Group of Five Spotlight: Five programs that won the early transfer window
The early window to enter the transfer portal is officially closed. Barring a five-day extension for playoff teams, players will have to wait until the spring to enter their names in the portal. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the biggest portal winners from the Group of Five.
*****
MORE IN THIS SERIES: SEC | Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12 | Big 12
MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
*****
MARSHALL
The Thundering Herd finished the regular season 6-7 under head coach Charles Huff in his third season. Heading to the offseason, with the hiring of offensive coordinator Seth Doege, the program is clearly ready to make a change.
The team added quarterbacks Braylon Braxton (Tulsa) and Mitch Griffis (Wake Forest), who will both look to compete after the exit of former starter Cam Fancher. Braxton played in 19 games in eight starts between 2021 and 2023. Griffis played in 23 games while recording 10 starts for the Demon Deacons.
Most notably, though, the Herd added former Middle Tennessee State receiver Elijah Metcalf. The all-conference receiver hauled in 54 catches for 634 yards and six scores in 2023. He’ll be joined by receivers Christian Fitzpatrick (Michigan State), Tychaun Chapman (North Carolina) and Carl Chester (Tulsa).
*****
JAMES MADISON
The Dukes offseason started in a tough way, losing head coach Curt Cignetti, both coordinators, starting quarterback Jordan McCloud, star receiver Elijah Sarratt and a plethora of other starters. But, the program recovered with the hiring of star head coach Bob Chesney, who is 111-46 in his head coaching career.
In the transfer portal, the Dukes managed to replace several stars. In the quarterbacks room, the team added former four-star quarterback Dylan Morris from Washington, who was a highly-touted prospect in the 2019 class. As a Husky, Morris totaled 3,721 yards, 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions across 26 games played. The team also added receiver Nakai Poole (Mississippi State), running back Tyler Purdy (Holy Cross) and offensive lineman Patrick McMurtrie (Holy Cross).
Defensively, perhaps the program’s biggest transfer is former Holy Cross linebacker Jacob Dobbs. Dobbs totaled 432 tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks and four interceptions as a Crusader. Defensive end Eric O’Neill, formerly of Long Island, will be equally as impactful, as he joins the Dukes as the 2023 NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
*****
SMU
The Mustangs put together a well-rounded class in the 2024 transfer portal.
Offensively, the team looked to add another weapon for quarterback Preston Stone, and it did it, adding consensus four-star receiver Ashton Cozart from Oregon. SMU also offered Stone some more protection up front, adding a pair of offensive linemen from Oklahoma in Savion Byrd and Nate Anderson.
The Mustangs made their money defensively, especially adding strength to the front seven. On the defensive line, the program most notably added Taurean Carter (Arkansas) and Mike Lockhart (West Virginia), who each stood out as the most productive of the incoming defensive linemen, respectively.
In the linebacking corps, the Mustangs will add Jahfari Harvey out of Miami, who put together 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. In the defensive backfield, they’ll add Texas A&M’s Deuce Harmon, who posted 18 tackles, an interception and seven pass breakups in 2023.
*****
SOUTHERN MISS
The Golden Eagles badly needed a good offseason after a disappointing 3-9 season. They did a good job retaining their players and adding talent to previous holes the 2023 campaign revealed.
Perhaps the program’s biggest addition is quarterback Tate Rodemaker out of Florida State. In 2023, Rodemaker stepped in in a big way after quarterback Jordan Travis went down with an injury. He completed 32 of his 56 passes for 510 yards and five touchdowns to no interceptions across two games.
Offensively, they were able to add former Ole Miss pass catchers in receiver Larry Simmons and tight end Kyirin Heath. They also added some help on the offensive line with the addition of Eastern Michigan’s Zack Conti.
Defensively, the most prominent producer the Eagles were able to grab was former New Mexico safety Jermarius Lewis, who totaled 45 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three interceptions and seven pass deflections in 2023, providing a major boost to the defensive backfield. Other notable additions are linebacker Tre Pinkey (Coastal Carolina) and defensive end Ryan Johnson (Akron).
*****
TEMPLE
The Owls, despite having 15 outgoing transfers, were able to recover with 14 incoming transfers, while also adding eight junior college athletes as part of their 16-man signing class.
Clearly, the program made it a point to beef up the defense, especially the defensive backfield, with the arrival of several all-conference defenders. Cornerback Adrian Maddox out of Alabama State and 2022 Jerry Rice Award finalist, put together 41 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and seven pass deflections in 2023.
Former Western Carolina safety Andreas Keaton also joined the program after posting 67 tackles and three pass breakups in 2023. The team also added cornerbacks Jamel Johnson (Charleston Southern), Torey Richardon (UTEP) and Javier Morton (Nebraska).
Offensively, the Owls added two much-needed pieces with the addition of former Rutgers quarterback Evan Simon and former Grambling State receiver Antonio Jones.