Among the list of high-profile recruits attending Washington’s Junior Day is another top-100 player. Deshonne Redeaux will be on Montake this weekend for the school’s recruiting event. Redeaux is a four-star recruit across all major recruiting sites and rated as the number five running back in the nation according to 247Sports. He’s a California native and attends Oaks Christian High School where he’s regarded as a top 15 player in the state. Redeaux narrowed his college search to six programs at the end of February. It includes Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, UCLA, USC, and Washington. This is our third piece in a series covering Washington’s Junior Day. 

Deshonne Redeaux Visits Washington Junior Day

As a junior at Oaks Christian last Fall, Redeaux had his best season yet. He notched 17 rushing touchdowns with 1,263 yards on the ground and seven yards per carry. Redeaux eclipsed the 100-yard mark in seven of his ten games played that season, averaging 126 yards per contest. Redeaux is an accomplished sprinter as well. His personal best 100-meter dash is 10.42 seconds, and he’s clocked a 21.32 second 200-meter dash. 

His speed makes him a weapon on the football field. Redeaux’s tape shows a player who can be shifty at the point of attack and maneuver himself through small gaps at the line. Once he sees a crease, his acceleration to the next level is instant. The California running back routinely outruns second level defenders and finds himself in open space. Redeaux is listed at 5’-11” and 195 pounds. 

Redeaux visited UCLA, USC, and Oregon earlier this calendar year. His trip to the Pacific Northwest is an opportunity for the Husky staff to connect with the running back for the third time this year. The Washington staff visited Redeaux twice during the January contact period. In a social media post, Redeaux shared that offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty and running backs coach Scottie Graham were in town. Later that month, nearly the entire Washington coaching staff paid him a visit. Redeaux is a priority target for the Huskies in the class of 2026. They’ll continue to make their case to the four-star this weekend.

Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Highly-touted running backs Brian Bonner and Ansu Sanoe are set to visit Washington this weekend for its Junior Day recruiting event. The class of 2026 running backs are each listed as four stars across the major recruiting sites. Bonner and Sanoe add to the list of high-profile recruits making visits this weekend. It’s a lineup that also includes four-star quarterback Brady Smigiel.

Bonner, Sanoe Visit Washington Junior Day

Bonner’s eight finalists include Georgia, Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, and Washington. Out of Valencia High School in Valencia, California, Bonner is the nation’s sixth-ranked running back in the class of 2026. He’s a top 100 player according to the 247Sports Composite, and he’ll be on campus at Washington this weekend for Junior Day.

The California native narrowed his list of finalists in late February. A couple days later, Bonner took to social media to announce he’d be visiting Washington for the program’s recruiting event on the weekend of March 8th and 9th. This Spring, Bonner has scheduled three visits. Washington’s Junior Day is his first. Also, he’ll visit Michigan on March 27th and Penn State on April 7th. 

Bonner’s Junior Season

As a junior during the 2024 season, Bonner’s stats were impressive. He totaled 2,332 all-purpose yards and 30 touchdowns. That included 1,433 rushing yards, 484 receiving yards, and 415 return yards. The Valencia High School running back averaged 7.6 yards per carry last season and over 130 rushing yards per game. 

In addition to the stats, Bonner’s speed is something that can separate him as a running back. He’s a sprinter for his track and field team at Valencia. In February, he set a personal record with a 6.84-second 60-meter dash. Bonner has clocked a 10.56 second 100-meter. The four-star is 6′-0″ and 190 pounds.

Huskies’ First ’26 Commit

The Huskies will be hosting another four-star this weekend at running back. Current Washington commit Ansu Sanoe will be on campus for Junior Day on March 8th and 9th. In April of 2024, Sanoe became the first member of Washington’s class of 2026, committing to play for Jedd Fisch. Sanoe is currently Oregon’s second-ranked player, according to 247Sports, out of Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon. 

Sanoe was a 2022 Max Preps Freshman All-American a few years ago when he played tight end. He lined up at running back, linebacker, and on special teams that season. In 2022, he rushed for seven touchdowns and caught two more. A year later, Sanoe scored eight touchdowns on the ground. As a junior last season, Sanoe scored 10 rushing touchdowns and averaged nearly six yards per carry. 

The Husky commit is listed at 6’-2” and 225 pounds and runs with a physical style. Sanoe can make defenders miss at the point of attack and quickly cut upfield. His size makes him a difficult player to bring down. Sanoe can also be productive as a blocker out of the backfield, another quality trait for someone in his position. He’ll be on campus this weekend, likely acting as a recruiter for Bonner and the several other high school players considering Washington in their college search.

