On Saturday: Winter Transfer Portal Refresher – Part 1
Just because the college football season isn’t in motion right now doesn’t mean On Saturday has to go on pause. Plenty of moving and shaking takes place during the offseason and spring training, which is worth talking about. For example, this past Wednesday, on April 16th, the spring transfer portal window opened. It kicked off with some fireworks following five-star QB Nic Iamaleava’s sudden departure from Tennessee and subsequent commitment to UCLA. However, before we take a look at the spring portal, I wanted to pause for a moment and look back at the winter transfer window.
While we are four months removed from the winter portal, it took place during bowl season and the college football playoffs, because the NCAA calendar is dumb. With everything going on at the time, the rapid-fire news covering where players were landing could’ve been hard to keep up with. That’s why I thought it was a good time to do a refresher on the moves that were made this past December and January. We’ll start things off today talking about some of the most active teams, and then I’ll be back with a part two to cover everyone’s favorite ride at the amusement park, the QB Carousel.
Texas Tech
Joey McGuire’s squad was once again very middle of the road in his third year as head coach. Finishing 8-5 last season after closing out the season with a loss to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl. The Raiders featured a high-powered offense in 2024 that scored the most points in the Big 12, unfortunately, their defense was a sieve that allowed the most points in the Big 12.
With no real national powerhouse, you can make the case for why half the conference is going to win the Big 12 title this year. It’s the kind of conference where things are wide open. If things break right for a team, and they hit on some of their recruits, it could separate them from the pack. After investing heavily in the transfer portal this past December, many believe Tech could have that inside track. Their class of 18 commits, 12 of which are four-star players, has them sitting at number one in 247’s team transfer rankings and has made them the betting favorite (+140) to win the Big 12.
As you would expect, they made a concerted effort to bolster their defense, with the biggest additions being senior edge David Bailey from Stanford. Bailey posted a 93.2 pressure grade last season, leading the Cardinals in pressures and sacks with a 27.5% win rate. They also scooped up the two biggest FCS darlings in this portal class. First, there is Illinois St. offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano. The senior linemen only allowed one single sack in 2023, however, he only played in two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. On the other side of the ball the Raiders recruited North Dakota St. stand out safety Cole Wisniewski, who is also a member of the illustrious “Coalition of White Guy Safeties” (For those of you who are unaware, The WGS Coalition was founded in 2007 by Eric Weddle and the current sitting president is Harrison Smith. “The Wiz”, a nickname I decided to give him as of three seconds ago, didn’t play a single snap of football last season after having foot surgery in August of that year). However, if we once again travel back to 2023, the man was a dude. He didn’t allow a single TD, snagged eight picks, and had four pass breakups. It’s an intriguing move when you consider that neither player played much or any football in 2024. If Zambrano and Wisniewski come back strong from their injuries while being able to handle the step up in competition, they could both be big time hits for Tech.
The Raiders’ transfer class is strong, but I still have my concerns. Particularly when it comes to a possible scoring decline. A big chunk of their offense last season came from RB Tahj Brooks, who carried the ball 287 times for over 1500 yards and 17 TDs. In an attempt to fill the Brooks size void, the team brought in USC’s Queinton Joyner. The redshirt sophomore didn’t see the field much last season as the lion’s share of the carries went to Woody Marks. However, when called upon, Joyner was efficient, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. A big part of Texas Tech’s success could hinge on how he performs as a lead back. The other question mark is going to be in the receiver room. Gone is six-year senior Josh Kelly, who led the team in catches and yards last season. Things also appeared to worsen when WR Micah Hudson left for Texas A&M via the portal. He was the 25th-ranked high school recruit in the nation in 2024 and the crown jewel of Tech’s recruiting class that year. However, much to the joy of Red Raiders fans, Hudson hit A&M with the old snip snap snip snap and transferred right back to Tech once the spring window opened. The spotlight will be on the sophomore to break out and become QB Behren Morton’s primary target this season.
