College football transfer portal live updates: Spring commitments, latest moves, analysis

Former Baylor and Arkansas cornerback Lorando "Snaxx" Johnson announced on Sunday he is transferred to...Baylor!

Johnson is one of the most experienced corners available in the portal as a two-year starter who has played more than 1,400 snaps in his career. Johnson's announcement on social media that he's heading back to Waco was quite funny.

Ohio State safety Ja'Had Carter is back in the transfer portal after just one year with the Buckeyes.

He played just 121 snaps on defense last year, fifth among designated safeties and had just five tackles. He battled injuries throughout his short time with the Buckeyes and was never able to solidify himself in the lineup. His departure isn’t a major loss, or a huge surprise, especially with Perry Eliano, who recruited him, no longer on the roster.

Carter also didn’t play much this spring and didn’t play in the spring game. He, again, was injured, but Ohio State has a host of talented young players it feels comfortable playing. Malik Hartford played 150 defensive snaps last year and had some bright moments as a true freshman. Also on that list of talented young players is Jayden Bonsu, who didn’t play a snap last season, but started in the spring game.

Though Ohio State is still in a three-safety defense, Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 will give more of a hybrid look going forward with the Buckeyes recruiting and developing corners as nickel safeties, as well. That diminishes the impact of Carter entering the portal. Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom will lead the room, with new safeties coach Matt Guerreri turning to some high-potential players behind them.

Miami added another talented weapon to its offensive arsenal Sunday when it picked up a commitment from former Houston receiver Sam Brown.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder from Bloomingdale, Ga., led the Cougars with 62 catches for 815 yards and three touchdowns last season and caught 41 passes for 471 yards and four touchdowns in 2022 for Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson when both were in Houston.

Brown, who signed with West Virginia out of high school, provides quarterback Cam Ward with another experienced weapon.

Miami has one of the best receiver groups in the ACC led by Xavier Restrepo (85 catches, 1,092 yards in 2023) and Jacolby George (57 catches, 864 yards). In addition, the Hurricanes are expecting big things from third-year sophomore Isaiah Horton, a standout during the spring.

USC picked up a commitment from one of the most intriguing wide receivers available in the spring portal in Auburn's Jay Fair.

The 5-foot-10, 181-pound playmaker led all Tigers receivers in catches as a sophomore with 31 for 324 yards and two scores but hit the portal this spring after Auburn added a bunch of newcomers to its receiver room who expect to play big roles. I spoke with multiple Power 5 staffers who believed Fair could be one of the best wideouts on the market.

Lincoln Riley has taken two wideouts in this spring cycle in Fair and Kyle Ford, who's rejoining the program after one season at UCLA.

Former Marshall cornerback Dyoni Hill is expected to announce he’s transferring to Miami.

The 6-foot, 172-pound Gainesville, Fla., native was recruited to Marshall out of high school by Hurricanes defensive coordinator Lance Guidry in 2022 and developed by cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson last season. 

Hill started nine games for the Thundering Herd in 2023, registering 55 tackles, 10 pass deflections, a forced fumble and an interception. He visited Indiana before taking a trip to Coral Gables. 

He joins a secondary that features two experienced starters in Daryl Porter Jr. and Washington transfer Mishael Powell and a couple of budding young talents in sophomore Damari Brown, junior Jadais Richard and Vanderbilt transfer Savion Riley.

With Hill now on the roster, Miami could move Powell, who mostly played nickelback at Washington, to a starting spot at safety alongside either Jaden Harris, Richard or Riley. Porter Jr. and Brown project to be Miami’s two starting outside corners. The Hurricanes are also high on freshman Zaquan Patterson, a top-100 recruit. 

Miami is expected to sign ex-Louisville starting linebacker Jaylin Alderman from the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Valdosta (Ga.) native was signed by current Hurricanes linebacker coach Derek Nicholson when he was on the Louisville staff in 2021. Alderman played 606 snaps last season and started all 14 games, finishing the season with 62 tackles, including seven for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Alderman, a junior, visited Arkansas before taking a trip to Coral Gables over the weekend.

Miami returns two experienced starters at linebacker in senior Francisco Mauigoa, who led the team in tackles (82), tackles for loss (18) and sacks (7.5), and junior Wesley Bissainthe. Alderman is expected to get plenty of work with those two.

Colorado was down to two scholarship running backs for its 2024 team but got a key pickup on Friday when, as expected, Miami (Ohio) transfer Rashad Amos completed his flip from Mississippi State to the Buffs. Amos ranked third in the MAC last season in rushing yards with 1,075 yards and scored 13 TDs for the conference champs.

James Madison cornerback D'Angelo Ponds has entered the transfer portal. Ponds was one of the top cornerbacks in the Group of 5 last season as a three-star true freshman who earned All-Sun Belt and Freshman All-America honors, including from The Athletic. Ponds debuts at No. 13 in our updated rankings of the best available players in the portal.

Davon Townley Jr., a reserve defensive lineman at Penn State, has entered the transfer portal. Townley had bounced between end and defensive tackle. This isn’t his first time contemplating a transfer, either. He entered the portal in December of 2022 and then withdrew his name by January of 2023 and stayed at Penn State. By my count, the Nittany Lions are down to 95 scholarship players. Townley is the third player to seek a transfer this spring, joining wide receivers KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn) and Malick Meiga.

South Alabama LB Khalil Jacobs has re-entered the transfer portal. Jacobs briefly went in the portal in January after head coach Kane Wommack left to become the DC at Alabama but withdrew and stayed for the spring. Jacobs is coming off a productive year with 56 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 INT. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wommack looks to bolster Alabama’s depth by bringing him in.

Wisconsin wide receiver Tommy McIntosh has entered the transfer portal. McIntosh, who had yet to appear in a game in two seasons with the program, had been working with the third-team offense during spring practices. He is the third Badgers scholarship player to enter the transfer portal during the spring window, joining quarterback Nick Evers and defensive lineman T.J. Bollers.

Wisconsin wide receiver Tommy McIntosh has entered the transfer portal. McIntosh, who had yet to appear in a game in two seasons with the program, had been working with the third-team offense during spring practices. He is the third Badgers scholarship player to enter the transfer portal during the spring window, joining quarterback Nick Evers and defensive lineman T.J. Bollers.

Chuck Martin saw it coming because it had already almost happened. In December, kicker Graham Nicholson entered the transfer portal for a day, but the Lou Groza Award winner pulled back after the Miami (OH) staff convinced him to stay. Bigger wasn’t necessarily better. Until bigger returned in the spring portal window. And this time there was no talking Nicholson out of it.

The nation’s best kicker will play his final season at arguably college football’s best program. Nicholson committed to Alabama on April 21, barely 48 hours after entering the transfer portal again.

“Welcome to the food chain,” Martin said.

Continue reading.

Missouri has landed a commitment from SMU transfer tackle Marcus Bryant. The 30-game starter was one of the more coveted veteran linemen in the spring portal window and chose the Tigers over Washington, TCU and Mississippi State.

He's a 6-foot-8, 318-pound left tackle who earned first-team All-AAC honors last season for the conference champs and has played more than 2,300 career snaps. Bryant was No. 11 in our most recent best available rankings.