By Mark Pszonak
Last year, players like Jermaine Burton, Eli Ricks and Jahleel Billingsley were just three of the dozens of top recruits who did not meet expectations at their new school. That will once again happen during the 2023 season, so here are five players who have a chance of disappointing:
QB Devin Leary – Kentucky (NC State)
The skinny: Having to find a replacement for Will Levis, Kentucky did so successfully by adding Leary through the portal. While his addition should keep the Wildcats competitive in the SEC, it is unlikely that he will take them to greener pastures. The main reason for this is the play of the offensive line, which was a travesty in 2022. Kentucky did try to remedy this through the portal, but until marked improvement is seen on the field, it is hard to imagine Leary having a big season in Lexington.
DB Denver Harris – LSU (Texas A&M)
The skinny: After being suspended twice during his short stay in College Station, it was known that LSU was taking a bit of a gamble when they signed Harris. However, with Harris possessing NFL-level talent, it was a gamble that the Tigers thought was worth taking. Now there are new concerns, as he stepped away from the program during summer camp before recently returning to the team. On the field, he has mainly practiced with the third-team, which has also been disappointing. There is obviously plenty of time for Harris to righten the ship in Baton Rouge, but at this point the likelihood of him flaming out grows by the day.
QB Tanner Mordecai – Wisconsin (SMU)
The skinny: With a new coaching regime arriving, the offense will be taking on a look that is far from the norm in Madison. Long known as a ground-and-pound attack with a powerful offensive line, the Badgers will be playing a more open offense under new offensive coordinator Phil Longo. To run this offense, Mordecai was brought in after passing for more than 7,000 yards and 72 touchdowns during his two seasons at SMU. While the thought of an exciting offense is shiny and new for the Badgers, the reality of an open offense in Madison, Wisconsin raises some concerns. With four of their final five regular season games taking place in either Wisconsin or Minnesota, will the weather cooperate with this offense? And just as importantly, how will Mordecai, who has thrown most of his collegiate passes in Dallas, Texas, adjust to his new thermal environment? It won’t take much for the passing numbers to improve this season for the Badgers, however, expectations should be tempered.
WR Dante Cephas – Penn State (Kent State)
The skinny: Having lost Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley to the NFL, the Nittany Lions were looking to replenish their receiving group through the transfer portal. Adding Cephas, who also seriously considered Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and UCLA, was a major recruiting win for the Nittany Lions, but his start in Happy Valley has not met expectations. He has struggled to make a serious move up the depth chart which has left some question marks at the position heading into the season.
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WR Zakhari Franklin – Ole Miss (UTSA)
The skinny: Considered one of the top available receivers during this portal cycle, Franklin’s time in Oxford since his signing has been rather quiet. And that lack of noise is due to an injury that has kept him away from practice. After recently having his knee scoped there is some mystery regarding the timetable of his return, but it is assumed by most that he will miss the first couple games of the season. Will this linger into the start of the SEC schedule, which happens to be a trip to Alabama? Whenever a return happens, dealing with a knee issue is something that can derail a season quickly, especially while trying to adjust to SEC secondaries.
