Who are some transfer portal treasures that are still looking for a new home? Where will they land and what impact will that have?
Now with the football season over on all fronts (NFL, NCAA DIV-I) except for FCS this spring, I thought now would be a great opportunity to look at some transfer portal treasures and see who had moved and to where. There are a number of reasons a player transfers, too many in fact, but it can be a good thing for all parties involved. In this series, I am going to take a look at some of the big-name transfers that are still looking for a new home and the impact it could have.
LB, Ben Davis, Alabama ➞ Unknown
24 games played, 7 tackles, 5 solos, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PBU
My first transfer portal treasure is Ben Davis. He was ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2016 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Many thought he could be the next great Alabama linebacker. Unfortunately, he could never make it past the special teams unit or the assembly line of high recruits competing with him. We see all the time a player changing teams and then breaking out, so this could be what Davis needs. He’s an elite athlete with good size and, speed, and someone will roll the dice on him for their team.
Embracing My Journey by Walking Through Faith 🚶🏾♂️🙏🏾. pic.twitter.com/n1gfaoB0OY
— Dreshun Miller (@DreshunMiller) February 11, 2021
CB, Dreshun Miller, West Virginia ➞ Unknown
(West Virginia) 9 games played 31 tackles, 22 solos, 1 INT, and 8 PBUs
(Eastern Arizona) 85 tackles, 6 TFLs, 1 INT, 12 PBUs, 1 FF, 1 FR
Transfer portal treasure, Dreshun Miller, a grad transfer, is one of the top cornerbacks available in the portal right now. This isn’t the first time he transferred as he started at Eastern Arizona before transferring to West Virginia. Miller has good size and speed and covers on the outside of the hashes very well. Teams needing secondary help, especially along the boundaries, would be wise to add him to their rosters. Miller is very active, physical and frequently gets hands in the way for tipped passes. He’s also not afraid to come down and be physical when playing against the run.
S, Kaleb Oliver, Georgia Tech ➞ Unknown
33 games played, 92 tackles, 51 solos, 8 TFLs, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, 5 PBUs, 2 FF, and 1 FR
Our next transfer portal treasure is Kaleb Oliver who has developed into a nice hard-hitting safety in his three years with the Yellow Jackets. He played primarily in a nickel-back role and likely will with his new team. Oliver offers up some decent return abilities as well. He has the size, speed, and physicality that you like to see and want in a safety. Oliver should be an instant upgrade for whatever team he lands with, even with a Power 5 team.
https://twitter.com/jaysimms11/status/1361416349512175621
LB, Jason Simmons, New Mexico State ➞ Unknown
11 games played, 61 tackles, 41 solos, 4.5 TFLs, 3 PBUs, 1 FF, and 1 FR
Our last transfer portal treasure is LB Jason Simmons of New Mexico State and maybe the most exciting player on this list. As a true freshman (2019), he made an immediate impact for the Aggies finishing sixth in tackles, fifth in tackles for a loss. With the 2020 season postponed to the Spring of this year, Simmons has three years of eligibility left to play for his new team of choice. He converted from safety to linebacker but has the frame to build on. The team that can land Simmons will be getting a great addition to their team.
