Five SEC schools hit hardest by the transfer portal

It’s only been two weeks, but the transfer portal has already drawn more than 1,000 players. Action has been especially high in the SEC, where retooling your roster is essential to keep afloat in the nation’s most competitive conference.

Here’s a look at five SEC schools that were hit the hardest by the transfer portal so far.

MORE: TRANSFER TRACKER

Total losses: 24

Biggest losses: Texas A&M has been hit hard both in terms of quantity and quality. Four of the Aggies’ portal entrants rank in the top 25 of the Rivals Transfer Tracker, including former five-star recruits in freshman defensive back Denver Harris (No. 6) and redshirt freshman defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye (No. 7) as well as highly-rated four-star talents in freshman receiver Chris Marshall (No. 16) and redshirt freshman running back L.J. Johnson Jr. (No. 24). No member of that quartet made a significant impact this season, but each was ranked in the top 50 of their respective recruiting class.

Outlook: Texas A&M won’t be playing in a bowl game following a disappointing 5-7 season. Perhaps that’s a good thing as the Aggies would have a difficult time fielding a team at the moment. Texas A&M has lost nearly a third of its roster with 24 players entering the transfer portal. Along with losing several of its top talents, the Aggies have also seen their depth depleted at several positions.

Texas A&M is down to just two scholarship cornerbacks in Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon. The Aggies are favored to land former North Carolina defensive back Tony Grimes, the No. 13 overall player in the Rivals Transfer Tracker. The junior has 28 combined starts in his three years with the Tar Heels and would be plug-and-play addition to Texas A&M’s defense. Still, much is needed to reshape the roster as a whole.

Rebuilding depth through the portal is a tricky task as it’s a lot easier to entice players on the opportunity of instant playing time than it is to sell them on moving to resume a reserve role. How Jimbo Fisher navigates the transfer waters this offseaosn could have a big say about his future in College Station, Texas.

Total losses: 14

Biggest losses: None of Alabama’s portal entrants are irreplaceable but a few will sting the Crimson Tide moving forward. Alabama saw its starting left guard, Javion Cohen commit to Miami on Sunday. It’s also losing three top 25 players in the Rivals Transfer Tracker in freshman receiver Aaron Anderson (No. 2, committed to LSU), redshirt freshman offensive lineman Tommy Brockermeyer (No. 15) and sophomore receiver Jojo Earle (No. 18, committed to TCU). Of that bunch, Anderson and Earle hurt the most as the pair of young receivers provide the explosion Alabama has failed to maintain in its offense at times this season.

Outlook: Like Texas A&M, Alabama’s challenge will be based around replenishing its depth at certain spots.

Brockermeyer and Cohen are two of five offensive linemen the Crimson Tide has lost to the transfer portal. Alabama is also set to lose up to four more seniors in the unit as starters Emil Ekiyor Jr. and Tyler Steen will move on along with versatile reserve Kendall Randolph while Darrian Dalcourt could follow them to the next level. Without all four, Alabama would return just seven of its 16 scholarship linemen from this season.

Along with losing Anderson and Earle, Alabama also saw sophomore receiver Christian Leary transfer to Central Florida. Each receiver joined the Crimson Tide as a Rivals100 member. However, Alabama should have enough talent remaining in the unit to cover the losses.

Total losses: 9

Biggest losses: South Carolina lost its top two rushers from this season in redshirt sophomore MarShawn Lloyd and versatile junior tight end Jaheim Bell.

Lloyd, the No. 10 player in the Rivals Transfer Tracker, averaged 5.16 yards per attempt this season, leading the Gamecocks with 573 and nine touchdowns on the ground over nine games.

Bell, who committed to Florida State, ranks as the nation’s No. 32 transfer portal entrant. He ran for 261 yards and three touchdowns on 73 carries while reeling in 25 receptions for 231 yards and a pair of scores through the air this season.

Outlook: While South Carolina hasn’t seen as much attrition as Texas A&M or Alabama, the Gamecocks have experienced a few key departures. Along with Lloyd and Bell, South Carolina is also losing graduate tight end Austin Stogner, who committed to Oklahoma after starting 20 games over the past three seasons.

The Gamecocks might have found a hidden gem when it received a commitment from Newberry College transfer running back Mario Anderson Jr., who piled up 1,560 yards and 19 touchdowns at the Division II level this season. South Carolina also helped replenish its tight end unit by netting a commitment from Florida transfer Nick Elksnis. However, those two additions don’t seem to measure up to the departures of Lloyd and Bell.

Total losses: 22

Biggest losses: Seven Arkansas starters have announced they are transferring — tight end Trey Knox, receivers Ketron Jackson Jr. and Warren Thompson, defensive tackle, Isaiah Nichols, defensive backs Myles Slusher and Jalen Catalon and punter Reid Bauer.

Look closer, and you’ll see just one player that had a star-caliber year — Catalon. He was a Freshman All-American in the 2020 season, but back-to-back season-ending injuries, including one in the season-opener this year, have limited his ability to help the team.

Knox was in his first full season as a tight end, and he didn’t play to the potential some thought he would. The former wide receiver caught five touchdowns but dropped two passes that turned into interceptions and he didn’t show as much promise as a blocker as the staff hoped.

Jackson and Thompson were low-volume receivers who didn’t make much of a difference. Each had their share of big plays, but they were few and far between. Thompson quit the team during the season, but Jackson was a surprise entrance into the portal, as he was expected to be one of the top receivers going into next season. The team will likely hit the portal hard at that position once again after bringing in its two leading receivers from the portal this season — Jadon Haselwood (Oklahoma) and Matt Landers (Toledo).

Nichols was in his first full season as a starter on the defensive line, but he wasn’t a difference-maker. He recorded just 16 tackles and one tackle for loss in 12 starts this year.

Slusher is a talented player that showed flashes at times, but he was hurt for a chunk of the year and was also arrested for alleged disorderly conduct after the loss to Liberty. He’s already committed to Louisville.

Bauer started for most of the second half of the season, but the Hogs have a scholarship freshman in Max Fletcher that they really like from Australia. Bauer committed to Memphis on Monday.

Outlook: If you look at the number of players Arkansas has lost to the transfer portal, you would think it is going through a complete overhaul of the coaching staff and the program is in turmoil.

But, if you look closer at the players who have entered the portal, not many of them will hurt the Hogs that much.

— Mason Choate, HawgBeat managing editor

Total losses: 9

Biggest losses: Missouri lost the SEC’s most established portal entrant in Dominic Lovett, who ranks No. 9 in the Rivals Transfer Tracker. The sophomore receiver led the Tigers with 56 receptions for 846 yards while pulling in three touchdowns through the air this season. Along with posting big numbers, he developed into a dangerous downfield threat, ranking second in the SEC with nine receptions of at least 30 yards.

Outlook: While Missouri hasn’t experienced as much attrition as other teams in the conference, Lovett’s departure puts the Tigers into the top five. Missouri is already losing its second-leading receiver in senior Barrett Banister and could see fellow senior starter Tauskie Dove move on as well. Those two plus Lovett make up three of the Tigers’ top four receivers in a passing game that already ranked in the bottom half of the nation.

Missouri was able to boost its receiving corps by netting a commitment from Oklahoma transfer wideout Theo Wease. The former five-star recruit ranks as the No. 31 overall player in the Rivals Transfer Tracker after hauling in 64 receptions for 1,033 yards over three seasons with the Sooners. However, it's still uncertain if he’ll be able to match Lovett’s production.