All-Transfer Portal Team: Part II – Defense
It’s time for part two of the unveiling of Talent Alone’s All-Transfer portal team. The offensive selections were posted a little over a week ago, so make sure to check those out if you haven’t yet.
To reiterate, only players who transferred after the NCAA changed the transfer rules in 2021 were eligible.
While that did vastly slim down the field, having only two years of portal entries to choose from, this won’t be the last time spots on this prestigious team will be available. Going forward, every year I will update the All Transfer Portal team. So congratulations to all the players who were bestowed the honor of being an inaugural selection, and good luck to all future transfer portal players who strive to make this list.
EDGE – Jared Verse, Albany to Florida State
Jared Verse is the top edge-rusher in the 2024 NFL draft class. Many have him as a lock to go in the top ten, with some mocks thinking he’ll go top five. He shocked many by deciding to return to FSU for the 2023 season. It was likely Verse would’ve been a high first-round draft pick last year after his big season in 2022, where he helped lead the Seminoles to a victory over Oklahoma in the Cheez-it Bowl. Yes, that’s a real thing. Another thing that’s surprisingly real, is that Verse was a zero-star recruit coming out of Central Columbia HS in Dayton, OH. He ended up attending the University at Albany spending his first two college seasons playing for the Great Dames. Yes, that’s their actual mascot. When he entered the transfer portal in 2022, he was a four-star recruit.
Even with stepping up from the FCS to FBS competition, Verse remained a nightmare for opposing linemen. He set personal bests in 2022, recording 9 sacks along with hurrying the passer 25 times, and tackling players behind the line of scrimmage for a loss 17.5 times. His 22.6 win percentage when pass rushing that year meant 1 out of every 5 plays, Verse made an O-Linemen look goofy.
What makes him so deadly is his athleticism, his burst off the line, and his length to beat blockers. Three games into the 2023 season, Verse hasn’t managed to get home for a sack yet. However, when you watch him play you can see the effect he has on the game.
OLB – Arnold Ebiketie, Temple to Penn State
A graduate of Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, MD, Ebiketie was actually a three-star outside linebacker recruit, In part because he weighed 204 lbs coming out of high school. By the time he started his 2018 freshman season at Temple, Ebiktie was up to 225 lbs and shifted to Defensive End, primarily as an Edge rusher.
Three years later in 2021, when he transferred to Penn State, he weighed in at 250. Prior to the trip to Happy Valley, Ebiketie turned a lot of heads during his final season as a Temple Owl. In just six games he registered 4 sacks, hit the QB 4 times, and had 8.5 tackles for loss. He also forced 3 fumbles and returned one for the TD. Damn, wonder what he would do playing a full season? The answer. Become an absolute menace. Putting up 18 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, while laying an extra 12 hits on opposing QBs, Ebiketie’s 90.5 pressure grade per PPF was the fourth-best among Edge rushers in the Big Ten that season, a conference he shared with other elite college football pass rushers such as Aiden Hutchinson, Nick Helbirg, and George Karlaftis.
Ebiketie is a top-tier athlete, registering a 4.6 forty at his pro day. He attacks off the line of scrimmage with an aggressive burst that can quickly have offensive tackles backtracking. Selected in the early second round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, Ebiketie has gone back to his roots a little playing as more of an outside pass-rushing linebacker. He only started one game while playing in 16 his rookie year, but attempted to make the most of it, posting 3 sacks, 9 hits on the quarterback, and forcing 3 fumbles.
DT – Mekhi Wingo, Missouri to LSU
At 6 ‘1 ” 295 lbs Wingo is a crop! A native of St.Louis, Wingo decided to stay close to home by committing to play for Mizzou. After his freshman year, Wingo transferred to play for those other Tigers. Just realized how little that narrowed it down.
He transferred to LSU. During his first season in Baton Rouge, he was a big-time blockade up the middle for opposing running backs, recording 20 stops. He was the Tiger’s top-graded run defender per PFF last season and helped take the Tigers from being ranked 41st in the category in 2021 up to 16th in the entire FBS.
While Wingo saw marked improvement in many areas last season, he struggled at getting through offensive lines and creating pressure. Even so, he managed to increase his production in that area with 4 sacks and 20 QB hurries. Both of which were double compared to his freshman season at Mizzou.
