It is time for another football week in review! But this time, we are shifting our focus to the whirlwind of all whirlwinds: the transfer portal!
This past Wednesday, the spring transfer portal opened up for all of college football. Almost 4,000 players entered with the intention to transfer on the first day, and more announcements have trickled in over recent days. Just like the initial transfer portal, the spring edition promises to shake up rosters and give teams a chance to add real contributors for the 2025 season.
To varying extents, FIU, USF, and FAU have seen action in the portal. They have landed some players that could be contributors or serve key roles in 2025. They have lost others, some of whom were poised to have roles on the team. There was also some movement on the high school recruiting front this week,
Additionally, I had a chance to attend USF’s Tuesday spring practice this week, which allowed me to get a glimpse of the Bulls in action and hear from some key contributors along the offensive line. And with the draft arriving next week, we will have an impromptu top-10 mock draft as well!
It was another eventful week in football, albeit in a different way than we have covered here before. Portal Mania has arrived in college football, so let’s not waste any more time and get to covering all of the action!
Spring Transfer Portal: Who is on the Move?
Covering the college football transfer portal is like climbing a mountain. There is such an influx of information over the course of the week that it is impossible to cover everything at once. Rather, it is much more conducive to split up the action into two section: those players who are leaving, and those who are newly committed to the school. This section will focus on those players who are leaving FIU, FAU, and USF.
The Owls saw 13 different players officially enter the portal (according to 24/7 Sports) and have had some others not officially listed announce their intention to transfer on social media.
On offense, the most notable names to hit the portal were wideouts Leon Washington Jr. and Caleb Coombs. Washington Jr., the son of NFL standout Leon Washington, is a true sophomore who joined the Owls last season. Used sparingly in 2024, the wideout had seven receptions for 74 yards on nine targets.
However, Washington has showed that he is much better than the surface level stats would indicate. He is shifty, explosive, and very twitchy in space. He has great feel for route running, understanding how to find space in different coverages the defense throws at him. This has shown up during the 2024 season and the 2025 spring game; while the offense has not always been able to get the ball to him, Washington Jr. is usually in a position to make plays.
And to bring it all together, the wideout has shown the ability to make contested catches and be explosive with the ball in his hands. Add in some glimpses of being able to play running back, and you have a player that can easily be a key contributor for a high-level offense.
As for Coombs, he has not had a true chance to get significant playing time at either FAU or Marshall, the first school he attended. But in a fashion very similar to Washington Jr., the veteran wideout has shown some impressive ability on the field.
At FAU, Coombs has shown some solid route running and speed. He can attack deep down the field and make defenders miss in space. Most importantly, Coombs has reliable hands and can make tough catches for his quarterbacks. No matter who threw him the ball during FAU’s spring game, Coombs made plays and kept the chains moving for the offense. If a team truly gives him a role, I think he can produce some good production in 2025.
Outside of Coombs and Washington Jr., FAU saw some of its younger depth options declare their intent to transfer.
The Owls had offensive linemen Brayden Ramey, Ethan Proffitt, and Chrisdasson Saint-Jean formally enter the portal this week. While none of the three players have played significant snaps, they all garnered significant interest as recruits.
Ramey was the 261st player in Florida in the 2023 recruiting class, earning a very good group of offers from a variety of schools. The most notable school to offer the offensive lineman was Louisville, while FIU, Troy, and FAU were among the schools to offer him.
Initially committing to USF, Ramey ended up at FIU for its 2023 recruiting class. However, the Ocala Trinity Catholic alum ended up at Florida Atlantic soon after, spending two seasons with the Owls. Heading back into the portal, Ramey could garner some looks as an upside play with good measurables and skills.
Proffitt was a member of the Owls’ 2024 recruiting class, choosing FAU over schools like Liberty, Maryland, USF, and UCF. He has some great size, standing at 6-feet-5-inches and weighing 310 pounds. Combined with Proffitt’s overall skill set on the interior, I could easily see him getting some looks in the portal.
Saint-Jean has even more size than Proffitt or Ramey, standing at a towering 6-feet-7-inches and weighing 310 pounds. He has the strength and size to be a very productive offensive tackle, as evidenced by a bevy of P4 offers he held coming out of high school. Saint-Jean had interest from Colorado, Penn State, Maryland, Syracuse, Indiana, and Purdue. He also held multiple G5 offers. It remains to be seen which football team will take a chance on the offensive tackle, but his measurables suggest that he could be a nice asset.
