By Alec Nederveld
Alabama
Parker Brailsford (In), Caleb Downs (Out)
One of four Huskies to follow Kalen DeBoer, Parker Brailsford is the biggest gain. As a RS Freshman, Brailsford made the All Pac-12 Second Team as Washington won the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line. The center should be an immediate starter and importantly has no known tendency for low snaps.
You could argue that True Freshman Caleb Downs was the best player on Alabama’s team last season. Downs led the tide with 107 tackles and was second with two interceptions. The SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC S transferred to Ohio State.
This is a Parker Brailsford appreciation post. He cracked the starting lineup as a Freshman OL and has been a dominant Center for us this year! And he's only getting better.
Click that like button if you appreciate everything that the amazing OL has done for us this year.
— Brandon C (@UWFBopinions) November 20, 2023
Arkansas
Anton Juncaj (In), Jaheim Thomas (Out)
Nobody in the FCS had more sacks and forced fumbles than All-American Anton Juncaj. The fourth-year DL racked up 15 sacks and five forced fumbles, in addition to 21.5 tackles for loss, and 55 total tackles. Juncaj comes from Albany, the same school that FSU DE Jared Verse played for and helped the Great Danes reach the FCS Semifinals.
Coming in from Cincinnati, Jaheim Thomas led Arkansas with 90 tackles while starting ten games. The LB was also third with 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Thomas will play his final year under former HC Luke Fickell at Wisconsin.
More Sports News
https://twitter.com/will_whitson2/status/1743412089220198606
Auburn
Percy Lewis (In), Donovan Kaufman (Out)
Percy Lewis brings a lot to the table for an Auburn OL that needs help. After transferring from JuCo, the 6’8″, 345-pound LT allowed just two sacks and four hurries in 437 pass snaps for Mississippi State last season. Lewis started seven games last season and only has one year of eligibility.
The veteran DB had played in 34 games and played at slot corner, free safety, and inside the box. Losing Donovan Kaufman and his versatility hurts Auburn, and becomes NC State’s gain. Kaufman also had one year of eligibility and joins a very underrated portal class.
OMG WHAT A BIG TIME PICKUP QUITE LITERALLY!!! 6-FOOT-8, 345-POUND OFFENSIVE TACKLE PERCY LEWIS COMMITS TO AUBURN!!! We thought Auburn was on the outside looking in with his recruitment, but the Mississippi State transfer chose to play his last year of ball on the Plains #WDE https://t.co/hfvtr5rShP
— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) January 12, 2024
Florida
Joey Slackman (In), Princely Umanmielen (Out)
The Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Joey Slackman provides massive help for a Florida DL that needs it. The 6’4″, 300-pound pass-rusher started the last three seasons for Penn and will be in contention to make the steak four with Florida. Last season, Slackman had 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, and 50 tackles.
Princely Umanmielen was Florida’s leader in tackles for loss and sacks in 2022 and 2023. He was at his best last year with 39 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks which earned All-SEC Second-Team honors. Umanmielen will play his final season at Ole Miss and his schedule includes a return trip to Gainsville on November 23rd.
New Florida DL Joey Slackman over the past two seasons:
🐊 90.9 PFF Grade
🐊 12.0 Sacks
🐊 49 QB Pressures
🐊 91.7 Run Defense Grade
🐊 19 TFLs/No Gain pic.twitter.com/Xjus45UYvo— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 19, 2023
Georgia
Benjamin Yurosek (In), A.J. Harris (Out)
With Brock Bowers, the best TE in the country leaving for the NFL, Georgia had to fill that position. Benjamin Yurosek earned All Pac-12 honors three times over his Stanford career. Yurosek brings 29 career starts, 108 receptions, 1,342 yards, and five touchdowns to Athens for his final season.
Barring something drastic, there won’t be any insurmountable portal losses for Georgia to overcome. As a true freshman, A.J. Harris played in seven games, recording eight tackles and a pass breakup. The CB was once next-in-line for the Bulldog’s DB factory, but instead transferred to Penn State.
Georgia adds another Dawg at TE in Stanford transfer Benjamin Yurosek. Yurosek & Oscar Delp make for one of the top TE tandems in the nation in 2024. https://t.co/8K4S4MWl5M
— Andrew Murdolo (@Ajm82299) February 11, 2024
Kentucky
Brock Vandagriff (In), Keaten Wade (Out)
Kentucky was on fire when the portal opened, landing an impressive collection of offensive weapons. The former Georgia QB never started, although he was behind two talented QBs himself. Vandagriff has two years of eligibility and is expected to start week one.
