We are involved with #1, #3 and #4 and do have some ins with #2 Gentry since he and Tysheem Johnson were in the same HS class in Philly. Gentry just hit the Portal yesterday and reportedly has already received 10 Power 5 offers with USC and Miami the favorites according to one reporter. I guess the PAC 12 does not have a rule similar to the SEC on transfers within their league.
Robinson and Smith would probably be our two top WRs in the Fall if we could pull that one off. Robinson appears to be fully recovered and had over 100 yards receiving, including two long TD receptions in the UCF Spring game. (FWIW, for those interested, JRP had a pretty good game. I hope JRP does well down there, but I would take the trade of JRP for Robinson all day long.) With the luck we have had with injuries at that position, I am not sure we can sign too many receivers, as both Mingo and Knox have been out all Spring. It has certainly looked like our weakest position this spring to my uneducated eyes.
There’s a lot of buzz about Keidron to Kentucky, I really wish he would go somewhere like Virginia Tech where we would not face him this year-not scared of him, but after being a Rebel for four years I prefer not seeing him back in Oxford in another uniform.
1. DE Ochaun Mathis, TCU
Now that the most coveted quarterbacks in this transfer portal cycle have made their decisions, Mathis moves up to the No. 1 spot in our best available rankings. The grad transfer has developed into one of the Big 12’s best pass rushers as a three-year starter for the Horned Frogs, earning second-team all-conference honors in back-to-back years. He has recorded a total of 96 pressures, 30 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over these three seasons, according to PFF. Mathis, a former three-star recruit from Manor, Texas, is transferring following TCU’s coaching change and will have two more seasons of eligibility. There’s always going to be serious demand for transfer linemen like him who are proven difference-makers. Texas is the perceived favorite, but Mathis is taking his time with his decision and included USC, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Penn State in his top five.
2. LB Eric Gentry, Arizona State
Gentry put together a Freshman All-America caliber debut season with the Sun Devils and is a significant loss for them as one of the best young players in their program. The three-star signee from Philadelphia recorded 45 tackles and five TFLs on 341 snaps and graded out as the fourth-best linebacker in the Pac-12 last season according to PFF. He’s a unique athlete at 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds and instantly became a highly coveted player upon entering the portal.
3. WR Jaylon Robinson, UCF
Robinson joined the Knights in 2019 after beginning his career at Oklahoma and developed into one of the best playmakers in the conference. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound wideout earned first-team All-AAC honors and finished third in the conference in receiving in 2020 with 979 yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions. Robinson’s junior year was more frustrating due to a knee injury that forced him to sit out five games. He came back from that but wasn’t quite the same, finishing with 18 catches for 322 yards and two scores. The Texas native is healthy now, has two more seasons of eligibility and is motivated to get back to shining like he once did.
4. WR Deion Smith, LSU
Smith, a top-100 recruit in the 2021 class, impressed in limited action with the Tigers as a true freshman. He evoked Justin Jefferson comps from Ed Orgeron and looked like the next great LSU wideout against Central Michigan, with five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. But Smith caught only four more passes the rest of the season while dealing with an injury. The Mississippi native has an incredibly bright future but has work to do in the classroom to be eligible for his next stop.
5. QB Emory Jones, Florida
Jones, a former top-100 recruit, waited three years to get his shot as the Gators’ starting quarterback and had a bumpy ride in 2021, throwing for 2,734 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during a 6-7 season. He did rush for more than 800 yards (excluding sacks) and four TDs, which can help make him an asset in the right offensive system tailored to his strengths. Jones will depart Gainesville as a grad transfer with two more seasons of eligibility. There are several Power 5 programs still in the market for a transfer quarterback this spring, so the senior should have good options.
