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College football’s transfer portal is a hit-or-miss proposition.
There’s no better example than Florida State.
Two seasons ago, Mike Norvell hit it out of the park with a transfer class that included NFL Draft picks Keon Coleman, Jaheim Bell and Braden Fiske – key elements in an undefeated ACC championship season.
He swung for the fences again this year with another large portal haul. Only this time he whiffed, not just on quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, sending the Seminoles from first to worst in the conference.
The floodgates have opened again and another free-agent feeding frenzy has begun.
Because all transfer classes are not created equally, here’s a look at the most pressing portal needs for each of the ACC’s 17 teams:
Boston College
Offensive line.
The Eagles are losing elite pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, and will be thin at quarterback with the transfer of Thomas Castellanos. But the biggest area of need is on the offensive line, where Bill O’Brien will need to find replacements for both starting guard Jack Connelly and tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
Cal
Quarterback, offensive line.
Former Auburn coach Bryan Harsin was just hired as the Bears’ new offensive coordinator. And he has a big job ahead of him. Not only do he and coach Justin Wilcox have to find reinforcements for an offensive line that gave up 45 sacks and had trouble opening holes for the ACC’s 14th-ranked rushing offense, along with a thin receiving corps. But with Wednesday’s announcement that starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza plans to enter the portal, they’ll need to find someone to lead the offense, too. Needless to say they’ll be busy between now and next September.
Clemson
You’re kidding, right?
(Mock all you want, but Dabo Swinney’s homegrown Tigers are ACC champs again and back in the Playoff.)
Duke
Receivers, running back.
Manny Diaz didn’t waste any time addressing his biggest transfer portal need. Less than 24 hours after record-setting starting QB Maalik Murphy (26 TD passes) and promising redshirt Grayson Loftis both announced they were leaving, the Blue Devils’ coach landed a suitable replacement in Tulane’s Darian Mensah – one of the highest-rated players to enter the portal. With that now done, Diaz can set his sights on acquiring talent to put around his new quarterback. It’s a priority with leading rusher Star Thomas and top receivers Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol having exhausted their eligibility.
Florida State
Quarterback, wide receiver.
Mike Norvell swung and missed on DJ Uiagalelei. Brock Glenn wasn’t the answer. And now touted freshman Luke Kromenhoek, the No. 4-ranked QB in last year’s recruiting class, has entered the portal. That leaves a clean slate for new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to fill. It’s been reported that he’s already landed Boston College’s Thomas Castellanos, who spent a season with Mahlzahn at UCF before joining the Eagles in 2023. Whoever starts at quarterback will need some new targets to bolster a receiving corps that was underwhelming at best and a big reason FSU ranked 130th out of 133 FBS teams in scoring offense at just 15.4 points per game.
Georgia Tech
Pass rush, secondary.
The Yellow Jackets have made great strides in their 2 seasons under Brent Key. But there’s still plenty of work left to be done, especially on defense. Tech improved from next-to-last in the ACC in scoring defense at 29.5 points per game in 2023 to 9th this season at 24.8. But they still finished dead last in the conference with only 17 sacks in 12 games. The lack of consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks also hurt a secondary whose 5 interceptions were the 2nd-fewest in the league.
Louisville
Defensive line.
Jeff Brohm has been one of the most active, if not the most active coach in the country on the portal during his 2 seasons with the Cardinals. He brought in 25 transfers in his first class and 27 last year. Because he won’t have to load up as heavily this time, he’ll have the luxury of concentrating on specific areas of need. And the biggest need is on the defensive line, where the departure of anchor Ashton Gillotte will leave a gaping hole to fill. Brohm added 4 defensive linemen during the Early Signing Period, which will help in the future. To avoid having to rely heavily on true freshmen in 2025, he’ll look to add multiple veterans to bridge the gap.
Miami
Quarterback.
Cam Ward is a Heisman Trophy finalist and is projected to be among the first players taken in the NFL Draft. Replacing him and his school-record 36 touchdown passes is Mario Cristobal’s top priority. Given Ward’s success this season, Cristobal should have his pick of the litter off the portal again this year. The list of options includes another quarterback who set school records in 2024, Duke’s Maalik Murphy.
