Tag: 2023 transfer portal

WATCH: Oregon’s new WR Evan Stewart shows elite upside in highlight film

Check out the Oregon Ducks new wide receiver, Evan Stewart, on film.

Thursday, January 11th was a day of good news for the Oregon Ducks and their fans. First and foremost, Dan Lanning reaffirmed his loyalty to Oregon, despite a head coaching vacancy at Alabama — one of the most sought-after jobs in college football.

But, the good news didn’t end there.  Late on Thursday night, the Ducks received a commitment from Texas A&M wide receiver transfer, Evan Stewart.

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Over two seasons, Stewart played 18 games with the Aggies, racking up 1163 receiving yards and 6 TDs along the way. Oregon will face the tough task of replacing star WR Troy Franklin in 2024, and Stewart could be a big help in bolstering their receiving corps.

Below is a bit of Stewart’s film in two years at Texas A&M. The junior receiver has great hands, elite route-running, and is dangerous after the catch in open space, all of which shows up on his film.

We may not see Stewart participate in spring football this year as he recovers from some injuries and gets ready for the 2024 season, but it’s safe to say that fans should be excited to watch him play as soon as possible.

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Oregon TE Casey Kelly enters the transfer portal

Casey Kelly, a former Ole Miss TE who transferred to Oregon, entered the transfer portal again on Thursday.

Following the Oregon Ducks Fiesta Bowl win, the group of Ducks in the transfer portal has grown, and on Thursday, Oregon’s tight end room got a little smaller.

Ducks TE Casey Kelly entered the transfer portal on Thursday, after spending one season at Oregon. Kelly played his first three seasons at Ole Miss, the alma mater of his brother Chad Kelly and uncle Jim Kelly — a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Casey Kelly will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Despite appearing in 13 of 14 games for the Ducks in 2023, Kelly didn’t have much of a role in the Oregon offense. Kelly finished the season with 5 catches for 43 yards and 2 TDs. His size and strength made him a valuable goalline target for the Ducks, but it’s likely he wants a bigger role in his final season of eligibility.

For 2024, it seems likely the Ducks will return starting TE Terrance Ferguson for his final year as a Duck. Oregon will also bring back senior TE Patrick and standout freshman Kenyon Sadiq for his second season.

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Kansas transfer defensive lineman Gage Keys commits to Auburn

The sophomore joins the Tigers with two years of eligibility remaining.

Hugh Freeze has landed another highly-touted transfer to reinforce his football team.

Kansas defensive lineman and former three-star recruit [autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag] will be taking his talents to the Loveliest Village on the Plains in 2024.

The defensive lineman announced his decision in an Instagram post-Sunday afternoon.

Keys played a fairly large role for a surprisingly solid Jayhawks team this season, collecting 21 total tackles after accumulating just 5 in his freshman campaign at Minnesota.

The true sophomore now moves to Auburn where he will help try to rejuvenate a Tigers’ defensive line set to lose leader [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] to the NFL Draft.

Replacing [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and his 7 sacks of production is a tall task, but the 6-foot-5 defensive tackle is certainly up for it.

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Jalen McLeod named to The Athletic college footballs all-portal team

The Athletic has named Jalen McLeod one of the top transfers in the country.

[autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] flew under the radar when he transferred to Auburn from Appalachian State but he ended up being one of Auburn’s most impactful transfers.

A preseason injury caused a slow start to the season but he quickly became Auburn’s top pass-rusher when healthy, leading the team with 35 pressures and finishing second with 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His work was good enough to be named to The Athletic’s 2023 All-Portal Team.

He also had 44 tackles, forced one fumble and recovered one as well. His 80.7 Pro Football Focus grade was the third highest on Auburn’s defense.

His best performance of the season came against Arkansas when he made 3.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss and forced one fumble en route to being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

McLeod has the option to return to the Plains for another season but could also declare for the NFL draft.

