Tag: transfer

Notre Dame Makes Cut for Transfer Trey Wertz

Earlier this week we learned about Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz and his desires to take his basketball talents elsewhere and that Notre Dame was on his initial list of schools.  Fast-forward a couple days and Notre Dame is very much still in the picture.

Earlier this week we learned about Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz and his desires to take his basketball talents elsewhere and that Notre Dame was on his initial list of schools.  Fast-forward a couple days and Notre Dame is very much still in the picture.

Wertz released the names of seven schools he remained interested in transferring to.

There are a couple other mid-west schools in Butler and Ohio State that Mike Brey and his staff will have to sell the program over.  Some blue-bloods on there too with North Carolina, Arizona and Virginia (although not a blue-blood, still a very impressive program of late).  And finally another school seen more as a football school in Oklahoma.

As always, we’ll keep you posted when the next series of cuts come whether its good news or not for Notre Dame.

Texas interested in two more transfer guards

Texas has put their name in the running for two more guards. Tyrese Martin and Trey Murphy have recently announced they will be transferring.

After making the final six of Illinois sophomore guard Alan Griffin, Texas has put their name in the running for two more guards. Tyrese Martin out of Rhode Island and Trey Murphy from Rice have recently announced they will be transferring and Shaka Smart has reached out.

Starting with Martin, he will also be entering his junior season after two seasons with the Rams. A decent scorer averaging 12.8 points per game, Martin brings length to the perimeter, standing at 6 feet 6 inches. His seven rebounds a game ranked 12th in the Atlantic-10 last season.

Martin does struggle behind the three-point line though, a huge part of Shaka’s offensive strategy. Shooting 32% from deep last season, Martin’s freshman year was worse, shooting 31%.

Murphy may be a more desirable option for the Longhorns going forward, especially because he is a better shooter. While he dropped off 6% from his freshman year to his sophomore season, Murphy still connected on 36% of his three-pointers, fourth-best in Conference USA.

Scoring just over 13 a game, Murphy is even bigger than Martin, coming in at 6 feet 8 inches. His rebounding isn’t as efficient, grabbing 5.5 per game, but Martin’s scoring is what makes him the more attractive transfer option.

Between Griffin and now Martin and Murphy, Texas has a solid chance of adding a transfer guard this offseason to bolster the roster. The core three of Coleman, Ramey, and Jones is nice, but Shaka Smarts needs more behind them.

Those three and one of the transfers could even play on the court at the same time if the Longhorns wanted to go small ball. Either way, a transfer this offseason opens up opportunities for how Texas’ offense will look next season.

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Texas makes final six of Illinois transfer

Texas has made the final six for Illinois transfer Alan Griffin. The sophomore guard would add incredible depth to Smart’s team in 2020-2021.

Returning 100% of their production next season, Texas is going to be one of the most experienced teams in the country next season. Shaka Smart could be looking to add experience, bringing in a transfer.

Sophomore Alan Griffin is leaving Illinois after two full seasons in Champaign. The guard from Ossining, NY has narrowed his list down to six schools, with Texas making the cut. Other power conference members Miami, Syracuse, Iowa State, and Arizona join the Longhorns, while mid-major school Dayton is also in the mix.

Griffin improved greatly from his freshman year, averaging 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. His three-point percentage went up 11%, shooting 41% on the year.

If he were to transfer to Texas, Griffin would add to a loaded roster the Longhorns have at guard. He would join Coleman, Jones, and Ramey, and create incredible depth for the 2020-2021 season.

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Notre Dame Pursuing Stanford Transfer Running Back

One of those looking to move on is running back Trevor Speights, a former three-star recruit.  Speights didn’t receive a single carry for Stanford in 2019 after rushing for 363 yards and a touchdown in the two seasons previous.

Stanford football has fallen on hard times of late and not just because they finished 2019 just 4-8 and without a bowl appearance for the first time since 2008.  It’s also because they have seen a mass-exidous from Palo Alto as 16 different players have entered the transfer portal.

One of those looking to move on is running back Trevor Speights, a former three-star recruit.  Speights didn’t receive a single carry for Stanford in 2019 after rushing for 363 yards and a touchdown in the two seasons previous.

