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Ranking the Top 25 transfers in the SEC

Neil Blackmon

By Neil Blackmon

Published:

College football is the ultimate talent acquisition business.

“Recruit or die,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart famously quipped after walloping rival Florida 34-7 in 2021. Smart, the best recruiter in the sport, has that right, but he’d tell you that three years later, in 2024, you could modify that sentiment to “Recruit and portal or die.”

The best programs are elite on the recruiting trail and in the portal.

Take Michigan. The 2023 national champions used multiple top-15 recruiting classes to build a champion, but supplemented it with 6 starters from the transfer portal, including All-American Drake Nugent, who anchored the Wolverines title-winning offensive line.

The portal has been a lifeline in the SEC, too, of course. From Heisman winning quarterbacks (LSU’s Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels) to SEC title clinching receivers (Alabama’s Jermaine Burton), the transfer portal is a vital place for programs to shore up roster weaknesses, replace talent lost to graduation, the pros, or attrition, and improve depth.

The 2023 offseason saw a record number of players enter the transfer portal and, as you’d expect, the SEC was a huge factor in where the most coveted transfers landed. Five of the nation’s top 6 transfer portal classes hail from the SEC, according to 247 Sports, with Ole Miss leading the way at No. 1.

From quarterbacks to defensive tackles to perimeter playmakers, the transfer portal haul in the SEC is staggering.

Here’s the SDS ranking of the Top 25 transfers in the SEC for the 2024 season.

25. Darris Smith, Edge (Missouri)

Smith will play plenty for Corey Batoon’s first defense in CoMo. A highly coveted recruit out of high school, Smith stayed home to play for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs but struggled to break through a crowded front 7 rotation in 2 seasons in Athens. That lack of playing time doesn’t reflect a lack of work ethic or ability, a Georgia assistant told SDS this week.

“(Darris) is a get off the bus guy — he looks different and he plays fast and works hard. It was a matter of time for him and he’s going to do well at Missouri,” the Georgia assistant said.

A track star who was the Georgia state champion in the 400 meters despite a 6-5, 240-pound frame, Smith’s elite speed and strength will be a key factor for a Tigers defense that loses 10 players who started games for last year’s 11-2 Cotton Bowl champion.

24. Cormani McClain, CB (Florida)

The No. 1 corner in the country out of high school a season ago, McClain was a can’t-miss prospect who missed badly at his first stop, struggling to find the field for Deion Sanders at Colorado. Questions linger about McClain’s work ethic, and ultimately, how much McClain invests in the reality that talent isn’t enough at the Power 4 level — where everyone is good — will dictate how big an impact McClain has back at home in Gainesville. The Gators return all 4 starters in the secondary, but there’s zero question the Lakeland product has the talent to become a star in the SEC. Whether he reaches his immense potential or becomes a warning to future big-time prospects who decline the invite to work hard is the sole question.

23. Brock Vandagriff, QB (Kentucky)

Vandagriff doesn’t fall precisely into the McClain camp, but he is a guy who was a massive recruiting win for Georgia (top-5 prep quarterback) who now arrives in Lexington after failing to win the job in Athens. Long on talent, but lean on experience, Vandagriff will need to hold off Gavin Wimsatt, who transfers from Rutgers with starting experience, in camp. If he does, Vandagriff has the physical gifts to raise the ceiling for Kentucky, which hasn’t won more than 7 games since 2022.

22. Donovan Saunders, CB (Texas A&M)

An All-Big Sky corner and FCS All-American at Cal Poly, Saunders had 5 interceptions a season ago while ranking in the top 10 nationally in passes defended (14) and pass breakups (15). Saunders allowed just 36% of targets against to be completed as well, suggesting he’ll have every opportunity to start alongside Tyreek Chappell, Will Lee, or Jaydon Hill in Mike Elko’s first Aggies secondary. Elko worked wonders with productive players who made the step up in competition in his brief time at Duke. Saunders fits that mold and should shine in College Station.

21. Blake Shapen, QB (Miss State)

Jeff Lebby’s first team in Starkville needed a boost after the transfer of program mainstay Will Rogers III to Washington. Enter Shapen, who threw for over 5,000 yards in his career at Baylor, including 2,188 in an injury-limited season in 2023 where he dramatically improved from a ball security standpoint, tossing just 3 interceptions a season removed from committing 13 turnovers for the Bears. If Shapen can build on those improvements, there’s no reason the Bulldogs can’t go bowling in year one under Lebby.

20. Jardin Gilbert, S (LSU)

Injuries derailed Gilbert’s third season at Texas A&M, but all’s well that ends well, and the Baton Rouge native returns home to LSU where he gives Blake Baker’s first LSU defense an anchor with plenty of high-level SEC experience. The Tigers hemorrhaged big plays a season ago — Gilbert, a steady tackler who ranked 2nd on Texas A&M in tackles as a sophomore in 2022, should help slow the bleeding that led to Matt House’s dismissal as defensive coordinator following the 2023 season.

19. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR (Auburn)

Huge Freeze needed more playmakers in his offense and landed one with massive upside in Lambert-Smith. The Penn State transfer and former blue chip recruit gives the Tigers a true home run threat over the top with 3 career touchdown catches of 70 yards or more in his time in State College. He also arrives coming off the best season of his career, a 53-reception, 4-touchdown campaign for Penn State in 2023.

18. Kyle Kennard, Edge (South Carolina)

Shane Beamer’s program lacked defensive playmakers a season ago, which is a huge reason they finished 87th in total defense despite finishing a respectable 65th in yards allowed per play (5.5). The Gamecocks ranked 13th in the SEC in sacks (21) and last in quarterback pressures. Enter Kyle Kennard, who had 6 sacks for Georgia Tech a season ago, forced 2 fumbles, and ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in quarterback pressures. That’s a masterful portal get by Beamer, and one that could change the fate of the Gamecocks’ defense in 2024.

17. Marcus Carroll, RB (Missouri)

Year 1 after Cody Schrader won’t be an easy one for Missouri. The good news is there are options. Replacing a generational performer at running back will happen by committee in CoMo this autumn, but Carroll is by far the most productive portal addition Eli Drinkwitz brought in this offseason. A First-Team All-Sun Belt running back and Doak Walker Award semifinalist, Carroll ran for 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns a season ago at Georgia State. With a rushing success rate of 57%, Carroll is also the only Missouri running back with a success rate over 50%, as the Tigers’ other transfer, Nate Noel (Appalachian State) was explosive but less consistent (48% success rate).

16. Elijhah Badger, WR (Florida)

The last Arizona State wide receiver to transfer to Florida did well for himself, as Ricky Pearsall heard his name called Round 1 in the NFL Draft this past spring. Badger isn’t the route runner Pearsall is, but he is fast and physical enough to give Graham Mertz a potential WR 1 in 2024. Badger has hauled in 135 passes over the past 2 seasons, scoring 10 touchdowns and gaining 1,600 yards. If a back injury that limited him late in 2023 doesn’t linger, Badger could find himself higher on this list by the end of the 2024 season.

15. Robert Lewis, WR (Auburn)

Lewis is the perfect possession complement to go with Lambert-Smith, having caught 70 passes for 897 yards at Georgia State a season ago. But Lewis isn’t only a possession guy, as this 97-yard touchdown last year against Charlotte suggests.

Bottom line? The portal has revamped the Auburn receiving room, giving an Auburn offense that finished a woeful 87th in yards per play a season ago the chance to be far more explosive.

14. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)

Pavia, the 2023 Conference-USA Player of the Year, will slide into a starting role for Clark Lea’s fourth Vanderbilt team after throwing for 2,973 yards and 33 touchdown passes last year at New Mexico State. Auburn fans know Pavia well after he tallied 236 total yards and threw 3 touchdowns in a 31-10 rout of the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium last November. Pavia will see the Tigers again on Nov. 2. Does he have enough juice and talent to lead a Commodores team that returns 15 starters to its first bowl game since 2018?

13. Joey Slackman, DT (Florida)

Slackman gives off major Braden Fiske vibes — a big-time physical talent with All-American upside. An All-Ivy League and FCS All-American a season ago for Penn, Slackman attended Penn to wrestle but ultimately found his way to a starring role on the football team, where he finished with 12 tackles for loss (2nd in the Ivy League) and led all Ivy League defensive tackles in quarterback pressures a season ago (31). Slackman graded out as the No. 3 defensive linemen in the portal, per PFF, and the best from a FCS program. With good size and an explosive first step, Slackman will likely hear his name called in the NFL Draft next spring.

12. Lance Heard, OT (Tennessee)

Occasionally, a talent is so immense that a paucity of past production doesn’t matter much. That’s the story with Heard, a physically imposing and athletic tackle who was a top-25 national recruit out of high school. He arrives from LSU after a year as a reserve for Brian Kelly and the Tigers. The Louisiana native’s decision to transfer after just 1 season stunned many outside observers, but in the portal era, the chance to play often trumps Home State U affiliations. Heard is a future NFL tackle who will start in Knoxville, protecting the blindside of another 5-star high school prospect, Nico Iamaleava.

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11. Cayden Green, OT (Missouri)

Missouri doesn’t just have to replace Cody Schrader offensively. They also lose All-American linemen and program mainstay Javon Foster. Enter Cayden Green, a former top-100 recruit who started 5 games for Oklahoma a season ago before transferring back to his home state of Missouri. Green offers Drinkwitz immense versatility, as his 5 starts for the Sooners were at guard but he has flashed consistent promise at tackle. While another transfer, Marcus Bryant, will handle protecting Brady Cook’s blindside, Green is the guy with the highest promise.

10. Deion Burks, WR (Oklahoma)

Burks brings outstanding speed and electric playmaking ability to Norman from Purdue, where he led the Boilermakers a season ago with 7 touchdown receptions. With Oklahoma’s retooled, young offensive line, Burks should have plenty of chances to get the ball quickly in space — where he’s shown he can thrive in Power 4 college football to date.

