College Football’s first spring transfer window closed on April 30. More than 650 FBS scholarship players entered the NCAA transfer portal in search of a new home during this two-week period. These recruits tend to move quickly, but it seems sensible to wait a few weeks and see where these players stand before judging the winner of the spring tournament.
We’ve written extensively about Colorado, the players who sent packages to the gate, and the players Deion Sanders and his team added to rebuild their roster. So let’s take a look at 10 other teams that bought in the spring transfer market and compile some of their promising results.
New commitments: QB Tyler Buchner (Notre Dame), DB Trey Amos (Louisiana), DB Jaylen Key (UAB)
Nick Saban and Tommy Rees made the big decision to pick up another quarterback after the Spring Fling and got a pledge from Buchner two days after he hit the gate. The fact that he chose Alabama right away and canceled further visits to schools where he would be a guaranteed starter indicates he must love his chances of winning the job. The Crimson Tide also won battles for two of the most sought-after defenses in the spring market, defeating Florida and LSU for Amos and then defeating Florida State and Ole Miss for Key.
Arkansas
New commitments: TE Var’Keyes Gumms (Norte do Texas), TE Francis Sherman (Louisville), DL Anthony Booker Jr. (Maryland), DL Keivie Rose (Louisiana Tech), LB Jaheim Thomas (Cincinnati), DB AJ Brathwaite Jr. (Western Kentucky) DB Jaheim Singletary (Geórgia), DB Kee’yon Stewart (TCU)
The Razorbacks continue to do a great job recruiting gatekeepers under Sam Pittman and have many valuable additions coming into this spring tournament, particularly on defense. Rose, Booker and Thomas will make them better up front; The three had great picks going into the gate. Singletary was a Top 100 recruit in the Class of 2022 and could become a differentiator. Gumms, a junior All-American at North Texas, should be a fine addition to forward Dan Enos and proved to be a difficult pro to pass last season.
New commitments: QB Payton Thorne (Michigan State), WR Caleb Burton (Ohio State), WR Shane Hooks (Jackson State), WR Jyaire Shorter (North Texas), OL Jaden Muskrat (Tulsa), DL Stephen Sings V (Liberty) , LB Jalen McLeod (Appalachian State), LB Larry Nixon III (North Texas)
The new coaching staff of Hugh Freeze and Auburn have been very active in terms of competing for top players in the spring gate window, and they’ve had plenty of room to add players after dropping 21 scholarships this offseason. Freeze got the quarterback he needed in Thorne, a proven two-year starter, and got three talented players to power the offense in the first year. Hooks was Jackson State’s leading receiver last season, Shorter had 11 touchdowns and Burton was one of the best players. Former 100 Greatest Designers. On defense, McLeod and Nixon have a chance to start right away.
cal
New commitments: QB Ben Finley (NC State), RB King Doerue (Purdue), RB Isaiah Ifanse (San Jose State), WR Taj Davis (Washington), WR Marquez Dortch (Mississippi State), OL Matthew Wykoff (Texas A&M), DB Patrick McMorris (San Diego State), DB Marcus Scott II (Missouri)
Don’t sleep on what Cal will do in the transfer window this spring. The Bears changed their roster a bit in the off-season and found some players that will make an immediate impact. McMorris was one of the Mountain West’s top safeties, twice earning first-team All-Conference honors. Wyckoff and Davis would likely start right away as well, and Finley could push Sam Jackson for a move from TCU to work the quarterback position. The addition of Doerue and Ifanse, which broke Montana State’s career rushing record (3,742 yards), would help complete Jayden Ott’s return to the Freshman All-America team.
New commitments: QB Brady Allen (Purdue), TE Joey Gatewood (UCF), OL Vincent Lumia (Duquesne), OL Eric Miller (Purdue), OL Lance Robinson (Houston), OL Trevone Sylvester (Houston), OL Willie Tyler III (Rutgers), Keith Brown (Oregon), DB Storm Duck (Penn State), DB Cameron Kelly (Virgínia), DB Marcus Washington Jr. (Geórgia)
Louisville’s new coaching staff did an impressive job of reloading this spring after letting 22 scholarship players through the gate this offseason. Of particular note are his efforts to overhaul his offensive line with seasoned rookies. These coaches know what they’re getting into at Miller, and it will be interesting to see how many of these five new players earn starting positions. A former four-star recruit, Allen is very knowledgeable about running Jeff Broome’s offense. Duck and Kelly are freshman converts twice this season, and Gatewood is now in its fourth school.
