Two weeks into the college football trade window, and this portal cycle looks more brutal than ever.
More than 1,300 FBS scholarship players were looking for new homes at the same time, and the sheer number of big-name quarterbacks on the move was astonishing to try and keep track of. After mobilizing as many official visits as possible in the past few days, the teams began quickly collecting commitments. In fact, 20 percent of scholarship players who entered the portal for this window have already been accepted.
Here’s a closer look at six programs that won the recruiting weekend in the transfer portal, starting with the impressive class in the works in Oxford, Miss.
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Transportation obligations (9): WR Antoine Wells Jr. (South Carolina), OL Jerkwan Scott (Southern Miss), DL Tyler Barron (Tennessee), DL Brinsley Omanilin (Florida), LB Chris Paul Jr. (Florida). (Arkansas), DBK Lawrence (Oklahoma), DB Tamarion McDonald (Tennessee), DB Lewis Moore (Indiana), DB Tavion Nicholson (Illinois)
Ole Miss will do so in 2024. The hype train has officially left the station.
Lane Kiffin, an annual contender for the title of “Portal King,” and his staff have been hard at work putting together their best portal class yet. The Rebels have the top spot in the 247Sports transfer class rankings. If they manage to bring in some of the top players still on their board, it’s hard to imagine anyone knocking them out of the top spot.
The commitment made by Gus Wales, the No. 1 receiver in the transfer portal, on Sunday marked the latest big win. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound graduate transfer was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2022 who caught 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns in his debut season with the Gamecocks. A foot injury has limited Wells to just three games this fall, but he’s a legitimate difference-maker when he’s 100 percent.
Ole Miss doesn’t need much on offense; The Rebels expect quarterback Jackson Dart, running back Quincheon Judkins, leading receiver Tre Harris and almost everyone else to return next year. This year’s Gateway is primarily about shoring up a defense that has made good progress in defensive coordinator Pete Goulding’s first year — rising from No. 11 to No. 6 in the SEC in scoring defense during conference play — but needs to take the next step. It’s off to a great start.
Umanmielen and Baron, two of the best defenders in the portal, are headed to Ole Miss. Mississippi State transfer Decamerion Richardson, the No. 1 cornerback at The athleteThe best ratings available, could be the next. He joins a group that over the weekend acquired two more multi-year starters in the secondary in Lawrence and McDonald.
“This could be the best recruiting month in Ole Miss history, and it’s not done yet,” one team source said.
The big question now: Can Ole Miss land Walter Nolen? The defensive lineman transferred from Texas A&M is the consensus No. 1 player in the portal and just visited campus. His father effectively summed up the big impression he made at Ole Miss in an interview with 247Sports: “They’ve got something cooking up there.” Nolen to Ole Miss is not a done deal at this point, but there is growing optimism about the Rebels’ chances of landing the No. 2 recruit in the 2022 class overall.
With or without Nolen, Ole Miss is poised for a College Football Playoff run. After a 10-2 season and a return trip to the New Year’s Six tournament, expectations are sky high heading into the first year of the expanded 12-team playoffs. There are so many good players returning — and so many more coming — that this program wouldn’t expect anything less.
When comparing the newly released 2024 SEC schedule to the one they just played, the Rebels will get Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina instead of Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn and Vanderbilt. Their Power 5 non-conference game is Wake Forest. Georgia is still on the schedule, but this is a roster that is well set up to reach 10+ wins for the third time in four years.
Ole Miss would have been the No. 11 seed in a 12-team playoff this year. It aims to achieve a much higher level in 2024.
Transportation obligations (12): QB Tyler Shough (Texas Tech); (Miami), WR Jacorey Brooks (Alabama), WR Collin Lacy (South Alabama), TE Tanner Koziol (Ball State), TE Mark Redman (San Diego State), OL Victor Cutler Jr. (Ohio State), OL Jonathan Mendoza (Yale), OL Pete Negra (Northern Illinois), DL Thor Griffith (Harvard), DL Jordan Girad (FIU), DB Corey Thornton (UCF).
After far exceeding expectations in Jeff Brohm’s first season, Louisville is poised to remain in contention for an ACC title and attract plenty of exciting newcomers. As Judy Demling of the Cardinal Staff points out, these staffers have already made a whopping 20 transfers on official visits in the past two weeks. So far, dozens have jumped on board.
The Cardinals’ newest roster includes a trio of playmakers in Lacy, Chaney and Brooks, as well as two new offensive linemen in Nigra and Cutler, a veteran defensive back in Thornton and the successful core of Gerrad, a first-team All-CUSA defensive tackle who has committed to Minnesota. All of these additions helped the Cardinals rise to third in the 247Sports rankings as of Sunday night.
Lacey will be a problem in Broome’s attack. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior was the nation’s fourth-leading receiver in yards per game and turned 91 catches into 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a string of seven straight 100-yard performances, including 104 yards and two scores in South Alabama’s 33-7 win at Oklahoma State.
Brooks, a former five-star player, was Alabama’s second-leading running back in 2022 but missed much of this season with a shoulder injury. Chaney has rushed for 478 yards this season while splitting carries with three other running backs. Redman and Koziol were two of the best tight ends in the portal. Shough could prove to be the most underrated quarterback in this cycle if he can stay healthy. If you’re a Louisville fan, you’ve got to love how it all comes together.
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TCU
Transportation obligations (8): WR Braylon James (Notre Dame), WR Eric McAlister (Boise State), TE Drake Dabney (Baylor), OL Cade Bennett (San Diego State), OL Carson Bruno (Louisiana Tech), OL Bless Harris (Florida State), OL Howard Sampson (North Texas), DL Nana Osafo-Mensah (Notre Dame), LB Cooper McDonald (San Diego State)
TCU moved quickly to attack its roster needs after its stunning slide from 13-2 to 5-7 in Sonny Dykes’ sophomore year left the program without a bowl invitation.
