By Tony Thomas
As we approach the final day for players to enter the transfer portal, there are still some quality players available for teams to upgrade their rosters going into 2024. Below are five of those players.
Edge Nic Scourton
Purdue Boilermakers
6’4”, 280 lbs.
As a 2nd Team All-Big Ten selection, Nic Scourton recorded 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and one forced fumble. His 10 sacks led the conference. Scourton recorded two sacks against both Michigan and Indiana. Against Virginia Tech, Scourton made five tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and recorded a sack.
Top DL Transfer Nic Scourton 👀
Could you imagine him in @HuskerCoachTW defense? ☠️☠️ pic.twitter.com/baY0XeHY72
— Huskers Talk | 𝙉𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 (@HuskersTalk) December 28, 2023
A native of Bryan, Texas, Scourton has scheduled visits to Louisville and Florida State. In addition, Scourton is giving serious thought to Texas A&M. Signing with the Aggies would be a homecoming for Scourton, and would be a huge get for an Aggie defense that ranked in the Top 20 in Total Defense and Rushing Defense. Colorado and Missouri also made his list.
DL Grady Kelly
Colorado State Rams
6’2”, 285 lbs.
In 2023, Grady Kelly recorded 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks. Against Middle Tennessee State, Grady made five tackles and blocked a kick. Kelly has 79 tackles and nine tackles for loss in two seasons with the Rams.
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Since entering the portal, the Navarre, Florida native has earned offers from 10 Power 4 schools: Florida State, Arizona State, Boston College, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas A&M.
QB Jayden de Laura
Arizona Wildcats
6’0”, 205
In 2023, Jayden de Laura played in seven games for the Wildcats and passed for 1,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five INTs, completing 69% of his passes. In addition, de Laura rushed for three touchdowns.
In 2021, de Laura was the PAC-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year while playing for the Cougars of Washington State, leading the Cougars to their first Apple Cup victory in nine years. For his career, de Laura has passed for 8,480 yards and 63 touchdowns.
https://twitter.com/ojhodgkinson/status/1577045845509541888
De Laura is the latest in a long line of talented quarterbacks from the great State of Hawaii, a talent tree that includes Timmy Chang, Marcus Mariota, Tua and Taulia Tagovailoa, Chevan Cordeiro, and Dillon Gabriel. Possible destinations for de Laura include Indiana, Florida State, UCLA, Iowa, and CAL.
CB Jaydon Hill
Florida Gators
6’0”, 195 lbs.
This season, Jaydon Hill was 4th on the Gators team with 39 tackles, along with four tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble recovery. Hill has played in 43 games for Florida, and can play multiple positions in the secondary.
Florida DB Jaydon Hill is entering the transfer portal pic.twitter.com/hIOvs9LlLt
— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) December 29, 2023
Destinations that make sense for the Huntsville, Alabama native are of course Alabama, but also LSU, who have lost some cornerback talent of their own in recent weeks.
WR Amari Huggins-Bruce
Louisville Cardinals
5’11”, 170 lbs.
A speedster on the perimeter, Amari Huggins-Bruce hauled in 20 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. In addition, he added 48 rushing yards and a score. Against Boston College, Huggins-Bruce hauled in just three passes for 110 yards (36-yard average) and two touchdowns.
Obvious landing spots for the Dillon, South Carolina native include the South Carolina Gamecocks, but also the Clemson Tigers, who have been lacking a consistent deep threat receiver with 4.4 speed as a weapon.