9. Raheim Sanders, RB (South Carolina)

One of the quieter stories of the SEC portal season was the fact that Beamer landed a 1,000-yard SEC rusher from the portal in Raheim Sanders, who heads to the Gamecocks from Arkansas. Perhaps it is Rocket’s injury history (past ACL, labrum injuries) that kept his arrival in Columbia from gaining much acclaim. Nonetheless, if healthy, he’ll help the Gamecocks in their shift to a more run-oriented offensive attack in 2023. An All-American in 2022, Sanders has rushed for over 2,000 yards in his career with 20 touchdowns, an obvious upgrade for a program that returns excellent talent up front as well.

8. Damonic Williams, DT (Oklahoma)

Williams earned All-Big 12 honors at TCU a season ago, registering 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and commanding double teams on 37% of snaps, per Stats Solutions. Williams was a Freshman All-American on a national championship finalist in 2022, starting all 15 games after arriving in Fort Worth. He’ll anchor the middle of a deep Sooners defensive line that also added another terrific transfer in First-Team All-MAC defensive end Caiden Woullard.

7. Keon Sabb, S (Alabama)

“Maybe one of the 5 smartest football players I’ve ever been around,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore told SDS ahead of last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal.

Capable of playing one-high or lining up at corner, Sabb was a key figure on Michigan’s national champion a season ago. Now he plays for the coach he terrorized in the national title game, when he registered 6 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and allowed just 1 completion against on 4 targets.

6. Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB (Arkansas)

Jackson takes his talents to the SEC after leading Utah in rushing yards (797), rushing touchdowns (4), and 100-yard games (3). Jackson also gives Sam Pittman a nice wrinkle with his ability to take snaps at quarterback, something he did successfully on multiple occasions at Utah. A powerful runner who has never been the lone feature back, Jackson steps into the injury-prone shoes of Sanders for an offense that expects to be vastly improved running the football in 2024.

5. Princely Umanmielen, Edge (Ole Miss)

Umanmielen earned second-team All-SEC honors leading the Gators in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (7.0), and quarterback hurries (17) a season ago, grading out as 1 of the top 5 edge defenders in the SEC, per PFF. Umanmielen also improved dramatically against the run, registering a career high 39 tackles and grading out as a top 25 SEC defensive linemen against the run. Now at Ole Miss, Umanmielen has a chance to shine away from the double teams that he face constantly as the Gators’ lone pass rushing threat. Umanmielen also is highly motivated to improve his draft status, where he’s currently slated to be selected in the 2nd or 3rd round.

4. Isaiah Bond, WR (Texas)

A dynamic perimeter playmaker, Bond averaged 13.9 yards per reception for Alabama a season ago before becoming one of a host of Crimson Tide defections after Nick Saban’s retirement. His 92% open rate ranked 3rd among SEC receivers a season ago as well, a figure that bodes well as he transitions to the experienced passing ability of Quinn Ewers.

Bond should have every opportunity to be “that dude” for the Longhorns on the perimeter and a big season should end with the spotlight of the College Football Playoff.

3. Walter Nolen, DL (Ole Miss)

Nolen was the No. 2 ranked recruit in 2022 and a top-5 portal player this offseason, staying in the SEC with Ole Miss after 2 productive seasons at Texas A&M. Nolen’s breakout started a season ago, when he commanded double teams on 33% of snaps and finished with 4 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures. Thanks to a star-studded transfer class that includes elite edge rushers like Princely Umanmielen, Nolen may get to operate a bit more freely inside this season in Oxford. The talent has been there from the beginning, but the Rebels are the program that will benefit from the end product the most.

2. Trevor Etienne, RB (Georgia)

“Every time that kid touches the ball, you hold your breath,” an opposing SEC head coach told SDS last week when gushing about Etienne, who was among the portal’s most coveted playmakers. Etienne’s time in Athens didn’t get off to a great start, as he was charged with DUI shortly after transferring (he ultimately pled down to reckless driving with probation). But if Etienne fixes the pass-blocking woes that kept him from being the bell cow at Florida, he’ll have a chance to be an All-American at Georgia.

With an explosive first step, elusive agility and terrific field vision, Etienne may be a better pure runner than his brother Travis, a Clemson All-American and now a stalwart for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“He has a chance to be the most impactful transfer in the SEC,” the SEC head coach told SDS.

1. Nic Scourton, Edge (Texas A&M)

Scourton led the Big Ten in sacks and quarterback pressures (42) at Purdue, despite facing double teams on 38.5% of snaps, per Stats Solutions. Scourton managed all of this in just 11 games, registering a sack in 8 of those contests. He now returns to his native Texas to play for Mike Elko, who has a history of deploying defensive line talent beautifully to maximize quarterback havoc. An All-American campaign is incoming.

Neil Blackmon

Neil Blackmon covers Florida football and the SEC for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.

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