Transfer Portal Report: Francois to FAU; Farrar to Auburn; more

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.

MORE: Self-Scouting Rivals' evaluation of recent O-linemen | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | WRs & TEs

One of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the class of 2015, Francois redshirted his first year on campus but once he got his turn in 2016, he looked like a star in the making. In his first college game, Francois threw for 419 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Seminoles to a comeback victory over Ole Miss. But that game would turn out to be arguably the best of his Seminoles career as he was knocked out of the 2017 season with an injury in the opening game against Alabama and struggled with turnovers during Willie Taggart’s first season in 2018. After domestic violence allegations emerged earlier this year, Francois was dismissed from the team by Taggart. Francois will now walk on at FAU, where he will have one season of eligibility.

A three-star in the class of 2016, Farrar signed with Oklahoma and spent one year on the Sooners' roster before heading for the JUCO ranks at Mississippi Gulf Coast. After a stint at that level, he signed with FCS program Youngstown State, playing one season and catching 20 passes for 307 yards and one touchdown. Farrar’s lone season with the Penguins was limited to just six games, with five of them starts. Now, the 6-foot-4 wideout is on his fourth college and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Auburn fans are hoping he will help add quality depth at the wide receiver position.

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A three-star defensive back in the class of 2015, Johnson came to Florida from Texas and transitioned to linebacker during his time in Gainesville. Over three seasons he played mostly as a reserve, appearing in 33 games with nine starts. His career stats with the Gators included 83 tackles and a sack. Despite potentially being in the mix to start in 2019, Johnson entered the portal prior to spring football and now will head to Pittsburgh with hopes of starting for the Panthers in 2019.

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A former Rivals250 prospect, St-Juste committed to Michigan over Virginia Tech as a high school prospect. His career with the Wolverines never really got off the ground, as he played in 12 games as a reserve his freshman year and missed all of 2018 with lingering hamstring injuries. It was reported that St-Juste had medically retired, but earlier this month it was discovered he is not only healthy but also graduated from Michigan. As a grad transfer, he’s eligible to play immediately and has three years of eligibility remaining. St-Juste will look to compete for a starting job with the Gophers in 2019.

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A two-star in the class of 2018, Reed joined Western Michigan and made an immediate impact, leading the team in receiving yards (797), catches (56) and touchdowns (eight). Rather than return to improve on those numbers this year, Reed joined a pair of other offensive players from the Broncos and entered the portal earlier this month. He announced this week that he would be heading to Michigan State, where he will have three years of eligibility, regardless of whether he’s ruled eligible to play in 2019.

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A four-star recruit in the class of 2016, Dickerson narrowly missed out on five-star star status, finishing No. 43 overall in the country. He chose Florida State after a hotly contested recruitment that included Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn and Florida. Dickerson has been very effective when healthy for the Seminoles: He started seven games as a true freshman, two games in 2017 and played in two games in 2018. All three seasons saw Dickerson suffer injuries, including a torn ACL in 2016. Dickerson entered the portal earlier this offseason but then returned to FSU. Now it appears he’s gone for good. Because of his injury history, it’s likely Dickerson could have two seasons of eligibility at his next school, but he will have at least one year regardless.

Potential landing spots: Dickerson was thought to be a lock for Tennessee at various points throughout his recruitment, and the Vols are in need of offensive line depth. However, the staff has changed since Dickerson’s high school days. North Carolina could also be an option as Mack Brown looks to rebuild the Heels and would offer playing time and an option close to home.

A three-star member of the class of 2015, Zuber was part of a concerted effort by the Kansas State staff to recruit the Southeast. As it turned out, Zuber was a very big addition. Over the past two seasons, Zuber was the Wildcats' leader in receptions, catching 51 passes in 2017 and 52 in 2018. The change in coaching staff opened the door for Zuber to leave for his final year of eligibility and he entered the portal this week. Zuber had 127 career catches for 1,321 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time in Manhattan.

Potential landing spots: It seems that Zuber would like to return close to his Georgia home, and Georgia Tech would be an intriguing option. Texas seems like a long shot, depending on need, but Zuber does have ties to the Longhorns now that his former offensive coordinator, Ander Coleman, is an analyst in Austin.

A borderline five-star and a Rivals100 prospect throughout his recruitment, Joseph had a tumultuous recruitment that saw him commit to LSU, then de-commit and eventually land back in the fold with the Tigers by signing day in 2018. As a true freshman last fall he was thrust into the lineup at cornerback and had his share of struggles, but he did finish the year with 12 tackles. He was suspended for the team’s bowl game due to a violation of team rules, but did participate in spring practice. After it was reported that Joseph was in the portal, his father told Nola.com that he was returning to school, only to see Joseph refute that report on his own Twitter account. Joseph will have three years of eligibility remaining should he choose to follow through with his transfer.

Potential landing spots: Alabama was heavily involved with Joseph during the recruiting process, as was Florida. So soon removed from being an elite recruit and with several years of eligibility, Joseph could be a hot commodity on the transfer market.

A three-star prospect in the class of 2017, Willis was being recruited by several schools as an athlete until a standout senior season helped open the opportunity for him to play quarterback at Auburn. Willis, who had been committed to Virginia Tech as a defensive back, flipped to the Tigers in late December of 2016. Once on campus at Auburn, Willis earned a backup role in 2017, playing in eight games and rushing for 221 yards and a touchdown. In 2018, Willis ran 12 times for 88 yards. Because most of his action came in mop-up duty, Williams attempted just 14 career passes, completing 11 of them for 69 yards and a touchdown. Willis will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next college home.

Potential landing spots: Should Willis decide to go back to playing defense he could have a home at Florida, where he is close with Gators defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Georgia Tech was one of his main suitors as a quarterback, but that staff has since moved on.

A two-star member of Florida’s 2015 recruiting class, Jackson was a late offer and take by the Gators. He turned out to be a nice find, working his way up the depth chart during his career and starting three games for the Gators in 2018, a season in which he had 36 total tackles. Likely to be penciled in as a reserve in 2019, Jackson will now transfer elsewhere for his final season of eligibility.

Potential landing spots: Jackson’s former recruiter with the Gators, Randy Shannon, is now the defensive coordinator at UCF and he could look to reunite with Jackson. It seems unlikely that he would end up at the Power Five level, but he is a proven talent who could help a team in 2019.

South Carolina has emerged as the school to beat in the race for former Clemson running back Tavien Feaster. A four-star as a high school prospect, Feaster won two national championships with the Tigers before entering the portal this spring. The South Carolina native has received offers from several programs, with Mississippi State and South Carolina appearing to have the edge on the competition. The chance to play close to home and go against his former team might be enough for the Gamecocks to reel him in. Feaster graduates this summer and has one year of eligibility remaining.

Where Feaster lands could determine a lot for former four-star Florida State running back Amir Rasul. The graduate transfer said this week Mississippi State remains an option, as does Baylor. The Bulldogs will likely only take one of the two, and have to decide whether to wait on Feaster or push harder to lock down Rasul. In-state schools FAU and FIU are also in the mix for Rasul.

With so many players in the portal, options at FBS schools might be drying up, causing some former elite recruits to head to the FCS level. This week, former Florida quarterback Jalon Jones, a three-star in the class of 2019, announced his intention to transfer to Jackson State. Jones, who was accused of sexual assault last month but not charged in the case, had enrolled at Florida in January. Class of 2018 four-star defensive tackle Davin Cotton, who signed with LSU and played in two games last fall, announced that he is transferring to FCS program Southern. His former LSU teammate and fellow 2018 signee Dantrieze Scott is also transferring down a level and is going to Grambling.