Main Photo: Jennifer Buchanan-Imagn Images

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Several top high school prospects will set foot on Washington’s campus this weekend for visits. The weekend of March 8th and 9th is Junior Day for Husky Football, and it includes one of the top targets for the Husky staff in the class of 2026. Four-star quarterback and former Florida State commit Brady Smigiel will make his first of two upcoming scheduled visits to Washington. The California native and Newbury Park quarterback is the number six quarterback in his class. He is regarded as a four-star on three of the four major recruiting sites, and a five-star according to Rivals. 

Smigiel To Visit Washington

Smigiel was one of the first players head coach Jedd Fisch offered when he took over at Washington. The quarterback announced his offer on January 22nd, 2024. Three months later, Smigiel was on campus for an unofficial visit during Washington’s Spring Practice in April of 2024. In June of that year, Smigiel committed to play for Florida State. 

The Seminoles’ 2024 season went sideways, and it resulted in changes within their coaching staff. Most notably, Mike Norvell is no longer the primary play-caller. Florida State fired offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and replaced him with Gus Malzahn, former Auburn and UCF head coach. Malzahn is the new play-caller in Tallahassee resulting in a change of command of the offense. Smigiel re-evaluated his commitment, and ultimately decided to de-commit in January of 2025, almost exactly one calendar year since receiving his offer from Washington.

Saturday will be the third visit for Smigiel at the Greatest Setting. After Spring Practice last April, his social media post revealed that he was on campus again in mid-December. With his recruitment back open, this weekend is another important opportunity for Fisch and staff to make their impression on the high school junior signal caller. But it won’t be their last either. Smigiel has already scheduled an official visit at Washington for later in the year. He’ll be back on June 19th to give the Huskies a fourth look. Smigiel will presumably announce where he’ll play college football sometime later in the Summer.

Smigiel’s Stats and Stature

Smigiel has played in 41 varsity football games through three seasons at Newbury High School in Newbury Park, California. His stats in that timeframe turn heads. He’s tossed 147 touchdown passes, 11,222 passing yards, with an average of 9.7 yards per attempt. In three seasons, Smigiel has thrown 28 interceptions, but only three of which came during his junior season last Fall. His stat line last season was 49 touchdowns, three interceptions, and 3,521 passing yards. He added a career high 11 rushing scores as a junior as well. 

The nation’s sixth-rated quarterback is listed at 6’-5” and 205 pounds according to 247Sports. He stands tall with a prototypical quarterback frame and excels as a pocket passer with accuracy to all levels of the field. Smigiel has a powerful arm and displays touch on his deep passes. As far as what you look for in a quarterback, Smigiel checks just about every box. Washington will continue to make their case this weekend. 

Main Image: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Another national signing day has come to a close. While the hats and fax machines have long been put away. One thing remains certain. When it comes to high school recruiting, it just means more in the SEC. Here are your SEC NSD 2025 recap and grades.

It Just Means More SEC Teams

The 2024 season may not have been the SEC’s strongest on the field, but it certainly didn’t impact the conference’s dominance in recruiting. When it comes to the top recruiting classes, the SEC remains firmly ahead of the competition. Like in the regular season, Texas and Georgia locked out the top two spots.  While other conferences (meaning the Big Ten) made strides, the SEC’s depth and talent pipeline continue to set the standard in college football. Don’t just take my word for it; here are the SEC NSD 2025 numbers to back it up.

A staggering 11 of the SEC’s 16 teams finished in the Top 25, with seven securing spots in the Top 10. In comparison, the Big Ten placed three teams in the Top 10 and had seven ranked in the Top 25 overall. The ACC followed at a distant third with three teams, none inside the Top 10, while Notre Dame and the Big 12 each had just one representative. Here’s a breakdown of the Top 25 by conference.

• SEC: (1) Texas, (2) Georgia, (3) Alabama, (7) Auburn, (8) Florida, (9) Texas A&M, (10) LSU, (11) Tennesee, (16) Ole Miss, (17) Oklahoma, (18) South Carolina, (20) Missouri
• B1G: (4) Ohio State, (5) Oregon, (6) Michigan, (14) USC, (15) Penn State, (22) Nebraska, (23) Washington, (25) Maryland
• Independent: (12) Notre Dame
• ACC: (13) Miami, (19) Flordia State, (21) Georgia Tech
• Big 12: (24) TCU

SEC Tailgate Talk: SEC NSD Grades

The Winners

• (1) Texas, (2) Georgia, (3) Alabama, (7) Auburn, (8) Florida, (9) Texas A&M, (10) LSU

A school can’t win by the Transfer Portal alone. Sure, Indiana and Colorado were nice stories. But if you want to win a championship, the Transfer Portal is a supplement, not your lifeline. These seven teams have set them up to reinforce their roster with young talent that will be able to contribute on day one and blunt some of the sting for those who decided to take their talents elsewhere via the Transfer Portal.

