Ole Miss
2022 was a mixed bag of results for the Rebels, but ended in a four-game losing streak which left a bad taste in many Oxford mouths. So, to no one’s surprise, Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin have once again been one of the more active teams in the portal during this cycle. Part of this activity was also due to necessity though as the Rebels saw 36 scholarship players enter the portal, tops in the SEC.
The wide receiving corps saw a complete overhaul with Zakhari Franklin (UTSA) and Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) all expected to play major roles this fall. The passing game was further enhanced with the addition of tight end Caden Prieskorn (Memphis). Speaking of passing, the quarterback position will be an interesting one to follow with the additions of Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) added to an already crowded room. Defensively, a few key additions include defensive lineman Isaac Ukwu (James Madison), linebacker Monty Montgomery (Louisville) and defensive backs John Saunders (Miami-Ohio) and DeShawn Gaddie (North Texas).
LSU
After being faced with portal restrictions during his time at Notre Dame, head coach Brian Kelly has taken an aggressive approach since his arrival in Baton Rouge. He continued that trend during his second cycle with many key additions that make LSU an intriguing team heading into the 2023 season.
Most of the portal efforts were dedicated to the defensive side of the ball. Just a few of the interesting incoming players who should make an immediate contribution include defensive backs Denver Harris (Texas A&M), Duce Chestnut (Syracuse) and Zy Alexander (Southeastern Louisiana), and linebacker Omar Speights (Oregon State). The offensive unit was not overlooked though, as wide receiver Aaron Anderson (Alabama), running back Logan Diggs (Notre Dame) and offensive lineman Mason Lunsford (Maryland) will be relied on this season.
Texas A&M
After a 5-7 record in 2022, which included a last place finish in the SEC West, rumors immediately swirled that there would be a mass portal exodus in College Station. What followed was 28 scholarship players making an exit during this cycle, including some key young players like Denver Harris (LSU) and Smoke Bouie (Georgia) who all found new homes at SEC schools.
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With 28 players exiting, the Aggies had to be active in the portal to try and find some replacements. They accomplished this at a couple of positions, such as defensive back with Tony Grimes (North Carolina), Joshua DeBerry (Boston College) and Sam McCall (Florida State), but overall, the incoming players don’t equal the exiting players in both quantity and quality. With all eyes already set on the Aggies to see if they could rebound this season, it will be interesting to see if these portal shortfalls could be overcome.
