By Tony Thomas
Hundreds of players have hit the portal as players look for new teams and bigger money bags with NIL printed on them, and coaches look for players that can hopefully take their program to the next level.
Today, we profile a former top-rated recruit, a couple of quality defensive backs, and a promising tight end.
QB Dante Moore
UCLA Bruins
6’2″, 210 lbs.
The highest-rated prospect ever to be recruited to UCLA, Moore was the #3 quarterback and #4 overall prospect in the 2023 class. Moore passed for 9,880 yards and 135 touchdowns in high school career.
Well, the honeymoon is over as Moore leaves Westwood after just one season.
Moore played in nine games and started five as a true freshman this season for head coach Chip Kelly. He passed for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine INTs. Moore completed 54% of his passes.
https://twitter.com/UCLAFootball/status/1713358081550381321
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Moore’s best game of the season was in week 2 against San Diego State: 290 yards passing, three touchdowns, and zero INTs while completing 63% of his passes.
As a first-time transfer, Moore is immediately eligible to play. Potential landing spots for Moore include Michigan (his home state), Michigan State, Ohio State, and Oregon.
DB Will Lee III
Kansas State Wildcats
6’3″, 185 lbs.
Lee racked up 42 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and a forced fumble to go with two INTs. Against Troy, Lee made six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and an INT. He made eight tackles against Oklahoma State and nine tackles against eventual Big XII champion Texas.
In 2022, Lee played at Iowa Western Community College and helped lead them to the NJCAA National Championship. In the semifinals, Lee returned an INT 40 yards for a touchdown.
Possible destinations for Lee include USC, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Washington.
S Andrew Mukuba
Clemson Tigers
6’0″, 195 lbs.
An Honorable Mention All-ACC selection, Mukuba recorded 42 tackles (3rd on the team), two tackles for loss, and six pass break-ups. In three seasons at Clemson, Mukuba has 143 career tackles.
In 2021, Mukuba was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned Freshman All-American honors.
Arizona State, Ole Miss, and Oregon have expressed interest. Mukuba is a native of Austin, TX, so it is possible that the Texas Longhorns could be in the mix at some point.
TE Justin Joly
UConn Huskies
6’3″, 232 lbs.
UConn was Joly’s only scholarship offer out of high school, and he has stood out. Joly led the Huskies in receptions and receiving yards this season and scored two touchdowns. His best game was against Rice. In that game, he caught seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 38-31 win.
https://twitter.com/UConnFootball/status/1725932389166362901
Joly has drawn considerable interest from such schools as Colorado, Mississippi State, Arizona State, Indiana, NC State, Houston, and Tennessee.
