SEC East Team Making Big Moves in the Transfer Portal

An SEC East team has been making significant moves in the Transfer Portal as they look to supplant Georgia at the top of the division.

Christian Goeckel | Dec 23, 2022

Teams have been restocking around the country as we wrap up the early signing period. A bunch of familiar names finished at the top of the recruiting rankings, but many of the teams that finished outside of the top 10 have made significant additions in the Transfer Portal.

Over the past week, Georgia landed two outstanding transfer receivers: Rara Thomas from Mississippi State and Dominic Lovett from Missouri, but another SEC East team had a big week in the Transfer Portal as well.

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats wasted no time replacing NFL-bound quarterback Will Levis. On December 5th, the Wildcats landed former NC State quarterback Devin Leary. Though injured for a majority of this season, Leary has shown elite ability. In 2021, he threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns with just 5 interceptions.

To go along with the Leary news, there are reports out there linking Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the vacant OC position at Kentucky. Coen served as the WIldcat’s offensive coordinator in 2021, before jumping to the NFL.

The Wildcats have also used the Transfer Portal to get Leary some protection. Former Alabama offensive lineman Tanner Bowles and ex-Northern Illinois tackle Marques Cox have both transferred to Kentucky.

Defensively, Kentucky went out and snagged ex-Ohio State safety Jantzen Dunn. The 6-foot-2 safety was a 4-star prospect in the 2021 class.

All of their movement in the Transfer Portal comes with good reason, as Kentucky signed just the 32nd-best class per 247Sports.

With a ton of quarterback production leaving the division - Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett are all off to the NFL - Kentucky will have the most proven signal-caller to start 2023 in Devin Leary. They’ve shown the ability to hang with Georgia in the past; now they’re hoping they can jump the Dawgs.

Notable Transfer Portal & NFL Draft Updates

Jackson State DB/WR Travis Hunter transferred to Colorado
Georgia TE Arik Gilbert is back in the Transfer Portal.
Alabama has lost multiple starters to the Transfer Portal.
Former Georgia QB JT Daniels is back in the Transfer Portal. Daniels spent the past year at West Virginia.
Former Georgia WR Jermaine Burton has decided to return to Alabama for another season.
New Georgia Tech coach Brent Key has been busy in the Transfer Portal. The Yellow Jackets landed a commitment from Texas A&M-transfer WR Chase Lane. Key also added TE Jackson Long out of USF.
The Yellow Jackets also added quarterback Haynes King from Texas A&M.
Tech did lose some depth as backup QB Taisun Phommachanh is back in the Transfer Portal. Jeff Simms transferred to Nebraska.
Former Florida QB Emory Jones - who transferred to Arizona State prior to last season - is once again in the Transfer Portal.
South Carolina has had a rough go of it. The Gamecocks are losing both RB MarShawn Lloyd and TE Jaheim Bell to the Transfer Portal. Bell has already committed to Florida State.
The Gamecocks are also losing tight end Austin Stogner, who is headed back to Oklahoma after one season at South Carolina.
Tennessee picked up a commitment from UC Davis TE McCallan Castles.

You May Also Like: