[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome to the Consigliere’s Notebook – I’m Matt Perkins, and I’m the editor here at mikefarrellsports.com. I’ll be doing a weekly column, and this week I’m starting by looking the portal, and more specifically, players who are transferring from FCS to Power 5 schools.
Last year, Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe lit up the scoreboard, leading the nation in every statistical category after transferring from Houston Baptist, alongside his offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. However, we haven’t seen a ton of guys successfully make the jump from the FCS level up to Power Five, but there are a few players this season that I think could make the leap and have a huge impact.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Cameron Ward (Washington State)
The Jerry Rice Award winner for the best freshman in FCS from the 2021 spring season, Ward has an absolutely electric game that fans are going to fall in love with quickly. Ward isn’t the only guy headed to the Palouse from UIW however, as his OC Eric Morris is going along with him, and they’ll be hoping to recreate the magic that led him to being an FCS All-American this fall, where he threw for over 4,600 yards and 47 touchdowns. He’s going to be a highlight reel on a weekly basis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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J.D. DiRenzo (Rutgers)
DiRenzo was a two-time All-American at the FCS level for Sacred Heart, and he heads to Rutgers where he should immediately be starting at tackle for the Scarlet Knights. He perfectly fits the mold of what Greg Schiano looks for him his players – tough, hard-working, and relentless. At 6’6″ and 315 lbs., he’s got prototypical size at left tackle, and he’s surprisingly nimble for a man his size. He’s going to be an All-Big Ten performer in 2022.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Kobie Turner (Wake Forest)
A disruptive interior defensive lineman, Turner was an all-conference selection in the Colonial league the past three seasons, as well as an All-American in 2021. He’ll be a starter right away for a team that needs to replace their top two players at the position from last season. It’s tough sledding to be first-team All-ACC in a conference that has Calijah Kancey and Bryan Bresee, but he’s going to make a difference for a Wake Forest team that hopes to repeat as Atlantic Division champions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Logan Kendall (Utah)
Utah is going to have the best tight end room in the country this fall with the addition of Kendall to a group that already has Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid, who were the Utes’ leading and third-leading receivers respectively from last season. Kendall is an old-school in-line tight end who is a devastating blocker and sneaky receiver. He probably won’t get the same volume of targets as the other two more established guys, but you know that Kyle Whittingham will have two or even all three of these guys on the field at the same time because of their versatility.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Ramon Jefferson (Colorado)
Another FCS-All American from 2021, Jefferson was a catalyst for a Sam Houston State team that had one of the best offenses in the country. There’s an open competition for the starting job at Colorado, and Jefferson is the odds on favorite to be the man for a Buffaloes team that struggled to run the ball in 2021. It wouldn’t be out of the question for Jefferson to come close to repeating his 1,100 yard, 13 TD performance from last season, albeit against much stiffer competition.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
