Who scored big in the portal this week and what moves could come next?

December 24, 2022 ndowd

Christmas came early for several teams, with many college football players finding new homes through the transfer portal Wednesday. More than 1,900 players have entered the portal since it opened Dec. 5. It will remain open through mid-January.

Of particular note, Deion Sanders’ Colorado team added two of his former Jackson State stars in cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son. But the Buffaloes weren’t the only team to win in the portal.

Here is a look at what you may have missed over the past week.

Schools that won the portal this week

Michigan: The Wolverines received commitments from a pair of Stanford offensive linemen — Drake Nugent and Myles Hinton — along with Coastal Carolina defensive lineman Josaiah Stewart. Hinton’s brother, Christopher, played defensive tackle at Michigan from 2019 to 2021. Both Nugent and Hinton look to make an immediate impact blocking for the Wolverines, who ranked fifth in FBS with 243 rushing yards per game.

Wisconsin: In response to Graham Mertz entering the portal and eventually heading to Florida, new Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell landed a quarterback to help lead his program in Nick Evers. Evers, who was No. 166 in the 2022 ESPN 300, comes to Madison after one year with Oklahoma. He took one snap this season, during the Sooners’ 49-0 loss to Texas in October. The Badgers’ passing game will be looking for a much-needed infusion after averaging only 189.5 yards per game, 11th in the Big Ten.

Georgia Tech: Former Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King is making the move from College Station to Atlanta, giving new Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key an option after Jeff Sims and Taisun Phommachanh both entered the portal. King, who was No. 46 in the 2020 ESPN 300, spent three years with the Aggies and threw for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns in six games in 2022. Additionally, Minnesota linebacker Braelen Oliver, from Douglas, Georgia, is coming home after recording 79 tackles (14 solo) and 3.5 sacks in 40 games for the Golden Gophers. The Yellow Jackets also got a commitment from Louisville running back Trevion Cooley.

USC: Lincoln Riley came out of the portal this week with three productive players: Arizona wide receiver Dorian Singer, Arizona cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and Oklahoma State linebacker Mason Cobb. Singer led the Pac-12 with 1,105 receiving yards, while Roland-Wallace had 57 tackles (41 solo) with six passes defended. Cobb was the Cowboys’ leading tackler with 96 stops (58 solo), which was tied for fifth in the Big 12.

Kentucky: Quarterback Devin Leary‘s decision to transfer from NC State will allow the Wildcats to immediately fill Will Levis‘ shoes with an experienced signal-caller. Leary threw for 6,807 yards with 68 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in his four years with the Wolfpack.

Five key commitments

Collin Schlee: Kent State‘s starting quarterback decided to make the leap to UCLA last Saturday. He has two years of eligibility remaining and threw for 2,109 yards and 13 TDs last year. Schlee’s transfer, coupled with the decision of No. 3 quarterback recruit Dante Moore to flip from Oregon to UCLA, upgrade Chip Kelly’s quarterback room with Dorian Thompson-Robinson moving on after this year.

Jeremiah Byers: UTEP‘s right tackle is moving to Florida State after committing to Mike Norvell’s team Monday. Byers started for the Miners in each of the past two seasons and joins an offensive line that helped the Seminoles lead the ACC with 217.8 rushing yards per game.

#GONOLES @Coach_Norvell @CoachAAtkins pic.twitter.com/3YPD8vwjHk

— Jeremiah Byers (@JeremiahByers38) December 20, 2022

Drew Pyne: For a while, Kenny Dillingham thought he’d be coaching highly touted quarterback Dante Moore as Oregon’s offensive coordinator. Now neither one is at Oregon, with Dillingham the head coach at Arizona State and Moore signing with UCLA. Instead, Dillingham found his new quarterback, Drew Pyne, in South Bend. Pyne, No. 221 in the 2020 ESPN 300, threw for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions for Notre Dame in 2022.

🔱 #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/QzGJb0GT8D

— Drew Pyne (@dpyne10) December 19, 2022

Ajani Cornelius: The Rhode Island right tackle, who started 22 games for the Rams across the past two seasons, committed to Oregon on Wednesday, choosing the Ducks over Ohio State, Tennessee and Nebraska. Cornelius’ decision ended a monster day for the Ducks, as they soared in our recruiting class rankings from No. 14 entering national signing day to No. 5.

Tony Grimes: The North Carolina junior cornerback, who had 36 tackles (27 solo) and broke up seven passes, is moving on to Texas A&M. Grimes, who appeared in 37 games over three seasons with the Tar Heels, will provide much-needed depth for the Aggies, who have lost four cornerbacks to the transfer portal in recent months.

Back in College Station @AggieFootball #GigEm 👍🏾

— Tony Grimes (@757EliteDB) December 15, 2022

Offers and visits

Smoke Bouie: The former Texas A&M defensive back, who was 66th overall in the 2022 ESPN 300, played in just three games as a freshman. He entered the portal last week and recently took a visit to Georgia, where he initially committed in November 2020, only to decommit in June 2021.

Carson Steele: Steele broke out as a sophomore for Ball State, rushing for 1,556 yards (sixth in FBS) and 14 touchdowns. He will visit UCLA this weekend.

Jimmy Horn Jr.: The South Florida sophomore wide receiver entered the portal last month after catching 37 passes for 551 yards and three touchdowns. He recently visited Houston and Colorado, and has also received interest from Penn State and Texas A&M.