By Tony Thomas
Well, college football fans, it is Portal Eve. Yes, that’s right! Tomorrow is the day the transfer portal officially opens as hundreds upon hundreds of players at all levels of the NCAA toss their names in the proverbial “hat” in search of a team needing talent to bolster their depth charts or in need of a quality starter.
Let’s take a look at some players who will have plenty of options for a new home.
DT Thor Griffith
Harvard Crimson
6’2″, 320 lbs.
So, you think a school with high academic standards can’t produce quality football players? Think again. With Thor Griffith, you get brains as well as brawn as he dropped the hammer on opponents in 2023: 55 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and eight quarterback hurries. Against Penn, Griffith recorded 10 tackles.
Thor Griffith comes up with the big sack to force a Columbia field goal!
ESPN+: https://t.co/wZExcl3Mwz#GoCrimson x #HarvardFootball150 pic.twitter.com/OdkD0wUAeY
— Harvard Football (@HarvardFootball) November 4, 2023
Griffith helped lead Harvard to an 8-2 record. For his efforts, he was named 1st Team All-Ivy League and received an invite to the Hula Bowl.
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Griffith has offers from the following schools: Oregon State, Michigan State, CAL, Minnesota, UCLA, Appalachian State, and Louisville.
OL Alan Herron
Shorter University Hawks
6’6″, 310 lbs.
Considered the 4th best OL in the portal at the moment, Herron will have two years of eligibility left. Herron has drawn interest from the following teams: Penn State, Miami, Clemson, Auburn, UCF, NC State, Louisville, USF, Arkansas State, Marshall, Kansas, Western Kentucky, Houston, Charlotte, Georgia State, East Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech, North Texas, Toledo, Georgia Southern, and Texas Tech.
Guys, I found a highlight reel for the o-lineman Clemson offered in the transfer portal, Shorter's Alan Herron
The video was displaying sideways on social media. Through some movie magic (flipping my computer and recording with my phone), here's a more viewable format. pic.twitter.com/FJvsBcV7tz
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) November 30, 2023
WR Kris Mitchell
FIU Panthers
6’1″, 175 lbs.
Mitchell turned in a stellar season at FIU with 64 catches for 1,118 yards (17 yards per catch) and six touchdowns. His high game of the season was nine catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns against Maine early in the season. He ranked #13 in the FBS in receiving, averaging 93 yards/game.
Mitchell posted four games of over 100 yards receiving and four games with eight or more catches. Against the Arkansas Razorbacks, Mitchell hauled in 6 passes for 157 yards, albeit in a loss.
That long catch and run from KMitch to setup the TD! pic.twitter.com/n9kCNpAnSF
— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) November 19, 2023
For his efforts this season, Mitchell was named the Conference USA Wide Receiver of the Year, as well as being named to the 1st Team All-Conference USA team.
Schools interested in Mitchell’s pass-catching skills include Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Miami (FL.).
Edge/OLB Jaishawn Barham
Maryland Terrapins
6-4, 233
Barham was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection for Maryland after racking up 37 tackles, one INT, three tackles for loss, and 3 sacks this season. He made seven tackles and an INT vs. Michigan. Against Charlotte, Barham made four tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Jaishawn Barham is a stud https://t.co/p9uRlfemDN
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) November 18, 2023
In 2022, Barham was named a Freshman All-American after recording 58 tackles and four sacks.
At the moment, the two teams out to an early lead are Penn State and South Carolina, with Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks as the early favorite.
