This article covers the most important portal additions for each ACC team heading into spring ball.
Boston College – Alex Washington
Coming off of a 3-9 season, the Eagles need all the help that they can get on both sides of the ball. The best player that they got in the portal is Harvard CB transfer Alex Washington. The Harvard standout accounted for 34 tackles, two interceptions, and four deflections. He should make a difference in Boston College’s secondary.
Clemson – Paul Tyson
Clemson hasn’t been very active in the portal at all under Dabo Swinney, and this year is no different. The Tigers’ only transfer was former Arizona State, QB Paul Tyson. Tyson lacks any meaningful experience whatsoever, but he may end up as a serviceable backup behind Cade Klubnik.
Duke – Myles Jones
Mike Elko has done a phenomenal job in turning Duke around so far. Still, they have a ways to go if they want to begin contending for the ACC. They took a great first step, bringing in Texas A&M transfer Myles Jones. Jones will be a seventh-year senior for Duke, after being granted an extra year due to missing all of the 2022 season with an injury. Jones has 29 career deflections as well as 4 interceptions. He brings a ton of experience and talent to what was a mediocre secondary for the Blue Devils last season.
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Florida State – Braden Fiske
It appears that Mike Norvell has finally righted the ship at Florida State, and as a result, their recruiting has taken a massive step forward. They brought in the number one transfer class in the nation, and the best of the bunch in my opinion is defensive lineman Braden Fiske. He brings much-needed depth to the interior of the defensive line. I listed Fiske as one of my immediate impact transfers of the winter window. I expect him to be dominant at FSU alongside Fabian Lovett.
Georgia Tech – Haynes King
With the loss of QB Jeff Sims to Nebraska, the Yellow Jackets needed a QB. They were ultimately able to land Texas A&M transfer Haynes King out of the transfer portal. He was formerly the number-five quarterback in the 2020 cycle. However, it hasn’t worked out very well for King at A&M. He went 1-5 as a starter in 2022, and posted a touchdown to interception ratio of 7:6. Not good numbers by any means. We’ll see if he is able to turn it around at Georgia Tech.
Louisville – Marquis Groves-Killebrew
Marquis Groves-Killebrew is very young and inexperienced, but he brings a lot of talent to the table for the Cardinals. He was rated just outside of the top 100 as a high school prospect, but he didn’t see the field much for the Aggies this season. However, he has a lot of eligibility left to give to the Cardinals, so in some ways, this works to the benefit of Louisville. We’ll see if he can live up to his potential at Louisville.
Miami – Javion Cohen
Mario Cristobal didn’t exactly have an ideal start with Miami in his 2022 debut. However, he has done a great job of recruiting for the Hurricanes and leaves reason for hope to be had. The most important transfer he had in the winter window was offensive lineman Javion Cohen. Cohen had ten starts in 2022 at Alabama before he transferred to Miami. Cristobal gets an SEC offensive lineman with experience and nastiness. He has All-ACC potential and is one of the best transfer additions in the entire conference.
NC State – Brennan Armstrong
With Devin Leary shipping off to Kentucky, the Wolfpack needed a QB. They were ultimately able to land Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong. Armstrong had an incredible 2021 season in which he passed for over 4,400 yards and 31 touchdowns. However, he took a massive step back in 2022. He threw for 2,200 yards, and posted a touchdown to interception ratio of 7:12. We’ll see if he can rebound and get back to his former self in Raleigh.
North Carolina – Devontez Walker
North Carolina is returning one of the best QBs in all of college football in Drake Maye. They were able to get him one of the best weapons available in the portal in former Kent State wide receiver Devontez Walker. He posted 58 receptions for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. Standing at 6-3, 192-pounds, he adds a lot of length to North Carolina’s wide receiver corps. I expect him to be very successful with the Tarheels in 2023.
Pittsburgh – Phil Jurkovec
With the departure of Kedon Slovis, Pitt needed a QB badly. They were able to land Boston College transfer Phil Jurkovec. Jurkovec’s career has been plagued with injuries, especially over the last few seasons, but many believe that he has the potential to be a good quarterback. We’ll see how he does in a new scheme at Pitt.
Syracuse – Jaeden Gould
Syracuse had one of the better secondaries in the country in 2022. With the addition of Nebraska CB transfer Jaeden Gould, they look to keep that reputation alive. One of the better corners of the 2022 class, Gould brings a lot of untapped potential to the Orange in 2023. Although it isn’t very refined since he doesn’t have much experience, Gould could be a key piece in the Syracuse secondary this year.
Virginia – Tony Muskett
Virginia has had an immense amount of attrition at the quarterback position over the off-season. Before they brought in Tony Muskett, a QB transfer from Monmouth, they only had one QB in the room. Although Muskett may not be an elite talent, he fills a critical need at Virginia.
Virginia Tech – Ali Jennings
Ali Jennings was a big pickup for the Hokies’ wide receiver room. He hauled in 54 catches for 959 yards and nine touchdowns despite only playing in nine games in 2022. If he would’ve played the full season, he would’ve broken 1,000 yards for the second season in a row. Jennings is a massive pickup whose impact will be felt on day one for Virginia Tech.
Wake Forest – Walker Merrill
Walker Merrill hasn’t seen the field much for the Vols, so there isn’t much to go off of. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2021. He’s likely the best player that Wake Forest picked up in the winter window. In two seasons at Tennessee, he’s hauled in 13 catches for 168 yards. We’ll see how he develops at Wake Forest, and if he can make an impact on the Demon Deacons.