247Sports is reporting that Notre Dame is working hard to make Speights part of their 2020 backfield.

Not only have conversations gone extremely well so far, but we’re actually told the 5-11, 205-pounder is finalizing plans to get on campus for a visit in March. Running backs coach Lance Taylor is leading the way on this recruitment and if things go well on the visit between both sides and the staff is sure there is a spot for him, it’s hard to see him landing anywhere else. – Tom Loy of 247Sports.  Read the entire piece here.

Speights would potentially step in a backfield that currently has the likes of Jafar Armstrong, Jahmir Smith, C’Bo Flemister, Kyren Williams, Avery Davis and prized-recruit Chris Tyree.

Speights is a graduate transfer which means he’d immediately be eligible.

We’ll keep you posted on any developments with Speights and Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish host Stanford on the evening of October 10 this fall.

Michael Dwumfour transfers to Big Ten East school

The New Jersey native is headed home.

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Michael Dwumfour is going to be quite close for his final go-round. So close, actually, that he’ll get a chance to play his now former team in 2020.

It was surprising news earlier this month when Dwumfour announced on Twitter that he was submitting his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal. With his subtraction, Michigan loses a player who commanded double teams, but who struggled this past year with health problems after suffering a labrum injury in fall camp.

Dwumfour opted to not play in Michigan’s turn in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, electing to have surgery to repair his labrum. Now on the mend, the Wayne (NJ) DePaul Catholic standout is heading home, as Dwumfour announced he will play at Rutgers.

It’s a big win for returning-yet-new head coach Greg Schiano, especially as Dwumfour will be eligible immediately as a grad transfer. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

He will make for the second player on the Rutgers roster to transfer from Michigan, as Drew Singleton is a linebacker in Piscataway. Former Michigan CB Ross Taylor-Douglas, who also transferred there, is an assistant defensive backs coach at Rutgers, as well.

Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Jones enters transfer portal, per report

Oklahoma’s linebacking room just got a bit thinner.

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Jones entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.

Oklahoma’s linebacking room just got a bit thinner.

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Jones entered the transfer portal on Wednesday.

Jones played in just 18 games for the Sooners over the past two seasons, earning three starts in 2018.

The class of 2017 four-star recruit from Charlotte, NC. (Mallard Creek High School) tallied 29 tackles during his time in Norman, Okla. and even snagged an interception against UCLA during the 2019 campaign.

With the departure of Kenneth Murray to the NFL Draft and now likely Jones, Oklahoma’s linebacking corps will likely be led by redshirt senior Caleb Kelly, who played in the Sooners’ last three games of the season following an ACL tear in 2018, preserving his redshirt. Alongside Kelly will be young guns, Brian Asamoah and Dashaun White. The duo saw plenty of time on the field over the past season and both have great potential in Alex Grinch’s system.

Oklahoma has two true linebackers coming in via the 2020 recruiting class. Oklahoma City’s own Brynden Walker (Bishop McGuinness High School) and Shane Whitter (Burlington, NC; Walter M Williams School) are a pair of three-stars that will supplement and possibly play a role in the Sooners’ defense during the 2020 season.

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Michigan DT announces intentions to transfer

The senior will pursue his fifth-year elsewhere.

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So much for the starting defensive line returning intact in 2020.

After a report surfaced on Tuesday that Michigan DT Carlo Kemp intends to return for a fifth year, it looked like all four starters would be returning for a second consecutive season. But some water got thrown on that plan.

Michigan defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, who dealt with injury all through the season, and didn’t play in the bowl game due to having season ending surgery in December, looks to depart, as he announced on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that he is now in the NCAA transfer portal and will finish his final year in another uniform.

One person close to Dwumfour, as mentioned on the Locked On Wolverines Podcast, had indicated that he intended to return to Michigan for his fifth-year. Plans seem to have changed on that front.

That means the Wolverines will be counting on either Chris Hinton, Mazi Smith or Jess Speight to fill the big void left by Dwumfour’s departure.

He will be eligible immediately with one year left of eligibility at his school of choice.