6. DB Keidron Smith, Ole Miss
Smith was one of Ole Miss’ most experienced defenders, having played 47 career games with 29 starts, and he produced 223 tackles, 21 pass breakups, five interceptions and five forced fumbles over his four seasons. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound grad transfer defensive back from Florida made the transition from cornerback to safety as a senior and will bring versatility and leadership to his next team. He’s reportedly planning to visit Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia Tech this spring.
7. WR Tyler Harrell, Louisville
One of the fastest wideouts in college football is now on the market as a grad transfer. Harrell put up 523 yards and six touchdowns on just 18 catches last season, averaging 29 yards per touch. He ran a 40 time that was clocked at 4.24 seconds (and 4.19 by coach Scott Satterfield) last spring and finally flashed his big-time talent in the fall after playing sparingly in his first three seasons in the program. The 6-foot, 197-pound playmaker from Miami has two more seasons of eligibility, and Alabama is already being rumored as a contender to land him.
8. DE DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound edge defender had a very productive four-year career with the Gamecocks, earning all-conference honors in each of the last three seasons and producing 179 tackles, 30.5 TFLs and 18 sacks. Coleman was a second-team FCS All-American in the 2021 spring season and has logged 35 career starts, most of them coming in a hybrid “Bandit” role as a stand-up end/linebacker. He’s picked up Power 5 offers from Georgia Tech, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas and Duke so far and has visited Miami and Marshall.
9. RB Mar’Keise Irving, Minnesota
“Bucky” Irving stepped up when the Gophers lost Mo Ibrahim and Trey Potts to injuries and enjoyed an impressive true freshman season, producing a team-high 966 all-purpose yards as a rusher and kick returner. The former four-star recruit from Illinois had three 100-yard rushing performances, including 129 yards in their bowl win over West Virginia, and scored four touchdowns on the year.
10. WR Ricky Pearsall, Arizona State
Pearsall led the Sun Devils with 48 catches for 580 yards and four touchdowns last season, earning him honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound wideout from Tempe emerged as a go-to target for Jayden Daniels, picking up first downs on 24 of his receptions while also producing a rushing TD and a passing TD on the year. He’s played both outside and in the slot and will have two more seasons of eligibility at his next school.
11. DT Darrell Jackson, Maryland
Jackson, a three-star recruit in the 2021 class, flipped from Tennessee to Maryland late in his recruiting process and is on the move after one season. He played 225 snaps on the defensive line as a true freshman, recorded 22 tackles and earned a start in the Terps’ bowl game. The Florida native quickly became a coveted player in the portal with Florida, Florida State and Tennessee among the schools battling for him.
12. LB Josh Chandler-Semedo, West Virginia
Chandler-Semedo will bring a lot of experience to his next squad as a proven three-year starter at Mike and Will linebacker for the Mountaineers who has played in 44 games. He finished as the Big 12’s third-leading tackler in 2021 with 110 stops plus 18 pressures, 5.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions to pick up honorable mention all-conference honors. The Ohio native has one more season of eligibility and should have good Power 5 options.
13. LB Lorenzo McCaskill, Louisiana
McCaskill has been an All-Sun Belt performer in each of his two seasons as a starter at inside linebacker. He earned second-team recognition in 2021 after recording a team-high 84 tackles, three TFLs and 15 pressures with the third-best tackling grade among all defenders in the conference, according to PFF. The former junior college transfer has one more season of eligibility and has Texas, USC, Tennessee and Miami among the schools pursuing him.
14. DB Darius Joiner, Western Illinois
Joiner has already made one successful move via the portal and is now looking to move up for his final season of eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound safety joined Western Illinois in 2021 after four years at Jacksonville State and enjoyed an excellent season there, earning first-team FCS All-America recognition and finishing sixth in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the best defensive player in the FCS. Joiner led all FCS players in tackles per game, finishing with 142 (including 79 solo stops) in 11 games.
15. LB Branden Jennings, Kansas State
Jennings has re-entered the transfer portal after a brief stint at Kansas State and is once again looking for a new home. The former No. 108 overall ranked recruit had a solid true freshman season at Maryland, starting three games and recording 23 tackles and a forced fumble in 2021. He left the Terps and enrolled at K-State in January, went through spring practices and decided to leave.