North Carolina
Offensive playmakers.
This is largely TBA, as the active roster reacts to new coach Bill Belichick. No matter what, UNC desperately needs offensive playmakers throughout the lineup. Its only viable weapon in 2024, ACC leading rusher Omarion Hampton, is expected to enter the NFL Draft; leading receiver JJ Jones is out of eligibility. So running backs and receivers, along with a quarterback unless Max Johnson is fully healthy, are priorities.
NC State
Linebacker.
State has become Linebacker U, producing a steady stream of NFL talent at the position including Germaine Pratt, Vi Jones, Drake Thomas and Payton Wilson. But this year’s crop, other than converted safety Sean Brown, left a lot to be desired and led to a major drop-off in defensive efficiency. Some of that can be attributed to an early injury to leading tackler Caden Fordham. Even though Fordham has already committed to returning next season, upgrading the talent level at linebacker is an absolute must for whoever ends up getting the job replacing Tony Gibson as defensive coordinator.
Pittsburgh
Offensive line.
Injuries, especially the one that sidelined left tackle Branson Taylor, contributed to the Panthers’ offensive line struggles as the season progressed. And those struggles ultimately led to quarterback Eli Holstein getting banged up and a 5-game losing streak to end the regular season. To avoid a similar situation next season, Pat Narduzzi – who will likely be coaching for his job in 2025 – will need to prioritize talent and depth on his transfer portal wish list.
SMU
Edge rusher, running back.
The Mustangs led the ACC in sacks with 40 this season. Seven came from Jahfari Harvey. Although Rhett Lashlee’s team will return Harvey’s bookend Isaiah Smith, who was right behind with 6.5 sacks, replacing Harvey will be a priority. So will replacing another former Miami transfer. Brashard Smith might have been the steal of last year’s portal class when he switched from wide receiver to running back and complemented quarterback Kevin Jennings by leading SMU in rushing with 1,270 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Stanford
Everything.
Kicker Emmet Kenney, whose walk-off field goals provided the Cardinal with their only 2 ACC wins, has announced he’s returning. That’s 1 problem solved, but Troy Taylor and his staff need to address almost everything else. Stanford was last in the conference in scoring defense and was 15th out of 17 teams in scoring offense while going 3-9 for the second straight year. Both of their top 2 quarterbacks, Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson, are already in the portal.
Syracuse
Quarterback.
Fran Brown hit the jackpot in his first foray into the portal by landing a class that helped produce a 9-3 debut. The cream of that crop was quarterback Kyle McCord. Unwanted by Ohio State, McCord set several school records and led the nation with 4,326 passing yards. Now all Brown needs to do for an encore is find someone to replace his star passer.
Virginia
Quarterback.
Anthony Colandrea, a talented but erratic sophomore who was thrown into a starting role much too soon, has entered the portal. Backup Tony Muskett is out of eligibility. While the Cavaliers have a lot of glaring needs on both sides of the ball, finding a quarterback is Job 1 for Tony Elliott. And not just one. He’ll need to bring in at least 2 viable candidates to give himself options and a suitable backup.
Virginia Tech
Defensive line.
The top priority is finding a replacement for ace edge rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who has recorded 25.5 sacks in his 2 seasons with the Hokies, including 16.5 this year. Right behind that is finding a reliable run-stopper to replace Aeneas Peebles inside. Published reports indicate that Brent Pry has already reached out to several potential transfer candidates, including defensive end Kameron Olds, who had 6 sacks this season for Kent State.
Wake Forest
Secondary.
The Deacons got their mojo back on offense with the arrival of transfer quarterback Hank Bachmeier and the emergence of running back Demond Claiborne. But their defense continued to hold them back. The main contributor to a second straight 4-8 season was a secondary that ranked next-to-last in the ACC against the pass, allowing 277 yards per game and 23 touchdowns through the air. Safety Nick Anderson is back for 1 more season. But he needs a lot of help.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