Texas and Georgia continue to show that they are the new class of the SEC NSD and high school recruiting. Georgia has done that since Kirby Smart came in 2017. Smart consistently has the Bulldogs in the conversation and in the Top 3. That is why he has won two national championships and played for a third. Steve Sarkisian has taken a blueprint similar to his to Austin. Texas has played in back-to-back semifinals and will look to Arch Manning in the fall to carry them to their first national championship since 2005.

The two biggest names on this list to encourage fans: are Auburn and Flordia. Both have had multiple subpar seasons despite dreams of something bigger. Hugh Freeze and Billy Napier need to show more next year, as in signature wins and/or double-digit wins, to earn the right to coach their teams again in 2026.

Still In the Hunt

• (11) Tennesee, (16) Ole Miss, (17) Oklahoma, (18) South Carolina, (20) Missouri

Five teams finished in the second half of the Top 25 ranking. It’s no wonder four of the five were in contention for an at-large bid in the College Football Playoff this season. The floor of the middle of the pack in the SEC is growing. Teams in most conferences would be excited over having a Top 20 class. In the SEC, it just means more.

Lane Kiffin may realize there is more to roster building than just using the Transfer Portal. As Last Word pointed out last week, this year’s portal class was week. We may not see as many big names enter as we did during its first three years. If Kiffin continues to work the high school recruiting game, he may still be able to use the portal to find the golden ticket to the playoff.

More woes for Norman. Oklahoma had the #17 class, which would be good enough for the top spot in the Big 12. But in for the SEC NSD, it’s only good enough for 10th best in the league. Joe Castiglione has to be groaning and maybe even regretting his decision to leave.

Gone Fishing

• (28) Mississippi State, (29) Kentucky, (32) Arkansas, (75) Vanderbilt

The SEC is tough. Not having a strong high school recruiting class and getting fleeced in the Transfer Portal is a surefire way to not being competitive in the SEC. Sam Pittman and Arkansas continue to defy the odds and do it his way. The road is steep, but he seems ready for the job.

Clark Lea caught the lighting in a bottle in 2024 using the Transfer Portal. Vandy was exciting and not just a doormat or laughing stock. Lea hired Barton Simmons when he was hired to rethink high school recruiting and finding success in Nashville. A 75 ranking and being last in the SEC NSD rankings show that they may still be searching for a solution.

Main Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

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After dominating the transfer portal, high school recruiting is back in the forefront at LSU. The Tigers are coming off a busy weekend that included its Boys from the Boot and Junior Day recruiting events. During the event, Defensive Backs coach Corey Raymond extended an offer to the latest LSU cornerback prospect for the 2026 class, Dezyrian Ellis of Franklin Parish High School in Winnsboro, Louisiana. Ellis played quarterback in 2023 and 2024, but Raymond and the Tigers are betting on his athletic skills making him an elite cornerback in Baton Rouge.

Ellis was recently named a class 4A first-team All-State selection at quarterback, passing for over 2000 yards. At 6′-3″ and 175 pounds, he ran for over 800 yards while accounting for 41 total touchdowns. The twitchy athlete is currently underrated, but he has the ideal skill set that Raymond looks for in a cornerback – height, speed, and fluid hips.

In his second year as a starter at quarterback, Ellis led Franklin Parish to its first quarterfinal appearance in school history. Now, he’s the first athlete from the Winnsboro campus to receive an LSU offer since Booger McFarland in the mid-90s.

Last Word had an exclusive one-on-one interview with Ellis and we talked about the recruiting process and his experience at Junior Day.

LSU’s Cornerback Prospect

Last Word: How did the process of receiving the offer play out? Which coach offered you?

Ellis: “Coach Corey came to our school. We talked and chopped it up, but I thought it was my friend that was going to get the offer. Then we came to the campus for Junior Day. Me, Coach Corey, and the defensive coordinator talked, and they gave me the offer.”

Last Word: How’d you react?

Ellis: “I just started smiling!”