Robinson and Smith would probably be our two top WRs in the Fall if we could pull that one off. Robinson appears to be fully recovered and had over 100 yards receiving, including two long TD receptions in the UCF Spring game. (FWIW, for those interested, JRP had a pretty good game. I hope JRP does well down there, but I would take the trade of JRP for Robinson all day long.) With the luck we have had with injuries at that position, I am not sure we can sign too many receivers, as both Mingo and Knox have been out all Spring. It has certainly looked like our weakest position this spring to my uneducated eyes.
There’s a lot of buzz about Keidron to Kentucky, I really wish he would go somewhere like Virginia Tech where we would not face him this year-not scared of him, but after being a Rebel for four years I prefer not seeing him back in Oxford in another uniform.
1. DE Ochaun Mathis, TCU
Now that the most coveted quarterbacks in this transfer portal cycle have made their decisions, Mathis moves up to the No. 1 spot in our best available rankings. The grad transfer has developed into one of the Big 12’s best pass rushers as a three-year starter for the Horned Frogs, earning second-team all-conference honors in back-to-back years. He has recorded a total of 96 pressures, 30 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over these three seasons, according to PFF. Mathis, a former three-star recruit from Manor, Texas, is transferring following TCU’s coaching change and will have two more seasons of eligibility. There’s always going to be serious demand for transfer linemen like him who are proven difference-makers. Texas is the perceived favorite, but Mathis is taking his time with his decision and included USC, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Penn State in his top five.
2. LB Eric Gentry, Arizona State
Gentry put together a Freshman All-America caliber debut season with the Sun Devils and is a significant loss for them as one of the best young players in their program. The three-star signee from Philadelphia recorded 45 tackles and five TFLs on 341 snaps and graded out as the fourth-best linebacker in the Pac-12 last season according to PFF. He’s a unique athlete at 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds and instantly became a highly coveted player upon entering the portal.
3. WR Jaylon Robinson, UCF
Robinson joined the Knights in 2019 after beginning his career at Oklahoma and developed into one of the best playmakers in the conference. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound wideout earned first-team All-AAC honors and finished third in the conference in receiving in 2020 with 979 yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions. Robinson’s junior year was more frustrating due to a knee injury that forced him to sit out five games. He came back from that but wasn’t quite the same, finishing with 18 catches for 322 yards and two scores. The Texas native is healthy now, has two more seasons of eligibility and is motivated to get back to shining like he once did.
4. WR Deion Smith, LSU
Smith, a top-100 recruit in the 2021 class, impressed in limited action with the Tigers as a true freshman. He evoked Justin Jefferson comps from Ed Orgeron and looked like the next great LSU wideout against Central Michigan, with five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. But Smith caught only four more passes the rest of the season while dealing with an injury. The Mississippi native has an incredibly bright future but has work to do in the classroom to be eligible for his next stop.
5. QB Emory Jones, Florida
Jones, a former top-100 recruit, waited three years to get his shot as the Gators’ starting quarterback and had a bumpy ride in 2021, throwing for 2,734 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during a 6-7 season. He did rush for more than 800 yards (excluding sacks) and four TDs, which can help make him an asset in the right offensive system tailored to his strengths. Jones will depart Gainesville as a grad transfer with two more seasons of eligibility. There are several Power 5 programs still in the market for a transfer quarterback this spring, so the senior should have good options.
6. DB Keidron Smith, Ole Miss
Smith was one of Ole Miss’ most experienced defenders, having played 47 career games with 29 starts, and he produced 223 tackles, 21 pass breakups, five interceptions and five forced fumbles over his four seasons. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound grad transfer defensive back from Florida made the transition from cornerback to safety as a senior and will bring versatility and leadership to his next team. He’s reportedly planning to visit Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana and Virginia Tech this spring.
