Below are five of the top ACC transfers from this portal cycle, as well as their impact rating. What does an impact rating number mean? Scroll to the bottom of the article to find out.
DB Fentrell Cypress – Florida State (Virginia)
At Virginia: Cypress is coming off his best collegiate season with 39 tackles and an ACC-leading 14 pass break-ups.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Adding an All-ACC cornerback with Cypress’ skillset was a major victory for the Seminoles’ coaching staff. And this is a staff that has had several big portal victories during the last two cycles. Aside from adding obvious talent, Cypress will also bring stability and leadership to the cornerback position. Florida State fans will be watching closely this season, as well as countless NFL scouts.
Impact Rating: 8.6
WR Devontez Walker – North Carolina (Kent State)
Portal Recruiting: Walker took official visits to North Carolina and Rutgers, while also considering Penn State and Tennessee, before committing to the Tar Heels on December 21st.
At Kent State: Walker had an impressive 2022 season with 58 receptions for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns. Most notably, he had seven receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown against Georgia last season.
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Portal Jesus’ Take: With one of the nation’s top quarterbacks returning, Drake Maye, the Tar Heels had to find a replacement for NFL-bound wide receiver Josh Downs. Adding Walker was a perfect fit to accomplish this. The opportunity to play with an NFL-level quarterback also made the decision to join North Carolina an easy one for Walker, who will now have an enhanced resume for his own NFL future. The potential is there for a huge season.
Impact Rating: 8.5
QB Brennan Armstrong – NC State (Virginia)
Portal Recruiting: Armstrong also considered Auburn, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin before committing to the Wolfpack in early January.
At Virginia: Armstrong excelled in 2021 with 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns before having a down season in 2022 with 2,210 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Overall, he totaled 9,034 yards, 58 touchdowns and 35 interceptions during his time with the Cavaliers.
Portal Jesus’ Take: How would NC State respond after Devin Leary entered the portal? They did so by adding one of the more intriguing transfer quarterbacks. Armstrong’s addition would be more than intriguing if it wasn’t for his disappointing 2022 season, but the potential he showed in 2021 is more than enough to make Wolfpack fans excited. The other reason for this excitement is that at NC State he is reunited with his 2021 offensive coordinator, Robert Anae, who went to Syracuse the following season before going to Raleigh. Will Anae be able to rejuvenate Armstrong’s collegiate career?
Impact Rating: 8.1
WR Jamari Thrash – Louisville (Georgia State)
Portal Recruiting: Thrash took his first visit to Auburn, but after taking a ensuing visit to Louisville he committed to the Cardinals in early January.
At Georgia State: During his last two seasons at Georgia State, Thrash totaled 93 receptions for 1,574 yards and 10 touchdowns, including 61 receptions for 1,122 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.
Portal Jesus’ Take: As expected, new head coach Jeff Brohm was very active in the portal. Several additions should make a significant impact, but it is Thrash who is in the best position to succeed. This is partially due to another transfer addition, quarterback Jack Plummer, who will make Thrash’s adjustment to Louisville easier. Also, Brohm’s top wide receivers at Purdue thrived. The top seasons for Rondale Moore (2018), David Bell (2021) and Charlie Jones (2022) produced an average of 105 receptions, 1,302 yards and 10 touchdowns per season.
Impact Rating: 8.0
OL Javion Cohen – Miami-Florida (Alabama)
Portal Recruiting: While plenty of schools tried to get involved, Cohen only had eyes on Miami after entering the portal. He quickly made his move official with a commitment on December 18th.
At Alabama: During the last two seasons, Cohen started a total of 24 games with the Tide.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Miami was able to revamp their offensive line through the portal, with Cohen being the diamond addition. The Canes do have some talent at guard, with, but with Cohen’s talent and experience, he will be depended on immediately to anchor the interior of the offensive line. And that is very important with returning quarterback Tyler Van Dyke looking to regain his 2021 form after a disappointing 2022 season.
Impact Rating: 7.9
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IMPACT METER
The Transfer Portal continues to change the way college football programs recruit and manage their rosters so we here at mikefarrellsports.com continue to evolve our coverage. When a transfer of note chooses a destination, we will examine their potential impact on the college football landscape and assign an impact rating. The scale is from 1-10 and the description below explains the scoring scale.
1.1-4.0 — Not a big impact expected, likely a non-starter and down the bench depth player.
4.1- 6.0 — A solid impact can be expected in the right scenario and has the potential to battle for a starting job.
6.1-9.0. — A high impact player who won’t change a program but will certainly be a very good contributor and starter.
9.1- 9.9 — A very high impact player who should start the moment he steps on the field and will change the outlook of a program immediately.
10 — A franchise transfer who has a chance to be an All-American and one of the elite players in college football.
