11/26/2019 football Edit

Transfer Tuesday: Five new additions to the portal

Woody Wommack • Rivals.com

Social Media Director

The introduction of the transfer portal last year has changed the way players move across college football programs. With that in mind, Rivals.com will breakdown a transfer related topic each week.

College football season continues to roll on, and more players continue to flow into the transfer portal. But with the end of the season (and the fall semester) in sight, several players continue to flow into the portal. Today we look at this week’s most notable entrants.

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As a recruit: Colquitt committed to Ole Miss over NC State during the spring of his junior year.

At Ole Miss: Colquitt moved to center after arriving in Oxford and didn’t appear in a game this season for Rebels. He informed the staff of his decision to transfer prior to leaving campus for the team’s open date this past weekend. Colquitt will have at least three years of eligibility at his next school.

Potential landing spots: Louisville, NC State. Colquitt’s main recruiter at NC State, Dwayne Ledford, is now the offensive coordinator at Louisville. A reunion could be in the the cards for the pair, depending on how things shake out.

As a recruit: Johnson committed to Texas A&M during the summer prior to his senior year, choosing the Aggies over Florida, West Virginia and others.

At Texas A&M: Johnson found a way to make an impact as a true freshman, playing in 13 games and winning the team’s special teams newcomer of the year award. But in 2019, Johnson appeared in just four games and was on track to redshirt to preserve a season of eligibility. Johnson will save that year but will likely use it at another school, as he entered the portal last week. Johnson will have at least two years of eligibility at his next school.

Potential landing spots: Houston, UTSA. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson return home to the Houston area, and given his playing experience at the SEC level he should be in high demand.

As a recruit: A four-star in the class of 2018, Lawless committed to Tennessee and then-coach Butch Jones during the spring of his junior. He stuck with the Vols and signed once Jeremy Pruitt was hired, but never reported to campus. Lawless instead elected to transfer to North Carolina, where he enrolled as a freshman for the 2018 season.

At North Carolina: Lawless didn’t play in 2018 and according to Pro Football Focus, saw 19 snaps in the Tar Heels game against Wake Forest earlier this season and recorded one tackle. Despite depth issues along the North Carolina defensive line, Lawless didn’t become a regular member of the rotation and elected to enter the portal last week. He will have at least two years of eligibility at his next school.

Potential landing spots: Vanderbilt, MTSU. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lawless head back to the Nashville area and Vanderbilt has shown a willingness to add transfers. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see him drop down to the FCS level as well.

As a recruit: A two-star in the class of 2016, Reynolds committed to Pittsburgh over Illinois a few weeks prior to Signing Day.

At Pittsburgh: After redshirting as a freshman in 2016, Reynolds carved out a nice role for himself in the Panthers' defense, appearing in 25 total games and recording 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks. But an injury early in the year derailed his 2019 campaign and after the emergence of other linebackers in his absence, Reynolds made the decision to enter the portal. As a grad transfer, he will be eligible next season and have one year of eligibility remaining.

Potential landing spots: Rutgers, Illinois. Reynolds will surely have plenty of suitors given his experience.

As a recruit: A New Jersey native, Sitkowski initially committed to Miami and made his way to IMG Academy to finish off his high school career. But he struggled with the Ascenders, prompting Miami to look at other options at the position. Sitkowski also explored his own options and flipped to Rutgers during his senior season.

At Rutgers: Sitkowski was thrown into the lineup as a true freshman on one of the worst teams in all of FBS and he struggled as one might expect. He finished tied for the national high in interceptions with 18 in 11 starts. Sitkowski lost a battle for the starting job heading into the 2019 season and was in line to redshirt. But things changed when starter McLane Carter was knocked out for the year. Sitkowski would make two starts before head coach Chris Ash was fired, at which point Sitkowski requested to redshirt in order to save a year of eligibility. He will have at least two years of eligibility at his next school.

Potential landing spots: It’s tough to say where Sitkowski might land given the way his career has gone thus far so he might be bound for the FCS level.

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