At the offensive skill positions, FAU saw wideout Marvin Alexander formally enter the portal while tight end Kam Bell, running back Tremonte Underwood, and wideout Nicholas Vezina announced their intentions to transfer.
Alexander is a graduate transfer who spent three years at FAU and one season at the University of Kentucky. Bell was a depth option in a deep tight end room, while Underwood was a depth/special teams player in the Owls’ running back room. Venezia has flashed in scrimmages and practices before, but he fell victim to an extremely talented and young room at FAU.
On defense, the Owls lost a potential key contributor on the defensive line, a depth edge rusher, and a decent amount of young secondary depth.
The headliner in this group is Chisom Ifeanyi. Moving up to FAU from Shippensburg University, the edge rusher posted an elite PFF pass-rushing grade of 82.2 and had solid metrics as a run defender. He had 25 total pressures, turning three of them into sacks and two of them into quarterback hits. With nice bend, power, and an ability to contribute in all facets of the game, he should be a coveted player in the portal. And at the time of this writing, Ifeanyi has already picked up offers from Tulsa, Coastal Carolina, and Wyoming.
Sticking with the defensive line, fellow edge rusher August Salvati also officially entered the transfer portal. While not playing much in his one season with the Owls, the edge rusher has shown off some nice speed and hand usage over the course of the 2025 spring season. Producing multiple high-level pass-rush moves in the spring game specifically, I see Salvati as a player who could post some fun numbers in the right defense.
Outside of the two defensive linemen, the rest of the departures for the Owls have come in the secondary.
Logic Hudgens dealt with injuries at FAU, but he has great size and tackling ability, which he showed off at Buffalo and at the JUCO level. Jaheim Miller did not see the field in 2024, but is a player that a staff could easily take a chance on in the portal. With positional versatility and all-around ability, I see Miller finding a home sooner rather than later.
Antonio Smith displayed some range in coverage last season and a good ability to come downhill to make tackles. I really liked what he flashed at times last season and see him as a relatively important loss for the Owls’ defensive back depth, especially for this season. The same could be said for cornerback Fabian Scott. While not perfect, I thought Scott was solid last season and had a shot to develop into a contributor for the defense. He should likely find a home in the portal as well.
Safety Curtis Janvier did not play in the 2024 season, but did get some great reps in during the 2025 spring game. He had one of the best defensive plays of the night, mirroring a route perfectly before leaping in front of the receiver for the interception. The safety will be an interesting player to monitor in the quick spring portal cycle.
Moving on to FIU, the Panthers had four players announce their intentions to transfer last week: long-snapper Kinnick Manley, offensive lineman Bo Blanchard, offensive lineman Daniel Ogundipe, and defensive tackle Clinton Mahoni. This week, FIU saw a few more players enter the portal, mainly on the defensive side of the football.
The primary name to know in this group is edge rusher Eddie Walls III. Arguably one of the best players on the 2024 FIU defense, Walls III had an elite 88.7 pass rushing grade and a solid run defense grade of 66.5. He notched 40 pressures, five sacks, and 17 defensive stops. This continued the development that Walls III showed at Bethune-Cookman, as he posted 38 and 21 pressures in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
It will be fascinating to see how the Panthers replace Walls III in 2025; I personally think Percy Courtney and Dwight Nunoo, among others, are very much up to the task. As for Walls III, he is in a position to be a great contributor to a high-level defense this season.
Sticking with the defensive line, the Panthers also had Claude Larkins enter the transfer portal. The edge rusher has spent his four seasons between NC State and FIU, providing solid run defense and spurts of pass-rushing ability in limited playing time. Larkins looks to be a player who could be a nice rotational option for a defense in 2025.
Antoine Cobb and Cole Gustafson also entered the portal from the Panthers’ defensive line. Gustafson was a JUCO product who was average in 2024, notching two pressures and three tackles in 2024. He enters the portal with one year of eligibility remaining. Cobb was a depth option for the Panthers who did not see any playing time in 2024.
At linebacker, Atavious Weaver played 93 snaps for the Panthers in 2024, notching three tackles and four assists. He also provided some decent coverage and run defense throughout the season, making him a solid rotational player in the portal.