Last Word: I know you’re used to playing offense. Given the chance to play defense, do you embrace the opportunity to deliver the blow instead of taking the hit?

Ellis: “I mean, I don’t have a choice.”

Last Word: What’s your relationship with Corey Raymond like?

Ellis: “That was my first time talking to him when he came to my school. But once we talked at my school I kind of felt that he was my guy.”

Last Word: Other than getting the offer, what did you enjoy most about Junior Day at LSU?

Ellis: “Man, the food was so good! I loved the food. And when I was walking the campus and looking around it seemed like the athletes looked happy. The students looked happy. It seemed like a great place to be.”

Last Word: Are there any schools that haven’t offered from which you’re expecting an offer?

Ellis: “Not really. The last few offers that I got kind of came out of nowhere. So I don’t always know; they just come.”

Last Word: I want to talk about your coach. I respect how you and your teammates represent yourselves and your school on social media. Your family gets credit for that, but it also speaks to the program. Does Coach Burnette stress excellence off the field as much as on the field?

Ellis: “He stresses it way more off the field than on the field. He’s more of an “off-the-field” guy when it comes to what he preaches the most.”

Main Image: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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The 2025 Winter Transfer Portal consists of fewer household names than any winter portal before, giving the impression that this is the weakest portal ever. Except for Carson Beck, none of the top ten rated players in the 2025 portal move the needle with casual college football fans. Additionally, only four of the top 20 players were on teams that finished ranked in the top 25 in 2024. What does this mean? Is the transfer portal finally leveling out? Are rosters more comparable nationally to the point that the top players flirting with the portal have opted to stay put? Or is this year simply an anomaly?

By comparison, the 2024 transfer portal’s top ten boasted names like Caleb Downs, Isaiah Bond, Walter Nolen, and Quinshon Judkins. In 2023, fans followed the path of players like Travis Hunter and AD Mitchell. Caleb Williams, Quinn Ewers, Jordan Addison, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jaxson Dart headlined the class of 2022. Of course, an argument can be made for hindsight being 20/20 in this analysis. However, every one of these players was transferring with massive expectations at the time of the transfer. Many of them were award winners or leaving teams that had high expectations themselves. 

The Draw of the Portal

The allure of the transfer portal, since its 2018 inception, has been star power moving from brand to brand. The marketing to the average fan is targeted at household names, the lack of which makes this portal seem weaker than in years past. Sure, fans of individual schools have dug into the weeds of evaluating a Group of Five, or FCS, standout joining their Power Four team. Proven players have often moved to a team seemingly “one piece away” from national title contention.

This year, it’s Beck and the band of misfit toys. Even the argument for Beck as a proven player going to a title contender loses some of its appeal given what Cam Ward did for the Hurricanes in a year where they fell short of the playoff. Couple that with Beck’s performance at Georgia in 2024 and his elbow injury, and it just adds up to more questions and dreams for Miami. 

Who’s It Going To Be?

So, who is the splash acquisition in the weak portal of 2025? John Mateer, Patrick Payton, and Eric Singleton Jr. are all moving from teams that did not factor into the national narrative in 2024 to the SEC. Payton has the most potential to immediately impact as a dynamic edge rusher in Baton Rouge. LSU has their defensive coordinator but has to improve from a personnel standpoint to return to a national championship-level defense. Edge players are the most coveted of any position, behind the quarterback, because of their ability to impact any game at any time in a massive way. 

Mateer is moving from Pullman to Norman with his 29-year-old offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle. Sooners’ fans may believe he will save Brent Venables’s job in Oklahoma. Only time will tell given the offensive production, or lack thereof, of the offensive production over the first three years. The biggest question mark surrounding Mateer is the level of competition he faced at Washington State. Venables has yet to get the offense right. Mateer must prove it on the field before the rest of the college football world is bought in.

Finally, Singleton is the highest-rated receiver in the class. At Georgia Tech in 2023 and 2024, in run-focused offense, Singleton was a 50-catch, 700-plus-yard receiver on average. Now at Auburn, Hugh Freeze hopes that Singleton can make it three years in a row with those numbers. Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold will likely throw the ball to Singleton on the Plains. Again, Auburn’s offense was a struggling one in 2024 and looks to rebound with a stellar high school and portal class heading into 2025. The difference between Singleton at Auburn and Mateer at Oklahoma is that Freeze has years of proven success as an offensive coach. Given the skill position talent the Tigers have for 2025, there are no excuses for the offense production not to increase. 

