Transfer Portal Report: Boston College, Louisville land players

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

The addition of the transfer portal to college football has been one of the biggest developments in recent years, as players now have more information than ever when it comes to seeking a new school to attend. Instead of getting permission from their current schools in order to transfer, and in many cases being blocked from certain schools, players now have the ability to transfer to another school freely.

With spring practice wrapped up at programs across the country, transfer news is flying fast and furious. In this weekly feature at Rivals.com, we will look at the comings and goings as well as the biggest news surrounding uncommitted transfers currently in the portal.

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One of the most intriguing additions of the offseason, Yeargin comes to Boston College having not played in a game since 2016. Yeargin was a contributor at Clemson during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, playing on a defensive line that includes future NFL Draft picks such as Shaq Lawson, Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins.

During that two-year stretch, Yeargin had 29 total tackles and one sack, but his 2016 season was cut short due to an injury and he missed all of 2017 after a car accident before taking a medical retirement prior to the 2017 season.

Yeargin actually served as a student assistant coach for the Tigers in 2018 before a procedure on his injured neck helped pave the way for him to play again. He entered the transfer portal last month and will have one final season of eligibility for the Eagles. Given the school’s recent history of producing successful defensive ends, if he’s fully healthy, Yeargin could provide a nice boost to the Eagles defense in 2019.

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A former walk-on who didn’t even have a Rivals.com profile as a recruit, Jackson earned his way onto the North Carolina roster and become a solid contributor over the next four years. He played various roles from 2015 to 2018, mostly wide receiver and special teams, and had 40 catches for 401 yards and eight touchdowns as well as seven total tackles. Because he missed parts of two seasons with injuries, Jackson has one year of eligibility remaining and will use it as a graduate transfer for the Cardinals.

Word broke this week that George Campbell was back on the market after he was unable to get accepted into the graduate program of his choice at Penn State. The former five-star receiver has battled injuries and inconsistent play during his career and was looking for one last shot to live up to his potential with the Nittany Lions. Now, he’s back looking for a new home for his final year of eligibility.

Potential landing spots: Campbell was once committed to Michigan, but the staff that recruited him has mostly moved on to new spots. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Campbell land close to his Tampa home at USF or one of the other Group of Five Florida programs.

A four-star member of Michigan’s 2016 recruiting class, Johnson was another major addition out of New Jersey for the Wolverines, following in the footsteps of Jabrill Peppers and joining former No. 1 overall recruit Rashan Gary in Ann Arbor. But his career never got off the ground as he was primarily a scout team player and appeared in just one game during his Michigan career. As a graduate transfer, Johnson will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be able to suit up at his new school in 2019.

Potential landing spots: Rutgers seems to make the most sense for the New Jersey native and he would likely have a shot to contribute for the Scarlet Knights right away in 2019. Syracuse was also involved in Johnson’s recruitment and could be a possible destination.

A former Rivals250 prospect and a Maryland native, McLean’s entrance into the portal this week came as a shock to many, especially considering he was slated for a starting role on the team in 2019. After playing mainly as a reserve his first few years on campus, McLean came into his own in 2018, starting 11 games and recording 36 tackles and one sack. Reports are that McLean hasn’t graduated, meaning he will have to apply for a waiver or sit out the 2019 season at his next school.

Potential landing spots: McLean was originally committed to Penn State and the Nittany Lions have shown a willingness to add transfers this offseason, but will they have a spot for McLean? Outside of that option, McLean could be headed for a Group of Five option.

A former high three-star prospect in the class of 2016, Ward stayed home in the state of Texas and committed to the Red Raiders over TCU, Baylor and a number of other programs. His time in Lubbock was pretty successful considering the team’s pass-heavy offense, as he led the team in rushing as a true freshman in 2016. But Ward’s academic issues kept him off the field in 2017 and he ran into problems off the field as well, including an arrest in the summer of 2018. Ward was recently suspended by new Red Raiders coach Matt Wells, leading to his entrance into the portal and his likely departure from the program. Ward has at least one year of eligibility remaining, or potentially two depending on if he his granted immediate eligibility at his next school. During his career with the Red Raiders, he had 769 yards rushing, 327 yards receiving and seven total touchdowns.

Potential landing spots: TCU could be a realistic possibility, considering the Horned Frogs' pursuit of him as a recruit, but it’s more than likely he lands at a Group of Five or FCS location.

A three-star member of the Sun Devils' 2018 recruiting class, Harrison entered the portal after just one year on Arizona State's roster. During his lone season with the school, Harrison played in nine games and recorded four tackles and one pass breakup. Harrison is the 15th player from Arizona State to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Harrison will have one year of eligibility remaining, and as a graduate transfer will be able to suit up right away in 2019.

Potential landing spots: Houston. A Texas native, Harrison nearly committed to West Virginia as a recruit and could now potentially return home to the Lone Star State and play for former Mountaineers coach Dana Holgerson, who is now at Houston.

Obviously, the biggest news of the week was former five-star Bru McCoy potentially entering the portal again with a plan to transfer back to USC. McCoy enrolled with the Trojans in January, only to later leave and transfer to Texas, where he spent the spring. After returning home for break, reports broke that McCoy didn’t want to go back to Austin and instead would be transferring back to the Trojans. While nothing is settled at the time of this column, all signs point to McCoy staying in California, despite a convoy of Longhorns visiting him earlier in the week. McCoy’s saga has been the top story in college football over the past week and it has given the anti-portal group a talking point for why players shouldn’t be able to move freely.

A hot name on the transfer market as of late is former Rutgers tight end Travis Vokolek, who is expected to make an announcement on his new school this week. Vokolek took visits to Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas State and has managed to keep people guessing about where he will land. A two-star recruit in the class of 2017 out of Missouri, Vokolek wasn’t offered by any of the schools on his current list during his time as a recruit. With the Scarlet Knights in 2018, Vokolek started seven games and caught 16 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. It’s likely he will have to sit out 2019 and then he will have two years of eligibility remaining.

After a dramatic back and forth between reports of him being in and out of the portal, former Rivals100 defensive back Kelvin Joseph is staying at LSU, according to Tigers coach Ed Orgeron. It was reported that Joseph entered the portal, then his father said he was returning to school, only for Joseph to refute that report publicly on Twitter. Joseph, who played in several games as a freshman last season, should have a similar role for the Tigers in 2019.