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Coastal Carolina Transfer Jared Brown set to visit Auburn next week

Transfer receiver Jared Brown set to visit Auburn, Louisville, and South Carolina over the next week.

Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jared Brown has seemingly narrowed his list down to three teams.

The 6-foot sophomore is reportedly set to visit Auburn, Louisville, and South Carolina over the next 9 days, according to On3sports.

Brown is coming off a very solid season with the Chanticleers, racking up 58 catches for 740 yards and 4 scores.

His receptions and yardage are nearly double that of Auburn’s top pass catcher, [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], in 2023.

Brown’s elusive nature as a ball-carrier made him a threat in the rushing attack as well. The speedy slot receiver totaled 15 carries this season for Coastal, turning them into 252 yards and a touchdown.

The sophomore out of Lilburn, GA could add a new dimension [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s offensive in 2024. Auburn’s passing game was the Achilles heel all season, and Brown could instantly upgrade a receiving room that lacks big-play potential.

Despite a disappointing season for Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt, Brown was able to earn All-Sun Belt honorable mention honors. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has mentioned his desire to add a wide receiver from the transfer portal, and Brown may be the perfect fit on the Plains.

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Updated list of 2024 transfer portal targets for Oregon Duck fans to know

An updated look at potential transfer portal targets for the Oregon Ducks during the 2023 offseason.

The 2024 college football regular season is now behind us, so let the craziness begin.

On Monday morning, the first window of the transfer portal officially opened, giving athletes across the nation an opportunity to look for a new team, and a more advantageous situation for their development and outlook going forward. Whether it’s in search of more playing time, a better NIL deal, or just an opportunity in a new location, hundreds of players will enter the portal over the next month and become available.

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While several players will likely leave Eugene in search of a new home, Oregon fans can feel confident that Dan Lanning and the coaching staff will be ultra-aggressive in pursuing top talent that can come in and improve the team right away. Over the past two years, Lanning has landed players like Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Tez Johnson, Christian Gonzalez, Jordan Burch, Khyree Jackson, and many, many more impactful transfers.

It’s fair to say that they’re pretty good at the whole transfer portal game.

So who might they be targeting this season? Take a look at this updated list of potential players to know:

The following list is continually being updated, with the newest entries at the top. 

Sooners RB Tawee Walker planning to enter transfer portal

Running back Tawee Walker announces his plan to enter transfer portal.

Oklahoma’s running back room just got slightly smaller as junior running back Tawee Walker announced plans to enter the transfer portal.

The decision comes as a bit of a shock, considering Walker is the clear-cut number two back on the team. Still, it’s understandable that Walker decided to seek opportunities for more carries as Gavin Sawchuk has tightened his grip as the bell-cow back towards the end of the season and into the offseason.

This year, Walker has been a significant part of the Sooners’ running game. While his numbers aren’t gaudy, except for a one-game suspension, Walker had multiple carries in critical moments in almost every game this season. Walker and Marcus Major were the duo that got the season started, while Sawchuk and his fellow 2022 classmate Jovantae Barnes worked to get healthy.

Walker, who walked on from Palomar College, appeared in 10 games and started one. This season, he rushed for 496 yards with seven touchdowns and zero fumbles, averaging a sturdy 5.2 yards per carry. He had two multi-touchdown games—one against Arkansas State to start the season and another against Texas in the Red River Rivalry game.

As new play-caller Seth Littrell attempts to start piecing together his vision for this offense next year, he’ll have to do so without arguably Oklahoma’s most physical runner.

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Sooners Tight End Jason Llewellyn to enter transfer portal

Sooners tight end Jason Llewellyn set to enter the transfer portal.

The transfer portal opens up on Dec. 4, and players across the country have begun to announce their intentions to enter the portal.

Sooners to enter the portal thus far are Marcus Hicks and D.J. Graham. Today, it’s Jason Llewellyn making it known that he’ll be entering the transfer portal.

