Liberty went from +1 to +4 based on the coach...that may be too big of a move. Hard to bet on these games. Kansas State opened at 5.5 now down to 4 as they are building in the Alabama QB not playing. Oregon State is up to -10 versus Florida. Going to have to do some deep study on some of these games.
The 2023 transfer portal cycle has officially arrived.
Well, not "officially," officially. It just feels that way ahead of the Dec. 5 transfer portal window because of the number of players that are already rushing into the portal and announcing their intentions to do so. With everything seemingly happening at once in college football, it feels like a good time to take a breath and roll out a quick and dirty preview of some 0f the key portal storylines you can expect to see in the coming weeks.
Just like at an amusement park, you need to know the rules first before you get to the fun stuff. And this year, there are several new transfer portal rules that will impact the proceedings.
The most pressing is the newly instituted NCAA transfer windows. In previous years, undergraduate transfers could enter at almost any time. Now, FBS players are limited to Dec. 5 to Jan. 18 to enter the portal before another window opens up between April 15-30. Of course, there are are exceptions to the rule. Graduate transfers can still enter at any time. Also, players whose head coaches leave can enter the portal immediately for a 30-period regardless of when the change occurs.
There’s also a big roster management change. Before, schools could only sign up to 25 initial counters per cycle. In simple terms that means a program — with a few exceptions — could only sign a total of 25 high school and transfer players. That’s no longer the case. Schools can now sign as many players in each class as they’d like as long as their roster stays under the 85-scholarship cap.
There are a few sub-categories within this heading. So, let’s roll through them while providing a few examples of each:
New Coach: The transfer portal allows teams to reset their rosters faster than ever. Look at USC and LSU from this season. Both schools added 15-plus players via the transfer portal and are playing in their conference title game. Schools of that nature are expected to be very aggressive turning over their rosters include Auburn and Arizona State. If Deion Sanders makes the jump to the FBS (be it at Colorado or USF) that program will also be heavily involved in the portal.
Teams In Need Of A Spark: This can either be staffs that will be on the hot seat in 2023 (Indiana, Louisville) or schools early in their tenures that have to be aggressive in the portal. That category includes programs like Miami and Florida — both of which are expected to hit the portal hard after up and down debut campaigns by their head coaches.
Teams That Are Always Aggressive: Some schools have just made the portal a staple of what they do. Florida State and TCU — at least with Sonny Dykes as head coach — are going to add close to double-digit transfers. They’ve done so every year. USC will stay aggressive. LSU will stay aggressive. UCLA will stay aggressive. Arkansas will stay aggressive. Ole Miss will stay aggressive. All of those schools have made the portal part of their blueprint.
There are teams every cycle that are devastated by the transfer portal due to multiple key players entering. Things might be a bit calmer this year given the lack of high-profile coaching changes, but there are still a few programs we’re watching closely:
While the vibe around Texas A&M is much improved following a season-ending victory over LSU, there’s still expected to be movement in College Station. We’re already seen a few Aggies enter the portal — including running back LJ Johnson — but there is expected to be several more high-profile players on the way out.
There are two categories of players to watch in College Station. The status of true freshmen Chris Marshall, Denver Harris and PJ Williams are in question after in-season suspensions. But there are also true freshmen from the Aggies’ No. 1 overall 2022 class, like Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy or Smoke Bouie, who are also on transfer watch after up and down seasons.
Texas A&M is a program those across the country have circled as a potential exodus spot for almost the entire season. It’ll be an interesting situation to follow as the window opens.
Other schools worth monitoring in that regard include Colorado, Miami, Northwestern, West Virginia and Cincinnati (the latter two are dependent on how the their coaching situations shake out). Most G-5 programs are also at risk of being raided. The best players in the G-5 are going to have the opportunity to move up. Meaning, only those G-5 programs with rock-solid cultures will keep their rosters in tact.
My colleague Clint Brewster has recently had an excellent article on this subject, but here are a few teams to watch and what they need to improve:
Alabama: The Tide are going to lose a lot of up front presence on the defensive line and in the secondary. They’ll have to add pieces at both positions. Don’t be shocked if Alabama also looks at a QB or WR if the right player is out there.