He’s gotten off to a good start this season, already having 2 sacks and 2 QB hits on the board. If Wingo wants to enter the NFL draft this season he’ll need to focus on improving his ability to get pressure in order to prove to NFL scouts he’s an every-down interior defender.
DL – Akheem Mesidor, West Virginia to Miami
Mesidor was a 3-star high school recruit coming out of Clearwater Academy International in Clearwater, FL, and was considered a 4-star when he entered the transfer portal after two seasons at West Virginia. In his first season at The U last year, Mesidor took a big leap by increasing his PFF grade from 69.4 in 2021 to 87.1 in 2022. Out of his 211 pass rush snaps, he managed to generate pressure on the QB at a rate of 13.2%. For comparison, that’s not far off the 17% posted by 2023 2nd overall draft pick, Will Anderson Jr., last season.
Miami jumped out to a 3-0 start this year, with Mesidor being part of the 14th-ranked pass rush in the FBS. Mesidor’s play in his inaugural season as a Hurricane earned him his spot on this list, but to look ahead, he does have some work to do if plans to forgo a 5th season in college for the NFL draft. With 4.9 forty, Mesidor doesn’t have the speed of your typical top-tier NFL edge rusher. At 6’2” 280, some NFL teams might entertain the idea of seeing how he would fare playing inside with a little added weight.
LB – Drew Sanders, Alabama to Arkansas
A 5-star recruit from Texas, Drew Sanders made the same decision many highly touted defensive prospects have and took his talents to Tuscaloosa to play for Nick Saban. However, when you go to a defensive pipeline like the University of Alabama, it’s common to encounter a problem with playing time. No matter how highly touted of a player someone may be coming out of high school when you commit to playing for Bama, you’ll be walking into a locker room full of four and five-star recruits.
In his sophomore season, Sanders had to compete with future 2nd-round NFL draft pick Christian Harris, four-star transfer from Tennessee Henry To’o To’o, and future number two overall draft pick Will Anderson Jr. for playing time. After starting three of his first five games in 2021, Sanders sparingly saw the field. With the goal of getting more playing time in mind Sanders traded in his Crimson jersey for what Google tells me is a Cardinal-colored jersey and transferred to Arkansas.
After only seeing 284 snaps in 2021, Sanders started all 13 games for the Razorbacks and played 846 snaps. He took advantage of the increased playing time. In his junior year, he recorded 90 total tackles, 43 stops, and 39 pressures, 11 of which he got home for the sack. He finished the year as a finalist for the Butkus Award. His strong junior year performance paid off with him getting selected in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.
LB – Henry To’oTo’o, Tennessee to Alabama
As previously mentioned during the last selection, Henry To’o To’o transferred to Alabama in 2021. A four-star recruit, To’o To’o actually had an offer from Alabama coming out of high school, but decided to enroll at the University of Tennessee. After two underwhelming seasons, the Concord California native decided to rectify that decision when he transferred to the Crimson Tide.
Under the tutelage of Nick Saban and company, the athletic linebacker showed an increase in production and improved on-the-field performance. In his two seasons as a member of the Tide, he racked up 145 solo tackles and forced 86 stops. To’o To’o was a stalwart for the Bama defense holding down the middle of the field. He excels against the run and shows quick reaction time to adjust and get to where the ball carrier is. In his senior season, he showed improvement in being able to drop back in coverage, something that he struggled with earlier in his college career.
Despite being considered slightly undersized by NFL linebacker standards, To’o To’o’s play following his trip through the transfer portal led to him getting drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
CB – Christian Gonzalez, Colorado to Oregon
The 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, Gonzalez was a 4-star recruit out of The Colony, Texas. Yep, there’s a city in Texas called The Colony. Maybe it’s pronounced the same way people say THE Ohio State University.
After graduating from THE Colony High School, Gonzalez spent his first two college seasons playing at the University of Colorado. Following the 2021 season, he left the then-fledgling football program and transferred to Oregon.
Gonzalez made a huge leap in his single season as a Duck. His PFF coverage grade jumped 11.5 points and his 83.3 overall defensive grade was the 11th highest among power 5 corners in 2022. He had 6 pass breakups, 4 picks, and passers had a 74.7 QB Rating when throwing his direction. Some scouts pointed out his one year of elite-level play in college as a reason for concern.
