Transfer portal breakdown: A look at the 5 busiest teams so far
The transfer portal window opened December 5 and is open for almost three more weeks. And there’s another 15-day window that begins in late April.
Here are the five teams that have taken the most commitments out of the portal so far in this cycle.
1. Arizona State, with 19 portal commitments
2022 record: 3-9
The buzz: New coach Kenny Dillingham spent the 2022 season as Oregon’s offensive coordinator; before that he was the OC for two seasons at Florida State. Thus, he worked for two coaches who used the transfer portal successfully, though with different plans. The Sun Devils need both stability and an infusion of talent. The stability part likely takes a while. Dillingham and his staff have done solid work in the portal. Still, they haven’t brought in any slam-dunk “this guy will be a standout” help – at least not yet.
The 3 best incoming transfers: 1. OL Ben Coleman from California; 2. OT Aaron Frost from Nevada; 3. RB Cameron Skattebo from Sacramento State.
2. Colorado, with 16
2022 record: 1-11
The buzz: New coach Deion Sanders frequently used the phrase “I’m coming” when he first spoke to his new team, and and transfers are coming to play for Sanders and his staff. The one facing the most pressure unquestionably will be QB Shedeur Sanders, who came with his dad from Jackson State. But lighting up SWAC defenses is a bit different than lighting up Power 5 defenses, especially when your surrounding talent is lacking. Eight of the 16 transfers thus far are former FCS players, while four are from other Power 5 schools. Shedeur Sanders is one of six former Jackson State players to transfer to Colorado. The most important is former five-star recruit Travis Hunter, who played both corner and receiver at Jackson State but would seem to be needed the most at corner for a Colorado defense that was atrocious against the pass. The Buffs need a lot more talent from the portal.
The 3 best incoming transfers: 1. CB Travis Hunter from Jackson State; 2. TE Seydou Traore from Arkansas State; 3. WR Jimmy Horn from USF.
3. Michigan State, with 13
2022 record: 5-7
The buzz: The Spartans have been busy in the portal. At the same time, there are questions as to the expected impact the new guys will make. Mel Tucker and his staff hit big on their 2021 transfers. That wasn’t the case in 2022, and the Spartans tumbled down the Big Ten East Division standings. It’s fair to wonder if the 2023 transfers will be more like the ’22 guys than the ’21 players.
The 3 best incoming transfers: 1. EDGE Tunmise Adeleye from Texas A&M; 2. RB Nathan Carter from UConn; 3. RB Jaren Mangham from USF.
4. UCF, with 10
2022 record: 9-5
The buzz: Gus Malzahn and the Knights are moving into the Big 12 next season, but as it stands right now, they’ve lost better talent (WR Ryan O’Keefe, CB Davonte Brown, LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste) than they’ve brought in. That’s not to say they haven’t found guys who will help in 2023. It’s just that being able to sell the idea of being an important player on a Power 5 team doesn’t seem to have the appeal that might’ve been expected. One positive: UCF’s recruiting class features some guys who should provide immediate impacts.
The 3 best incoming transfers: 1. OT Marcellus Marshall from Kent State; 2. LB Antonio Grier from USF; 3. S DeJordan Mask from Texas State.
5. Florida State, with 9
2022 record: 10-3
The buzz: Mike Norvell has done yeoman work in the transfer portal in his time at FSU, and this offseason is no different. FSU has made, by far, the biggest splash in the portal of anyone thus far, bringing in six potential starters already. The Seminoles picked up one of the top offensive tackles, a potential starting guard, two of the top tight ends available, maybe the best defensive tackle and arguably the top cornerback. For much of this season, the Seminoles started 11 former transfers. Next season should be more of the same.
The 3 best incoming transfers: 1. OT Jeremiah Byers from UTEP; 2. DT Braden Fiske from Western Michigan; 3. CB Fentrell Cypress from Virginia.