It’s Still About Development 

The myth of the transfer portal among casual fans remains that plug-and-play talent is the answer to changing a team’s wins and losses from the previous year. The grace extended to coaches concerning flipping rosters and winning games does not often exceed two years due to this myth. Billy Napier is proof that keeping a coach for more than two or three years is still necessary, even with the rapid opportunities for change in the portal. 

The development of players is still the underlying foundation of success at the college level. A high school player, theoretically, has three to five years to develop under their coaching staff and grow into the player he wants to be and needs to be to advance to the NFL. Portal players are typically more developed when entering the program, but that does not mean they are ready-made position fillers who do not need to grow. Coaches still need to develop portal players over the one to four years that they can remain with the program. There is still no quick fix or “just add water” formula. 

Development has caused the movement in the portal to slow down. Players who showed immense potential and talent at one program were transferred to “more prominent” programs and underperformed many times. So, donors and coaches have pumped the brakes on the splash move with a huge price tag. Instead, funds are being more strategically used to build a roster that wins together. 

The Prime of the Portal

This may seem like the weakest portal in years in terms of names. However, rosters nationwide are stronger because roster building has improved since the portal’s inception. Now, fans can zoom in and focus on the backup linebacker who may have to save the season when the starter goes down. The portal is in its prime.

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Nebraska has been extremely aggressive in the transfer portal. Over the past few months, the Huskers have added eight defensive players to their roster, allowing Matt Rhule to establish one of the top portal classes in the Big Ten. Let’s take a look at who could emerge to play a key role in Nebraska’s defense in 2025.

Looking Ahead: Major Players In Nebraska’s Defense for 2025

Marques Watson-Trent

The senior linebacker will arrive in Lincoln with a ton of experience. In his time at Georgia Southern last season, Watson-Trent led the Eagles program with 118 tackles. He also made his presence felt near the line of scrimmage. In 2024, he had 7.5 tackles for loss and forced four fumbles. These stats earned him first-team all-conference honors along with being named as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. It will be interesting to see if Javin Wright can have the same impact. During the offseason, the 230-pound linebacker was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA. This will allow him to have another season of eligibility in 2025. He already ended last season on a high note. In Nebraska’s Pinstripe Bowl victory over Boston College, Wright led the Big Red in total tackles and tackles for loss.

Dasan McCullough

After stops at Indiana and Oklahoma, the 223-pound linebacker will spend his last season of college eligibility with the Cornhuskers. We should be able to predict that he’ll make an instant impact on Nebraska’s defense for 2025. In just 12 games with the Hoosiers, McCullough was able to record 48 total tackles and four sacks. This led him to receive All-American honors as a true freshman.   He would continue to find consistency in Norman. In two years with the Sooners, he was able to record 42 tackles and three pass deflections. If he has a successful stint in Lincoln, it will give scouts even more confidence in his NFL Draft stock.

Andrew Marshall

The former Idaho Vandal should get plenty of playing time under Huskers defensive backs coach Addison Williams. As a sophomore in 2024, Marshall was able to record 50 tackles and eight pass breakups. The 6-foot, 186-pounder also established himself as a return specialist. The California native showed off his explosiveness when he was able to return a punt for 47 yards, and a kickoff for 100. Veteran safety Deshon Singleton will also be available to play alongside him. Singleton announced on social media that he is returning for his fifth college football season. It will be interesting to see if he can continue where he left off in 2024. The 13-game starter logged 71 tackles and three pass breakups for the Big Red.

Gabe Moore

The Mississippi State transfer will be a long-term project for incoming defensive line coach Terry Bradden. Moore redshirted in his freshman season with the Bulldogs in 2023. The 2024 season was more promising, but the 290-pounder suffered a season-ending injury. Luckily, he does have plenty of upside. In his high school career, he totaled a whopping 116 tackles and 12 sacks. He can try and live up to the hype in Lincoln, but it won’t be easy. East Tennessee State transfer Jaylen George was a first-team All-Southern Conference selection in 2024.  If  Moore isn’t a fit, Cam Lenhardt will always be a good option to keep in the rotation.

Elijah Jeudy

The junior will look to establish himself as a key cog in Nebraska’s defense for 2025. As a sophomore, Jeudy had a career-high eight tackles and a tackle for loss. However, he would make one of the biggest plays of his career against Purdue. Early in the third quarter,  Ben Freehill’s 37-yard field goal attempt was blocked. He could have a similar impact on Nebraska’s defense in 2024. In just 13 games, he had 13 tackles and a fumble recovery against Boston College. This sets up the veteran to be a key cog in the Blackshirts operation. However, we could also see him mentor five-star talent Williams Nwaneri. The Missouri freshman will look to find success in Lincoln after a limited role with the Tigers in 2024.

