Message Board Geniuses

Welcome to the new reality in college football. The Transfer Portal is officially open and we’re already seeing a ridiculous amount of action. Every school is going to have some casualties, and not just guys buried on the depth chart or oft-injured upperclassmen looking for a fresh start. No no, multi-year starters and projected first-round draft picks are throwing their name into the ring as well. Here we were thinking the recruiting and NIL game had gotten crazy enough.

With all of that craziness, Message Board Geniuses is here to get you caught up on who’s in the Portal, where they’re going, and what our favorite boards really think.

QUARTERBACKS GALORE

Truthfully we could do this entire article on Quarterbacks but let’s focus on the big ones (apologies to Spencer Sanders, Nick Evers, Haynes King, Zach Calzada, and Brennan Armstrong). Last week we told you about Hudson Card, Malik Hornsby, and Cade McNamara. This week we’ve got four more to let you know about.

Devin Leary – Quarterback – NC State

Devin announced his entry the day the Portal opened, immediately becoming one of the top prospects available. He’s thrown for more than 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in his career and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

NC State fans mostly wish Mr. Leary well.

What Wolfpack fans really take issue with is the new reality of haves and have nots.

Drew Pyne – Quarterback – Notre Dame

Drew was a one-year starter for Notre Dame, leading them to some big wins including one over Clemson. Still, the Irish faithful aren’t exactly sad to see him go.

Some on the other hand think Pyne never got a fair shake.

It does feel like Domers have reached a consensus on who their next QB should be. Luckily, the Portal goes both ways.

D.J. Uiagalelei – Quarterback – Clemson

Another big time name and multi-year starter that will be looking for a new home next year is DJ Uiagalelei out of Clemson. The former heir apparent to Trevor Lawrence has had an up and down tenure and Clemson fans and staff look set to move on to Cade Klubnik.

D.J. will get plenty of attention in the Portal but we’re already seeing a few schools rise to the top of the list for his services including Oregon State, UCLA, and even Florida.

J.T. Daniels – Quarterback – West Virginia

Fourth time’s a charm? I think that’s how the saying goes. J.T. will once again spend the offseason entering the Transfer Portal, and by this point the guy could major in Transfer Portaling. He might need to, because I don’t know what major he’s declaring after spending his freshman year at USC, Sophomore and Junior years at Georgia, and Senior year at West Virginia.

Daniels will have one more year of eligibility and we here at MBG want to pay our respects to J.T. for really paving the way and showing everyone just how to leverage the portal and NIL.

The game is the game boys.

UPDATE – Cade McNamara – Quarterback – Michigan to Iowa

A special shout out to Bourke, a true Message Board Genius from Maize & Blue.

Turns out we can trust his cousin because Mr. McNamara announced his intention to transfer to Iowa. Hawkeye fans get a good one.

If only Iowa could get an upgrade at playcaller in the Portal as well.

BIG NAME WIDE RECEIVERS LOOKING FOR NEW HOMES

JoJo Earle and Traeshon Holden – Wide Receiver – Alabama

Purge is probably the right word for what’s happening this offseason in Tuscaloosa. Alabama will be losing Bryce Young to the draft and has already seen Trey Sanders enter his name in the Portal. This past week they saw a couple offensive linemen and two wide receivers declare.

Crimson Tide fans may have one solution for Saban to consider.

DeColdest Crawford – Wide Receiver – Nebraska

The man with the best name in college football is looking for a new home. DeColdest was injured in fall camp and never saw the field, but he made some money in NIL and had his first of what I’m sure will be many memorable commercials.

Luckily, new coach Matt Rhule is well-versed in rebuilds.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Offensive skill players can’t have all the fun and more than a few big time defenders have thrown their names into the Transfer Portal.

Denver Harris (Cornerback) and Tunmise Adeleye (Edge) Bid Farewell to A&M

The roster turnover continues in College Station as two more players entered the Portal.

Adeleye saw limited action this year as a redshirt freshman but couldn’t seem to find the playing time for the Aggies.

Harris on the other hand saw quite a bit of playing time but he had some off-field issues and suspensions that cut his season short. Ags are happy to pack his bags and drive Denver to the airport if necessary.

Justin Flowe – Linebacker – Oregon

Former Five-Star Recruit Justin Flowe hit the Portal and will leave Oregon with at least one year of eligibility remaining. Flowe battled injuries in multiple years but still projects to play at the next level.

Flowe picked the Ducks over USC in his original commitment. Perhaps USC gets a second shot?

Then again, maybe not.

Tony Grimes – Cornerback – North Carolina

The Number 1 Corner in 2021 (before reclassifying to 2020), Tony Grimes will look to get back on track at a new school in 2023. Grimes has first round NFL talent, but a lack of development plagued his North Carolina career.