four years in the ACC with a total of 16 career tackles, Steve Lubscher He returned to the market with one year of eligibility remaining to show his athletic skills and help the team win.
– Former Camden and University of Maryland outside linebacker decommits Graham sings (6-1, 215), who held 17 FBS offers out of high school, including one from the University of Michigan, is a “full redshirt freshman” who led Lackawanna College in tackles for loss with 14 and made four sacks in 2023.
-Vanderbilt running back Patrick “Cheeks” Smith, a 5-foot-9, 190-pounder who was a Commodore’s selection out of Holy Spirit High School in 2021, has been offering his balance, speed and vision to all comers since entering the portal. December 4.
-Original Burlington wide receiver Bryce Barron, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior who nursed a torn ACL this fall, is finishing his senior year at Holy Cross, a graduate transfer with three years of eligibility remaining. Monmouth, William and Mary have so far inquired.
More from Todrick Hunt
-QB of the future at Rutgers: The coach’s kid who reads defenses faster than you can read this headline
– NJ.com Football’s 50 Best Rookies, July 2023
-Being in the Big Ten is a recruiting boon for Rutgers
-Pipeline to Piscataway, Pt. 1: How Brooklyn’s Erasmus Hall became “Rutgers Prep”
-Pipeline to Piscataway, Pt. 2: When Erasmus players join the Rutgers family
-The recruitment of black football players at Rutgers during America’s struggle for social change
-Cameroon, Canada, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: He took the long road to Rutgers, but now he’s “home”
– Family, Football and NFL Dreams: New Jersey’s Best Football Players, Teammates and Best Friends – Bellamy and Gold
-Destiny, Despair, and Perseverance: The Story of Newark’s Redeemer Shaquan
– Courage in the face of Camden violence: “I have to get my mom and my family out of here.”
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Todderick Hunt can be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.
As college football continues to evolve, one of the biggest changes in recent years has been the rise of the transfer portal. This system allows players to transfer from one college to another without having to sit out a year, and has led to a flurry of activity as athletes look for better opportunities. In our college football transfer portal, we have a collection of familiar names that are sure to attract attention from fans and coaches alike. From former five-star recruits to experienced starters, these players have the potential to make an immediate impact on their new teams. Let’s take a look at some of the notable names currently available in our transfer portal.