Read about one of his best moments as a Blackshirt in What Did We Learn About Nebraska’s Win Over Purdue?

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After a disastrous 2024, head coach Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys are riding high in the transfer portal. In typical Cowboys fashion, OSU is defying expectations in the most unusual of ways. How did they do it, and who are the names you need to know for 2025?

The Best of Oklahoma State’s Transfer Portal Wins

A Clean Slate for the Cowboys

Out of the entire state of Oklahoma, only two teams can claim that 2024 was a good year. One is the Owasso Rams and the other is the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos. The big three, however, just couldn’t compare.

The Oklahoma Sooners, under Brent Venables, narrowly avoided their worst season in twenty years. Tulsa’s Golden Hurricanes have been continuing their slide to the bottom of the AAC. The Oklahoma State Cowboys were no exception, facing their worst season since 2005.

It’s no surprise, then, that the staff room has been cleared out. Conditioning coach Rob Glass, special teams coach Sean Snyder, and Gundy are now the only ones remaining. Unlike the Sooners, the Cowboys quickly made replacements. Unsurprisingly, this dedication to a quick turnaround is paying off.

Transfers Must Earn Their Spot

Despite producing nearly the same amount of offensive yards as the Navy Midshipmen, the Cowboys football team has surprisingly little to show for it. Ollie Gordon’s struggles and Alan Bowman’s failure to make his third senior year worthwhile made massive changes inevitable. As Bowman and Gordon are both likely heading for the NFL, that change is coming from the transfer portal.

At running back, Kalib Hicks will likely be taking the top spot. The former Sooner hasn’t seen much of the field, but he’s the most experienced one on the depth chart currently. If he ends up in a position battle with redshirt freshman Sesi Vailahi, though, don’t be too surprised.

The area where we’re definitely going to see some intense competition is quarterback. Garrett Rangel has been passed over for the starting job time and time again. Unfortunately, that spot may still be out of reach. Hauss Hejny, transferring in from TCU, has four years of eligibility and comes in with a dual-threat, scrambling factor that Rangel just doesn’t have.

Rebuilding the Defense

Those position battles aren’t likely to carry over to the defense. This is because Oklahoma State had the second worst defense in the entire country. Even the formerly FCS Sam Houston Bearkats put together a better defense than the Cowboys football team did this year. This makes these defensive transfer portal wins even more important.

One of the best transfers is defensive back Mordecai McDaniel from Charlotte. McDaniel is arriving partly due to the hiring of new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who he played under at Florida. McDaniel comes in with 61 total tackles and one sack. Following behind him is Malik Charles from the FCS West Georgia Wolves. Charles is coming in with seven sacks, 33 tackles, and two deflected passes.

Perhaps the biggest defensive portal wins come from Akron linebacker Bryan McCoy and UTEP edge rusher Kyran Duhon. McCoy was one of the most sought-after players in the entire portal. A three-time state wrestling finalist, McCoy comes in with 239 total tackles, 120 of which came in 2024. Duhon, meanwhile, is the 17th-best rusher in the portal with seven sacks and 43 tackles under his belt.

Bedlam Lives on in These Oklahoma State Transfer Portal Wins

Gundy, however, isn’t recruiting a Top 25 class on defense alone. Part of his rapid rebuild strategy is one that’s setting the stage for the future of Cowboys football. It also, coincidentally, is keeping Bedlam alive and well.

As the Sooners struggle to repair their offense, the Cowboys are denying them wins at every turn. One of those wins is tight end Oscar Hammond. From Division II football at UCO to his time at North Texas, Hammond is clawing his way to the top. In 2024, Hammond racked up 238 receiving yards for North Texas.

Shamar Rigby is another recruit that Gundy is denying Venables. The wide receiver from Purdue is averaging 10.3 yards per catch and currently has 113 receiving yards under his belt. The final big get is Louis Canepa, who comes in as a badly needed offensive tackle.

Last Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s Transfer Portal Wins

At the end of 2024, it certainly looked like Oklahoma State was facing a rebuild. Many thought that the rebuild might even occur under a new head coach. Instead, Gundy has retaken the reigns and is riding into the future with, currently, the eighth-best transfer class in the Big 12 Conference.