Clemson: Will Dabo Swinney use the portal? He hasn’t up to this point, but the Tigers have needs to fill. The Tigers must reload along the defensive front — where multiple players are headed to the NFL — and they need upgrades at wide receiver, defensive back and the offensive line. Quarterback will also be a position to watch.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are extremely selective in the transfer portal, but don’t be shocked if they added a lineman or two along the offensive front. And depending on the caliber of player, a difference maker or two at spots like defensive back or wide receiver.
The quarterback carousel is WILD. Nearly 70% of four and five-star recruits from the 2017-19 classes transferred at least once in their careers and you can expect that same sort of volume this year. We’ve already seen a few high-profile QBs enter like Georgia Tech’s Jeff Sims and Michigan’s Cade McNamara. These are a few others we have our eyes on:
D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson: The former five-star recruit has struggled the last two years and there are some rumblings across the industry claiming that he'll explore his options in the portal — especially with Cade Klubnik nipping on his heels to start.
Hudson Card, Texas: While Steve Sarkisian has said there will be an open quarterback competition this offseason, Card’s fate has seemed obvious since Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning committed in back-to-back classes. Card will have no shortage of options in the portal.
Devin Leary, NC State: Quietly one of the better QBs in the country the last two years, Leary is on transfer watch for his final season of eligibility. NC State seems to have found its QB of the future with MJ Morris and Leary would be the most popular QB in the portal if he were to enter.
There are also NFL decisions to be made by starting QBs at places like Oregon (Bo Nix), LSU (Jayden Daniels) and Washington (Michael Penix) that will play critical roles in determining if some high-profile backups potentially test the transfer waters.
Name, image and likeness is embedded in the fabric of the transfer portal. There’s no denying it.
There are a myriad of examples from last year. 247Sports reported star wide receiver Xavier Worthy was offered a six-figure deal from a Pac-12 team last offseason to enter the portal. An ACC school poached a Power Five player for $300K and the mother of that player thought it was within the rules to ask their current school to match.
I reported on Sunday that star Missouri wide receiver Dominic Lovett intends to enter the transfer portal. That move had name, image and likeness undertones. Already this year, sources have told 247Sports that players have been approached with “seven-figure” deals to enter the portal.
We’re going to see money-motivated moves this offseason. We’ll also see players leverage their current schools with the possibility of a transfer to squeeze out more money.
So, buckle up.
Cade McNamara, QB, Michigan: The Wolverines’ starter during their playoff run a year ago, McNamara will be a popular option for QB-needy teams. Iowa, Wisconsin, Virginia and others will be in pursuit.
Jeff Sims, QB, Georgia Tech: A three-year starter in the ACC, Sims brings a big athletic upside but also some inconsistencies as a passer.
3COMMENTS
LJ Johnson, RB, Texas A&M: Although Johnson never really got going in his two years with the Aggies, he’s a former top 50 recruit and was a dominant HS player in Texas. He’ll have options.
Dominic Lovett, WR, Missouri: Lovett finished third in the SEC in receiving yards this season. He’ll have many suitors with LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma being teams that I’m hearing as potential early options.
Levi Bell, DT, Texas State: Bell was one of the highest graded defenders in the country this year, per PFF College. Everyone has a need at defensive tackle and he’ll be a national transfer option.
Truman Jones, EDGE, Harvard: An all-Ivy league selection for the majority of his career, Jones is one of the most popular edge options early on in the portal. He’ll end up at a high-level P5 school.
Well, not "officially," officially. It just feels that way ahead of the Dec. 5 transfer portal window because of the number of players that are already rushing into the portal and announcing their intentions to do so. With everything seemingly happening at once in college football, it feels like a good time to take a breath and roll out a quick and dirty preview of some 0f the key portal storylines you can expect to see in the coming weeks.
1. New Rules
Just like at an amusement park, you need to know the rules first before you get to the fun stuff. And this year, there are several new transfer portal rules that will impact the proceedings.
The most pressing is the newly instituted NCAA transfer windows. In previous years, undergraduate transfers could enter at almost any time. Now, FBS players are limited to Dec. 5 to Jan. 18 to enter the portal before another window opens up between April 15-30. Of course, there are are exceptions to the rule. Graduate transfers can still enter at any time. Also, players whose head coaches leave can enter the portal immediately for a 30-period regardless of when the change occurs.
