UCF
UCF proved itself as a consistent winner in the AAC and now will look to continue this in the Big 12. And as expected, head coach Gus Malzahn and the Knights have continued their aggressive approach in the portal to try and quickly enhance their already solid roster.
One priority for UCF was strengthening the offensive line, which was accomplished with the additions of Amari Kight (Alabama), Drake Metcalf (Stanford), Bula Schmidt (Fresno State) and Marcellus Marshall (Kent State). On the defensive side of the ball, the same focus was placed on the secondary. Fred Davis (Clemson), Decorian Patterson (Middle Tennessee), Jireh Wilson (East Carolina) and DeJordan Mask (Texas State) will all be placed in situations to be successful this fall.
Two late additions that could prove to be beneficial in 2023 and beyond are defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc (Oklahoma) and wide receiver Corey Gammage (Purdue). LeBlanc is a true freshman so it is more likely that his contributions will come in the future, but Gammage is a grad-transfer who will immediately add depth and talent to an already deep receiving unit.
Houston
Trying to replace quarterback Clayton Tune and wide receiver Tank Dell, who both made the move to the NFL, would never be easy, but the Cougars did what they could to accomplish this through the portal. Adding Donovan Smith (Texas Tech) likely answered the quarterback question, as he looks poised to take over the starting job, but the issue at receiver remains more in limbo. While there were already players on the roster who have the potential to grab the top spot, with Matthew Golden being the most likely candidate, the addition to watch through the portal is Stephon Johnson (Oklahoma State). He flashed potential in Stillwater and is likely to raise his game to the next level with increased playing time with the Cougars.
With several offensive linemen hitting the portal, Houston also brought in a few interesting replacements, including Peyton Dunn (Louisiana-Monroe) and David Ndukwe (Western Kentucky). The Cougars also lost top running back Alton McCaskill, but the addition of grad-transfer Tony Mathis (West Virginia) should soften that blow.
Cincinnati
The Bearcats were put in a tough position with the sudden departure of head coach Luke Fickell to Wisconsin. And with the hiring of Scott Satterfield from Louisville, it was a safe assumption that Cincinnati would dive into the portal to fill some of their roster needs.
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Four Bearcats followed Fickell to Wisconsin, but an equal number of Cardinals followed Satterfield to Cincinnati. On top of this swap, the likely starting quarterback, Emory Jones (Arizona State), was added, plus wide receiver Xzavier Henderson (Florida), who has the potential to be a top offensive playmaker for the Bearcats.
Defensively, several interesting players were added, including defensive linemen Kyree Moyston (Virginia Tech) and Daniel Grzesiak (Utah State) and defensive backs D.J. Taylor (Arizona State) and Jordan Young (Florida).
BYU
After a rather non-aggressive approach towards the transfer portal during the last cycle, BYU has changed their way of thinking this year. Part of this was due to necessity, as a few important players left the program through the portal. Also, one of the Cougars’ biggest wins was being able to keep top wide receiver Kody Epps, who entered but later withdrew his name.
When it comes to incoming players, two additions stand out above the other rest. Quarterback Kedon Slovis (Pittsburgh) arrives as the unquestioned starter after passing for 9,973 yards and 68 touchdowns during his collegiate career while offensive lineman Caleb Etienne (Oklahoma State), a 13-game starter in 2022, will be needed after the departure of brothers Campbell and Clark Barrington to Baylor.
To go along with Slovis and Etienne, other important additions include running backs Aidan Robbins (UNLV) and Deion Smith (Colorado), wide receivers Keelan Marion (UConn) and Darius Lassiter (Eastern Michigan), who along with Epps gives Slovis plenty of weapons, defensive back Eddie Heckard (Weber State) and linebackers AJ Vongphachanh (Utah State) and Harrison Taggart (Oregon).
