Below are five of the top PAC 12 transfers from this portal cycle, as well as their impact rating. What does an impact rating number mean? Scroll to the bottom of the article to find out.
ATH Travis Hunter – Colorado (Jackson State)
Portal Recruiting: No drama involved in Hunter’s process as he quickly followed head coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado.
At Jackson State: Hunter played on both sides of the ball during his one season with the Tigers. At wide receiver he had 18 receptions for 190 yards and four touchdowns, while at cornerback he had 19 tackles and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Hunter was one of the top high school recruits in the country in 2022 and stunned many with his decision to play for coach Sanders at Jackson State. While he impressed during his true freshman season with the Tigers, now he will have the opportunity to showcase his talents against top-level competition. And just as he did at Jackson State, he will do so while playing both wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado. This in itself is intriguing enough to make him a must watch player this fall, but also immediately makes him one of the more impactful players in the country. All eyes will be on Hunter this season.
Impact Rating: 9.3
WR Dorian Singer – USC (Arizona)
Portal Recruiting: Singer quickly picked up more than 10 offers, including USC, Oregon, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Miami-Florida, Arizona State and Utah. However, after taking an official visit to Los Angeles he committed on December 19th.
At Arizona: Singer had a breakout season in 2022 with 66 receptions for a PAC-12 leading 1,105 yards and six touchdowns. Also of note, he excelled against USC last season with seven receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns.
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Portal Jesus’ Take: This is one of the best transfer fits during this portal cycle. The Trojans have no lack of potential stars at the position, but adding a proven receiver like Singer will go a long way in propelling USC’s offense to another big season this fall. And with this being Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams’ last season in Los Angeles, the Trojans needed to provide him with another playmaker. Singer was a consistent big play threat at Arizona, which will only be enhanced while teaming up with Williams.
Impact Rating: 8.5
RB Carson Steele – UCLA (Ball State)
Portal Recruiting: This came down to UCLA and home-state Purdue, but Steele decided to take his talents to Los Angeles after an official visit.
At Ball State: As a true freshman in 2021, Steele rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns. He followed that up in 2022 with 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had 41 receptions during his two seasons with the Cardinals.
Portal Jesus’ Take: The Bruins were in the market for a Zach Charbonnet replacement and found one with Steele, who possesses many of the same qualities. At 6-foot-1 and 235-pounds, he is a powerful addition to the UCLA offense, which isn’t actually bare due to T.J. Harden’s promising 2022 season and impressive showing this spring. But even if Steele splits carries with Harden, the potential to form a devastating 1-2 punch is a reality, especially with lingering questions at quarterback which will make the running game even more vital this fall.
Impact Rating: 8.2
QB DJ Uiagalelei – Oregon State (Clemson)
Portal Recruiting: Many thought that Uiagalelei would return to Hawaii to play his final collegiate season for the Warriors, but after doing some research on the Beavers and speaking to the coaching staff he committed to Oregon State.
At Clemson: During his career at Clemson, Uiagalelei completed 60% of his passes for 5,681 yards, 36 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He also had 15 rushing touchdowns. His overall record as a starter was 21-6.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Oregon State enjoyed a fantastic 2022 season despite having an offense that was hindered with subpar quarterback play. Now they return most of their top offensive players and add Uiagalelei, who despite some disappointing performances at Clemson is an immense upgrade over what the Beavers had. Oregon State can still rely on their impressive running attack to have another successful season this fall, but will they open up their offense a bit with Uiagalelei to make them an even bigger threat in the PAC 12?
Impact Rating: 8.1
DL Jordan Burch – Oregon (South Carolina)
Portal Recruiting: Soon after taking an official visit to Eugene, Burch committed to the Ducks on January 11th.
At South Carolina: Burch enjoyed his best collegiate season in 2022 with 60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Overall, he totaled 105 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks during his time with the Gamecocks.
Portal Jesus’ Take: Oregon needed to improve their defense, and more specifically add a reliable pass rusher. With his SEC experience and size (6-foot-6, 275-pounds), Burch can become the playmaker on the defensive line that Oregon has been desperately lacking. And with very positive feedback from his time in Eugene, he is more than ready to build on last season’s impressive performance.
Impact Rating: 7.9
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IMPACT METER
The Transfer Portal continues to change the way college football programs recruit and manage their rosters so we here at mikefarrellsports.com continue to evolve our coverage. When a transfer of note chooses a destination, we will examine their potential impact on the college football landscape and assign an impact rating. The scale is from 1-10 and the description below explains the scoring scale.
1.1-4.0 — Not a big impact expected, likely a non-starter and down the bench depth player.
4.1- 6.0 — A solid impact can be expected in the right scenario and has the potential to battle for a starting job.
6.1-9.0. — A high impact player who won’t change a program but will certainly be a very good contributor and starter.
9.1- 9.9 — A very high impact player who should start the moment he steps on the field and will change the outlook of a program immediately.
10 — A franchise transfer who has a chance to be an All-American and one of the elite players in college football.
