CFB DeptHITS: Friday, December 13
Player availability notes, transfer portal entries and signings and coaching moves. Which ones do you really need to know (from the hundreds). We'll sort through it for you and provide...
Tons of news. Lots of player and personnel movement and the Army-Navy and first bowl games of 2024/25 are right around the corner. So, we are here to get you what you need to know (and a little more)…
|||||| PLAYER STATUS/AVAILABILITY NOTES
Arizona ::: WR Tetairoa McMillan is declaring for the NFL Draft. He returned to the Wildcats after a big, breakout campaign in 2023. He battled injuries in the pre-season but matched the lofty output this season. He projects as a top ten pick.
Alabama ::: QB Jalen Milroe is expected to play against Michigan in the bowl game. He said that he wants to complete the season and whatever happens after, is after. That's good news for this game and for college football.
Tulane ::: QB Ty Thompson will start the bowl game for the Green Wave before ultimately entering the portal following the contest on 12/20. This is always an interesting situation as he is going to use this as a showcase for his next school. With Darian Mensah moving on to Duke; Jon Sumrall will hit the portal most likely to find his next signal caller.
Connecticut ::: LB Tui Faumuina-Brown is expected to be back for bowl game after missing the finale against UMass. However, DL Dal'Mont Gourdine won't make it back after breaking his foot prior to that game and requires surgery.
SMU ::: SMU CB Jaelyn “Smoke” Davis-Robinson is expected to return for the CFP round one matchup against Penn State, according to cornerbacks coach Rickey Hunley. He missed the ACC Championship game due to an undisclosed injury.
||||| TRANSFER PORTAL ENTRANTS AND SIGNINGS
Be sure to check out the best “Portal Tracker” in the business at the website to sort by whatever you are most interested in. This is updated constantly with entrants and signings. Click here to be taken to that gem »»»»»
Boise State ::: QB Malachi Nelson, one of the top recruits of the 2023 class, is on the move again. He hasn't found the field at USC and now Boise. There is (reportedly) a lot of talent there, but being stuck behind Caleb Williams/Miller Moss and now Maddux Madsen, is nothing to be ashamed of. He will look for a school with a clear path to playing time, even if that means a further drop down in prestige.
San Diego State ::: QB Danny O'Neil won the starting job as a true freshman for Sean Lewis' Aztecs over Florida State transfer AJ Duffy and, at the time, that seemed like a really big deal. Lewis is known for his offensive prowess and handling the reigns of his offense usually means big things. The season didn't really go down that way and O'Neil is now opting to play elsewhere in 2025. He joins Duffy and eventual backup Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson in the portal.
Abilene Christian ::: QB Maverick McIvor (all-name squad candidate?) may be resurfacing at the FBS level after leaving Texas Tech to lead the Wildcats. He threw for 3,847 yards, 30 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2024, moving his totals to over 8,000 yards, 61 TD and 21 INT. He was a 3-star recruit back in 2022 out of San Angelo, TX. He will be a name to watch this portal season.
Maryland ::: QB Billy Edwards Jr. won the starting job at Maryland and, well, it was an up-and-down campaign. He ended up throwing for 2,880 yards, 15 TD to nine interceptions and added 267 yards and five scores on the ground. It's possible he feels MJ Morris, the former NC State quarterback, who is a year younger, may put him to the test again and he'd rather avoid that situation. We'll see where he ends up for 2025.
Charlotte ::: RB Cartevious Norton is on the move again. After leaving Iowa State for Charlotte, he racked up 505 yards and seven touchdowns on 128 carries, splitting time with some other 49ers. He joins the other four (!) top backs in the Charlotte backfield in the portal looking for a new home.
Oklahoma State ::: AJ Green's time at Oklahoma State will end before it really begins. He spend the entire season on the shelf with an injury after transferring in from Arkansas and now hits the portal again.
North Texas ::: RB Ikaika Ragsdale suffered through injuries all season and now is entering the portal. That's two seasons in a row that were derailed after a promising start to his career that saw 242 carries for nearly 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Maybe a change of scenery is needed for the talented back?
