By Tony Thomas
Well, here we are again college football fans, waiting and watching to see which players want to see if the grass is greener on the other side.
On Day 1, 275 players, including some re-entering the transfer portal for a second time since December, have jumped ship looking for a better opportunity. Here are five names that stood out on day one.
RB Damien Martinez
Oregon State Beavers
5’10”, 217 lbs.
A two-time 1st Team All-PAC 12 selection, Damien Martinez rushed for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023 and averaged six yards per carry for the Beavers. Martinez recorded six games over 100 yards rushing, including a season-high 146 yards on 15 carries (9.73 yard-average) and four touchdowns in a 62-17 beat down of Stanford.
The schools that have expressed interest in Martinez and will host him on visits include Arizona, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Miami.
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Penn State Nittany Lions
6’1”, 185 lbs.
In 2023, KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the Nittany Lions with 53 catches for 673 yards and four touchdowns, and recorded six games of six or more catches. In a 38-15 win over West Virginia, Lambert-Smith posted a season-high 123 yards on four catches.
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For his collegiate career, Lambert-Smith has hauled in 126 passes for 1,721 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Lambert-Smith has received interest from SEC powers Auburn, Georgia, and Texas A&M, as well as Colorado and West Virginia.
S Jacoby Mathews
Texas A&M Aggies
6’1”, 204 lbs.
A member of the 2022 recruiting class, declared the top-rated class in college football history, Jacoby Mathews was a 2-sport star in high school at Ponchatoula High in Louisiana. Mathews possesses elite athleticism and played both quarterback and defensive back at the prep level.
In 2023 for the Aggies, Mathews started nine games and recorded 41 tackles, picked off one pass, and broke up four passes. The list of schools that Mathews is considering include Oregon and Florida State (his top 2), Colorado, Ohio State, and USC.
OL Andrew Chamblee
Arkansas Razorbacks
6’6”, 304 lbs.
Andrew Chamblee started eight games for the Razorbacks in 2023, and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Schools that are going after Chamblee include Kansas State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Colorado. He will have three years of college football left to play.
DL CJ West
Kent State Golden Flashes
6’2”, 315 lbs.
A 3rd-Team All-MAC selection in 2023, CJ West recorded 40 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and four quarterback pressures. For his collegiate career, West has 100 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
Schools that are pursuing West include LSU, which has a depth problem on the defensive line, Rutgers (West’s DL coach at Kent State is now the DL coach for the Scarlet Knights), Kansas State, Miami, Arkansas, and Colorado.