In a statement on social media, Llewellyn said, “First and foremost, I want to thank God for blessing me with the ability to play football and for the opportunity to be part of The University of Oklahoma program the last two years. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a Sooners.

“I want to thank my coaches, teammates, trainers, staff, and Sooner Nation for all of your love and support. Y’all are amazing and I wish you nothing but the absolute best. I will carry the friendships made and the lessons learned with me forever.

“After much prayer and discussion with my family and coaches, I believe God has a different path for my football and academic journey. I will be entering the transfer portal with three years left of eligibility remaining. I love this sport and am excited to see what the future holds. Thank you for everything Sooner Nation.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Llewellyn appeared in 11 games for the Sooners, including eight as a true freshman. In those 11 games, he played just 48 snaps.

Llewellyn was a three-star prospect out of Aledo High School and chose the Oklahoma Sooners over a number of Power Five programs, including the Texas Longhorns.

Now Oklahoma’s tight end need becomes a bit bigger. But with elite four-star prospect, Davon Mitchell set to join the Sooners as part of the 2024 class, the Sooners have some immediate help on the way.

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Three Oklahoma Sooners defenders to watch versus Arkansas State

Taking a deeper look at three Sooners on defense to watch on Saturday against Arkansas State.

If the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense is going to make the improvements necessary to be a great defense, it’s going to take everyone being invested in that improvement.

“I need to be completely involved defensively,” Oklahoma head coach Brent  Venables said earlier this week. “Not that they need my help. But that’s what I know. That’s how I got to this position. And I think a year ago I was certainly involved, but not to the depth that I think that I felt like I needed to be after evaluating all of it.”

His lack of full involvement probably impacted the Sooners’ defense and why they ranked so low in every defensive category. The only way the Sooners can go on defense is up.

There’s plenty of optimism that the Sooners will improve significantly on defense. More talent, positive development from young and returning players, and most importantly, more input from the man whose defense it is.

Saturday’s opener in Norman against Arkansas State is the first chance the nation will get to see the 2023 Oklahoma defense.

They’ll take on a Red Wolves team that struggled on offense at times last year but have some veterans in key spots who won’t be afraid of the moment come Saturday.

An outstanding performance against the Red Wolves is the type of confidence boost this defense needs. Who may spark that? Take a look at the three players we’ll be watching.

Up Next: 3 Sooners Defenders to Watch

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5 most important players for Oklahoma Sooners Basketball in 2023-2024

Taking a look at five players that are important to Oklahoma’s 2023 season as they attempt to bounce back from two disappointing years.

Oklahoma’s men’s basketball team needs a big-time bounce-back season. After consecutive seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma heads into 2023-2024 facing the possibility of three consecutive missed tournaments. That hasn’t happened since the gap in tournament appearances from 2009-2013.

Head coach Porter Moser will face his most difficult challenge yet. Not only is the pressure on for him to lead Oklahoma to the NCAA Tournament, he’ll have to do it with the Big 12, adding schools like BYU and new perennial hoops powerhouse Houston to the nation’s best basketball conference.

It won’t be easy, and the effects of the last two years of failure reverberated thru the program. The Sooners saw six players from last year’s roster hit the transfer portal and seek other college basketball opportunities elsewhere. They also lost two veteran presences, Grant Sherfield and Tanner Groves, who play for the Phoenix Suns and OKC Thunder in the NBA Summer League.

To be able to compete, Porter Moser and his staff turned to the transfer portal to replenish what they lost. Oklahoma welcomed transfers from across the country. They brought in talent from the ACC, MAAC, PAC 12, and the Western Athletic Conference.

Oklahoma will look like a brand new team next season, and based on last year’s results, it’s hard to see how that could be a bad thing. However, how will Porter Moser make it work when looking past the surface level? Who will Oklahoma depend on with Grant Sherfield, Tanner Groves, Jalen Hill, and others not on the court?

After looking at the roster and factoring in returnees, we believe these five players are the most important for the Sooners to fight back into the NCAA tournament.