The transfer portal does more taking than giving at the Group of Five level, and that can bring its share of frustrations. Coaches who unearth hidden gems in the high school recruiting process and develop them into high-level players in Group of Five leagues must be prepared to lose them to deep-pocketed Power Four programs.
But the Group of Five schools do have something to offer in the portal, even if they often struggle to compete financially in college football’s NIL economy: opportunity. When logjams pop up on power-conference rosters, talented players wanting to spread their wings can look to the Group of Five ranks for a place to shine.
Liberty went 13-1 last season and was the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the final College Football Playoff Rankings thanks largely to a Tennessee transfer at quarterback (Kaidon Salter) and a Wake Forest transfer at running back (Quinton Cooley). That’s just one prominent example of how a Group of Five program has broken even through the portal in recent years.
As the 2024 season creeps closer, it’s time to take a look at which Group of Five transfers could make the biggest impact in the season ahead. The highest-ranked Group of Five team is guaranteed a spot in the 12-team CFP at season’s end, which puts this contingent squarely in the national conversation.
Here are the top 10 Group of Five transfers to know.
Nelson, the No. 15 QB from the portal, spent a lot of time under the spotlight for a player with just three career pass attempts. He ranked as 247Sports’ No. 13 overall player in the 2023 high school recruiting class and made headlines by flipping his commitment from Oklahoma to USC when coach Lincoln Riley left the Sooners for the Trojans late in 2021. But after one redshirt season…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/group-of-five-football-transfers-boise-states-malachi-nelson-tulanes-ty-thompson-aim-for-instant-impact/
Author : David Cobb
Publish date : 2024-06-07 14:35:57
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