1. Josaiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina to Michigan)
The skinny: Once the talented defensive playmaker officially entered the portal, he quickly became a priority for most of the top programs in the country. Winning that chase were the Wolverines, who added a pass rusher who totaled 79 tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles during his two seasons at Coastal Carolina.
2. Braden Fiske (Western Michigan to Florida State)
The skinny: The interior of the defensive line is generally not associated with playmakers, but that is exactly what Fiske was during his time at Western Michigan. Having totaled 148 tackles, 27 tackles for a loss, 13.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, Fiske is expected to become a major part of the Seminoles’ defense this fall.
3. Dasan McCullough (Indiana to Oklahoma)
The skinny: The Oklahoma defense failed to produce a consistent rush off the edge during the 2022 season, so they responded by adding McCullough, who in his one season with Indiana showed the potential to be a star at the collegiate level. Even while being eased onto the field in Bloomington, he still managed to total 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks with the Hoosiers. Expect him to be unleashed this fall in Norman.
4. Jordan Burch (South Carolina to Oregon)
The skinny: Coming off his best collegiate season at South Carolina with 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks, the expectation is that Burch will continue to develop his game in Eugene. He also fills an important position of need for Oregon, who struggled to consistently get pressure on the quarterback during the entirety of the 2022 season.
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5. Justin Rogers (Kentucky to Auburn)
The skinny: While Rogers’ statistical performance at Kentucky won’t jump off the screen, as a first-time starter in 2022 he did finish with 35 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. This experience will be beneficial at Auburn, where he will be expected to clog and disrupt the interior of the line while giving more opportunities for the linebackers to make plays.
