Transfer portal breakdown: The On3 transfers of the week from Week 1

Here are the On3 transfer players of the week for Week 1 of the season.

Each week, we will pick a transfer of the week in each Power 5 conference as well as an overall Group of 5 player of the week. It’s not just transfers from this past offseason; all players who have transferred from other four-year schools are eligible to be selected. (This normally will run Sundays, but because of the Sunday and Monday games, we pushed it back this week.)

Everything being equal, more weight is given to big performances against “good” opponents.

ACC

DE Jared Verse, Florida State
The buzz: Verse, a transfer from FCS Albany, was part of a solid defensive effort in Florida State’s 24-23 victory over LSU on Sunday. He had 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks, as the Seminoles put consistent pressure on LSU QB Jayden Daniels. Verse also blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter. His sacks came on LSU’s final possession of the first half and on the Tigers’ final possession of the game.

Big Ten

WR Mitchell Tinsley, Penn State
The buzz: Tinsley, a Western Kentucky transfer, played a key role for a passing attack that – once again – provided the bulk of the offense for the Nittany Lions in their 35-31 victory at Purdue on Thursday. For the 11^th time in the past 23 games – and the fifth in eight contests – Penn State failed to rush for even 100 yards, finishing with 98. But Sean Clifford threw for 282 yards and four TDs, including a 12-yarder to Tinsley in the second quarter for Penn State’s first TD. Tinsley led the Nittany Lions with seven receptions and with 84 receiving yards; he had two catches for 35 yards on Penn State’s eight-play game-winning drive, including a clutch 27-yarder that put the Nittany Lions on Purdue’s 30.

Big 12

DE Lonnie Phelps, Kansas
The buzz: OK, the opponent (FCS member Tennessee Tech) wasn’t much. But Phelps, who transferred from Miami (Ohio) during the offseason, still put up eye-opening numbers in Kansas’ 56-10 rout Saturday. He had four tackles for loss, including three sacks, and seven total tackles as KU held the Eagles to 190 total yards on 69 plays (2.75 yards per play). Kansas had 15 sacks as a team last season, when Phelps had 9.5 for the RedHawks.

Pac-12

WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona
The buzz: Cowing had a big season in 2021 at UTEP, with 69 catches for 1,367 yards (19.8 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard games and was third in the nation with 17 receptions of at least 30 yards. Cowing picked up where he left off: He had eight catches for 152 yards (19.0 per reception) and three TDs – with three receptions of at least 30 yards – as the Wildcats pounded San Diego State 38-20 Saturday. Arizona as 1-11 last season, including a 24-point loss to a 12-win San Diego State team.

SEC

LB Khari Coleman, Ole Miss
The buzz: Ole Miss was third in the SEC with 40 sacks last season, but the Rebels lost five of their top seven sack men. If the opener is an indication, Coleman, a transfer from TCU, looks as if he can fill the void. He had five tackles for loss, including two sacks, and eight total tackles in a 28-10 victory over Troy on Saturday. Sam Williams, who’s now in the NFL, led Ole Miss with 16.5 tackles for loss last season, and his single-game high was 2.5.

Group of 5

QB Chase Brice, Appalachian State
QB Todd Centeio, James Madison
The buzz: We’re picking two this week, with Centeio getting mention because of the historic significance of his game. James Madison won easily in its first game as a FBS member, blowing out Middle Tennessee State 44-7 Saturday. But the easy win won’t be the only memory, as Centeio – who transferred from Colorado State after last season – had a game to remember. All six Dukes touchdowns came on Centeio passes; the six TD passes tied a school single-game record. Centeio had three TD passes in the second quarter, two in the third and one in the fourth. He finished 21-of-33 for 287 yards, and he also led JMU with 110 rushing yards. Centeio is a sixth-year senior who began his career at Temple in 2017; he had thrown 23 career TD passes going into Saturday’s game. Brice also is on his third school; he began at Clemson, moved on to Duke, then transferred to App State following the 2020 season. He set a school single-game record with six TD passes in the Mountaineers’ 63-61 loss to North Carolina on Saturday, with four coming in App State’s incredible 40-point fourth quarter. Brice threw two touchdown passes in a 22-second span in the fourth period, including one with nine seconds left; his rushing attempt on what would have been the game-tying 2-pointer failed. He finished 25-of-37 for 376 yards.