Rivals national columnist Mike Farrell is here with the top receiver additions in the portal, five defensive players who fit their program like a glove and some transfer battles in conference at some key positions.
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1. THE TOP WIDE RECEIVERS TRANSFER ADDITIONS
I continue my position-by-position look at the top transfer additions in college football with the wide receivers.
1. Mario Williams, USC - The 2021 five-star prospect showed some flashes as a true freshman last year at Oklahoma, but he's headed to Los Angeles along with Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams and is such a perfect fit for both scheme and team. He's going to be a stud for the Trojans.
2. Isaiah Neyor, Texas - Last year, Neyor was a touchdown machine for Wyoming, scoring 13 times and showing off big-play ability. He averaged more than 20 yards per reception, and will pair with Xavier Worthy to form an explosive duo for new quarterback Quinn Ewers.
3. Jermaine Burton, Alabama - Burton had two very solid years at Georgia, and the former Rivals150 prospect has shown that he can perform at a high level in the SEC already. It's a great addition for the Tide, who need to replace their top two targets from last season.
4. Jacob Cowing, Arizona - The former UTEP receiver is coming off of a huge 2021 campaign where he caught 69 passes for 1,354 yards and eight total touchdowns. He'll be the unquestioned WR1 from the get-go in Tucson and should put up some big numbers with fellow transfer Jayden de Laura throwing him the ball.
5. Jadon Haselwood, Arkansas - Haselwood has all the talent in the world; there's a reason we had him as the No. 2 prospect in the country coming out of high school. He's got a huge frame and can go up and get the ball with the best of them, but he has yet to show consistency at the college level. Despite that, this is still a great pickup for the Razorbacks who need to replace Treylon Burks.
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2. FIVE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS THAT ARE PERFECT FITS
Last week I named five offensive players that are amazing fits for the schemes they are in and this time I look at the defense led by the next great Ohio State cornerback.
1. Denzel Burke, Ohio State - The Buckeyes are pushing LSU for the title of DBU recently, and Burke is the next guy in line that fits the bill. A long, rangy corner with fluid hips, he had a breakout true freshman season and now becomes one of the leaders of that defense as a sophomore in 2022.
2. Jack Campbell, Iowa - Iowa has had outstanding linebackers going back to the days of Larry Station in the mid-1980s, and Campbell fits the mold of so many guys who've come before him. It's cliché, but he's smart, tough, and as sure a tackler as you're going to find. He's the quintessential Iowa linebacker.
3. Nolan Smith, Georgia - UGA has been churning out devastating edge rushers for a while now, so it makes perfect sense that Smith is on this list. He's got a lightning-quick first step and can get in the backfield as fast as anyone.
4. Mekhi Wingo, LSU - Yes, LSU is still known as DBU, but the Tigers have also been outstanding on the interior of the defensive line for a long time as well. Wingo is a guy who is simply a beast on the inside, and he's got a chance to be the next Glenn Dorsey for the Bayou Bengals.
5. Noah Sewell, Oregon - This is more of a fit with Dan Lanning than with the program, but it's worth mentioning just how perfectly Sewell fits in Lanning's system. We all saw what Lanning can do with Nakobe Dean over the past two seasons, and Sewell has a lot of the same traits as last year's Butkus Award winner but he’s even bigger. He's going to have a huge 2022 season.
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3. FIVE KEY TRANSFER COMPARISONS
Finally, transfers are a big top of conversation these days and a few big names will be competing in the same conference and even the same division. Here’s a look at some battles.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) vs. RB Zach Evans (Ole Miss) — This is a great SEC West battle and I give the edge slightly to Gibbs because he has a chance to be the workhorse there but Evans has potentially a higher ceiling.
QB Jayden Daniels (LSU) vs. QB Max Johnson (Texas A&M) — Why not Jaxson Dart? This seems more appropriate as Daniels showed flashes a few years ago and Johnson is just starting to come into his own. Advantage is to Daniels due to his experience.
WR Mario Williams (USC) vs. WR Jacob Cowing (Arizona) — Don’t sleep on Cowling at all but Williams will have a chance to continue to build chemistry with fellow transfer Caleb Williams and could have a monster season.
CB Tanner McAlister (Ohio State) vs. CB Jay Shaw (Wisconsin) — Shaw is the real deal now and could impact the Wisconsin defense even more than McAlister does for the Buckeyes.
QB Quinn Ewers (Texas) vs. QB Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma) — Gabriel has the experience and Ewers has the live arm. Advantage Ewers for the upside.