By Tony Thomas
The transfer portal chaos seems to be subsiding, and teams from the Power 4 have bolstered their rosters considerably at the TE position. Here we profile the top five TE commitments from the transfer portal.
Jake Johnson (#5)
North Carolina Tar Heels (from Texas A&M)
6’6”, 240 lbs.
A 4-star prospect in the portal, Jake Johnson caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns last season. Against Alabama, Johnson turned in a season-high 4 catches for 45 yards and a score in a close 26-20 loss.
— Jake Johnson (@JakeJohnson19) November 25, 2023
For his size, Johnson has a good burst of speed, above-average pass-catching skills, and presents an athletic target in red zone opportunities. He will move onto Chapel Hill with his brother, QB Max Johnson.
Drake Dabney (#4)
TCU Horned Frogs (from Baylor)
6’5”, 228 lbs.
As the 2nd leading receiver for the Baylor Bears, Drake Dabney hauled in 33 passes for 552 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. He posted two games with over 100 yards receiving, including a season-high 105 yards on four catches and a TD in a loss to Kansas State.
I SEE YA!!!! @DabneyDrake09 https://t.co/f8yXcIzr3t
— Joy ✨ (@joyhouston27) September 24, 2022
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In week one, Dabney caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Dabney caught at least one pass in every game last season and recorded three games of 20 yards or more per catch. For his career at Baylor, Dabney has 65 passes, 873 yards, and eight TDs to his credit.
Justin Joly (#3)
NC State Wolfpack (from UConn)
6’3”, 232 lbs.
In 2023, Justin Joly led the Huskies in receiving with 56 catches for 578 yards and two touchdowns, doubling his receiving yards from the 2022 season.
Justin Joly 62 yard touchdown reception for UConn! #Huskies #CollegeFootball
— The College Experience (@TCEonSGPN) October 29, 2022
Joly produced a season-high seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 38-31 win over Rice and registered four games of seven or more catches. Joly moves on to NC State, where tight end is a productive position under Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae.
Amari Niblack (#2)
Texas Longhorns (from Alabama)
6’4”, 233 lbs.
As the 3rd leading receiver for the Crimson Tide in 2023, Amari Niblack caught 20 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns. In a week two loss to Texas, Niblack caught two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in a 34-24 loss.
First collegiate TD for Alabama true freshman TE Amari Niblack – 5-star, No. 27 overall for @On3Recruits in the 2022 cycle https://t.co/iBeIz829ev pic.twitter.com/ltfAOaZCsT
— Charles Power (@CharlesPower) September 17, 2022
Niblack had a season-high 61 yards on three catches in a 40-17 win over Mississippi State. Niblack is one of 10+ players who have hit the transfer portal since Nick Saban announced he was hanging up his whistle.
Jack Velling (#1)
Michigan State Spartans (from Oregon State)
6’4”, 241 lbs.
As the 3rd leading receiver for the Beavers, Jack Velling caught 29 passes for 438 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to 2nd Team All-PAC 12 honors.
The record-breaker for Jack Velling pic.twitter.com/F4TBHcJMf9
— T.J. Mathewson (@tjmathewson) October 29, 2023
Velling scored three receiving touchdowns in a win over Cal and produced a season-high three passes for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 36-24 win over UCLA. Velling follows his former head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State.