LSU
After another disappointing season in Baton Rouge, Brian Kelly hit the transfer portal as you would expect a coach on the hot seat to. In total, 16 players committed to the Tigers, ten of whom are considered four-star recruits. The headliner of the class is FSU edge rusher Patrick Payton. An experienced fifth-year senior, if Payton performs up to his 2023 standard, he’ll be a big boost for an LSU defense that has been searching for answers the past two years. He’s a great get for sure, but not the most interesting aspect of this 2nd rank LSU transfer class.
In 2024, the Tigers were one of the most pass-heavy teams in the nation, made evident by QB Garrett Nussmier having the fourth most drop-backs in the FBS. The one-sided play calling was a detriment to LSU and a factor in many of their losses. Poor blocking, along with inconsistent production, led to Kelly and first-year OC Joe Sloan completely abandoning the rush for long stretches in games. Potential offensive line improvement and RB Caleb Durham returning with a year of experience after leading the team as a freshman could be signs of optimism for the Tigers’ ground game. However, don’t hold your breath for a drastic change in offensive philosophy. Based on some of their transfer moves, I’m expecting to once again see the Nuss Bus out there slangin on a weekly basis.. Kelly and company slid into the portal and grabbed two of the better wideout options available.
First off is former Oklahoma Sooner Nic Anderson. Anderson broke out in his second season as a redshirt freshman, with over 700 yds receiving and an impressive 10 touchdowns. Going into 2024, he was expected to be OU’s top pass-catching target. Unfortunately, he would only play nine snaps of football the entire season due to a quad injury. If he returns to form, he has a chance to be that top guy for LSU. He has good speed and nice size, along with his big-play ability that was on display in 2023, where he averaged 20.9 yards per reception. Next up is Barron Brown from Kentucky. The former wildcat jumped out on his freshman season when he put up 625 yards and a handful of tuddies. However, his numbers have dropped over the past two years, 545 yards in 2023, followed by 361 this past season. In defense of the four-star recruit, he played at Kentucky, whose passing game resembled the image of Patrick Star with a 2×4 nailed to his forehead. A transition into a much better, high-volume passing attack could be just what he needs to get back on track. LSU’s wideout transfer duo comes in to join the returning Aaron Anderson, who led this team in yards in 2024. If things work out as Brian Kelly and company hope, those Garrett Nussmeier Heisman Bets at +800 could very well cash.
Texas A&M
In his first year as Aggies’ Head coach, Mike Elko had one of the best coaching performances of the 2024 season. While ex-head coach Jimbo Fisher and his accountant were celebrating the absurd buyout Fisher scored, Elko had to hit the ground running. The program was underwhelming under Fisher, never reaching the expectations set when he was hired. Once he was axed, many players transferred out as A&M headed in a new direction. However, Elko managed to use the portal to his advantage very well, and as players went out others were coming in. That, along with the coach’s ability to perform damage control and hang on to other talented players on the roster, helped the Aggies to an 8-4 regular season that saw them go into their season finale against Texas with a SEC title game berth on the line.
Mike Elko now looks to carry that momentum into 2025 and take another step forward. Not only did they have the 9th-ranked recruiting class in the nation that included five-star OT Lamont Rogers out of Mesquite, TX, they continued to supplement their team through the portal and currently have the 10th-ranked transfer class. Elko understands the blueprint for building a strong program. Build the foundation for long-term success through high school, while utilizing the portal to fill holes and maintain success in the now. Part of their transfer moves saw them steal a couple of players from fellow SEC schools. The big two are four-star OLB TJ Searcy from Florida and four-star Corner Julian Humphrey from Georgia, who started all year for the Bulldogs. However, the headline of this class was their mission to beef up their weapons.