There’s also a big roster management change. Before, schools could only sign up to 25 initial counters per cycle. In simple terms that means a program — with a few exceptions — could only sign a total of 25 high school and transfer players. That’s no longer the case. Schools can now sign as many players in each class as they’d like as long as their roster stays under the 85-scholarship cap.
2. Teams That Will Be Ultra-Aggressive
There are a few sub-categories within this heading. So, let’s roll through them while providing a few examples of each:
New Coach: The transfer portal allows teams to reset their rosters faster than ever. Look at USC and LSU from this season. Both schools added 15-plus players via the transfer portal and are playing in their conference title game. Schools of that nature are expected to be very aggressive turning over their rosters include Auburn and Arizona State. If Deion Sanders makes the jump to the FBS (be it at Colorado or USF) that program will also be heavily involved in the portal.
Teams In Need Of A Spark: This can either be staffs that will be on the hot seat in 2023 (Indiana, Louisville) or schools early in their tenures that have to be aggressive in the portal. That category includes programs like Miami and Florida — both of which are expected to hit the portal hard after up and down debut campaigns by their head coaches.
Teams That Are Always Aggressive: Some schools have just made the portal a staple of what they do. Florida State and TCU — at least with Sonny Dykes as head coach — are going to add close to double-digit transfers. They’ve done so every year. USC will stay aggressive. LSU will stay aggressive. UCLA will stay aggressive. Arkansas will stay aggressive. Ole Miss will stay aggressive. All of those schools have made the portal part of their blueprint.
3. Teams That Could Get Hit Hard
There are teams every cycle that are devastated by the transfer portal due to multiple key players entering. Things might be a bit calmer this year given the lack of high-profile coaching changes, but there are still a few programs we’re watching closely:
While the vibe around Texas A&M is much improved following a season-ending victory over LSU, there’s still expected to be movement in College Station. We’re already seen a few Aggies enter the portal — including running back LJ Johnson — but there is expected to be several more high-profile players on the way out.
There are two categories of players to watch in College Station. The status of true freshmen Chris Marshall, Denver Harris and PJ Williams are in question after in-season suspensions. But there are also true freshmen from the Aggies’ No. 1 overall 2022 class, like Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy or Smoke Bouie, who are also on transfer watch after up and down seasons.
Texas A&M is a program those across the country have circled as a potential exodus spot for almost the entire season. It’ll be an interesting situation to follow as the window opens.
Other schools worth monitoring in that regard include Colorado, Miami, Northwestern, West Virginia and Cincinnati (the latter two are dependent on how the their coaching situations shake out). Most G-5 programs are also at risk of being raided. The best players in the G-5 are going to have the opportunity to move up. Meaning, only those G-5 programs with rock-solid cultures will keep their rosters in tact.
4. Contender Needs We’re Watching
My colleague Clint Brewster has recently had an excellent article on this subject, but here are a few teams to watch and what they need to improve:
Alabama: The Tide are going to lose a lot of up front presence on the defensive line and in the secondary. They’ll have to add pieces at both positions. Don’t be shocked if Alabama also looks at a QB or WR if the right player is out there.
Clemson: Will Dabo Swinney use the portal? He hasn’t up to this point, but the Tigers have needs to fill. The Tigers must reload along the defensive front — where multiple players are headed to the NFL — and they need upgrades at wide receiver, defensive back and the offensive line. Quarterback will also be a position to watch.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are extremely selective in the transfer portal, but don’t be shocked if they added a lineman or two along the offensive front. And depending on the caliber of player, a difference maker or two at spots like defensive back or wide receiver.
5. Quarterbacks We’re Watching
The quarterback carousel is WILD. Nearly 70% of four and five-star recruits from the 2017-19 classes transferred at least once in their careers and you can expect that same sort of volume this year. We’ve already seen a few high-profile QBs enter like Georgia Tech’s Jeff Sims and Michigan’s Cade McNamara. These are a few others we have our eyes on:
D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson: The former five-star recruit has struggled the last two years and there are some rumblings across the industry claiming that he'll explore his options in the portal — especially with Cade Klubnik nipping on his heels to start.
Hudson Card, Texas: While Steve Sarkisian has said there will be an open quarterback competition this offseason, Card’s fate has seemed obvious since Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning committed in back-to-back classes. Card will have no shortage of options in the portal.