In the secondary, the Panthers had three players enter the portal: Raheim Sexil, Jaden Williams, and Jamari Holliman
Sexil, who enrolled in 2024, did not play last season. He made some great plays and had some great coverage over the course of the 2025 spring season, showing some fun upside as a player in the secondary. He could be a nice addition for a team in the coming weeks.
Holliman, a member of the Panthers’ 2023 class, chose the school over Vanderbilt, Colorado, and FAU, among others. And while he did not get his chance at FIU, the cornerback was a ballhawk who notched 18 pass breakups and three interceptions in his junior season. He is another interesting defensive back to monitor over the coming days.
Williams, a safety, garnered some P4 interest while he was a recruit in the 2024 class. While he was relegated to a reserve role in his first season, the Plantation High School alum was a track standout and a ballhawk for the football team. He also had 493 yards and four touchdowns on offense, showing that he is an upper-level athlete on both sides of the ball. Like Sexil and Holliman, Williams is a nice upside play in the portal.
On offense, lineman Ashton Rivera did not see any in-game action in 2023 or 2024. However, he was great over the spring, showcasing nice movement ability, run blocking skill, and pass protection footwork. With two D1 offers already, it looks like Rivera has a chance to be an impact player for a school in 2025.
USF, up to this point in the spring transfer portal window, has had a small amount of player movement. Wide receiver Naiem Simmons and defensive back Marseille Taylor entered the portal a few weeks ago. The players who have announced their intention to transfer this past week are kicker/punter Cooper Evans, punter Pierse Stanton, and defensive lineman Bernard Gooden.
Gooden is a big loss for the Bulls, as he was a force on the team’s interior defensive line in 2204. He registered an elite 87.2 run defense grade, had two sacks, and notched 35 total pressures. Against top-notch competition like Alabama and Miami, Gooden showcased his stout run defense and overall game. Gooden also improved in basically every metric from his first season at Wake Forest in 2022 and looks to be on a very impressive trajectory.
I am intrigued to see what type of interest Gooden garners in the closing days of the spring portal. If he is entering this late into the process, it is almost a certainty that he will find his way onto a contending P4 team to be a significant contributor.
Evans and Stainton were depth options for the Bulls on special teams, with Stainton notching 88 yards on two punts in 2024.
College Football Recruiting Recap: Who has Committed?
On the other hand, FAU, FIU, and USF landed some football recruits over the course of this week.
The Owls have offered multiple players, but their big land of the week was Tulane transfer Deshaun Batiste. Batiste, in his one season in New Orleans, posted 11 pressures and one sack. He also had six defensive stops, a forced fumble, and even posted solid coverage metrics. Like many of the players whom FAU has targeted, Batiste has high upside and could be a very fun asset on what looks to be a fun 2025 FAU team.
For FIU, the Panthers landed defensive back Ormond Wallace from Hutchinson Community College. Offering some high-level versatility and skill in the secondary, Wallace should help contribute this season and going forward for the Panthers.
As for USF, the Bulls did work in the portal and for their 2026 high school recruiting class.
In the portal, USF landed linebacker Chavez Brown, without Mudia Reuben, and linebacker Derrick McCormick. Brown was a standout for the Mean Green of North Texas in 2024, recording nice numbers all across the board. He only allowed three receptions for 31 yards, had three sacks on 11 pressures, had 33 tackles, and had 18 defensive stops. Brown, once he arrives in Tampa, looks to be a ready-made contributor in the center of the Bulls’ defense.
Reuben played sparingly for Stanford over the past three seasons, notching 283 yards and three touchdowns. However, Reuben has the size and speed to be a good contributor for the Bulls in 2025 and could receive a nice diet of targets in the team’s offense.
McCormick did not play for UCF in 2024, but was a standout player in high school. In 2022, the linebacker recorded 19 tackles, four forced fumbles, three interceptions, three PBUs, three fumble recoveries, and two sacks. For both 2025 and beyond, McCormick looks to be a fun piece for the Bulls’ defense.
On the high school football recruiting side, USF landed kicker Gaston Gramatica, safety Amari Jones, and ATH Amarion Queen.
Gramatica is the brother of current USF kicker Nico Gramatica and the son of former NFL kicker Martin Gramatica. He will form a fun brother combination on special teams for the Bulls.
