22-23 Transfer Portal and General Recruiting Catch-All Thread

[Buffnik]

Buffs have two on 247's Top 10 list of the most important 2023 college football coaching hires.

Lewis got snubbed

 

[jaybird]

A good write up here where all the transfers came from.

Breaking down where Colorado football's incoming transfers came from

Take a closer look at where Colorado’s incoming transfers came from

coloradobuffaloeswire.usatoday.com

As of this writing, Colorado has added a total of 51 transfers from either the FBS or FCS ranks this offseason. Both the efficiency and pure scale of the Buffs’ roster transformation are unprecedented in this modern era of Division I college football.

A considerable portion of head coach Deion Sanders’ “Louis luggage” followed him from Jackson State, but the Buffs also picked up transfer portal players from all but one of the Power Five conferences. Only a small handful of Buffs from last season’s one-win team remain in Boulder, including Anthony Hankerson, Van Wells and Chance Main.

Below is a look at where Colorado’s incoming transfers came from (h/t DNVR Buffs):


SEC — 12 players
S Myles Slusher (Arkansas)
RB Kavosiey Smoke (Kentucky)
EDGE Jordan Domineck (Arkansas)
CB Kyndrich Breedlove (Ole Miss)
LB Demouy Kennedy (Alabama)
S Vito Tisdale (Kentucky)
DL Amari McNeil (Tennessee)
CB Jahquez Robinson (Alabama)
OT David Conner (Florida)
WR Tar’Varish Dawson (Auburn)
DE JJ Hawkins (Ole Miss)
DE Arden Walker (Missouri)

Notable: Only two of those 12 are offensive players


ACC — 7 players
LB LaVonta Bentley (Clemson)
P Mark Vassett (Louisville)
DE Derrick McLendon (Florida State)
LB Brendan Gant (Florida State)
CB Omarion Cooper (Florida State)
DL Bishop Thomas (Florida State)
S Travis Jay (Florida State)

Notable: Coach Prime added a whopping five transfers from his alma mater FSU


American Athletic Conference — 3 players
WR Jimmy Horn Jr. (South Florida)
WR Xavier Weaver (South Florida)
RB Alton McCaskill (Houston)

Notable: All three should be candidates to start for the Buffs in 2023


Big 12 — 2 players
DL Taijh Alston (West Virginia)
WR Jaylen Ellis (Baylor)

Notable: Ellis had three receptions that each went for over 47 yards last season for the Bears


Pac-12 — 2 players
PK Jace Feely (Arizona State)
EDGE Sav’ell Smalls (Washington)

Notable: You could also add Chance Main, who entered the transfer portal and then recommitted to Colorado, to this list


Sun Belt — 2 players
DT Chazz Wallace (Old Dominion)
DE Deeve Harris (Old Dominion)

Notable: Harris and Wallace both joined the herd in April


Mid-American — 2 players
OT Savion Washington (Kent State)
OL Jack Bailey (Kent State)

Notable: Two former Golden Flashes followed both new Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis and O-line coach Bill O’Boyle from Kent State to Boulder


Mountain West — 1 player
DL Leonard Payne Jr. (Fresno State)

Notable: Payne is another candidate to potentially start for Colorado in 2023


FCS — 14 players
DE Shane Cokes (Dartmouth)
OL Landon Bebee (Missouri State)
QB Shedeur Sanders (Jackson State)
OT Tyler Brown (Jackson State)
CB/WR Travis Hunter (Jackson State)
S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig (Jackson State)
PK Alejandro Mata (Jackson State)
LB Jeremiah Brown (Jackson State)
WR Willie Gaines (Jackson State)
S Rodrick Ward (Southern Utah)
WR Javon Antonio (Northwestern State)
DE Khairi Manns (Maine)
S Shilo Sanders (Jackson State)
RB Sy’veon Wilkerson (Jackson State)

Notable: Coach Prime added nine former JSU Tigers to his Colorado team


JUCO — 4 players
DL Zach Blackwood (Garden City CC)
OT Kareem Harden (Butler CC)
OL Jack Wilty (Iowa Central CC)
OL Isaiah Jatta (Snow College)

Notable: OL coach Bill O’Boyle can seemingly recruit the JUCO ranks well


Independent — 1 player
OL Reggie Young II (Liberty)

Notable: Liberty will begin the 2023 season in the Conference USA

 

[Always BUFF]

A good write up here where all the transfers came from.