Devin Leary, NC State: Quietly one of the better QBs in the country the last two years, Leary is on transfer watch for his final season of eligibility. NC State seems to have found its QB of the future with MJ Morris and Leary would be the most popular QB in the portal if he were to enter.
There are also NFL decisions to be made by starting QBs at places like Oregon (Bo Nix), LSU (Jayden Daniels) and Washington (Michael Penix) that will play critical roles in determining if some high-profile backups potentially test the transfer waters.
6. NIL Will Matter
Name, image and likeness is embedded in the fabric of the transfer portal. There’s no denying it.
There are a myriad of examples from last year. 247Sports reported star wide receiver Xavier Worthy was offered a six-figure deal from a Pac-12 team last offseason to enter the portal. An ACC school poached a Power Five player for $300K and the mother of that player thought it was within the rules to ask their current school to match.
I reported on Sunday that star Missouri wide receiver Dominic Lovett intends to enter the transfer portal. That move had name, image and likeness undertones. Already this year, sources have told 247Sports that players have been approached with “seven-figure” deals to enter the portal.
We’re going to see money-motivated moves this offseason. We’ll also see players leverage their current schools with the possibility of a transfer to squeeze out more money.
So, buckle up.
7. Early Players To Know
Cade McNamara, QB, Michigan: The Wolverines’ starter during their playoff run a year ago, McNamara will be a popular option for QB-needy teams. Iowa, Wisconsin, Virginia and others will be in pursuit.
Jeff Sims, QB, Georgia Tech: A three-year starter in the ACC, Sims brings a big athletic upside but also some inconsistencies as a passer.
3COMMENTS
LJ Johnson, RB, Texas A&M: Although Johnson never really got going in his two years with the Aggies, he’s a former top 50 recruit and was a dominant HS player in Texas. He’ll have options.
Dominic Lovett, WR, Missouri: Lovett finished third in the SEC in receiving yards this season. He’ll have many suitors with LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma being teams that I’m hearing as potential early options.
Levi Bell, DT, Texas State: Bell was one of the highest graded defenders in the country this year, per PFF College. Everyone has a need at defensive tackle and he’ll be a national transfer option.
Truman Jones, EDGE, Harvard: An all-Ivy league selection for the majority of his career, Jones is one of the most popular edge options early on in the portal. He’ll end up at a high-level P5 school.
Starting QB for Kentucky said he won't be playing in Bowl Game...
Chris Rodriguez’s final season in Lexington did not work out according to plan, but the Wildcats’ workhorse running back will leave Kentucky as the football program’s third-leading rusher of all time.
C-Rod’s place in history became assured Thursday when the senior from McDonough, Ga., announced he would bypass Kentucky’s Dec. 31 appearance in the Music City Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.
One day earlier, quarterback Will Levis made the same choice, opting out of the bowl to begin preparations for his pro career.
Chris Rodriguez’s final season in Lexington did not work out according to plan, but the Wildcats’ workhorse running back will leave Kentucky as the football program’s third-leading rusher of all time.
C-Rod’s place in history became assured Thursday when the senior from McDonough, Ga., announced he would bypass Kentucky’s Dec. 31 appearance in the Music City Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.
One day earlier, quarterback Will Levis made the same choice, opting out of the bowl to begin preparations for his pro career.
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Badgers update
www.ballysports.com
A look at Badgers transfers, who could play in bowl game
Here’s a position-by-position look at where things stand for Wisconsin, keeping in mind it’s still only Dec. 9 and more player announcements could be forthcoming.
www.ballysports.com
if that is True ohio states Jaxon Smith is not playing in the college championship series.What a hugh turnoff for any GM looking to draft him.Quitting on his team if you ask me.You are suppose to be playing for championships, the great competitors the money is secondary and winnig rings is primary.If your worried about losing millions because of injury, get an insurance policy.Its not the mindset I want my players to have.Hope he tears an ACL playing a video game.lol
Fuck a ring, fuck a trophy it means NOTHING but bragging rights.....money feeds you and your family.
I would prefer these guys play but understand their position completely.....Also agree with the insurance policy thing, not sure what it costs or if someone else is allowed to pay for it though.