The Aggies had one of the worst passing attacks in the SEC last season. Not only did they lack impact pass catchers, they also struggled to get good play at the QB position. They went back and forth between a couple of players throughout the year. The initial starter in week one was Connor Weigman. The Junior QB was plagued by inconsistent play, where the lows were very low when called upon. He appeared in six games, five of which were starts. It seemed clear he was not the answer at QB, and with things trending to him not being the starter this year, he transferred to Houston. The other eight starts under center went to redshirt freshman Marcel Reed. As a more athletic dual-threat QB, Reed fit the type of offense Elko has run throughout his career as a coach. While being a great compliment to the team’s heavy offense, totalling 622 yards and 15 tuddies on the ground, he too was inconsistent throwing the ball. It’s clear Reed will be the starter this year and needs to develop as a passer for his team to take that step forward.
In a clear attempt to help improve the passing game and help Reed succeed, A&M made wideouts the priority in the portal, and two of their top-graded players in this class are pass catchers. First up is the former member of the NC State Wolfpack, KC Concepcion. Concepcion is a player with a high ceiling who can be an impact playmaker. For him to be that for the Aggies, he’ll need to return to his 2023 form. The Charlotte, NC native burst out of the gate in his freshman season, catching 72 passes for 845 yards and hauled in 10 touchdowns. However, in an NC State passing attack that was abysmal to start the season, KC hauled in nearly half the yards and TDs in 2024. They also added another four-star in Mississippi State wideout Mario Craver. An athletic, smaller slot receiver, Carver showed flashes of being an explosive play weapon if he continues to develop.
Even with notable defensive players leaving for the NFL, Texas A&M is expected to be strong defensively once again. Hitting on the potential of their new receiving core is what the season will hinge on for Mike Elko and The Aggies.
Florida St. Seminoles
FSU had the season from hell in 2024. After going undefeated in the regular season and winning the ACC in 2023, they went 2-10. After back-to-back double-digit win seasons, it appeared Florida St. had returned to being the ACC powerhouse and a playoff team, which led to the school locking down head coach Mike Norvell with a big-money contract extension. A year later, Norvell has restructured his deal, giving some of that money back to the school as his coaching seat begins to heat up. Norvell has not shown to be among the elite high school recruiters since taking over in Tallahassee. To counteract that, FSU has become a very active portal team. In 2022, his third year as head coach, Norvell finally posted a winning record with the Seminoles at 10-3. That year, they had the tenth-ranked transfer class. Then, in their ACC-winning 2023 season, they were ranked 6th. They continued the heavy portal investment last season with 17 commits, 10 four stars, which came in ranked 7th in the nation. However, an important thing coaches have to remember when they break open the checkbook for transfers is this simple rule. If you live by the portal, you can die by the portal. It’s a gamble when a program puts a heavy reliance on the transfers, because when those players hit, they hit good, but when they miss, things can go bad fast. To be fair, another factor in FSU’s dark 2024 was being snake bitten by injuries. However, they had their fair share of misses from the portal escapades. The most notable being at QB, where they dropped the cash to get DJ Uiagalelei from Oregon State, who transferred to the Beavers the prior season, before going to FSU as a graduate transfer. I try not to come down too harshly in how I word my criticism of college players, but I have to be brutally honest here. This was as big a disaster as the Bay of Pigs. His time as starting QB for the Seminoles only lasted five games before he was benched. During that stretch, he completed only 52.5% of his passes, was sacked 10 times, and threw just four touchdowns to his SIX INTs. In the past, Ugaleilei used his legs to contribute. He rushed for over 1000 yards and 11 tuddies in his two years as a starter at Clemson. Even in the prior year at Oregon St, while his rushing attempts were way less than they were at Clemson, he still used his big 6’4” 252 lb frame to punch in six scores. Between FSU’s poor run blocking and the fact that the offense was so bad they rarely found themselves with short-yardage goal-to-go situations, DJ was a non-factor on the ground. He averaged 1.5 a carry on his 46 attempts and never found the endzone during his short stint as starter.