The Horned Frogs have become heavy on carries at wide receiver to reload at the position entering 2023 and have gotten solid production from several newcomers, but McAlister should be an upgrade. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Texas native had put up 873 yards and five touchdowns and was the Mountain West’s second-leading receiver before leaving Boise State in early November. James was the No. 137 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 and will return home after one year at Notre Dame. Dabney should also bolster the Horned Frogs’ passing game after finishing third among the Big 12 with 552 receiving yards this season, and TCU has secured pledges from three junior-caliber offensive linemen.
The move to a new defensive coordinator in Andy Avalos may require some defensive additions. McDonald has 28 career starts from his stints at San Diego State and Washington State, giving the Horned Frogs a veteran defender who should be a fit. They were also able to convince rookie linebacker Jonathan Backes to walk out of the gate on Sunday. This portal class is not finished yet; More pledges are expected to be made in the next few days.
Transportation obligations (15): QB Walter Taylor (Vanderbilt), QB Destin Wade (Kentucky), WR Will Sheppard (Vanderbilt), WR Cordale Russell (TCU), WR Terrell Timmons Jr. (NC State), TE Chamon Metayer (Cincinnati), OL Matthew Bedford (Indiana). ), OL Khalil Benson (Indiana), OL Tyler Johnson (Houston), OL Justin Myers (UT), OL Yakiri Walker (UCN), DL Anquin Barnes (Colorado), DL Quincy Wiggins (LSU), LB Kitten Wade (Kentucky), DB Preston Hodge (Liberty)
A huge need was met along the offensive line. Colorado selected five linemen in Bedford, Benson, Johnson, Myers and Walker who have made 114 career starts and played more than 8,100 snaps. These additions are extremely important to Shedor Sanders and his ability to build off an impressive first season. Now what do buffalo need?
Wiggins is an interesting pickup, at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, and was a top-100 recruit but played sparingly in two seasons at LSU. Russell, another top-100 recruit who calls himself “Baby TO,” did not catch a pass in his freshman season with TCU but is a physically gifted wide receiver at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. They both joined the squad on Sunday and could be a steal if this crew can bring out the best in them. Hodge should be a big help too. He has the second-best cornerback in Conference USA this season at Liberty, according to Pro Football Focus.
Texas Tech
Transportation obligations (8): WR Caleb Douglas (Florida), WR Josh Kelly (Washington State), TE Jalen Conyers (Texas Tech), OL Davion Carter (Memphis), OL Vinnie Sciorre (Toledo), DB Devin Cromwell (Guelph), DB Jovon Jackson (Vermont State). ), B. Jack Burgess (Weber State)
The Red Raiders aimed to take the next step as Big 12 contenders in year two under Joey McGuire and were unable to live up to those expectations in a season ravaged by injuries. They closed on a positive note with a 34-14 win over Cal in the Independence Bowl on Saturday night to finish 7-6. Despite having to spend much of this crucial recruiting week in Shreveport, Louisiana, McGuire and his staff have done a great job landing some impactful additions to help with the turnaround in 2024.
Texas Tech needed to reload at wide receiver after losing six to the gate this month, so landing Kelly on Friday was crucial. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound wideout ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in receiving yards this season with 923 yards and eight touchdowns on 61 catches after transferring from Fresno State. He will be a sixth-year senior in 2024 and will team with incoming five-star recruit Micah Hudson as well as Douglas, a top target who returns to Texas for a bigger role after two seasons with the Gators. Conyers was another major pledge back home and one of the best tight ends in the portal. Carter and Sciorre have proven themselves as point guards for several years and will help up front.
Cromwell was one of the most remarkable discoveries of this cycle. The 6-foot, 195-pound defensive back comes from the University of Guelph in the Ontario University Athletic League in Canada. Many FBS staff were impressed by what Cromwell put on tape playing Canadian Rules, where he championed receivers who could run the pre-snap, and chose the Red Raiders over West Virginia.
Transportation obligations (4): QB Kyle McCord (Ohio State), WR Z Haynes (Georgia), WR Jackson Meeks (Georgia), LB James Hurd (West Virginia)
Understandably, your initial reaction upon hearing McCord’s commitment on Sunday was: “I’m surprised he’s going to Syracuse.” Here’s a prediction: We’ll be saying that more and more during new coach Fran Brown’s tenure.
Brown, the former Georgia defensive backs coach who was hired on Nov. 28, will make this program an even more desirable destination for recruits and build a staff that will surprise people on the recruiting trail. It’s too early to say how many transfers the Orange will make, but they have lost 14 to the gate during this coaching change, so there is room to add. The pledges of Haynes and Meeks indicate the possibility that this team can strike gold on some of the young talent leaving Georgia, and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson gives them a chance to win over defensive end Fadil Diggs and some of the departures from Texas A&M.
But McCord is the kind of big-time sensation Syracuse needs to get people’s attention. He hasn’t played to the Buckeyes’ extremely high standards, but he went 11-1 in his only season as a starter and can provide the kind of consistent, effective play and leadership this team needs to win games in year one. This portal chapter is small so far, but it’s worth a look.
(Lane Kiffin Photo: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The college football transfer portal has been buzzing with activity over the weekend, with several big-name schools making significant moves to bolster their rosters. Ole Miss and Syracuse were among the weekend’s winners, successfully adding key players through the transfer portal. These moves are sure to have a major impact on the upcoming college football season, as these schools look to strengthen their teams and pursue championship aspirations. With the transfer portal continuing to play a significant role in shaping the college football landscape, it’s clear that the impact of these weekend winners will be felt across the sport.