Breaking down where Colorado football's incoming transfers came from

Take a closer look at where Colorado’s incoming transfers came from

coloradobuffaloeswire.usatoday.com

As of this writing, Colorado has added a total of 51 transfers from either the FBS or FCS ranks this offseason. Both the efficiency and pure scale of the Buffs’ roster transformation are unprecedented in this modern era of Division I college football.

A considerable portion of head coach Deion Sanders’ “Louis luggage” followed him from Jackson State, but the Buffs also picked up transfer portal players from all but one of the Power Five conferences. Only a small handful of Buffs from last season’s one-win team remain in Boulder, including Anthony Hankerson, Van Wells and Chance Main.

Below is a look at where Colorado’s incoming transfers came from (h/t DNVR Buffs):


SEC — 12 players
S Myles Slusher (Arkansas)
RB Kavosiey Smoke (Kentucky)
EDGE Jordan Domineck (Arkansas)
CB Kyndrich Breedlove (Ole Miss)
LB Demouy Kennedy (Alabama)
S Vito Tisdale (Kentucky)
DL Amari McNeil (Tennessee)
CB Jahquez Robinson (Alabama)
OT David Conner (Florida)
WR Tar’Varish Dawson (Auburn)
DE JJ Hawkins (Ole Miss)
DE Arden Walker (Missouri)

Notable: Only two of those 12 are offensive players


ACC — 7 players
LB LaVonta Bentley (Clemson)
P Mark Vassett (Louisville)
DE Derrick McLendon (Florida State)
LB Brendan Gant (Florida State)
CB Omarion Cooper (Florida State)
DL Bishop Thomas (Florida State)
S Travis Jay (Florida State)

Notable: Coach Prime added a whopping five transfers from his alma mater FSU


American Athletic Conference — 3 players
WR Jimmy Horn Jr. (South Florida)
WR Xavier Weaver (South Florida)
RB Alton McCaskill (Houston)

Notable: All three should be candidates to start for the Buffs in 2023


Big 12 — 2 players
DL Taijh Alston (West Virginia)
WR Jaylen Ellis (Baylor)

Notable: Ellis had three receptions that each went for over 47 yards last season for the Bears


Pac-12 — 2 players
PK Jace Feely (Arizona State)
EDGE Sav’ell Smalls (Washington)

Notable: You could also add Chance Main, who entered the transfer portal and then recommitted to Colorado, to this list


Sun Belt — 2 players
DT Chazz Wallace (Old Dominion)
DE Deeve Harris (Old Dominion)

Notable: Harris and Wallace both joined the herd in April


Mid-American — 2 players
OT Savion Washington (Kent State)
OL Jack Bailey (Kent State)

Notable: Two former Golden Flashes followed both new Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis and O-line coach Bill O’Boyle from Kent State to Boulder


Mountain West — 1 player
DL Leonard Payne Jr. (Fresno State)

Notable: Payne is another candidate to potentially start for Colorado in 2023


FCS — 14 players
DE Shane Cokes (Dartmouth)
OL Landon Bebee (Missouri State)
QB Shedeur Sanders (Jackson State)
OT Tyler Brown (Jackson State)
CB/WR Travis Hunter (Jackson State)
S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig (Jackson State)
PK Alejandro Mata (Jackson State)
LB Jeremiah Brown (Jackson State)
WR Willie Gaines (Jackson State)
S Rodrick Ward (Southern Utah)
WR Javon Antonio (Northwestern State)
DE Khairi Manns (Maine)
S Shilo Sanders (Jackson State)
RB Sy’veon Wilkerson (Jackson State)

Notable: Coach Prime added nine former JSU Tigers to his Colorado team


JUCO — 4 players
DL Zach Blackwood (Garden City CC)
OT Kareem Harden (Butler CC)
OL Jack Wilty (Iowa Central CC)
OL Isaiah Jatta (Snow College)

