CFB DeptHITS: Tuesday, December 17
Let's get caught up on the big news from the transfer portal. Also, bowl season heats back up tonight with an intriguing matchup in the Frisco Bowl.
Today we will focus on the portal names and movement that is most impactful and a few coaching nuggets to consume. We also have a preview up for tonight’s Frisco Bowl between West Virginia and Memphis. Our Model has a suggested play in that one as well…
James Madison ::: The Dukes will start QB Billy Atkins in the Boca Raton Bowl tomorrow. Usual starter Alonza Barnett III was injured in the season finale against Marshall. It’s a good opportunity for Atkins to show what he can do and may be an audition of sorts if he enters the portal, which seems likely with Barnett retaining two years of eligibility beyond 2024.
Penn State ::: QB Drew Allar has announced his intentions to return to Penn State for his Senior season. This news is not shocking as we heard backup Beau Pribula was entering the portal earlier this week. Allar is a very good quarterback and leader for the Nittany Lions and having that stability heading into 2025 is not something to take for granted in Happy Valley.
|||||| TRANFER PORTAL NEWS & NOTES
This portal is just nuts. We need a breather to be able to produce the promised insights based on our player ratings, but haven’t had time with so many names entering and signing. We’ll get it done, but for now, you can sort and filter however you wish at our Portal Tracker over at CFBDepth.com »
Also, we are keeping up with each signing on the team pages. If you visit them, you’ll see them populating below in the “Non-Enrolled Additions” section of each position group. For illustration purposes, here is the Wisconsin QB room:
Washington State ::: QB John Mateer hits the portal and the early word is that he's likely to head to Norman to take over as the Sooners starter in 2025. That would be a pretty interesting movement and Mateer does come in as our 2nd highest ranked quarterback (behind only Devon Dampier) and 7th overall ranked player in the portal.
Virginia ::: QB Chandler Morris is going from North Texas to Virginia. The Cavaliers get their new signal caller and it will be a one-year portal play. Morris has been around the block and most recently threw for 3,792 yards and 31 touchdowns for Eric Morris and the Mean Green. He went to Denton by way of TCU and now heads out of Texas for the first time in his career. The Cavaliers also grabbed their more likely quarterback of the future by locking in Nebraska transfer Daniel Kaelin earlier this week.
Ohio State ::: True freshman and top 2024 recruit QB Air Noland is hitting the portal. This was fully expected as Noland was fourth in line and with fellow 5-star Julian Sayin likely next in line to take over in Columbus, he’ll look for a place to play in 2025 and beyond.
Auburn ::: QB Ashton Daniels is the second portal addition at the quarterback position for the Tigers. Over the weekend, the Tigers added Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma. In yesterdays HITS, we mentioned that Arnold was likely not the only quarterback addition and that came true very quickly with Daniels heading in from Stanford. Daniels is a run-first style quarterback and dynamic at that. Hugh Freeze likes to have multiple options and he will have that at his disposal with these two. It will be an interesting “battle” when the summer comes around on The Plains.
Wisconsin ::: The Badgers landed two quarterbacks in the portal, gettin both former Maryland QB Billy Edwards Jr. and former San Diego State Aztec Danny O'Neil. The rare "planning ahead" happening in Madison with Edwards likely to start in his final season of eligibility in 2025 and O'Neil groomed to take over with three years remaining after a likely redshirt.
North Texas ::: QB Reese Poffenbarger is going to play in 2025 at North Texas. This is his fourth school and he is looking for that opportunity to start. With Chandler Morris (aforementioned) moving to UVA, they need a new gunslinger and Poffenbarger sat behind Cam Ward at Miami this year after making a name for himself at FCS Albany in 2023.
Tulane ::: QB TJ Finley is heading from WKU to Tulane, his fourth stop via the portal. He’ll come over from Western Kentucky with great experience and chops. He should fit right in and take over for Darian Mensah who is heading to Duke. No wonder Jon Sumrall wasn’t worried about Mensah’s move to the ACC…
Maryland ::: RB Roman Hemby is hitting the portal prior to his final year of eligibility. He has racked up over 2,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in his time with the Terps. With redshirt freshman Nolan Ray nipping at his heels and cutting into the volume, he’ll look to finish up somewhere he can be the star. This opens the door for Ray to become the new featured back in College Park.
Clemson ::: Alert the media! The Tigers have taken in a transfer! It's WR Tristan Smith, coming in from Southeast Missouri State (SEMO). Smith was at Hutchinson JC prior to his stop with SEMO, where he played in a very high volume passing attack, pulling in 76 of 131 targets for 929 yards and six touchdowns. Much is made of Dabo Swinney’s avoidance of the portal, but they must think highly enough of Smith to bring him in for 2025. He may have two years of eligibility if the waivers can work to his favor.
Michigan State ::: Former Kent State star WR Chrishon McCray will continue his career at Michigan State. Another solid ‘get’ on offense as Jonathan Smith is looking to stack the weapons around his quarterback Aidan Chiles. McCray joins Omari Kelly as the additions to a budding star in Nick Marsh and a now veteran leader of the receiving corps, Monterie Foster Jr. This Spartans passing attack could take on a new level in 2025.
Penn State ::: WR Kyron Hudson (USC) is heading to Happy Valley to join the Nittany Lions for 2025. A solid pickup for the Lions’ attack and a new fun toy for OC Andy Kotelnicki to work with assuming he sticks around past the playoffs and doesn’t take one of these head coaching openings.
North Carolina ::: Add another big retention for Bill Belechick as center Austin Blaske has withdrawn from the portal and will play for the Heels in 2025. Interestingly, his first portal pickup was also a primary center from Holy Cross in Christo Kelly.
Missouri ::: The Tigers defense gets three solid pickups yesterday as linebackers Mikai Gbayor (Nebraska) and Josiah Trotter (West Virginia) are headed to Columbia, MO in 2025. With both Corey Flagg and Chuck Hicks out of eligibility, these are not just solid replacements, but apparent upgrades at the positions. Also, they nab safety Santana Brewer from NIU who will add a fringe starter/depth piece to the secondary.
LSU ::: The Bayou Tigers get two reinforcements coming on defense as EDGE Jack Pyburn is moving SEC schools as he bolts from Florida and CB Mansoor Delane is coming in from Virginia Tech.
Wisconsin ::: Luke Fickell is not wasting any time building up that defensive line, adding another two players from the portal. The Badgers add both EDGE Corey Walker from Western Michigan and UT-Martin DT Charles Perkins. Those two join already committed DE Mason Reiger and DT Parker Petersen.
Kentucky ::: A couple of notable offensive line pickups for Mark Stoops. He gets Bowling Green transfer RT Alex Wollschlaeger and RG Joshua Braun coming in from Arkansas (via Florida). Both are starter quality players and bolster the offensive line for the Wildcats in 2025.
Notre Dame ::: Marcus Freeman gets a big portal commitment from Alabama DB Devonta Smith. While the ink on the signing isn’t fully dried, we are going to go ahead and make this addition. The Irish defense is already strong and now will continue to get stronger with additions like Smith.
|||||| FRISCO BOWL PREVIEW
Get a load of the ‘quick preview’ and full-on ‘Game Card’ for the West Virginia vs. Memphis game tonight. Click the image to be taken to the site:
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