Top college transfers to know for ’22
LSU has added 15 transfers since hiring coach Brian Kelly. Southern California and Ole Miss have added 14 newcomers. Alabama’s reeled in five, but the Crimson Tide have made them count.
Transfer season has exploded across the Football Bowl Subdivision and reshaped rosters and the chase for the national championship.
Among the big names making moves are quarterback Caleb Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, defensive lineman Jared Verse and safety Brandon Joseph.
And the dust hasn’t quite cleared on transfer season, with dozens more entering the portal since the end of spring drills to meet the May 1 deadline and be eligible to play immediately in 2022. Among those newcomers that have already found a new home, here’s the best of the best in the FBS:
Quarterbacks
Caleb Williams, Southern California (Oklahoma): His reunion with new USC coach Lincoln Riley has been one of the top story lines of the offseason. The hyped pairing of coach and star quarterback might not yield a Pac-12 championship in 2021, but Williams is the best player at his position in the conference and one of the young faces of the sport.
Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (Central Florida): Like Williams, Gabriel gets to play under a familiar face in Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who previously held the same position at UCF. If not as flashy as some of the Sooners’ recent quarterbacks, Gabriel is a steady and experienced starter with the ability to unleash the entire spectrum of OU’s passing game.
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (Oklahoma): The starter in 2020 and in the first month of the 2021 season, Rattler was replaced by Williams in the Sooners’ win against Texas and spent the rest of the year in a reserve role. Heading to the SEC gives him a chance to reboot things with a coach and program on the rise in Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks.
Running backs
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (Georgia Tech): The box-score-stuffing sophomore will be a great fit alongside quarterback
Bryce Young and a huge hit in a system that knows how to take advantage of skill talent. In his one season with the Yellow Jackets, Gibbs racked up 746 yards rushing, 470 receiving yards and 589 yards on kickoff returns (25.6 yards per return) with seven total touchdowns.
Zach Evans, Ole Miss (TCU): Evans ran for 648 yards in six games last season, four times going over 100 yards, before missing most of October and all of November with a toe injury.
Montrell Johnson, Florida (Louisiana-Lafayette): Johnson knows how to produce in new coach Billy Napier’s system after going for 838 yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns as a freshman in 2021.
Wide receivers
Mario Williams, Southern California (Oklahoma): Williams’ brief, oneyear run with the Sooners never really took off, though he was a reliable option (35 receptions for 380 yards) in a crowded and more experienced receiver corps.
Isaiah Neyor, Texas (Wyoming): Neyor is a big-play target set to bring an element of danger to a receiver group in dire need of more explosiveness. He made 44 grabs for 878 yards and 12
touchdowns as a sophomore and averaged 31 yards per his eight catches in 2020.
Tyler Harrell, Alabama (Louisville): And speaking of getting downfield: Harrell averaged a whopping 29.1 yards per catch in 2021 (18 for 523 yards).
Offensive line
Victor Oluwatimi, Michigan (Virginia): An all-conference pick with the Cavaliers, Oluwatimi will anchor the middle of Michigan’s offensive line and ensure the Wolverines’ running game remains among the most productive in the Power Five.
O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida (Louisiana-Lafayette): Like Montrell Johnson, Torrence brings a comfort level with Napier’s scheme that almost ensures he’ll be in the starting lineup for the Gators’ opener.
Tyler Steen, Alabama (Vanderbilt): It’s not certain that Steen will start for the Crimson Tide, though he’ll have the opportunity to earn a spot during fall camp.
Defensive line
Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska (TCU): Mathis is a top-end edge rusher good enough to change the entire tenor of the
Nebraska defense and make the Cornhuskers an actual contender in the Big Ten West.
Jared Verse, Florida State (Albany): Verse has quickly put to rest any questions about his ability to transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the ACC.
Akheem Mesidor, Miami (West Virginia): The two-time All-Big 12 pick is a huge portal grab for the Hurricanes, who have made a huge effort to reel in defensive linemen since the arrival of new coach Mario Cristobal.
Linebacker
Mohamoud Diabate, Utah (Florida): Diabate made 17 starts in three seasons at Florida but has the chance to take his college career to a new level as Utah’s projected replacement for Devin Lloyd, one of two inside linebackers to go in the first round of the draft.
Drew Sanders, Arkansas (Alabama): Sanders is one reason why Arkansas’ defense is expected to remain in the top half of the SEC after ranking fifth in the conference last year in yards allowed per play.
Jackson Sirmon, California (Washington): Sirmon will make an inconference and in-division transfer to play under his father, Peter, the Golden Bears’ defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.
Defensive back
Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame (Northwestern): One of the top defenders in the portal, Joseph brings experience and production to a Notre Dame secondary that needs to replace star safety Kyle Hamilton. Look for the junior to step right into those shoes and play at an All-America level.
Eli Ricks, Alabama (LSU): A fivestar talent ripped from Alabama’s SEC West rival, Ricks was terrific as a freshman in 2020, when he made four interceptions and earned second-team allconference honors, but was limited to six games last season.
Tanner McCalister, Ohio State (Oklahoma State): A multiple-year starter for the Cowboys under new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, McCalister may be an invaluable one-year rental for his ability to translate the new scheme to the rest of the Buckeyes’ defense.