Transfer portal breakdown: The 10 most impactful specialist transfers of 2022
Here’s a projection of the 10 most impactful specialists to emerge from the transfer portal this offseason. This is not a measure just of sheer talent. Instead, it’s a mix of a player’s importance, his potential and, most important, his expected production.
This is part 9 of our transfer portal impact series; we already have looked at quarterbacks , running backs, wide receivers, offensive linemen, edge rushers, defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.
10. K Blake Grupe, Notre Dame
The particulars: Transfer from Arkansas State
The skinny: Notre Dame is looking for a replacement for three-year K Jonathan Doerer, and it seems likely to be Blake Grupe. Grupe was a one-time walk-on at Arkansas State who was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2021 and a first-teamer in 2019. He was 20-of-25 on field goals in 2021, with a long of 50; he was 6-of-9 from 40 and beyond. For his Arkansas State career, Grupe was 64-of-86 on field goals; he was 19-of-22 in 2019, including 6-of-9 from 40 and beyond, to earn all-league honors.
9. K Timmy Bleekrode, Nebraska
The particulars: Transfer from Furman
The skinny: Timmy Bleekrode did double-duty as the punter and kicker at Furman the past two seasons, but he will focus on kicking with the Huskers. Bleekrode was 21-of-25 on field goals in his two seasons with the Paladins, including 15-of-18 last season to earn second-team All-Southern Conference honors. Nebraska kickers connected on just 64.7 percent of their field goal attempts the past three seasons, including 8-of-16 in 2021.
8. K Jonathan Cruz, Ole Miss
The particulars: Transfer from Charlotte
The skinny: Ole Miss K Caden Costa is ineligible for violating NCAA rules on PEDs, so the Rebels signed Jonathan Cruz out of the transfer portal. Cruz made a school-record 72 percent of his field goals in four seasons at Charlotte (41-of-57); he also holds the school record with five field goals of at least 50 yards, including a long of 56. Cruz was 16-of-25 on attempts of at least 40 yards in his time with the 49ers.
7. P Kevin Ryan, Washington
The particulars: Transfer from Idaho State
The skinny: Kevin Ryan punted for four seasons at FCS Idaho State; he also was the Bengals’ kicker for two season. Last season, he finished fifth nationally in the FCS ranks at 45.6 yards on 58 punts; he had 20 punts of 50-plus yards and 15 downed inside the 20. He didn’t average more than 40.2 yards per punt in his first three seasons.
6. P Luke Akers, Northwestern
The particulars: Transfer from UCLA
The skinny: Luke Akers, the son of former All-Pro K David Akers, punted for two seasons at UCLA; he averaged 43.1 yards in those two seasons, and had 10 punts of at least 50 yards. Akers was remarkably consistent with the Bruins: He averaged 43.08 yards as a freshman in 2020 and 43.06 last season.
5. P Shane McDonough, NC State
The particulars: Transfer from Towson
The skinny: NC State returns 17 starters and appears primed to contend for its first ACC title since 1979. Shane McDonough’s arrival fills one of the Wolfpack’s few holes. NCSU’s Trenton Gill was the first-team All-ACC punter last season and was drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears. McDonough began his career at Marshall before transferring to Towson, where he punted for two seasons (2019 and ’21; the Tigers didn’t play in 2020). He averaged 42.2 yards per punt last season after averaging 43.9 in 2019. McDonough also spent time as Towson’s kickoff specialist.
4. P Jay Bramblett, LSU
The particulars: Transfer from Notre Dame
The skinny: LSU needed a new punter after the graduation of Avery Atkins; enter Jay Bramblett, who followed new coach Brian Kelly from Notre Dame. Bramblett (who is from Tuscaloosa, Ala.) handled punting duties for three seasons with the Fighting Irish. He dropped almost a third of his career punts (49 of 164) inside the 20, and is coming off a season in which he averaged 43.1 yards per attempt. LSU has had a punter average better than 43.1 just twice in the past seven seasons.
3. K Massimo Biscardi, Mississippi State
The particulars: Transfer from Coastal Carolina
The skinny: The Bulldogs have struggled in the kicking game for a few seasons. It got so bad last year that after his two kickers missed a combined three field goals against Arkansas, including a 40-yarder that would have tied it at 31 on the final play, coach Mike Leach said he would have an open tryout for kickers. Mississippi State then nabbed Massimo Biscardi from the transfer portal. He connected on 80.7 percent of his attempts in four seasons at Coastal Carolina, including a 75 percent mark (12-of-16) from 40-49 yards and 4-of-5 from 50 and beyond. The same marks for Mississippi State kickers in those four seasons: 13-of-25 from 40-49 (56 percent) and 1-of-4 from 50 and beyond.
2. P Brian Buschini, Nebraska
The particulars: Transfer from Montana
The skinny: Brian Buschini was a first-team FCS All-American last season at Montana, when he averaged a school-record 46.0 yards per punt. He punted 69 times in 2021, with 30 punts downed inside the 20 and 28 going at least 50 yards. As a team, Nebraska has averaged more than 43 yards per punt just once in the past decade – and that was 43.6 in 2015.
1. K Chad Ryland, Maryland
The particulars: Transfer from Eastern Michigan
The skinny: Maryland has made 20 field goals total the past three seasons. Chad Ryland made 19 last season alone at Eastern Michigan, and he left EMU as the leading scorer in school history. He was a two-time second-team All-MAC selection after beginning his college career as a walk-on. Ryland was 19-of-22 on field goals last season, with a long of 55, and finished the season with 17 consecutive makes. In four seasons with the Eagles, he was 56-of-74 on field goals.