Transfer portal breakdown: The On3 transfers of the week from Week 12
Here are the On3 transfer players of the week for Week 12.
We pick a transfer of the week in each Power 5 conference as well as an overall Group of 5 transfer of the week. It’s not just transfers from this past offseason; all players who have transferred from other four-year schools are eligible to be selected
Everything being equal, more weight is given to big performances against “good” opponents.
ACC
DE Keion White, Georgia Tech
The buzz: White had two sacks in the season-opening loss to Clemson, but just 2.5 more in the next nine games. He made up for some lost time against host North Carolina, sacking Drake Maye three times in the Yellow Jackets’ 21-17 upset of the 13th-ranked Tar Heels; UNC, who had been averaging 40.1 points per game, was a 21.5-point favorite. White had seven tackles overall and also had another tackle for loss in addition to the three sacks. White is from Garner, N.C., about 30 miles from Chapel Hill. He transferred from Old Dominion after the 2020 season; he played in just four games last season because of injuries.
Big Ten
RB Chase Brown, Illinois
The buzz: Brown rushed for 140 yards and two TDs in Illinois’ 19-17 loss to No. 3 Michigan. That matches the highest team total against the Wolverines this season; seven opponents didn’t even reach 100 yards. Brown’s TDs came in the third quarter, on runs of 8 and 37 yards, and helped the Illini take a 17-10 lead into the fourth period. It was his 10th 100-yard game of the season; he rushed for 98 in the only game in which he did not reach that plateau. Brown, who transferred from Western Michigan after the 2018 season, has 1,582 yards this season, the third-highest single-season total in school history. The record is 1,697 by Mikel LeShoure in 2020. The Illini finish the regular season next week against Northwestern, which has the worst run defense in the Big Ten.
Big 12
CB C.J. Coldon, Oklahoma
The buzz: Oklahoma’s defense has had issues for much of the season, but the group played well Saturday in a 28-13 win over Oklahoma State. Coldon had seven tackles, an interception and three pass breakups; the Sooners intercepted Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders four times, including three in the first half. Coldon’s pick, his third of the season, was the first one, with 9:38 left in the first period. Coldon, who transferred from Wyoming in the offseason, has made 16 tackles in the past two games. The pass breakups were his first three of the season.
Pac-12
QB Caleb Williams, USC
The buzz: Williams had one of the best games of his career in guiding No. 7 USC to a 48-45 win over No. 16 UCLA. Williams had a career-high 503 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns. He was 32-of-43 for 470 yards and two touchdowns in the air. At one point, he guided USC to scores on eight of nine drives; the lone drive without a score ended in a missed field goal. Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma in the offseason, had 301 yards of offense in the first half. USC finished with 649 yards of offense, while UCLA had 513. It was the third 400-yard passing game of his career and his second in four weeks. His previous high in total offense was 438 in a loss to Utah on October 15.
SEC
QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
The buzz: One week after a brutal offensive performance against Florida, Rattler and the Gamecocks rolled up 606 yards and crushed No. 5 Tennessee 63-38. Rattler was 30-of-37 for 438 yards and six touchdowns; the 30 completions tied a career-high he had twice at Oklahoma, while the yardage and TD totals were career-highs. Rattler threw three TD passes in the first quarter, another in the second and the final two in the fourth. He completed 13 of his first 14 passes and was 15-of-20 for 265 yards and the four touchdowns in the first half. The first-half yardage total was more than he had in nine games this season, and he came into the game having thrown just eight TD passes.
An aside: Rattler and the aforementioned Williams, who shared the starting job at Oklahoma last season, were a combined 62-of-80 (77.5 percent) for 908 yards and eight TDs Saturday night.
Group of 5
WR Odieu Hilaire, Bowling Green
The buzz: Hilaire went into the game with Toledo as the Falcons’ leading receiver, with 43 receptions for 450 yards in 10 games. He had more than half that yardage total in a 42-35 upset of the Rockets, finishing with seven receptions for 243 yards and two TDs. The victory kept Bowling Green in the hunt for the MAC East title; the Falcons meet Ohio University on Tuesday for the division crown. Hilaire, who transferred from FCS member Alabama A&M in the offseason, had a 25-yard scoring reception in the first quarter and a 59-yard TD catch in the fourth period. Hilaire also had non-scoring receptions that covered 50, 54 and 48 yards. He had one catch of 50-plus yards in the first 10 games.