Gonzalez made betting against him even harder for those scouts when he showed up to the combine and showed off his athleticism. He ran a blazing fast 4.38 forty, put up a 41.5 inch vertical, and posted an 11’1” broad jump. He can run with elite speed receivers, plus can use his frame and length to fight.
Another thing that jumps out when you watch him play is his ability, along with his willingness, to close out and make big contact with the ball carrier. Gonzalez was right next to Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon at the top of his draft class, and probably shouldn’t have lasted all the way to the Patriots at 17th. Three games into his pro career, he looks as advertised and has already recorded his first NFL interception.
CB – Dwight McGlothern, LSU to Arkansas
Dwight McGlothern’s name might not jump out to everybody. A three-star recruit from Oak Kelin High School in Texas, McGlothern committed and spent his first two seasons playing for the LSU Tigers.
He entered the transfer portal in 2022, now a four-star recruit, and chose to not only stay in the conference but stay in the SEC West division by transferring to the University of Arkansas. There must be something in the water in Fayetteville, because while still facing high-level SEC competition, McGlothern took big strides forward. Opposing QBs attempted to throw his way 66 times in 2022 and came out of it with a 48.5% completion. McGlothern only had 1 TD scored on him while picking the ball off 4 times and was third in the SEC with 11 pass breakups.
He has good size and length to compete with receivers, and while his speed may not blow you away, his long stride allows him to hang with receivers downfield. McGlothern also put in work outside of coverage. He registered 47 tackles with a measly missed tackle rate of 8.3%. He finished the year with a PFF run defense grade of 84.5 which put him in the top ten of all defensive players in the SEC. However, as I mentioned, his name won’t stand out to people who get the majority of their college player knowledge from NFL draft big boards.
Despite being Preseason All-Sec First Team this year, the Razorback’s top defensive back finds himself way down draft boards, including rankings for just his position. It could be a situation of a player who does a lot of things very well but is missing those one or two things that turn scouts’ heads. I am pulling for McGlothern. Hopefully, he can put up another really strong season and force an NFL team to take a chance on him. While his NFL future may be cloudy, the bigger component of building this team is what the player did in college and McGlothern has proven himself to be one of the most successful DBs to step through the portal.
Safety – Jammie Robinson, South Carolina to Florida St.
A mark of a good Safety is versatility, and the ability to contribute at different levels. Leesburg, GA native Jammie Robinson made his presence known all over the field during his time at Florida St.
Robinson spent his first two college years with Gamecock at the University of South Carolina before becoming a Seminole in 2022. While I would categorize his SC years as solid, it was what he did in Tallahassee that got him on this list, especially his senior season.
In coverage held receivers to a 56% completion and QBs were handed a 74.3 rating when they attempted to throw his way. All season long, the guy was out there getting to where the ball was. He finished his 2022 campaign with 65 solo tackles and 23 defensive stops. He really ramped up his pressure game as well. In his first three seasons, he never hit double digits in pass rush snaps. As a senior, he got 33. Hurrying the QB 12 times while also getting one sack, QB hit, and swatted ball added to his box score.
He finished his college career being named First Team All ACC. Is he the most athletic? No. Does he have great size? No. However, I’ll go ahead and throw out some of the non-quantifiable traits he does have. Robinson competes and to use a cliche, the man can play ball. He won’t quit on the play and will get to where that ball is, evident by the 228 solo tackles he registered in college with only 23 misses. The Panthers liked Robinson’s competitive motor enough to give him a shot, and selected him in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Punter – Jay Bramblett, Notre Dame to LSU
If Brian Kelly didn’t spurn Irish fans enough when he decided to leave Notre Dame to be the head coach of the LSU Tigers, he made sure to go the extra evil mile by taking the punter with him!
After three seasons in South Bend, Bramblett entered the transfer portal in 2022 to join Kelly in Baton Rouge. In an even more heinous twist to the story, Bramblett is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He hails from the land of the Crimson Tide and now plays for one of their arch-rivals! Kelly and Bramblett just may be the most evil duo in all of college football, if not all of sports. Rumor has it, that while coach Brian Kelly is busy filming cringey recruiting videos, Jay Bramblett ties sick kids to the goalposts for target practice. Just think of all the poor children who took a spinning pig skin to the dome so Bramblett could average those 44.5 yards a punt in 2022.
