The spring window for college football players to enter the NCAA transfer portal has closed with Sunday marking the registration deadline. Although many notable players have long since submitted their names and have since settled on new homes, a handful of transfer portal entries this term have yet to announce where their talents will take them. next season.
There is no set deadline for players on the transfer portal to commit to a new scheme, but time is of the essence for players and schools as roster gaps are filled – and some schools have more holes to fill than others. No program is undergoing as big an overhaul this offseason as Colorado, with more than 40 Buffaloes entering the transfer window in the spring window alone as the first enters its debut season under coach Deion Sanders.
Sanders and Colorado have no shortage of high-level transfer talent to replace those departures from the 2022 roster, but some of Colorado’s departing players are making hot names on the non-committal transfer portal. Wide receivers Jordyn Tyson and Montana Lemonious-Craig were Colorado’s top pass rushers a year ago, and both remain on the transfer market heading into the week.
As coaching staffs across the country finalize their rosters for the 2023 college football season, here are some of the top players up for grabs after the spring transfer portal window has come and gone.
Previous school: UTSA
Franklin has posted productive numbers in each of the last two seasons as UTSA won Conference USA championships. The Dallas native caught 81 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021 and upped his production to 93 catches for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. The latter earned him a Phil Steele Honorable Mention for All America. With four years of experience and the aforementioned performance, he can instantly improve any offense that an experienced passenger needs.
Previous school: Michigan State
When it comes to Power Five wide receivers still on the transfer portal, Coleman tops that list. Coleman led all Michigan State players in 2022 with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns and has two years left as he looks for a new home. 247Sports ranked Coleman as one of the top 50 WRs in the 2021 recruiting cycle, with more than 40 schools extending her offers. Expect the Louisiana native to receive plenty of interest from schools looking to add a reliable target to their offense.
Previous school: JamesMadison
Ukwu, a seventh-grader, battled injuries early in his career at James Madison, but has started every game for the Dukes the past two seasons. He earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors after recording 40 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2022, JMU’s first at the FBS level since leaving the Colonial Athletic Association for the Sun Belt. Ukwu was a second-team All-CAA selection in 2021 after recording 44 total tackles and nine sacks. For any school looking to significantly boost the pass rush, Ukwu could be the answer.
Previous school: TCU
There are rumors of Hudson landing at SMU, the school that signed Hudson as a four-star prospect before transferring to TCU when the Sonny Dykes regime left Dallas for Fort Worth. Originally a verbal commit to Oklahoma, Hudson still has a lot to prove compared to some others on the roster, but he showed flashes as a true freshman during TCU’s run to the College Football Playoff National Championship last season . Hudson finished his lone season as a Horned Frog with just 14 touchdown passes, but three of those receptions went for touchdowns.
Previous school: Houston
Johnson, the third Transfer Portal entry from a Texas school to make the list, rose to the occasion on Houston’s offensive line in 2022. He started all 13 games for the Cougars at left tackle and accepted one sack all season, earned him first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors. 247Sports reported in mid-April that Johnson had been given transfer options to USC and Missouri, and both schools should get a lot out of him in the trenches. Arkansas was also reportedly among those pursuing Johnson after listing him on the transfer portal.
6. Alton McCaskill, RB
Previous school: Houston
McCaskill is just a gamble because he missed all of 2022 due to injury, but he was completely out of a ball two years ago. A true freshman in 2021, McCaskill rushed for 981 yards and 16 touchdowns on 189 carries for Houston and also caught 21 passes for 113 yards and two scores as the Cougars roared to 12 wins. There are rumblings of Deion Sanders and Colorado making a strong push for the Texas native as the Buffaloes renew their roster. 247Sports ranked McCaskill the No. 28 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
Previous school: Florida
Henderson not only brings a healthy dose of SEC experience, but also versatility. The former four-star prospect and Miami native made 14 starts for the Gators over the past two seasons and doubled as a return specialist. The 2022 season was Henderson’s most productive with 38 receptions for 410 yards and two touchdowns. During his three-year career at Florida, Henderson had 75 receptions for 835 yards and five touchdowns, adding 137 yards on kickoff returns and 270 yards on punt returns. Henderson entered the transfer window in the spring window, so he cannot transfer to an SEC institution without giving up eligibility for the 2023 season.
Previous schools: Nebraska (2022), Texas (2018-21)
If Thompson can stay healthy, he will bring serious depth to the next quarterback room he joins. Thompson was the starter at Texas in 2021 and Nebraska in 2022, but injuries plagued both tenures. Thompson battled through a thumb injury with the Longhorns — he’s still throwing for 24 touchdowns this fall — and then suffered a shoulder injury with the Cornhuskers last year that required offseason surgery. Over the last two seasons, Thompson completed 535 passes for 4,520 yards with a 41-19 touchdown-to-interception ratio and rushed for nine additional touchdowns. Auburn is reportedly on his list to visit.
9. Jordyn Tyson, WR
Previous school: Colorado
Tyson, Colorado’s leading receiver in 2022, made his move before suffering an injury against Oregon in early November. Tyson recorded 115 yards and a touchdown against Arizona State and then went for 135 yards and a touchdown in the aforementioned contest against the Ducks. If he recovers from last season’s injury-related setback, the Allen (Texas) High School product at his next stop could be an immediate transfer. It was reported that TCU, which hosts Colorado in Week 1, showed interest shortly after Tyson entered the transfer portal.
Previous school: Michigan State
Along with Thompson, Thorne is one of the most outstanding quarterbacks still on the market. Michigan State’s two-year starter was plagued by inconsistency in 2022 as the Spartans stumbled to a 5-7 mark, but Thorne was a key part of an offense in 2021 that propelled MSU to an 11-2 finish and a New Year’s Six Bowl victory led. . Thorne completed 60.4% of his passes for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns against 10 interceptions this season. For teams looking to add a signal caller with Power Five experience, he checks the boxes.
Price: Montana Lemonious-Craig, WR (Colorado); Trequon Fegans, CB (Alabama); Jalil Tucker, CB (Oregon)
