Transfer portal breakdown: The key newcomer for each SEC West team

This is a slow period in the transfer portal, though as we wrote Tuesday, there are a handful of players still in there who figure to be able to make a legitimate contribution this fall.

The current portal lull is a good time to do a league-by-league re-examination of the transfer portal comings and goings. Today, we’ll examine the key newcomer for each SEC West team.

Wednesday, we looked at the key incoming transfer for each SEC East team, and Thursday we looked at how each division team will attempt to replace its key transfer departure. Monday we’ll look at how each SEC West team will replace its key departure. And over the next three weeks, we’ll continue the series with division-by-division looks for the ACC and Big Ten and overall league looks at the Big 12 and Pac-12 (since it did away with divisions), as well as overviews of the Group of 5 leagues and independents.

Alabama

Player: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, from Georgia Tech
The skinny: Gibbs was solid for poor Georgia Tech offenses the past two seasons, rushing for a combined 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. That two-season total at Tech is reachable this season alone with the Tide. He’ll run behind a good line and be surrounded by elite skill-position talent, including Heisman winner Bryce Young. Yes, Alabama returns Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and Trey Sanders at running back. But the Tide didn’t nab Gibbs out of the transfer portal to sit on the bench. He will share carries, for sure, but he’ll also get more carries than the other guys. Gibbs has good speed and is an excellent receiver (59 receptions in two seasons), a skill that coordinator Bill O’Brien figures to use often.

Arkansas

Player: LB Drew Sanders, from Alabama
The skinny: WR Jadon Haselwood, a transfer from Oklahoma, is getting a lot of attention, but Sanders’ pass-rush ability could be vital for the Hogs. Both Haselwood and Sanders are former five-star recruits; Haselwood was so-so at OU, while Sanders got squeezed out for playing time with the Tide. Arkansas had 25 sacks last season, but only 13 in the eight SEC games. Revving up that aspect of the defense is a must, and that’s why Sanders’ arrival is so important. Sanders (6-5, 232) has good size, is a solid athlete and holds up nicely against the run.

Auburn

Player: CB D.J. James, from Oregon
The skinny: Auburn lost standout CB Roger McCreary, who’s now in the NFL, but at least he and James have one thing in common: Both are natives of Mobile, Ala. James started for the Ducks last season, and was a productive first-time starter, finishing with 46 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups. He’s not as good in coverage as McCreary, but few were last season. But James does give the Tigers an experienced hand as they look to rebuild their secondary. James’ former Ducks teammate, DT Jayson Jones, also an Alabama native, figures to be an important cog up front for the Tigers. James, though, faces more pressure to produce immediately.

LSU

Player: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, from Oklahoma State
The skinny: Bernard-Converse was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 for one of the nation’s best defenses, and is one of four corner transfers for the Tigers as the new staff attempts to increase enrollment at “DBU.” He is the best of the quartet and should be counted on to be both a physical and emotional leader. Bernard-Converse, from Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian, led the Big 12 with 11 pass breakups and also had 51 tackles in 2021. He was a part-time starter in his first two seasons in Stillwater before becoming a fulltime starter in 2020, when he had seven pass breakups. In his four seasons with the Cowboys, Bernard-Converse had two interceptions and 24 pass breakups.

Mississippi State

Player: K Massimo Biscardi, from Coastal Carolina
The skinny: The Bulldogs have struggled in the kicking game for a few seasons. It got so bad last season 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. Enter Biscardi from the transfer portal. He connected on 80.7 percent of his attempts in four seasons at Coastal, 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.

Ole Miss

Player: RB Zach Evans, from TCU
The skinny: Former USC QB Jaxson Dart obviously is an important addition, but for sheer talent, Evans takes a backseat to very few college players. His issues have come off the field, like with his drawn-out recruitment. But, hey, who better to manage a mercurial temperament than Rebels coach Lane Kiffin? Evans started off like a house afire for TCU last season, rushing for 559 yards and averaging 8.1 yards per carry in the Horned Frogs’ first four games against FBS opponents. But he played in just one game after October 9, battling a foot injury and … well, no one really knows. If Evans is healthy and fully invested, he could run wild for the Rebels – like 1,500-plus yards. Ole Miss likes to run the ball and lost its top four rushers from 2021. Evans has a big-time burst, can run between the tackles and has promising ability as a receiver, too.

Texas A&M

Player: QB Max Johnson, from LSU
The skinny: The Aggies didn’t do much in the portal, with Johnson the only transfer pick-up. He threw 27 TD passes last season, but 13 came in four non-conference games. And while he completed 60.3 percent of his passes for the season, he was at 57.3 percent in SEC games. All that is to say it’s far from a given that Johnson starts for the Aggies. Haynes King, who began last season as the starter but was injured, is back, and adds a dual-threat element that Johnson doesn’t possess. And there’s also five-star true freshman Connor Weigman.