And that’s all she wrote … for now.
The NCAA transfer portal officially closed Wednesday, but that’s not the last of the transfers we see before the 2023 season kicks off. The portal reopens on May 1 for a 15-day period.
There have been over 1,500 FBS players that have entered the portal since the first window opened Dec. 5. Data from the NCAA states that only 4% of the 1,427 players that transferred in 2021 withdrew from the portal. It also shows that only 54% of transfers enrolled at a new NCAA member school. This means 42% had not yet committed to another program.
The stats don’t favor the players on the move.
Nevertheless, there are still sought-after players that can make a program better.
Most Group of Five programs didn’t come out of the transfer portal with a lot to show for, but here are a few players that landed on G5 squads and could have an immediate impact:
SMU RBs
I’m trying not to make this solely an SMU-focused story, but the overhaul SMU had in the portal can’t be ignored. Not only did the Mustangs secure the top transfer portal class in the G5, but behind second-year coach Rhett Lashlee they secured the No. 6 class overall, according to 247 Sports:
For now, we’ll focus on a pair of running backs the Mustangs added in an effort to replace a ton of offensive production that they lost from last season. Ranked as the 30th overall player in the portal, LJ Johnson Jr. committed to SMU from Texas A&M. The freshman had just 10 carries for 39 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Joining Johnson Jr. in the RB room is Miami (FL) transfer Jaylan Knighton. The sophomore saw the field much more than Johnson Jr. last season, rushing for 423 yards and one score on 78 totes. He had 145 carries for 561 yards and eight TDs in 2021. As the 71st ranked player in the portal, these two were the only ones in the top 100 to commit to a G5 program.
Ky Thomas, RB – Kent State
Another RB on this list, Thomas is headed to a program that lost more than any other G5 program to the portal in Kent State. With former head coach Sean Lewis departing to take the offensive coordinator role at Colorado, most of the Golden Flashes offensive production also hit the road, including last year’s leading rusher Marquez Cooper.
Thomas rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 53 carries last year for Kansas. He spent the 2021 campaign with Minnesota where he piled up 824 yards and six scores while starting in four games as a freshman.
Trey Cleveland, WR – North Texas
Leaving Texas Tech, Cleveland is joining a high-scoring North Texas team that averaged 33.8 PPG last season. He’ll also be joining an already solid receiving core alongside Jyaire Shorter and Roderic Burns, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Cleveland to separate himself as the No. 1 guy.
Nay’Quan Wright, RB – USF
The former Florida Gator is heading just two hours north to continue his career. This could be a nice pickup for Alex Golesh in his first season at the helm of the program as the Bulls search to replace All-AAC rusher Brian Battie, who transferred to Auburn. Wright rushed for 190 yards on 47 carries and tallied two TDs last season. The potential is there for more production from the fifth-year player:
Malik Hornsby, QB – Texas State
One of the fastest players in college football, Hornsby passed on offers from Nebraska and Baylor to head back to his home state and play under first-year coach G.J. Kinne. Backing up KJ Jefferson at Arkansas, Hornsby passed for 268 yards for one touchdown and added 151 yards on the ground. Hornsby should have plenty more opportunities to make plays for the Bobcats and utilize his speed.
Josh Ellison, DL – Memphis
Appearing in all 12 games for Oklahoma last season and starting four games in 2021, Ellison should bolster a defense that ranked in the top five in the AAC last season. Ellison secured three tackles and 0.5 sacks during the Cheez-It Bowl for the Sooners and could use that Big 12 experience to his advantage in the AAC.
