Transfer portal breakdown: The 12 best commitments this week
The transfer portal “season” has been in full swing since a 45-day window to enter opened December 5. That open-window period ended Wednesday, but while players no longer can enter (unless they are a grad student), they are exiting. To that end, here are the 12 best transfer commitments in a busy week.
Another portal window opens May 1; that one lasts 15 days.
The portal window closing means only that players cannot enter unless they are a grad student; there is no time element as to when a player can decide on a new school.
For a look at all the players in the portal, go to On3’s transfer portal wire, which is updated continuously as players go into – and leave – the portal. In addition, there are position rankings of those already in the portal.
12. North Carolina S Antavious Lane
Transfer from: Georgia State
The skinny: Antavious Lane (5-9, 188), whose nickname is “Hit Stick,” was a busy man in Georgia State’s secondary, making 168 tackles in the past two seasons. Lane also had seven interceptions and seven pass breakups in the past two seasons. His physical nature will be a welcome addition to a UNC defense that too often has played soft the past few seasons. The Tar Heels’ secondary figures to undergo an extensive renovation during the offseason because of transfers and graduation. Lane addition’s gives coordinator Gene Chizik an experienced piece as he oversees the rebuild. Lane was a first-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2021 and a third-team selection this season.
11. Cincinnati WR Donovan Ollie
Transfer from: Washington State
The skinny: Cincinnati’s top two receivers opted for the draft, so the Bearcats have hit the portal hard for receivers. Donovan Ollie (6-3, 212) is a big-bodied receiver who was a two-year starter at Washington State. He should slide nicely into the rotation. He was third on the Cougars with 43 receptions this season; they went for 491 yards and three TDs.
10. Wisconsin WR Bryson Green
Transfer from: Oklahoma State
The skinny: New Badgers offensive coordinator Phil Longo is tasked with revving up the passing attack, and Bryson Green (6-1, 205) is one of a number of receivers snagged out of the transfer portal. Green should make an immediate impact for Wisconsin. He made six starts as a true freshman in 2021, then became a fulltime starter for Oklahoma State this season. Green was third on the team with 36 receptions, second with 584 yards and first with five TD receptions. He had seven receptions of at least 30 yards, which was fourth-most in the Big 12.
9. UCF C Bula Schmidt
Transfer from: Fresno State
The skinny: Bula Schmidt (6-1, 294) was a two-year starter for Fresno State. He is a plug-and-play replacement at UCF for three-year starting C Matt Lee, who transferred to Miami. Schmidt, who also saw time at guard for the Bulldogs, was a second-team All-Mountain West selection this season.
8. Alabama LB Trezmen Marshall
Transfer from: Georgia
The skinny: Last year, Alabama added Georgia WR Jermaine Burton via the transfer portal. Burton wasn’t as productive as expected. This year, it’s Trezmen Marshall (6-1, 230), a former national top-150 prospect in the 2019 class. Marshall didn’t play much in his first three seasons at Georgia, seeing action in 10 games. This season, he was part of the four-man rotation at inside linebacker, played in all 14 games and made 19 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Alabama is inexperienced at that spot, and Marshall’s experience – such as it were – will be helpful.
7. Georgia CB Deyon ‘Smoke’ Bouie
Transfer from: Texas A&M
The skinny: Deyon “Smoke” Bouie (5-11, 180) is an Atlanta-area native who was a one-time Georgia commitment. He was a four-star prospect and national top-100 recruit in the 2022 signing class for Texas A&M. He made just four tackles in seven games. While he didn’t see appreciable time this season, he would’ve been expected to be a key part of the Aggies’ cornerback rotation in 2023. That’ll be the case with the Bulldogs, too.
6. Oklahoma OT Walter Rouse
Transfer from: Stanford
The skinny: Oklahoma lost both starting tackles, so enter Walter Rouse (6-6, 318). Rouse originally committed to Nebraska out of the portal but switched to the Sooners this week. He was a four-year starter at left tackle for Stanford. He also was a finalist this season for the Campbell Trophy, the “Academic Heisman,” as a biomechanical engineering major. Rouse never redshirted and made his first career start in the second game of his college career. That experience is a major selling point.