Notable: OL coach Bill O’Boyle can seemingly recruit the JUCO ranks well


Independent — 1 player
OL Reggie Young II (Liberty)

Notable: Liberty will begin the 2023 season in the Conference USA

First off I view every players list of offers and employ the Georgia rule, if they have an offer from GA. it's a sign of progress from what was the standard at CU ( I hated seeing csu offered the same players we did ). Second it makes all the sense in the world to go after players from the SEC regardless of their previous playing time. Third the recruitment of the JUCO players in particular the OL & DL, put into perspective these are players that have experience, more developed bodies and are more than likely more mentally mature.

 

[GawainBuff]

Watching the videos of our new team, we have real speed and athleticism for the first time in decades.

Sure we didn’t see behind the scenes of prior teams, but these guys look better in practice than our prior teams looked on any game day.

 

[Always BUFF]

Watching the videos of our new team, we have real speed and athleticism for the first time in decades.

Sure we didn’t see behind the scenes of prior teams, but these guys look better in practice than our prior teams looked on any game day.

It doesn't bother me a bit when we lose a recruit to LSU.

 

[Ringer]

All three players from the AAC will likely start..

 

[Big Jim]

All three players from the AAC will likely start..

If McCaskill’s knee is healed enough by September.

 

[Hunchback Quaker]

If McCaskill’s knee is healed enough by September.

Wasn't he a full participant in Houston's spring?

 

[Big Jim]

Wasn't he a full participant in Houston's spring?

Dunno, but there are Bucky vids where he looks to be having problems.

 

[Big Jim]

Strange headlines today..

1. Oregon State 2023 RB recruit dropped by the school after he waas charged with attempted murder.

Oregon State commit Brandon Smith arrested on attempted murder charge, will not join Beavers football program

Smith, a JUCO prospect, committed to the Beavers last month but never signed with the team

www.cbssports.com

2. Florida 2025 4* QB commit flips to Ole Miss and reclassifies two years into to 2023 class.

Four-star 2025 QB Austin Simmons flips from Florida to Ole Miss, plans to join Rebels ahead of 2023 season

Simmons will be making a big leap, reclassifying from the 2025 class to join Lane Kiffin and the Rebels

www.cbssports.com

 

[Big Jim]

It appears as if Rhule has hired the entire Karl Dorrell recruiting staff in Lincoln. The nubs have received four commits in the past two days.

1. 3* Athlete with offers from: East Carolina, Rutgers, Brown, Charlotte, Elon, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Richmond, and William & Mary.
2. 3* LB with an offer from: Eastern Illinois
3. 3* IOL with offers from: Air Force, Army, Columbia, Illinois State, Indiana State, Linwood University, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota and South Dakota State.
4. 3* S with an offer from: Missouri Southern State.

 

[chase5857]

It appears as if Rhule has hired the entire Karl Dorrell recruiting staff in Lincoln. The nubs have received four commits in the past two days.

1. 3* Athlete with offers from: East Carolina, Rutgers, Brown, Charlotte, Elon, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Richmond, and William & Mary.
2. 3* LB with an offer from: Eastern Illinois
3. 3* IOL with offers from: Air Force, Army, Columbia, Illinois State, Indiana State, Linwood University, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota and South Dakota State.
4. 3* S with an offer from: Missouri Southern State.

Their 247 board gives me flashbacks of Dorrell recruiting where everyone just tells themselves “trust our staffs evaluation” . Yikes

 

[Big Jim]

Here are a few quotes by Nub posters related to the four recruits listed above.

It's awesome that we are getting commitments from kids that want to play here. Yeah, Brandon Baker would be an awesome pickup, but he's likely just playing the field for the biggest payout on NIL right now.

He has two academy offers. Do you know what academy officers are like?

Violent Nerds.

Seems that Rhule and company put a strong emphasis on intelligence and character as well as speed and athletic abilities.
Maybe some of these 4 and 5 star players just don't fit the psych profile.

Good post that I haven’t seen mentioned yet. Look at Texas A&M for example. They went out and spent millions on a recruiting class last year and where did that get them? We could’ve done the same to be honest, but the personalities have to fit your culture. Unfortunately a lot of these high rated kids have character issues from developing a big ego.