A talented edge who’s played in 25 games, Keaten Wade is Kentucky’s biggest portal loss. As a true sophomore last season, Wade racked up 35 tackles, three for loss, and a sack. Alongside twin brother Destin Wade, Keaten will transfer to Colorado.
Brock Vandagriff scoring against Kentucky THIS season.
5/7 (71.4%)
46 passing yards
1 TD
0 Int.
91.4 QBRFast forward to today and he becomes a Wildcat. 😎pic.twitter.com/vDrhyRafAh
— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) December 6, 2023
LSU
CJ Daniels (In), Lance Heard (Out)
With 1,000-yard receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. leaving for the NFL, CJ Daniels will step in and need to make an impact. The Liberty transfer also had over 1,000 yards – 1,067 to be exact alongside 55 receptions and ten touchdowns. The All-CUSA receiver has one more year of eligibility.
Lance Heard was a top-three tackle in 2023 by all the major recruiting services and looked good in a reserve role. He played in 12 games, started one, with 195 offensive and 88 special teams snaps. Heard is staying in the SEC, going to Tennessee with three years of eligibility.
New LSU transfer WR CJ Daniels last season:
🐯 55 Receptions
🐯 1,064 Receiving Yards
🐯 10 Touchdowns
🐯 19.3 Yards Per Reception
🐯 144.6 Passer Rating when Targeted pic.twitter.com/molRRcRY93— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 14, 2024
Mississippi State
Ethan Miner (In), Will Rogers (Out)
A former offensive lineman himself, Jeff Lebby has committed himself to rebuilding Mississippi State from within. Ethan Miner racked up 36 starts at North Texas and Arkansas State, mainly at C. Last year, Miner was graded as the third-best center (81.2) by PFF but will only have one season in Starkville.
Will Rogers lit up scoreboards and stat sheets from 2020-2022 under Mike Leach but regressed under Zach Arnett and his more balanced offense. The QB holds an SEC record for his 1,301 completions and is second in the conference’s history with 12,315 passing yards. Lebby’s offense is a better fit for Rogers than Arnett, but he still transferred to Washington.
Former North Texas C Ethan Miner has committed to Mississippi State, he announced🐶
PFF's second highest graded Center this season (82.3) pic.twitter.com/XH3IF3E28W
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 14, 2023
Missouri
Cayden Green (In), EJ Ndoma-Ogar (Out)
A highly touted recruit and starter at Oklahoma as a true freshman, Cayden Green is a big pickup for a Missouri team on the rise. He was originally recruited as a tackle, but played left guard for the Sooners and had growing pains. Green will go back home, move positions, and should strive for the Tigers.
Veteran OL EJ Ndoma-Ogar played in 15 games with Missouri after also starting his career at Oklahoma. He started two games in 2022 and only allowed three pressures over 283 career snaps, per PFF. Ndoma-Ogar transferred to Arkansas State for his final season.
“Proctor is the biggest name OL and has amazing upside, but Cayden Green has more natural talent and will make a much bigger impact at Missouri. The OU transfer will plug in on a team with a solid offense, and his run-blocking will be on display…”@MaggieLJohnson @hawkguymatt…
— Mike Farrell (@mfarrellsports) February 29, 2024
Oklahoma
Spencer Brown (In), Cayden Green (Out)
With all offensive live starters leaving and more backups transferring, Oklahoma badly needed help on the OL. Spencer Brown is one of four portal linemen and he brings 24 starts over from Michigan State. The 6’6″, 315-pounder has started at both left and right tackle and has one year of eligibility left.
Green’s departure is part of the cause of Oklahoma’s offensive line problems. His youth would have been huge for the future and likely would start in 2024. Shortly after transferring, Sooner fans took their anger out in a frankly unexcusable way, although that shows both the rivalry between OU and Mizzou and the talent Green has.
Among Oklahoma’s offensive transfer additions, @AllmericanMayes believes Michigan State offensive tackle Spencer Brown is the one who is most ready to make an impact for OU in 2024.
Sam joined @byelilederman to break down OU’s offensive line rebuild https://t.co/kYSukY1tSU pic.twitter.com/BlNnjVkZ0X
— Sellout Crowd (@selloutcrowd_) January 25, 2024
Ole Miss
Walter Nolen (In), Quinshon Judkins (Out)
Ole Miss has one of the best portal classes in the country with 17 talented additions. The former Texas A&M Aggie Walter Nolen is the biggest one. The defensive tackle started ten games last year, making 37 tackles, 8.5 for loss, and 4 sacks. The No. 2 2022 recruit is a monster and should be even better at Ole Miss next year.
Quinshon Judkins was a surprising portal entry after receiving two All-SEC First-Team awards in two years. The RB was close to setting all the notable Ole Miss rushing records with 545 attempts for 2,725 yards (third), and 31 rushing touchdowns (second) in program history. Judkins transferred to Ohio State and has two years of eligibility remaining.
