Rumor Mill: Transfer Tracker
The transfer portal never stops, and this week it has been as active as ever. Here’s the latest from the Rumor Mill.
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Defensive back Donovan Kaufman from Vanderbilt will announce his decision Wednesday. Auburn was the immediate favorite for Kaufman once he entered the transfer portal - basically due his strong relationship with former Commodores head coach and the current Tigers defensive coordinator Derek Mason.
As time lingered on, numerous other schools entered the picture, with Texas establishing itself as a serious threat. However, when Kaufman makes his planned decision later Wednesday, it will be a very big surprise if he ends up anywhere else other than Auburn. Florida State has done a nice job entering this battle as well, and the Seminoles are a longshot.
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Running back Keyon Henry-Brooks was another Vanderbilt transfer that initially looked likely to end up at Auburn. However, as the weeks have rolled by that likelihood is now minimal.
Interest has also come and gone from several other schools, as spots have filled up, so currently Henry-Brooks is focusing on Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern, which have all maintained ties.
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Former LSU quarterback TJ Finley has seen interest remain consistent and strong, but the uncertainty about the SEC-to-SEC transfer rule will likely delay his decision for a few more weeks.
Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama are all involved, which may lead to the delay, while Penn State is the non-SEC school that is pushing the hardest. Out of the SEC programs, the Tigers have definitely been the most aggressive in their pursuit.
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Numerous Buffalo players have entered the portal in the last few weeks due to the coaching change, with Mike Novitsky being a young offensive lineman who has drawn a great deal of attention.
The interest has intensified recently, with more programs getting involved. Syracuse and Baylor led the charge initially, but since then Maryland, Rutgers, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Florida State, Texas, Notre Dame, Florida and TCU are some of the many schools that have made contact.
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Derrick Tucker from Texas A&M is a grad-transfer defensive back who has received consistent interest from FBS and FCS since entering the portal. However, it is Oregon State, which has been on the hunt in the portal for some defensive back depth, that has come to the forefront when it comes to effort.
Aside from the Beavers, FBS schools Kansas State, Washington State and Louisiana-Monroe are also in contact.
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Wide receiver Munir McClain from USC, who had previously been in the portal only to withdraw and then re-enter, has been hearing from several schools. The one that has turned up its level of interest and now seems to be in the lead is Ole Miss, which has been in steady contact with McClain, especially over the last week or two.
The Rebels are still trying to fill some holes and McClain may be an answer to one of them.
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TRENTON CARRINGTON
Defensive back Trent Carrington from Presbyterian initially picked up FCS offers from Southern Illinois and Abilene Christian, but then made some portal noise when Northwestern offered.
Now several other FBS programs are taking a close look at him, including Louisville, Mississippi State, Purdue, Nebraska, TCU and South Alabama. It will be interesting to see how much longer Carrington waits to see if more offers roll in.