Transfer portal impact players of Week 4
Throughout the college football season, On3 is breaking down the top 10 transfer portal impact players based on weekly performances.
In the new age of college football, the portal has become a major piece of roster construction. Some programs have gone all-in on free agency while others use it to supplement high school recruiting.
Here are the top portal players from Week 4:
1. Colorado WR LaJohntay Wester
LaJohntay Wester only had one touchdown catch on Saturday night for Colorado, but it made all the difference. The Florida Atlantic transfer caught a 43-yard Hail Mary from Shedeur Sanders in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to send the Buffaloes to overtime against Baylor. He did not catch the pass off of a helmet. Wester had to get low to the ground in the endzone and catch Sanders’ pass before it hit the ground.
The wide receiver finished with four catches for 68 yards in the overtime win. Without Wester’s catch, Colorado would be 2-2 entering Saturday’s game at UCF.
2. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has yet to throw an interception through four games. The New Mexico State transfer brought the Commodores within a field goal of winning at Missouri in overtime. Pavia finished with 178 yards passing and two touchdowns along with 84 rushing yards but a missed field goal in double overtime ended the game.
3. Missouri RB Nate Noel
The former Appalachian State running back finished with a career day in Missouri’s win. Nate Noel finished the contest with 24 carries for a career-high 199 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Noel has emerged as Missouri’s go-to running back this fall. He’s already eclipsed half of his rushing yards from 2023 with 441 in four games.
4. Louisville WR Ja’Corey Brooks
A former five-star recruit in the 2021 cycle, Ja’Corey Brooks played three seasons at Alabama. He’s now in his first season at Louisville and living up this his high school ranking. In Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech, Brooks finished with four catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard touchdown catch which was called for defensive pass interference.
5. Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
Tennessee opened SEC play on the road at Oklahoma in a homecoming for Josh Heupel. The Volunteers proved they can win multiple ways in the 25-15 win. Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy finished with three tackles and an interception in the win in Norman. McCoy’s interception came in the first quarter, leading Tennessee to take a 3-0 lead.
6. James Madison WR Cam Ross
Cam Ross transferred to James Madison after four seasons at UConn. In JMU’s route at North Carolina on Saturday, the wide receiver pulled in seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown catch. It was Ross’ best performance of the season, which included a 42-yard catch.
7. Miami QB Cam Ward
Miami quarterback Cam Ward crossed the 15,000 career passing yard mark against USF. The former no-star recruit and Incarnate Word and Washington State transfer joins a club of just 12 other players at any NCAA level to cross 15,000 passing yards. He finished 24 of 34 for 404 passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 43 yards in Miami’s 50-15 win.
8. Arkansas RB Ja’Quinden Jackson
Former Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson continues to be a critical piece of the Arkansas offense. The running back carried the ball 22 times, rushing for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He’s emerged as a key playmaker in Bobby Petrino’s offense and the leading rusher in the SEC. He’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
9. Utah WR Dorian Singer
Dorian Singer has previously made stops at USC and Arizona. Now at Utah, the wide receiver was Isaac Wilson’s top target in Saturday’s Big 12 win over Oklahoma State. Singer had his best game of the season, tallying seven catches for 95 yards in the 22-19 win.
10. Buffalo LB Shaun Dolac
Shaun Dolac entered the portal this offseason and transferred from Buffalo to Utah State. He only lasted one semester at Utah State, deciding to head back to Buffalo and closer to home. The move has worked out. In Buffalo’s overtime upset of No. 23 Northern Illinois, Dolac posted 19 total tackles and an interception.