Will this pan out with a path toward victory in 2025? That’s a little more difficult to predict. There’s plenty of time between now and August, and we all know the difference a year can make. All we know for sure is that Last Word On Sports will be there to provide you with the latest in all things Oklahoma State Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners football.

The post The Best of Oklahoma State’s Transfer Portal Wins appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

LSU has undoubtedly added significant talent to its roster with a top-10 recruiting class and the highest-rated transfer class in the nation. The only question is how much the Tigers have improved and where. We compared LSU’s current offensive position groups to its 2024 counterparts to determine which units improved, remained the same, or declined. LSU isn’t done working the transfer portal yet, so some of these evaluations could look different in time.

Comparing LSU’s Offensive Position Groups

Quarterbacks – Improved

Although Garrett Nussmeier remains the starter of LSU’s most important position group, the room as a unit will be better in 2025. Neither Rickie Collins nor AJ Swann was expected to challenge Nussmeier for the starting job. Now, Collins and Swann are off to Syracuse and Appalachian State, respectively.

LSU added an intriguing prospect in Mississippi State’s Michael Van Buren from the portal. There is no slight to the former Tigers, but Van Buren has more experience than Collins and a higher ceiling than Swann as a quarterback. The rising sophomore’s physical talent stood out, but his toughness and poise on a bad team were even more impressive.

Colin Hurley will return for his redshirt freshman season after reclassifying to enroll at LSU as a 16-year-old in 2024. It was important for the Tigers to retain Hurley for depth, but the biggest difference in 2025 should be the growth of Nussmeier.

Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels increased their passing yardage by an average (not total) of 1,838 yards as second-year starters at LSU. This is not to suggest that Nussmeier is in the same category as the recent Heisman winners. We’re simply pointing out an increased level of production that comes with the comfort and familiarity of returning after a year of experience.

Running Backs – Improved

The Tigers lost a fan favorite and team leader in the dependable Josh Williams. Fortunately, they’ll return their leading rusher in rising sophomore Caden Durham. Durham established himself early in the 2024 season as a difference-maker against South Carolina. He went on to average over five yards per carry with six touchdowns even while playing through a foot injury for most of the year.

The staff sparsely used Kaleb Jackson throughout 2024 but miraculously managed to keep him out of the portal for now. Jackson looked like LSU’s next great back at times as a freshman. Speaking of freshmen, the Tigers are bringing in two high-profile backs Harlem Berry and JT Lindsey. The 247Sports Composite ranked Berry as the top running back in the country. Berry possesses elite speed and receiving ability that makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Receivers/Tight Ends – Improved

First, let’s give credit to a couple of LSU greats headed to the NFL after illustrious careers in Baton Rouge. Kyren Lacy was the big-bodied prototypical go-to receiver on the outside for the Tigers and led the team in touchdowns in 2024. Mason Taylor is LSU’s most productive tight end in history and gets open in his sleep. But it was the diminutive Aaron Anderson who led LSU in catches and yards in 2024. Anderson is back along with reinforcements.

LSU’s most improved offensive position group added Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Kentucky’s Barion Brown, and Florida State’s Destyn Hill to form a dynamic receiver room. When healthy, Anderson could easily become the Tigers’ leading pass-catcher in 2025. Brown adds speed to the room that was missing while Chris Hilton was injured in 2024.

On that note, don’t overlook Hilton. He missed time, pressed to make plays after returning, then showed what makes him special late in the season. Availability is everything, but his tools are rare. Trey’Dez Green could be one of the most intimidating tight ends in college football in 2025. Green showed the willingness to block, and his athleticism is second to none at the position. LSU also added Bauer Sharp of Oklahoma to its tight-end group. Bauer had 42 catches on the year.

Offensive Line – Declined

Offensive line coach Brad Davis has added proven talent from the portal, but no unit gets better after losing tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones. Both will be off the board early in the upcoming draft. LSU is also losing guards Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier contributed to a step back for this position group, but all is not lost.

Davis trusts rising sophomore Tyree Adams, playing him at multiple positions when injuries occurred. Adams is expected to take the reins at left tackle. LSU added Virginia Tech’s Braelin Moore, giving the Tigers a proven center who can also play guard. Guard transfer Josh Thompson of Northwestern signed with LSU and was considered a top-five lineman in the transfer market.

Paul Mubenga and DJ Chester are set to return to the interior of the line after inconsistent seasons. Still, it takes time and experience to develop into a force in the trenches. This could become a better run-blocking group than the last offensive line, but for now, the 2024 group gets the edge.