5. Minnesota RB Sean Tyler
Transfer from: Western Michigan
The skinny: There was an underwhelming group of running backs in the portal, but Sean Tyler’s explosiveness stood out in the MAC. He originally committed to Oklahoma State but switched to Minnesota earlier this week. The Golden Gophers are losing star RB Mohamed Ibrahim (48th in NCAA history in rushing with 4,668 yards) and Tyler figures to be, at the least, a key part of a rotation with holdover Trey Potts. Tyler is undersized (5-8, 185), but was a two-time 1,000-yard rusher for Western Michigan. This season, Tyler led the MAC with six runs of at least 30 yards, with five of at least 40 and with four of at least 50. His four runs of at least 50 was tied for third nationally.
4. LSU LB Omar Speights
Transfer from: Oregon State
The skinny: LSU won the SEC West because of its offense. Its defense struggled for most of the season. One reason was that the Tigers’ linebackers – other than true freshman Harold Perkins Jr. – were nothing special. Omar Speights (6-1, 233) should provide an upgrade. He isn’t necessarily a splash-play guy, but he is steady and physical. Speights was a first-team All-Pac-12 performer this season, when he had 83 tackles and eight tackles for loss for a team that led the league in total defense. He had 308 tackles in four seasons with the Beavers, ninth-most in school history. Speights was a three year-starter for Oregon State; he started every game the past three seasons and was a team captain this season. He was a freshman All-America in 2019, when he had 73 tackles. His experience will be a big plus for LSU.
3. UCLA WR J. Michael Sturdivant
Transfer from: California
The skinny: J. Michael Sturdivant (6-3, 205) was a big pickup for a UCLA offense looking for receivers. Sturdivant earned some freshman All-America honors after leading all freshmen nationally in receptions (65). He was second among freshmen with 755 receiving yards and with seven TD receptions. Sturdivant was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. UCLA is losing its top two receivers, and Sturdivant figures to be the Bruins’ go-to guy. Sturdivant had at least six receptions in five games against Pac-12 opponents, including an eight-catch, 104-yard, two-TD outing against Washington.
2. Penn State WR Dante Cephas
Transfer from: Kent State
The skinny: Dante Cephas (6-1, 180) was one of the most productive receivers in the MAC in each of the past two seasons for Kent State, earning first-team all-conference accolades both seasons. He will be in the mix for the No. 1 receiver job with the Nittany Lions, who lost their top two receivers. Holdover KeAndre Lambert-Smith has talent but hasn’t been consistent. Cephas had 130 receptions for 1,984 yards and 12 TDs in the past two seasons in a prolific version of the spread. Cephas had three 100-yard games this season, including a 246-yard outing against Ohio; he had seven 100-yard games in 2021. A big plus: He has two seasons of eligibility left.
1. Ole Miss QB Spencer Sanders
Transfer from: Oklahoma State
The skinny: Ole Miss returns starting QB Jaxson Dart, but it’s obvious the Rebels want competition, getting commitments from two quarterbacks this week. And you figure that Spencer Sanders (6-1, 210), who was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State, didn’t transfer to be a backup. Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2021. He finished his Oklahoma State career No. 2 in school history in total offense at 11,509 yards and second with 9,553 passing yards. Sanders threw 67 TD passes, which is third in Cowboys history, and accounted for 85 career touchdowns, also third. But he also threw 40 picks with the Cowboys, and never completed better than 62.8 percent of his passes. He’s a better runner than Dart, and that has to be appealing for Ole Miss.
Others considered: Louisiana Tech QB Hank Bachmeier (from Boise State)m Arkansas WR Tyrone Broden (from Bowling Green), UCLA WR Kyle Ford (from USC), Ole Miss CB DeShawn Gaddie (from North Texas).