LSU
New commitments: RB Logan Diggs (Notre Dame), OL Mason Lunsford (Maryland), DB Andre Sam (Tulane)
LSU is gearing up for a big run with preseason hype in the top five in its second year under Brian Kelly. The Tigers had minimal wear and tear in late spring, but they’ve still picked up some extraordinary talents that will help right away. Diggs returns home after a rookie season with the Irish (1,033 total yards, six touchdowns) and could emerge as the Tigers’ top scorer. Two-year starter at left guard, Lunsford can help solidify his offensive line. Sam is an interesting pickup truck, a security veteran who went from McNeese to Marshall to Tulane and now LSU in a two year span and will be a seventh year senior.
New commitments: RB Ajay Allen (Nebraska), WR Tyler Harrell (Alabama), DL Anthony Campbell (ULM), DB Jaden Davis (Oklahoma), DB Jadis Richard (Vanderbilt)
Hurricanes landed some gems in the winter gate cycle and brought some this spring that could turn into big gains. Recruiters were very tall on Campbell’s top side, a 6-foot, 250-pound defensive end, when he became available. Allen showed exciting potential as a true freshman before a season-ending injury, and Richard looked poised to start at linebacker for Vanderbilt. Harrell is one of the fastest receivers in college football, but he didn’t get a chance to pitch in his only season at Alabama due to a foot injury.
bordeaux
New commitments: QB Bennett Meredith (Arizona State), WR Jahmal Edrine (Florida Atlantic), WR Corey Gammage (Marshall), OL Ben Farrell (Indiana Wesleyan), OL Luke Griffin (Missouri), OL Preston Nichols (UNLV), DL Malik Langham (Vanderbilt )), DL Jeffrey M’Ba (Auburn), DB Markevious Brown (Ole Miss), DB Braxton Myers (Ole Miss), DB Marquis Wilson (Penn State), LS Daniel Hawthorne (Missouri)
Purdue has had 20 scholarship players come in the gate since the coaching change in December, giving Ryan Walters and his team plenty of room to add to their roster to enter their freshman year. 220-pound wide receiver who was productive at Marshall (178 receptions for 2,239 yards and 13 TDs) and was committed to Memphis. Edrine is having a good freshman season at FAU and gives the Texas Hudson Card transfer another big target. M’Ba, ranked the #1 junior college in the nation in 2022, was another exciting choice.
SMU
New commitments: WR Jordan Hudson (TCU), TE Micah Hilts (Estado do Texas), OL Caleb Johnson (Notre Dame), DL Cam Robertson (Norte do Texas), LB Kobe Wilson (Temple), DB Kyron Chambers (TCU), DB Keyshon Mills (Colorado )), P Isaac Pearson (Texas)
SMU shook up its depth chart a bit in Rhett Lashlee’s second season by making 25 tackles. Hudson has the tools to be a great playmaker and help replace second-round production Rashi Rice. The Top 100 recruit caught 14 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman and was previously committed to SMU before the late turnover to TCU. Wilson has been a valuable source of linebacker who should make an immediate impact, and the Mustangs have managed to improve their depth at points during this spring window.
New commitments: OL Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming), DL Bear Alexander (Georgia), DB Tre’Quon Fegans (Alabama)
Alexander was one of the most talented young players to hit the gate in the off-season. It will need to continue to mature and evolve, but it could make a big impact before the Trojans. Perignon has emerged as one of the most sought-after players in the Spring Gate window based on what he recorded in Wyoming. He can move directly into the starting position at left guard if he is healthy. Winning the Fegans match also led to an engagement from his younger brother, Anquon, who is a five-star recruit in the Class of 2025.
(Foto: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
2023-05-25 16:49:40
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