This college football season has been one of the most hectic seasons of all time. Whether it be constant upsets, coaching changes, conference realignments. Whatever you can think of, it has happened this season, and all of those things lead to a very talented transfer portal.
With what seems like half of Oklahoma’s offensive starters now in the portal, along with some other very big name athletes from big name schools we could see some very impactful moves this offseason. I am going to be
Eli Ricks
When leaving LSU Eli Ricks made it clear that he wanted to compete for championships. He wanted to join Alabama but they were rumored to “be fine at cornerback”, thus keeping his recruitment open. Ohio State, and Alabama seemed to be the leaders for his talents but now with Lincoln Riley at USC I imagine the Trojans are now contenders too.
USC just lost their commitment from five-star cornerback Domani Jackson who happens to be from the same school as Eli Ricks. With that being said I think it would be the best fit for Eli Ricks to return home and join USC. It is no question that Lincoln Riley & Oklahoma were able to put up record breaking offenses but the defense was always a question mark.
Zach Evans
As many might remember Zach Evans recruitment was one of the more wild stories to follow. Pretty much every school in the nation wanted his talents, but only a few were willing to put up with his baggage. He slid over to TCU after being granted a release for Georgia, but now with Gary Patterson out the door it seems so is he.
That was before Sonny Dykes, Ra’Shaad Samples, and Bryan Carrington came to town. I have a good feeling that these three can actually keep Zach Evans in Funky Town. They have already made a lot of traction on the recruiting trail for TCU. Samples and Carrington are some of the best recruiters in the nation right now and if anyone were to convince Zach Evans to stay it would be them. On top of that you have people like LaDainian Tomlinson making their pitches for him to stay as well.
Schools like Georgia and Texas A&M were high on his list coming out of high school. Both schools would obviously like to have his talents added to their backfield. I think Texas A&M would have the slight edge currently due to location as one of the reasons he first left Georgia was to be closer to home.
Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel was able to lead the UCF Golden Knights to some pretty successful seasons during his time in Orlando. A collarbone injury cut his season short this year at UCF and he now looks elsewhere to finish his career. It is heavily rumored that he ends up at Ole Miss and that is no surprise at all.
Ole Miss is coming off a very impressive season this year in the SEC, and likely will see Matt Corral taken in the NFL Draft. Lane Kiffin has shown to be very good in the transfer portal in the past, especially with quarterbacks, so I believe this is where he will be looking no matter what. Dillon Gabriel fits a very similar mold of Matt Corral, and would slide in perfectly in that Rebels offense.
Spencer Rattler
If Dillon Gabriel heads to Ole Miss that would make things a little more interesting for Spencer Rattler. Arizona and Arizona State have reportedly been very high on his list due to him being from the state. Ole Miss was my favorite landing spot for him but I could definitely see him at other spots.
Arizona State would be one of the best options for Rattler to fit into. Jayden Daniels is still currently on the roster but is coming off a less than solid season himself for the Sun Devils. Arizona State was a team that was partially in the mix during his recruitment, and is only 15 minutes from where Rattler grew up as a kid. Oregon has been rumored to have been making moves and keeping in contact with the former five-star QB. They currently have someone already on the roster they can turn to in cause of quarterback trouble in Ty Thompson though. I think it is a safe bet to say Rattler ends up back home in Arizona to possibly help the Sun Devils compete for a Pac-12 championship.
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jahmyr Gibbs is the highest rated running back in the transfer portal currently according to 247Sports. With Georgia Tech unable to make a strong push in the ACC it is no surprise he has decided to leave before the NFL Draft. Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Georgia Tech were the main schools in his recruitment coming out of high school and all three of those remaining schools could still use his talents.
Alabama could be an early favorite here but I wouldn’t rule out Florida either. They could use an explosive running back in that offense, and the Gators yet to have found a lead back on the roster. At the end of the day though Alabama is in a situation where they actually really need help at a position, and when Nick Saban comes knocking you answer. Alabama will have one of the best offensive line units in the nation which will definitely be a breath of fresh air for Gibbs.
Jadon Haselwood
Another highly touted recruit from Georgia in the transfer portal is Jadon Haselwood. Coming out of Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia Haselwood was a Top-4 recruit in the Class of 2019. He committed to the University of Oklahoma and has since been a solid contribution to the Sooners offense.
At one point Haselwood was a Georgia commit before flipping over to Oklahoma. I wouldn’t be shocked if Haselwood went back home to Georgia and helped the Bulldogs continue to compete for National Championships. They could still use an extra receiver in that offense, and they should be getting Arik Gilbert back from injury next year.
Marvin Mims Jr
The third Oklahoma Sooner on this list happens to be another wide receiver. Marvin Mims Jr is another important offensive weapon to hit the transfer portal for the Sooners and just like Haselwood I wouldn’t expect him to follow to USC.
TCU quarterback Chandler Morris was one of the first people to make a public move at the now free agent receiver. Back when Morris was at OU both him and Mims were roommates thus having a pretty strong relationship. Mims is also from the Frisco area, and Morris is from Highland Park so the two have been around each other for a very long time.
I would expect TCU to actually be able to make a very strong move at securing the receiver to Fort Worth. The University of Texas could have a serious shot at stealing from its arch rival as well. Texas has whiffed on receivers like Jordan Hudson, Caleb Burton, and even Evan Stewart. It would be huge for the Longhorns to reel back in some in-state talent that once left the state.