Louisville ::: TE Jamari Johnson enters the portal and jumps to the very top of our tracker with a 17.1 rating. We don't have a ton of snaps on him but we have enough between a very high recruiting ranking and seven games played this year before a season-ending injury struck. He is linked to Oregon and is expected to sign there.
Colorado State ::: Rocky Beers is heading for the Rockies (or at least on the way to them) as he signs on with Colorado State. He's not just a great name; he's a solid contributor with one year remaining to show what he can do. He cut short his time at FIU and will resurface with the Rams in 2025.
Western Kentucky ::: Starting center Evan Wibberley announced his intentions to enter the portal. No word on if he'll play in tomorrow's bowl game, but he played just about every snap for the Hilltoppers this season and will be missed.
Houston ::: Willie Fritz is using this time not having to prepare for a bowl game to his advantage in the portal. He has added two solid (though, not spectacular) P4 adds to the offensive line with Jason Brooks Jr. (Oklahoma State) and Matthew Wykoff (California). Brooks was injured and did not play this season. Wykoff played all over the interior of the Bears' offensive line but didn't stick as a starter anywhere.
Cincinnati ::: A big quick portal grab by the Bearcats here as they nab Taran Tyo from Ball State to join the offensive line in 2025. He will play right tackle, a position on need where Phillip Wilder and Deandre Buford split time and this is a big upgrade based on our ratings. Tyo is ranked 4th in our offensive line portal rankings as of now.
North Carolina ::: Sometimes the news is what doesn't happen. In this case, it's young offensive lineman Aidan Banfield exiting the portal and sticking around to play of Bill Belechick at North Carolina. Will others follow suit? We shall see. Currently, there are 12 Tar Heels in the portal. LB Amare Campbell is one that Belechick will likely want to try to keep around.
Washington ::: Jedd Fisch would like to upgrade at right tackle where Drew Azzopardi (9.9) held it down in 2024. He quickly locks up Kansas State transfer Carver Willis (13.8) to join the Huskies in 2025. It's moves like this and quietly upgrade in the trenches and we'll see it materialize on the field.
Ole Miss ::: DL Da'shawn Womack made quick work of his portal stay and quickly moved SEC schools from LSU to Ole Miss. A former 5-star recruit from the 2023 class was a bit underutilized and now moves to another crowded defensive line group; hoping to make a jump. A great defensive pickup for Lane Kiffin and Co.
Rutgers ::: The Scarlet Knights get an under-the-radar solid pickup for the defensive line with JMU transfer Darold DeNgohe. He burst on the scene as a redshirt freshman this year and has three years of eligibility remaining.
|||||| COACHING CAROUSEL IN FULL SWING
West Virginia ::: Rich Rodriguez is back in Morgantown. This makes a lot of Mountaineer faithful happy. Rich Rod left his alma mater 17 years ago to take the Michigan job and while that didn't go particularly well, he remained in coaching and had a lot of success afterwards. He comes full circle after doing a great job at Jacksonville State and takes back the reigns of this program.
UNLV ::: The administration at UNLV moved quickly to bring in Barry Odom's successor and its none other than former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen. After a stint in the media, he's back on the sidelines. The hope is that he keeps the momentum going forward, attracts some talent and keeps the W's coming in Vegas.
North Carolina ::: Freddie Kitchens will remain at UNC on Coach Belechick's staff at tight ends coach after this season. He was named the interim head coach for the bowl game and is very respected. Enough so, that it was one of Belechick's first moves to retain him on the staff.
Oklahoma State ::: The staff overhaul in Stillwater continues with the hiring of Doug Meacham to return to the Cowboys as offensive coordinator. Meacham played offensive line at OK State back in the day and has led some successful offenses in his day. Most recently, he was at TCU as the inside wide receivers coach after losing his OC title back in 2023.
That’s what you need to know for today. More coming tomorrow. Stay tuned to the site for Army-Navy and early bowl previews + game cards. And, please, spread the word. We are too busy with all of this content to spend time marketing - so, please, help us do that! Much appreciated!