SMU
SMU piled up the incoming transfers during this portal cycle as they prepare for AAC life without UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. Part of this success was due to the relationships that head coach Rhett Lashlee had with the players at his previous job at Miami-Florida. This resulted in six Canes making the move to Dallas, including running back Jaylan Knighton, offensive lineman Jakai Clark and defensive linemen Elijah Roberts and Jordan Miller.
However, the biggest addition by the Mustangs was wide receiver Jordan Hudson (TCU), who has NFL potential and should shine in Lashlee’s offense. Hudson isn’t the only offensive playmaker who should make an impact this fall, as running back LJ Johnson (Texas A&M) is a name that many more will be familiar with by December.
Texas State
New head coach G.J. Kinne will be bringing his high-flying offense to San Marcos a season after taking Incarnate Word to the national FCS semifinals. His last season with the Cardinals saw the offense average 51.50 points per game while quarterback Lindsey Scott passed for 4,686 yards and 60 touchdowns.
To help with the transition of the new offense, several Incarnate Word players followed Kinne to Texas State, while a few FBS additions will be interesting to follow. At the top of this list will be the quarterback battle between Malik Hornsby (Arkansas) and T.J. Finley (Auburn), while wide receivers Sean Shaw (Iowa State) and Beau Corrales (SMU) could produce huge seasons.
The Bobcats also did an impressive job addressing their offensive line, with the Oklahoma duo of Marcus Alexander and Brey Walker, Houston’s Chayse Todd and Colorado’s Alex Harkey joining the roster.
USF
With 12 outgoing transfers finding a new home at a P5 school, the Bulls and new head coach Alex Golesh had a big job reloading the roster. Both sides of the ball needed help, so look for numerous positional battles during the summer camp with several transfers expected to make an immediate impact.
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On offense, running back Nay’Quan Wright (Florida) impressed during the spring, quarterback Bryce Archie (Coastal Carolina) is a serious candidate at an unsettled position and the wide receiver duo of Jaden Alexis (Texas) and Seth Jones (Baylor) will be depended to help a think position.
Defensively, another Florida transfer, defensive end Lloyd Summerall, has impressed since he arrived on campus, while defensive back Kendall Dennis (Oklahoma), linebacker Jamie Pettway (FAU) and defensive end D.J. Harris (Texas) are two others to watch.
Florida Atlantic
New head coach Tom Herman has not been bashful in the portal, and as a result the Owls have added some unique P5 players. At the very top of this list is quarterback Casey Thompson (Nebraska) who passed for 4,510 yards and 41 touchdowns during his last two seasons with Texas and the Cornhuskers. His addition immediately legitimizes the Florida Atlantic offense.
To help Thompson, the Owls also brought in tight end Elijah Brown (Alabama), wide receiver Devin Price (Texas A&M) and running back Kobe Lewis (Purdue).
The defense also brought in some interesting additions, including defensive backs Jalen Huff (Georgia Tech) and Jarron Morris (Texas State), defensive lineman Richard Thomas (Indiana) and linebacker Desmond Tisdol (Auburn).
Tulane
The Green Wave enjoyed a magical 2022 season which culminated in a victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl. Would all of the positive energy currently surrounding the program help Tulane be more productive in the transfer portal?
The results have been positive, with the Green Wave adding several players who should help them towards another AAC run this fall. Linebacker Tyler Grubbs (Louisiana Tech) has totaled 241 tackles in 27 career collegiate games, defensive back AJ Hampton (Northwestern) has 17 career pass breakups, defensive back Kam Pedescleaux (Louisiana) is coming off his best collegiate season, running back Shedro Louis (Liberty) rushed for 1,399 yards and 15 touchdowns with the Flames, and offensive lineman Cam Wire (LSU) started 10 games with the Tigers. The ingredients are there for another big season in New Orleans.
