Below are five of the top Big 12 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.
LB Dasan McCullough – Oklahoma (Indiana)
Portal Recruiting: McCullough took an official visit to Oklahoma with his younger brother, Daeh, and committed to the Sooners soon after. Deah, a Class of 2023 high school recruit, also committed after initially committing to Cincinnati. Dasan was made a priority by Oklahoma immediately after entering the portal.
At Indiana: As a true freshman in 2023, McCullough finished with 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks and three pass breakups.
Portal Jesus’ Take: For whatever reason, Indiana seemed to keep McCullough on a short leash during his true freshman season despite him showcasing next-level skills. You can be sure that this will not happen in Norman. At 6-foot-5, 230-pounds, McCullough’s athleticism gives him the type of defensive versatility that will make him priceless during his time with the Sooners. Very capable of dropping back into coverage, he can also be devastating as a pass rusher. Expect a huge season from McCullough this fall.
Impact Rating: 9.0
WR AD Mitchell – Texas (Georgia)
Portal Recruiting: Mitchell entered the transfer portal on January 18th, was in Austin for a visit on January 19th and committed to the Longhorns on January 20th.
At Georgia: Mitchell totaled 38 receptions for 560 yards and seven touchdowns during his two seasons in Athens. His big season came as a true freshman in 2021 when he finished with 29 receptions for 426 yards and four touchdowns, two of which came in the national semifinal and championship games. In 2022 he missed most of the season with a high ankle sprain, but returned in time for the playoffs, where he again caught a touchdown pass in the semifinals and championship.
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Portal Jesus’ Take: Texas didn’t necessarily need Mitchell, with their three leading pass catchers returning (Xavier Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington) but his arrival takes their passing attack to the next level. He has impressed since the second he stepped on campus and with his 6-foot-4, 196-pound frame, he does add size to the receiving corps that was lacking. Now it will be up to quarterback Quinn Ewers to utilize his newest weapon properly.
Impact Rating: 8.1
LB Mike Smith – Baylor (Liberty)
Portal Recruiting: Smith entered the transfer portal on a Friday, took an official visit to Baylor that weekend and quickly committed to the Bears. Texas A&M was the other school that immediately pushed for a visit.
At Liberty: Smith, a JUCO signee, shined during his one season at Liberty with 85 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and one interception. Also of note, during his three seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC he totaled 248 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Who would replace Dillon Doyle at middle linebacker? That was a question that lingered as the 2022 season concluded, but then was answered when Smith committed in early January. However, it wasn’t truly answered until spring practice. B the conclusion Smith had established himself as a team leader despite only being on campus for a couple of months. His emergence has given the coaching staff and fans in Waco greater hope that the defense could experience a rejuvenation after a somewhat disappointing 2022 season.
Impact Rating: 8.0
WR JoJo Earle – TCU (Alabama)
Portal Recruiting: A native of Texas, a return back to his home state was the likely outcome once he entered the portal. Texas A&M and Texas also made efforts, but the Horned Frogs made him an immediate priority and sealed the deal after a December official visit.
At Alabama: In two seasons with the Tide, Early totaled 24 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns, which were both caught in 2022. He also returned 16 punts during his two seasons.
Portal Jesus’ Take: TCU added several wide receivers via the portal to reload the weapons they lost since their magical run to the National Championship game. Earle is the most intriguing of this group and should add an immediate spark to the Horned Frogs’ offense. He will also be given the opportunity to help the special teams unit as the lead punt returner in Fort Worth this season.
Impact Rating: 7.2
RB Treshaun Ward – Kansas State (Florida State)
Portal Recruiting: Aside from Kansas State, some of the other schools that made a serious push for Ward include Colorado, South Carolina, Arizona State, Auburn and Tennessee. He committed to the Wildcats after an early January official visit to Manhattan.
At Florida State: After initially walking on in Tallahassee, Ward rushed for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns during his time with the Seminoles. He also had 28 receptions for 210 yards and one touchdown.
Portal Jesus’ Take: While replacing running back Deuce Vaughn’s production and impact would be basically impossible, the Wildcats did a great job by adding Ward. He joins returning back DJ Giddens, who rushed for 518 yards and six touchdowns on only 89 carries. This gives the Wildcats an impressive duo who should flourish behind an offensive line that returns most of their players after winning the conference championship last season. It will be interesting to see how the carries between Ward and Giddens are split, but whatever they decide it will help make Kansas State a viable candidate to repeat in 2023.
Impact Rating: 7.7
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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.