The post LSU’s Offensive Position Groups: Where Will the Tigers Improve in 2025? appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The winter transfer portal is closed up, but time’s not up for the Oklahoma Sooners just yet. The deadline to enter the portal has come and come for most players. But there is no closing the window when it comes time for a player to decide on a new program. Head coach Brent Venables is still trying to fill the gaps amidst a mass exodus of players. In the portal’s narrowing time frame, who did Venables bring in? And who else does he still need to get?

Oklahoma Sooners Still Searching for Final Transfer Portal Wins

Kendal Daniels Is Leaving Stillwater

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oklahoma Sooners might not be playing the Bedlam series anymore, but the rivalry is still alive. Venables is taking full advantage of Mike Gundy’s program woes to bring in some final wins to Oklahoma in the transfer portal. One of those wins is linebacker Kendal Daniels.

From the first week of the winter portal to now, Venables has been gunning for the veteran defender. Daniels, a former Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, was the number one player from the Panhandle state in the transfer portal. In the wake of Danny Stutsman’s graduation, Daniels could be the next big guy in the Sooners backfield.

Daniels, thankfully, is not an injury-prone glass cannon. He comes in with over 250 tackles, including five sacks in 2024. Daniels also has the versatility to fill in at both safety and cornerback. While Daniels only has one year of eligibility remaining, that’s more than enough time to get the other guys up to speed for 2026.

Bolstering the Defense

Additionally, Venables and the Sooners are adding another key piece to their defensive lineup. Edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr., from Florida State, is committing to Oklahoma. The former five-star has one season of eligibility remaining.

Jones is the 11th-best edge rusher in the portal and the 77th-best nationally. In his 2024 season with Florida State, Jones racked up 25 tackles and four sacks across nine games. Jones adds depth to a defensive line that has been devastated by the portal and graduation.

FCS Players in the Transfer Portal

This year’s Oklahoma transfer portal wins are being carried, primarily, by FCS schools. Austin Welch, a kicker for the Kennesaw State Owls, is signing up to move to Oklahoma this year. Welch has made 14 out of 18 field goals this season and completed 20 out of 21 extra-point kicks as well. Alongside him are punter Jacob Ulrich and tight end Carson Kent, both of whom are also Owls.

Kent, a tight end, is coming in to fill the gap left by Bauer Sharp. In 2024, Kent caught 18 passes for 217 yards for the Owls. He’s one of the standout players for Kennesaw this past year, earning All-Conference USA honors more than once.

Will Huggins, a tight end from Pittsburgh State, is also heading to Norman for the 2025 season. After not playing much at Kansas, Huggins transferred to Pittsburgh State for 2024. While at the FCS powerhouse, Huggins racked up 305 yards across 22 catches. Huggins, alongside Kent, are clearly moves being made with the intention of improving pass protection- something Sharp was repeatedly unable to do in 2024.

Oklahoma’s Empty Receiving Room

The winter transfer portal may be closing, but there are still players out there looking for a place to land. In most dire need is, of course, the wide receiving core. After a dreadful 2024, primarily due to no offensive line and, thus, no time for Jackson Arnold to throw, many of the receivers opted into the transfer portal. Despite some wins, there’s still not enough to muster a good group for new quarterback John Mateer to throw to.

One of those could be Kaedin Robinson. The Appalachian State receiver could easily slot into a roster that is slowly bringing on more and more FCS talents. Robinson was one of the best receivers nationally and earned First Team Sun Belt recognition for his efforts. Another potential addition on the radar should be Louisiana Tech receiver Tru Edwards.

Edwards was the leading receiver for Conference USA in 2024. With 84 receptions for 986 yards, including six touchdowns, Edwards is already a top target for several schools. Unlike a long-shot race for, say, players from a school like USC, Oklahoma has a better chance at signing Edward. That is, of course, if Edwards doesn’t sign with Kentucky first.

Last Thoughts on the Winter Portal Closing

As time winds down, the situation is once again looking dicey for Oklahoma’s transfer portal hunt. There are still gaps in the depth chart, and nobody knows when or if they’ll be filled.

Additionally, Venables and the Sooners are now on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator. The offseason is normally a time to regroup, but it seems like that’s not the case in Norman. Can Venables recover and lead Oklahoma to success in 2025? Only time will tell. Until then, be sure to check back in, every week, as Last Word On Sports brings you the most up-to-date news on all things Oklahoma Sooners football.

The post Oklahoma Still Searching for Final Transfer Portal Wins appeared first on Last Word on College Football.