With the new transfer rule in place, college players have a little more say in where they want to play. See who has their bags packed and is moving on.
The transfer portal has seemingly become a big thing in the college football world, but truth is, it has always been around. So why all the interest now? Well, before last year, there were several rules that prevented a lot of the player moves we’re seeing now, such as NCAA rules, conference rules, and even team rules.
The NCAA rule said you could only transfer down without having to sit out a year. Some of the conferences prevented in-conference transfers. and then there were the team rules (or coach’s decision) as to where they would let you transfer. However, recently, the NCAA changed the game when they changed their rule to a one-time transfer anywhere, with no penalty. With that rule in place, players can now transfer wherever they want.
In this series of articles, I want to go over some of the top transfers of the 2021 off-season. I will break down where these players started, where they transferred to, and what that means for your IDP college teams. Any time a player transfers, there are a lot of factors to take into account, such as the change in competition level, depth charts, scheme fits, etc, and it’s not always the best move.
Let’s get started and look at some of the top transfers of this spring who have their bags packed and could be moving on?
Tennessee Volunteers, Past
While the team and coaching staff around Henry To’o To’o may have not been the best, he put together two impressive seasons during his time with the Tennessee Volunteers. As a freshman, To’o To’o finished second on the team with 72 total tackles, earning All-American and SEC All-Freshman First team honors from several organizations.
His tackle totals ranked second among all SEC freshmen and fourth among freshmen nationally. To’o To’o followed that up with an exceptional sophomore season where he was on the Bednarik, Bronco, and Butkus watch lists. He was the leader of the Vols defense and led the team in tackles with 76 tackles.
To’o To’o impressed and made an impact for the Vols in a variety of ways from week to week. In twenty-two career games with the Vols, To’o To’o recorded seven or more tackles in a game in twelve contests. In three games of a four-game stretch last season, he recorded at least two TFLs and, to finish off the season, he had a two PBU, one interception, and returned for a touchdown performance against Vanderbilt.
As you can see, he’s a swiss army knife-type player and leader for any defense. Now that he has his bags packed and is moving on, he'll be sorely missed in Tennessee.
Alabama Crimson Tide, Future
What the Alabama Crimson Tide are getting in To'o To'o is a former five-star and Top 50 national recruit who is a talented playmaker and has the potential to be one of the best linebackers in the country. To’o To’o can attack downhill, rush the passer, and drop in coverage, and will be an impact player when asked to do any of those.
He has shown he can produce at a very high level and be an All-conference type player in the SEC, and has two years of eligibility left. Alabama has a crowded and loaded linebacker group, as they always do, but they are looking for a replacement for Dylan Moses who is now in the NFL. To’o To’o can be that guy.
To’o To’o will have to compete with Jaylen Moody, who is the penciled-in starter at the moment but has an unimpressive resume, with only special teams reps to show. There are a couple of other youngsters in Demouy Kennedy and Deontae Lawson who are also in the mix, but none of them have the experience that To’o To’o has which gives him the inside advantage of being the starter.
As good as he was for the Vols, I see To’o To’o being even better with all the talent that will surround him in Tuscaloosa. Keep in mind that, now with To’o To’o in the mix, some of the youngsters may get restless and transfer out themselves. It happens. It’s the nature of the beast.
IDP Fantasy Outlook
I have had To’o To’o ranked in my Top 10 IDP Devy rankings for the past two years and he’s there again this year. Now with his bags packed and moving on, the change in teams will only help his value as a fantasy asset, and I believe the best is yet to come for him. To’o To’o is a plug-and-play option that will get you all the tackles you want and will fill the boxscore routinely on a weekly basis. I expect him to take his game to the next level with Alabama and possibly rank among the nation’s leaders in tackles. To’o To’o is a Devy LB1 for this season and 2022 if he doesn’t turn pro. Projecting player values for the pro level is a bit tricky when a player has so much eligibility left, but To’o To’o is trending towards being a day one selection.
Thanks for reading my article and if you enjoyed it, you can read more of my articles on my author page at IDP Guys. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). You can also follow me on social media, on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub I’m user KingTitan1 and you can tune in each week and listen to the podcasts, IDP Nation & Devy IDP Grind, that I co-host, several different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
