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CFB Transfer Portal Numbers: Teams who lost the most to the portal & teams who brought in the most portal players.
BREAKING NEWS: Justin Lawrence signs an extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars. What is the NFL “going rate” for positional players such as QB?
Story we are following from FOX Sports:
"I'm not transferring."
Those were the words of former Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain when speaking with "Well Off Media" during the Buffaloes' Pro Day back in March.
Less than one month later, he entered the transfer portal.
In the process of entering, McClain made a video that seemed to take a shot at Colorado: "I feel like I just don't want to play for clicks," McClain said. "I actually want to be involved with a great leading program that's going to develop players."
McClain is one example of what it means to be a top college football recruit in the era of the transfer portal, NIL money and social media. While some programs seem to navigate what has been called free agency in college football, others continue to flounder.
McClain represents one way of conducting business in this environment, while the Ohio State Buckeyes represent another.
With that said, here's a look at my winners and losers from the spring football transfer portal window:
Portal Winners:
Ohio State: Nothing of substance was lost, only gained.
No program made a bigger splash — splashes, really — than the Ohio State Buckeyes during the winter transfer portal. Following a spring game that revealed the prodigious talent that chose to return for the 2024 season (TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka), a standout true freshman (Jeremiah Smith) and a number of impact transfers (Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Caleb Downs), Ryan Day has successfully navigated through a raucous spring portal period with finesse.
During this time of year – the last time for the portal to open for undergraduate transfers to move freely – many programs are looking to fill needs, which includes adding depth due to unexpected portal entries. With that said, continuity of both staff and roster are luxuries.
Day and the Buckeyes are heading into the summer both healthy and more talented at quarterback, running back, safety and offensive line than they were in 2023, which bodes well for their future.
Kansas State: Added Dylan Edwards to the backfield with Avery Johnson and DJ Giddens.
With the addition of former Colorado running back Dylan Edwards, Chris Klieman's Kansas State team will once again have the necessary speed and versatility in the backfield to take advantage of their old-school, run-oriented attack.
Johnson, who succeeded Howard as the starter in Manhattan, is one of the most capable dual-threat quarterbacks in the Big 12. The 2023 Pop Tarts Bowl MVP — put that on a business card, Avery — became the first K-State true freshman quarterback to start and win a bowl game. He received Big 12 Offensive Freshman Honorable Mention accolades, despite making just two starts and playing in eight games last season. Meanwhile, DJ Giddens enjoyed a breakout year, rushing for 1,223 yards while averaging 5.5 yards per rush as a sophomore.
Edwards has the kind of talent that could lead to him becoming as productive as Giddens was last year, though he didn't show much in 2023 at Colorado. Aside from an outstanding first game — five catches for 135 yards with three TD against No. 17 Texas Christian — Edwards struggled with securing the ball behind an awful offensive line. In 2023, he never rushed for more than 57 yards in a single game and managed to fumble the ball three times in CU's final 11 games.
Edwards will get the chance to reset at a program that expects to compete for the Big 12 title and prepare for a meeting against his former team, Colorado, on Oct. 12.
Ohio State & Georgia in RJ Young’s winners in the transfer portal
Georgia: Filled a need at QB.
The addition of Jaden Rashada fills a void left by former five-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff's departure to Kentucky.
In Rashada, Georgia coach Kirby Smart and OC Mike Bobo gained a player who started games at Arizona State and flashed the ability that led to his loud recruitment journey which started with a commitment to Florida for $13 million — the checks did not clear — and later led to playing in Phoenix, and now in Athens.
Portal Losers:
Colorado: We've seen this movie before.
Coach Prime and Colorado’s unconventional recruiting tactics
For the second year in a row, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' Colorado program has dominated coverage in the spring transfer portal window. Last year, the sheer number of players coming and going was a large talking point. This year's high-profile exits are eye-brow-raising.
Along with Edwards, who played for Coach Prime as a youth, former AAC Freshman of the Year Alton McCaskill, former Jackson State standout Sy'veon Wilkerson, McClain, and starter Omarion Cooper all entered the portal. |