7. WR Tyler Harrell, Louisville
One of the fastest wideouts in college football is now on the market as a grad transfer. Harrell put up 523 yards and six touchdowns on just 18 catches last season, averaging 29 yards per touch. He ran a 40 time that was clocked at 4.24 seconds (and 4.19 by coach Scott Satterfield) last spring and finally flashed his big-time talent in the fall after playing sparingly in his first three seasons in the program. The 6-foot, 197-pound playmaker from Miami has two more seasons of eligibility, and Alabama is already being rumored as a contender to land him.
8. DE DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound edge defender had a very productive four-year career with the Gamecocks, earning all-conference honors in each of the last three seasons and producing 179 tackles, 30.5 TFLs and 18 sacks. Coleman was a second-team FCS All-American in the 2021 spring season and has logged 35 career starts, most of them coming in a hybrid “Bandit” role as a stand-up end/linebacker. He’s picked up Power 5 offers from Georgia Tech, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas and Duke so far and has visited Miami and Marshall.
9. RB Mar’Keise Irving, Minnesota
“Bucky” Irving stepped up when the Gophers lost Mo Ibrahim and Trey Potts to injuries and enjoyed an impressive true freshman season, producing a team-high 966 all-purpose yards as a rusher and kick returner. The former four-star recruit from Illinois had three 100-yard rushing performances, including 129 yards in their bowl win over West Virginia, and scored four touchdowns on the year.
10. WR Ricky Pearsall, Arizona State
Pearsall led the Sun Devils with 48 catches for 580 yards and four touchdowns last season, earning him honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound wideout from Tempe emerged as a go-to target for Jayden Daniels, picking up first downs on 24 of his receptions while also producing a rushing TD and a passing TD on the year. He’s played both outside and in the slot and will have two more seasons of eligibility at his next school.
11. DT Darrell Jackson, Maryland
Jackson, a three-star recruit in the 2021 class, flipped from Tennessee to Maryland late in his recruiting process and is on the move after one season. He played 225 snaps on the defensive line as a true freshman, recorded 22 tackles and earned a start in the Terps’ bowl game. The Florida native quickly became a coveted player in the portal with Florida, Florida State and Tennessee among the schools battling for him.
12. LB Josh Chandler-Semedo, West Virginia
Chandler-Semedo will bring a lot of experience to his next squad as a proven three-year starter at Mike and Will linebacker for the Mountaineers who has played in 44 games. He finished as the Big 12’s third-leading tackler in 2021 with 110 stops plus 18 pressures, 5.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions to pick up honorable mention all-conference honors. The Ohio native has one more season of eligibility and should have good Power 5 options.
13. LB Lorenzo McCaskill, Louisiana
McCaskill has been an All-Sun Belt performer in each of his two seasons as a starter at inside linebacker. He earned second-team recognition in 2021 after recording a team-high 84 tackles, three TFLs and 15 pressures with the third-best tackling grade among all defenders in the conference, according to PFF. The former junior college transfer has one more season of eligibility and has Texas, USC, Tennessee and Miami among the schools pursuing him.
14. DB Darius Joiner, Western Illinois
Joiner has already made one successful move via the portal and is now looking to move up for his final season of eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound safety joined Western Illinois in 2021 after four years at Jacksonville State and enjoyed an excellent season there, earning first-team FCS All-America recognition and finishing sixth in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the best defensive player in the FCS. Joiner led all FCS players in tackles per game, finishing with 142 (including 79 solo stops) in 11 games.
15. LB Branden Jennings, Kansas State
Jennings has re-entered the transfer portal after a brief stint at Kansas State and is once again looking for a new home. The former No. 108 overall ranked recruit had a solid true freshman season at Maryland, starting three games and recording 23 tackles and a forced fumble in 2021. He left the Terps and enrolled at K-State in January, went through spring practices and decided to leave.
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