Nice to see some real investment in the region. Iowa has been rolling us over with kids like this.

So the, "I thought it was going to be cornfields" is just never going away. I don't understand it

Site Mod: I’ll admit I’ve been a little uneasy on some of these commits we’re taking, but you can’t deny Rhule’s evaluations hold some serious weight.

This commit list looks like something out of the Callahan era

Knocking it out of the park…..

Seems like a rising talent. Good catch by the staff.

Love the flashiness of the 4 star, but at the same time how many 4 star guys have you gotten excited about that don’t ever play or show up? I think from a culture building standpoint and creating a really good environment we are seeing this priority take place. Get guys that bleed red and are positive. GBR.

It’s not about the stars. Unless the stars have a burning to compete. A long time ago Bo Pelini said there’s a thin line between being good and great. We’re fine.

We had a dude that went to the all american high school game, that pretty much saw the field only a handful of time.

Right now, we just need to win more than 5 games. Whatever we were doing in the past obviously wasn’t working. I don’t care right now what the staff does cause we are a bottom tier program, so if they turn recruiting on its head, whatever.

But they aren’t 0 stars, are they!? Based on his past stops ( at least in college ) I’ll trust Rhule & his eval, especially in year 1.

Yeah but we see it every cycle that we take someone who gets better offers later. I personally don’t like the comparative offers thing

Once you start winning big games the others will follow. You have to start accomplishing signature wins before you get a better recruit. You don't just start at the top. You develop and beat somebody rather than not beating anybody and losing to the Northwesterns and Purdues of the world. We could have had a huge jump but a legacy recruit decided to use us as recruiting pawns for other schools. So, you have to start somewhere and the past coaching staffs were not good staffs, hell one was drunk half the time.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this is the type of player Rhule is going to recruit and take. He's looks for athleticism, type of character and coach-ability. Get used to it.

And I've said it many times and I'll say it again. Our team of coached up three stars, will routinely get their asses kicked by great coaching staffs with coached up four and five stars.
You should get used to that, oh wait you already are.

It's year 1 man, give the coaches a season and the recruiting will improve. And yes winning does improve recruiting. Some of these coaching don't even have a recruiting resume. It's going to take time.

What are you expecting? Genuinely curious. If this is a stretch of 4 commits we are getting in year 3 sure be upset. The staff has to work with what they have right now. It's not like they aren't in the mix with bigger recruits but it kind of is what it is this year

Wwll at least the rating services won't bother with their usual modus operandi of downgrading many of our commits. Seriously though this staff will either show their brilliance at finding undiscovered talent. Or prove that they can coach up better than any other staff in the B10.

It’s really as simple as this. Stars matter if you want to compete for championships; however, you don’t need consistent top rated recruits to become a consistent winner. That is the first step.

Maybe this just confirms the inevitable. We are no longer a blue blood. Blue blood programs and their fan bases would be in meltdown mode over this commitment list. Local media would be talking it up, fans would be in an uproar and so on.

We however, would probably celebrate the commitment of a cat with rabies at this point. Talk about his lack of size but he plays with a real mean streak.

You gotta start somewhere. Frost put together the best B1G west classes for almost every year he coached- and you saw the result.

Rhule did poorly in the NFL. It’s not relevant to being a college head coach

Matthew 8: 26 “you of little faith, why are you so afraid? Trusting the new staff.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Here are a few quotes by Nub posters related to the four recruits listed above.

My favorite: " I personally don't like the comparative offers thing."

Yeah, I bet you dont!

 

[14er]

 

[Big Jim]

My favorite: " I personally don't like the comparative offers thing."

Yeah, I bet you dont!

My favorite:

So the, "I thought it was going to be cornfields" is just never going away. I don't understand it

 

[Buffnik]

Yeah. Guys like NU just landed are fine if it's less than 25% of your recruiting class. But nothing grinds my gears like this fanboi-of-a-team-that-isn't-recruiting-well myth of "blue chips are a bunch of entitled egomaniacs who have never had to work hard while 2* & 3* recruits are high character guys who will outperform their ranks".

