Players from the transfer portal and 2022 recruiting class who didn't arrive early and particpate in spring practices moved into their new digs over Memorial Weekend. The transfer portal allows coaches across the country to address areas of concern after spring ball with older, more known commodities than relying solely on high school products. Every FBS team in the state added at least one piece to the puzzle. This article looks at 10 transfers arriving in the summer that can .
Agiye Hall, wide receiver, Texas
Previous stop: Alabama
Texas lacked legitimate and consistent receiving options next to true freshman Xavier Worthy in the 2021 season and Steve Sarkisian went to work in the transfer portal to add quality to the passing attack. That started with quarterback Quinn Ewers and continued with Wyoming transfer Isaiah Neyor. Hall, a former four-star recruit who was ranked higher in their recruiting class than Worthy, is arriving in June to provide another speedy option. The foursome of Worthy, Neyor, Jordan Whittington, and Hall could be dangerous. Add an improved tight end room with transfer Jahleel Billingsley and former five-star Ja’Tavian Sanders and the offense is loaded if the offensive line improves.
Baylor Cupp, tight end, Texas Tech
Previous stop: Texas A&M
Talent acquisition is a strength of new Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, and one doesn’t need to look past the 2022 cycle to understand that the Red Raiders are quickly improving the roster. Tech signed the 45th-best class in 2022 (up nine spots from 2021 despite a mid-season coaching change) and added 14 new transfers to the roster. Some of those players, such as offensive lineman Cole Spencer, were already on campus for the spring. Cupp arrives in June after an injury-plagued career at Texas A&M. If healthy, Cupp gives the Aggies a former five-star at tight end who is a grown man as a blocker and capable of hurting defenses as a receiver.
Camar Wheaton, running back, SMU
Previous stop: Alabama
The Mustangs landed a former five-star running back with four years left of eligibility when Wheaton decided to leave Alabama to return home to Dallas. That was to the benefit of SMU, which lost running back Ulysses Bentley IV to Ole Miss in the transfer portal earlier in the spring. Wheaton is a legit speedster with big-play ability. Cracking the running back rotation for the Crimson Tide is no easy task. Wheaton might be the starting running back by the time the Mustangs host rival TCU.
Josh White, linebacker, Baylor
Previous stop: LSU
The loss of star linebacker Terrel Bernard created a void in the middle of Baylor’s defense. Dillon Doyle, once an Iowa transfer, is expected to become the main man at linebacker for the Bears after finishing second on the team in tackles behind Bernard in 2020 and 2021. Still, the Bears must replace Doyle’s production if Doyle is expected to replace Bernard’s output. In steps White, a former four-star prospect out of Cypress who was recruited to LSU by now Baylor head coach Dave Aranda.
Nicktroy Fortune, cornerback, UTSA
Previous stop: West Virginia
Tariq Woolen’s departure to the NFL opened a starting cornerback position for the Roadrunners entering 2021. Corey Mayfield Jr. is slated to start on one side. It’s hard to imagine Fortune doesn’t slide into the other starting cornerback spot. He played in 29 games over three seasons at West Virginia, starting 19 times in that span. Fortune, a junior, started the first seven games of the 2021 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Myron Warren, defensive tackle, Texas State
Previous stop: Texas
The Bobcats could use reinforcements along the defensive line heading into the 2022 season and Warren provides a big, athletic frame with plenty of upside. The four-star recruit from Louisiana signed with the Longhorns in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Warren recorded three tackles over three appearances as a sophomore in 2021. He took a redshirt in 2019 and didn’t play in 2020. He should still possess three years of eligibility and become an instant member of the two-deep at 6-2 and nearly 300 pounds.
Tymon Mitchell, defensive tackle, TCU
Previous stop: Georgia
Not cracking the two-deep on defense at Georgia isn’t a discouraging fact. The Bulldogs were loaded up front during Mitchell’s tenure in Athens and he hopes a move to Fort Worth provides more opportunities. The 6-3, 300-pound junior is a perfect fit at nose tackle as the Horned Frogs transition to a three-man front under defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie. He and Soni Misi form a solid two-man rotation in the middle of a TCU defense that must improve against the run.
Tyler Johnson, offensive line, Houston
Previous stop: Texas
A stop by Houston for magazine season made it clear that right tackle was a concern for the Houston coaching staff as it exited spring practices. Center was a concern entering spring practices, but the emergence of Jack Freeman erased most of those concerns. The Cougars added former Longhorn, and Conroe Oak Ridge product, through the transfer portal and he’s likely to get a crack at becoming the starting right tackle prior to Week 1. He can also provide cover at either guard position. Johnson was a four-star prospect that some pegged as the best offensive lineman in Texas during the 2019 recruiting cycle. Johnson was the eighth-ranked offensive tackle in that class and the ninth-best overall recruit in Texas, per 247Sports composite.
Grant Gunnell, quarterback, North Texas
Previous stop: Memphis
North Texas needed an influx of quarterback talent following a 2021 season where the Mean Green threw more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (12). Austin Aune and Jace Rudder return but hopes of more than a six-win season rested on Seth Littrell’s ability to land an instant impact player at quarterback through the transfer portal. Gunnell fits that bill. He set the Texas high school football record with most passing yards in a career at St. Pius X and was a two-year starter at Arizona before transferring to Memphis for the 2021 season. Denton is his third stop.
Tyson Thompson, wide receiver, Rice
Previous stop: Houston Baptist
Rice was dealt a blow at the start of spring practice when leading receiver Jake Bailey entered the transfer portal and left for SMU. The Owls are a run-first team, but that doesn’t mean the passing game isn’t important for Mike Bloomgren’s squad. The quarterback battle between TJ McMahon and Wiley Green is still ongoing, but the wide receiver room is improving. Luke McCaffrey moved to wide receiver from quarterback after the 2021 season, and the Owls watched transfer Sam Crawford make plays in the spring. Adding Thompson, a slot receiver with solid production, gives whichever quarterback wins the job another reliable option.
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