BREAKING🚨: Former Texas
A&M DL Walter Nolen has committed to Ole Miss‼️The 5 🌟 had 37 tackles and 4 sacks in 2023
This is a MONUMENTAL pickup for the program
He’s the highest rated prospect in school HISTORY (1.000 score)
The #1 player in the country is a REB❗️ pic.twitter.com/Bbte8JwR7a
— WA🅾️Ⓜ️ (@WAOM_) December 24, 2023
South Carolina
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (In), Antwane “Juice” Wells (Out)
The speedy RB was one of the best in the country in 2022 with 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns. Raheim Sanders also caught 28 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Sanders seriously regressed in 2023 however, playing only six games with career lows in all stats. The Rocket looks to bounce back however in his final season for a RB room that needs help.
The story of Sanders is similar to Antwane Wells. He started his career at then-FCS James Madison before transferring to South Carolina in 2022. He led the Gamecocks that year with 68 receptions, 928 yards, and six touchdowns, but only played three games in 2023 due to injury. Wells transferred to Ole Miss for his final season.
WELCOME HOME @raheim_sanders
pic.twitter.com/apCivwcsrf— Barstool Gamecocks (@Barstool_Cocks) December 13, 2023
Tennessee
Lance Heard (In), Tyler Baron (Out)
The linemen from LSU future is so strong for the Volunteers. As Tennessee’s starting RT John Campbell Jr., returns for next year, Heard could slot in on the left and immediately start. He will surely make an impact sooner than later in Knoxville.
I’m not as high on Tyler Baron as most, but seeing the edge rusher with that much experience leave is a big loss. Baron started all regular season games for the Vols and finished second with six sacks, in addition to 10.5 tackles for loss and 28 total tackles.
https://twitter.com/TheVFLshow/status/1748460205568823486
Texas
Trey Moore (In), Jerrin Thompson (Out)
The edge rusher takes his talent and impressive resume to Austin. At UTSA, Trey Moore was named a Freshman All-American in 2022, and then AAC Defensive Player of the Year last year. In total, Moore had 45 tackles, 17.5 for loss, 14 sacks (3rd in the country) and an interception. He’s a stud who should make an immediate impact.
Named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention twice, losing Jerrin Thompson and his experience is big. Thompson has played in 49 games, started 31, and made 38 tackles, three interceptions, and broke up seven passes last season. The S transferred to Auburn.
Over 50 schools contacted Trey Moore and he chose TEXAS. pic.twitter.com/dIeKVn1KHD
— 𝓓𝓻. 𝓡𝓸𝓬𝓴𝔂 𝓞𝓼𝓫𝓸𝓻𝓷 🤘🏽🏈🧡🌴🌈 (@rockyknowsbest) December 23, 2023
Texas A&M
Nic Scourton (In), Walter Nolen (Out)
The talented LB at Purdue led the conference in sacks with 10, in addition to 15 tackles for loss and 50 total tackles. Nic Scourton earned All-Big Ten honors for his strong performance, and he looks to do more with his remaining two seasons of eligibility.
Nolen was arguably the most talented player in the 2022 class and on the roster although didn’t carve out the biggest role in his two years. Still, any team in the country would be worse without the DT and A&M is no exception.
Nic Scourton (@NicCaraway3) of @BoilerFootball with the chop/spin sack. Beats the over-setting tackle & RB chip with the spin move inside. Executes a textbook “gator roll” tackle for the sack! #passrush #boilerup
S/O @CoachCook73 for the clip! pic.twitter.com/EZdScGe9g2
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 12, 2023
Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia (In), London Humphreys (Out)
The CUSA Offensive Player of the Year was great – even against the SEC and will improve this poor QB room. The Commodores’ top three QBs left for the portal, and among the three they brought in, Diego Pavia will likely start. Pavia threw for 2,973 yards, ran for 923, had 33 total touchdowns, and will play one season with the Commodores.
London Humphreys made the most of poor QB play and showed the ability to become a deep threat as a true freshman. Among SEC receivers with 15+ catches, Humphreys ranked 2nd by averaging 20 yards per catch. Overall, he finished with 22 receptions, 439 yards, and four touchdowns, and transferred to Georgia for 2024.
Diego Pavia, the 2023 C-USA Player of the Year, has committed to Vanderbilt. Pavia has led NMSU the last two seasons, both of which included shocking blowout wins over teams coached by Hugh Freeze.
Unrelatedly, here is Auburn’s schedule for next season https://t.co/a7i6BCwEvm pic.twitter.com/MX8WD8rU21
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 18, 2024