Jurkovec Indeed Transferring to Boston College

So Jurkovec leaves and there are conversations be had about why he didn’t develop at Notre Dame like so many had hoped and forced the hand of the coaching staff to get him on the field.

Friday night we shared the news with you that Phil Jurkovec, who recently entered the transfer-portal, was taking advantage of a rule that allowed him to make an official visit to Boston College because students resumed classes this coming Monday.

Well, where this is smoke there is fire.

And in this case Phil Jurkovec is the newest member of the Boston College football team.

As you’re probably already aware, college football coaches get weird on social media, especially when recruits are committing to their respective schools.

Saturday afternoon this is what Boston College’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley had to say:

Irish fans may be aware of how Brian Kelly tweets out #WeAreND whenever he lands a commitment, consider this Hafley’s version of that because sure enough, a short time later the Sports Illustrated Boston College Maven site reported the news.

So Jurkovec leaves and there are conversations be had about why he didn’t develop at Notre Dame like so many had hoped and forced the hand of the coaching staff to get him on the field.

At the same time, Ian Book has played well enough for long enough to not really make a quarterback controversy a thing.  Sure, you can zoom in on his poor performances against Clemson or Michigan and be rightfully upset, but this is clearly a long way from Book forcing a change to him from Brandon Wimbush like we saw in 2018.

Like most things in life there is probably blame that deserves to head to multiple people in this, as Jurkovec never sounded like he earned a real chance to play more and yet again, we speak of a quarterback failing to develop to the liking of most Notre Dame fans under this regime.

If Jurkovec does receive his waiver to play this season for Boston College, he’ll have three years remaining which means Notre Dame could face their former big-time quarterback recruit as the Irish and Eagles are scheduled to play at Notre Dame Stadium in 2022.

Report: Georgia football DB enters NCAA transfer portal

Georgia football loses another defender to the NCAA transfer portal

One thing about today’s college football…it’s a 365-day dynamic environmnet. Georgia has experienced that as well as any program in the country and today’s report from Al.com’s Matt Zentiz that sophomore safety Otis Reese has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal adds an exclamation point to the satement.

Reese joins UGA redshirt sophomore linebacker Robert Beal in the portal.

The 6-foot-3 210-pound defensive back from Lee County High (Leesburg, GA) played in each of the Dawgs’ game this season. He played in 11 games as a freshman.

Reese was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He had been a Michigan commit before Kirby Smart flipped him to the Bulldogs.

Georgia has 18 defensive backs returning next season and with rising senior Richard LeCounte and rising sophomore Lewis Cine expected to get most of the reps at safety, Reese has decided to test the waters.

Notre Dame the New Home to Transferring Northwestern Captain

Skowronek pulled down 45 receptions as both a sophomore and junior for the Wildcats, finding the end zone eight times those two years.  He was also named to the All-Academic Big Ten Team both years.  He isn’t just a fit because he’s a Midwestern guy from a good school, he’s got extremely big play ability when healthy.

 

Although not playing on New Years Day 2020, Notre Dame still receieved good news Wednesday as Northwestern captain, senior transfer Bennett Skowronek announced he will be enrolling at Notre Dame this spring and using his final year of eligibility there in the fall.

Skowronek, a 6-4, 215 pound receiver is coming off a senior season at Northwestern that saw the captain play just three games before suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him the remainder of the season.

Notre Dame is banking on Skowronek’s ankle being fully healed, something Matt Fortuna from The Athletic says those in South Bend are confident in.

Skowronek’s injury happening in just the third game of the 2019 season makes him eligible for 2020 despite having played in four separate seasons already at Northwestern.

Skowronek pulled down 45 receptions as both a sophomore and junior for the Wildcats, finding the end zone eight times those two years.  He was also named to the All-Academic Big Ten Team both years.  He isn’t just a fit because he’s a Midwestern guy from a good school, he’s got extremely big play ability when healthy.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpO90UsJE4Q&w=560&h=315]

That play sealed the deal for Northwestern’s only Big Ten West title in school history but he was also responsible for over 1200 yards of offense for a pretty pedestrian offensive unit.