Bad football character exists from walk-on to 5*, but I like the odds better on that 5*'s character because he has a clear goal of making the NFL rather than just getting college paid for.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Rhule’s success was never about his recruiting and one could argue he’s had one good season. He’s Mike MacIntyre only he was able to parlay his success into something better.

 

[jsmilkst]

Love the flashiness of the 4 star, but at the same time how many 4 star guys have you gotten excited about that don’t ever play or show up? I think from a culture building standpoint and creating a really good environment we are seeing this priority take place. Get guys that bleed red and are positive. GBR.

Um, if they're not bleeding red you got a different issue

 

[Fogo]

It appears as if Rhule has hired the entire Karl Dorrell recruiting staff in Lincoln. The nubs have received four commits in the past two days.

1. 3* Athlete with offers from: East Carolina, Rutgers, Brown, Charlotte, Elon, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Richmond, and William & Mary.
2. 3* LB with an offer from: Eastern Illinois
3. 3* IOL with offers from: Air Force, Army, Columbia, Illinois State, Indiana State, Linwood University, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, South Dakota and South Dakota State.
4. 3* S with an offer from: Missouri Southern State.

So not only did he hire Cardboards recruiting staff, but by the Nubs fan comments below he also got some of the better All Buffs posters too. My god some of those posts were repeats of the recent past misery on All Buffs.

We Comin'

 

[Ringer]

This one Nub fan quoted above was brutally honest:

"And I've said it many times and I'll say it again. Our team of coached up three stars, will routinely get their asses kicked by great coaching staffs with coached up four and five stars.
You should get used to that, oh wait you already are."

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

This one Nub fan quoted above was brutally honest:

"And I've said it many times and I'll say it again. Our team of coached up three stars, will routinely get their asses kicked by great coaching staffs with coached up four and five stars.
You should get used to that, oh wait you already are."

Nm

 

[Buffnik]

This one Nub fan quoted above was brutally honest:

"And I've said it many times and I'll say it again. Our team of coached up three stars, will routinely get their asses kicked by great coaching staffs with coached up four and five stars.
You should get used to that, oh wait you already are."

But you can out scheme and out work Ohio State. Happens all the time, right? A 3* team like Purdue beats them about once ever 2 or 3 years.

 

[manhattanbuff]

I slept in Lincoln, NE last night. We left that place early today.

 

[#1 pick]

This one Nub fan quoted above was brutally honest:

"And I've said it many times and I'll say it again. Our team of coached up three stars, will routinely get their asses kicked by great coaching staffs with coached up four and five stars.
You should get used to that, oh wait you already are."

They aren't in the B12. They need to get some horses or else

 

[Ringer]

This defeated member of the Nubs fan base has a clever way with words:

"Maybe this just confirms the inevitable. We are no longer a blue blood. Blue blood programs and their fan bases would be in meltdown mode over this commitment list. Local media would be talking it up, fans would be in an uproar and so on.

We however, would probably celebrate the commitment of a cat with rabies at this point. Talk about his lack of size but he plays with a real mean streak."

 

[Buffnik]

This defeated member of the Nubs fan base has a clever way with words:

"Maybe this just confirms the inevitable. We are no longer a blue blood. Blue blood programs and their fan bases would be in meltdown mode over this commitment list. Local media would be talking it up, fans would be in an uproar and so on.

We however, would probably celebrate the commitment of a cat with rabies at this point. Talk about his lack of size but he plays with a real mean streak."

So no more Calibraska fantasies?

 

[Duff Man]

Matt Rhule recruiting:

 

[BUFFS14]

I slept in Lincoln, NE last night. We left that place early today.

Congrats on getting out!

 

[Bread]

Rhule’s success was never about his recruiting and one could argue he’s had one good season. He’s Mike MacIntyre only he was able to parlay his success into something better.

Him and MacIntyre are such a good comparison.

MacIntyre took a bit longer to get his special season but if he would have taken the ole miss job or something after 2016, he would have fallen on his face just like Rhule did at Carolina.

Unfortunately he stayed and fell on his face here. But good comparison.