Jones, a defensive back for IMG Academy, is arguably the best player the Bulls have landed in this recruiting cycle. An Under Armour All-American and top 75 player in the state of Florida, the standout defensive back chose USF over schools like Tennessee, South Carolina, and Colorado.
Queen, listed as an athlete, has split time at wideout and defensive back in high school. He chose USF over FAU, which are his only two offers up to this point in time. But with great size, speed, and play strength that shows up on his film, this could be a sneaky fun addition for the Bulls in 2026 and beyond.
Quotes of the Week
USF OL Coach Tyler Hudanick on his unit’s growth from the beginning of the spring until now: “Growth-wise, I think this time of year is always awesome for those guys to play different positions. I think the biggest thing for me is that I feel more comfortable with different guys playing different positions than I did in the fall. Especially with the guys that have been here and the injuries that we do have going in. The more you can move guys around, the more depth you can build at each position. I think that’s the biggest growth that we have had.”
USF OL Connor McLaughlin on his development over the spring football practices: “I think the biggest thing is the minute details. Whether it is the safeties coming in the box, different looks, different fronts, or knowing what adjustments you can get, there’s definitely been more of an emphasis on that. I am slowly picking that up, and it is a lot. It’s like drinking through a fire hose, but I am picking it up. The other thing is bringing my hips in run blocking and focusing on the little details with that.”
USF C Cole Best on how his mentality has been as he dealt with adversity this spring: “So, there are a few parts to it. With it being my last year, it has gotten really real for me really quickly. Like, man, I have one more season whether I like it or not. And I haven’t come this far to come this far. Every day I wake up, I am the first one in the building. I go and crush rehab or whatever my treatment looks like for the day. The number one goal is to get back and to make sure to do it right. You do not want to speed up the process.
That takes a lot of reminding from the trainers, because I am very adamant about getting back. They tell me slow it down and do it right. The mindset there has been really good. It’s been really tough not being in the fold on the field, but it has challenged me to be a more vocal leader and put my arms around these young guys. That’s a part of my game that my coaches and I have wanted me to build on. So, it has been a challenge, but I have loved every second of it.”
NFL Draft: A Quick Top-10 Mock
The NFL Draft is almost here!
After a long and arduous process, the big event for the 2025 class is set to take place in Green Bay over the course of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! While next week’s edition of the column will have some of my thoughts from the draft, this week’s edition will have my predictions for the top-10! This is just based on my gut takes, so it will be fascinating to see how my accuracy looks in a week’s worth of time.
- Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB
- Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter, WR/CB
- New York Giants: Abdul Carter, EDGE
- New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OL
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT
- Las Vegas Raiders: Armand Membou, OT
- New York Jets: Tyler Warren, TE
- Carolina Panthers: Mike Green, EDGE
- New Orleans Saints: Tetairoa McMillian, WR
- Chicago Bears: Ashton Jeanty, RB
The Week Ahead
Heading into next week, here are the various topics and football stories I will be following:
- Transfer Portal: How will the spring transfer portal end? Will any more players choose to leave USF, FIU, or FAU? I am intrigued to see how the rosters for these three teams ultimately settle over the course of this week.
- NFL Draft: Who will be a surprise pick? Who will fall in the draft? Will any FIU, FAU, USF, or IPP players get any sort of look from teams? I will be locked in for all things NFL Draft this week, both on the macro and micro levels.
- USF Spring Game: I am very, very excited to see the Bulls in action this week. Whether it is the offense and its high tempo or the entertaining defensive unit, the Bulls battling it out on Saturday may be the thing I am most excited for this week. Just like FIU and FAU, it will be a great opportunity to see the foundation USF has set for itself this spring.
And that is a wrap! This was a very arduous, yet fun, column, especially when it comes to the college football transfer portal. Thank you guys for reading, and I will catch you all next week!
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Brandyn Pokrass
Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2023 with a Communications Degree, a concentration in Multimedia Journalism, and a minor in Broadcasting. Received an M.A. in Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2024. Wrote for Jets Insider for two years, previously hosted a Knicks podcast for Let's Talk Knicks, and contributed to Inside the Iggles. Currently a writer for Jets X-Factor. Avid movie watcher, gym goer, music listener, and MMA fan.