As Norvell and Florida State look to turn the page and make last season an outlier, people will forget, they have once again leaned on the portal. This time, bringing in 16 players with an overall score that ranks them 7th. In hopes of getting better play in the trenches, they brought in fifth-year interior linemen Luke Petitbon, who spent the past two years starting at center for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, posting an 89.4 pass block in 2024 per PFF. Joining him upfront will be Tackle Micah Pettus from Ole Miss, whose play consistently got better throughout his three seasons with the Rebels. On the other side of the ball, the Seminoles lost their starting edge duo of Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones Jr. to the portal. In an attempt to fill part of that void, they brought in Nebraska Edge Jame Williams. Despite having one of the most boring names in sports, Williams had a breakout sophomore season for the Cornhuskers. He had 142 pass rush snaps and made a solid impact with a win rate of 19.2%, hitting the QB 12 times and getting home for the sack five times. Returning to the offense, they hope to have some good pass-catching threats in wideouts Duce Robinson and Squirrel White. Now those are awesome names. With his 6’6” 220 lb frame, the now former USC Trojan Duce Robinson, will hopefully give FSU a big body outside receiver who can win a battle for contested catches. On the flip side, Squirrel, 5’10” 167 lbs, is a speedster who has registered a blistering forty of 4.28. As a track standout in highschool, he registered a top speed of 23.4 mph, embarrassing actual Squirrels who have a slow ass average speed of 20 mph.
They added weapons with good potential, good experienced o-linemen, and if their added defenders hit along with their returning talent staying healthy, they should sport possibly the best defense in the ACC. The most crucial transfer addition that will need to hit, however, is former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos. A run-heavy QB, it’s no surprise that Castellanos eventually transferred out of BC after Bill O’Brien took over as head coach in 2024. The senior QB’s play style didn’t fit the type of offense Bill O’Brien usually runs. After carrying the ball over 200 times in 2023, Castellanos only carried the ball 82 times in 2024. Castellanos’ skill set fits much better in FSU’s offense. He won’t run nearly as much as he did in Jeff Hafley’s offense when he was a sophomore, but Norvell does work designed QB runs into his scheme. If their O-line can have a bounce-back season, their new QB will be able to make an impact on the field with his legs. The big question will be how well Castellanos performs as a passer. He was inaccurate and turnover-prone as a sophomore, however, a good sign is that he improved in his last season with the Eagles, putting up career highs in completion percentage and touchdowns, along with a career low in picks. Norvell and The Seminoles whiffed last season with their portal QB and it crippled the team, it’s imperative that Castellanos hits if they want to have a bounce back year.
Other Notable Teams
The Oregon Ducks: Dan Lanning once again showed why he’s one of the best program builders in all of college football. For the second straight year, Oregon had not only a top-five ranked recruiting class, but also a top-five transfer class, highlighted by five-star OT Isaiah World from Nevada. However, my favorite move the Ducks made in the portal was the addition of Tulane RB Makhi Hughes, who put up 1400 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as the Green Waves lead back. Lanning will look to Hughes to make up for departing RB Jordan James, who put up over 1200 yards on the ground and 15 touchdowns for the Ducks in 2024.
The Ole Miss Rebels: It’s not unfair to say Lane Kiffin and The Rebs missed their opening when they failed to make the SEC title game or the playoffs last season. Now they are losing a lot of talent to the NFL draft from a stacked roster that Kiffin built a large portion of through the portal over the past three years. In an attempt not to fall too far behind, the self-proclaimed “Portal King” continued the wheeling and dealing this year. A total of 24 commits that include 10 four-star commits have their transfer class ranked third. One of the biggest names is Princewill Umanmielen, whose brother Princely transferred to Ole Miss for his senior season in 2024 and was a dominant pass rusher who is now a Carolina Panther
The Kentucky Wildcats: Mark Stoops must be one hell of salesman. That is the only way I can explain UK having the 7th ranked transfer class that includes seven four star recruits. There are some pretty good players in the group of 19 players who committed to Kentucky this winter. I’m not trying to be mean, but that’s pretty good for a program that lower down the list in the SEC, went 4-8 last season, is more so considered a basketball school.
