TCU is only Playoff team that counts heavily on transfers – this season, at least

It’s fair to think that three of the four coaches in the College Football Playoff didn’t get the memo about the transfer portal being an important way to build your roster.

Yes, there are eight transfers expected to start in the two semifinals – but six of those are at TCU, where first-year coach Sonny Dykes dipped heavily into the portal after he was hired. Michigan and Ohio State are expected to start one transfer each, while Georgia will have none.

Still, there are important transfers for each team, even the Bulldogs, and we’ll look at them a bit later. Interestingly, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Georgia’s Kirby Smart are being far more aggressive with the portal this year.

Georgia was the only Power 5 program not to bring in a transfer in the last cycle. But the Bulldogs brought in two transfers this month. Both are receivers – and are making intraconference moves. Dominic Lovett is transferring from Missouri and RaRa Thomas is moving on from Mississippi State. They combined for 100 receptions for 1,472 yards and 10 TDs this season, and should be able to make immediate impacts for a Georgia offense lacking proven depth at wide receiver.

In early November, Smart said it was important to be judicious with the portal. “I think that there is a lot of thought that that is the way to success, and it certainly can help you,” he told reporters said. “But it can hurt you. … It’s getting the right ones. It’s not how many, or any; it’s ‘Does the guy fit your culture?’ ”

Michigan brought in three transfers last offseason, including one over the summer; this year, the Wolverines already have seven transfer commitments. That includes three offensive linemen: LaDarius Henderson from Arizona State and Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent from Stanford. The other four: tight end AJ Barner (Indiana), linebacker Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska), EDGE rusher Josaiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina) and quarterback Jack Tuttle (Indiana). While Tuttle strictly is a depth piece, the other six should have varying roles of importance next season. Stewart is intriguing. He’s small (he’s listed at 6-2, 230), but had 16 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss in two seasons with the Chanticleers. It will be interesting to see if that type of production transfers to the Power 5 level.

Dykes brought in 14 transfers in his first go-round with the Horned Frogs, and five start. TCU already has four commitments – all from SEC players – from transfers in this cycle. The headliners (that’s a relative term in this case) are receivers JoJo Earle (Alabama) and Jack Bech (LSU). The other two are offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer (Alabama) and cornerback Avery Helm (Florida).

“Recruiting is not always about finding the bigger, fastest guys,” Dykes told reporters this week. “Sometimes it’s about finding, especially from a transfer perspective, somebody who can come in and move the needle in a room.”

Ohio State brought in three transfers in the last cycle, but has zero commitments in this cycle. The Buckeyes were a finalist for tight end transfer C.J. Dippre from Maryland, but he chose Alabama over Ohio State on Tuesday.

Day has brought in just nine transfers in his four seasons as coach. “We’re always looking at it to see if it makes sense,” he said earlier this month about bringing in players from the portal. “ … To sit here and say I just think we’re going to go out and start recruiting a bunch of guys in the portal, philosophically it would have to make sense for the roster – which I’m not against. It’s just only if we think it’s an upgrade and the right fit.”

Here’s a team-by-team look at the transfers who will play important roles in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Georgia

+ DB Tykee Smith: His transfer from West Virginia after the 2020 season was a big deal, but a spate of injuries has hampered Smith, who was a freshman All-America in 2019. He suffered a foot injury in preseason camp in 2021 that kept him out of the first five games; then, in his second game back, he suffered a torn ACL. Smith has started four games this season at Georgia’s “star” position, but the injuries have kept him from making the impact that was expected when he transferred. He does have 25 tackles, a pass breakup and a forced fumble this season. He started the SEC Championship Game, but Javon Bullard seems likely to get the start vs. Michigan.

Michigan

+ EDGE Eyabi Okie: Okie was known as Eyabi Anoma when he was in high school. He was a five-star recruit and the On3 Consensus No. 3 prospect in the 2018 signing class, and signed with Alabama. He was dismissed at Alabama after the 2018 season and transferred to Houston. Okie also was dismissed there, then transferred to FCS member UT Martin. After sitting out the 2020 season, he had 9.5 sacks for UT-Martin last season. He went back into the portal over the summer and chose Michigan. Okie has started twice this season and is second on the Wolverines with 4.5 sacks (including one of Ohio State’s C.J Stroud) and third with 6.5 tackles for loss.

+ C Olusegun Oluwatimi: Oluwatimi was a touted transfer – he was one of the finalists for the Rimington Award, given to the nation’s top center, last season at Virginia – and fit in seamlessly. He won the Rimington this season and also became Michigan’s first Outland Trophy winner, which is given to the nation’s best interior lineman (offensive or defensive). Oluwatimi also helped the Wolverines win the Joe Moore Award for the second season in a row; the award goes to the nation’s best line. It helps that Michigan has two high-level running backs, but averaging 5.64 yards per carry is an indication that the line has done an impressive job paving the way.

Ohio State

+ S Tanner McCalister: McCalister who transferred from Oklahoma State, has started all 11 games he has played in, making it 36 consecutive starts in the past three seasons. He leads the Buckeyes with three interceptions. McCalister also has 21 tackles and one pass breakup. He came with coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State, and his knowledge of Knowles’ defense has been a big plus.

+ K Noah Ruggles: This is his second season at Ohio State after four years at North Carolina. As a Buckeye, Ruggles is 35-of-38 on field goals. While accurate, Ruggles doesn’t have that strong a leg. His longest make is 47 yards, and he has attempted just one field goal of 50-plus yards at Ohio State. He was UNC’s main kicker only in 2019, when he was 19-of-27 on field goals; he was 0-of-1 from beyond 50 that season.

+ RB Chip Trayanum: He rushed for 691 yards in two seasons at Arizona State, then transferred to Ohio State and moved to linebacker. Trayanum had 12 tackles in seven games as a linebacker before injuries forced a move back to running back. He led the Buckeyes with 83 yards on 14 carries against Michigan, when the top three backs were injured. Trayanum also could be the lead back against Georgia, which is not good news for the Buckeyes.

TCU

+ C Alan Ali: Ali was a four-year starter for Dykes at SMU, then started for him again this season after transferring to TCU in the offseason. He was one of two new starters up front for the Horned Frogs, and earned first-team All-Big 12 notice this season.

+ LB Shadrach Banks: Banks signed with Texas A&M as a wide receiver in the 2021 class. He enrolled early but transferred after five months to TCU. (Banks had been the first player from perennial power Houston North Shore to sign with A&M since 2000.)  He moved to linebacker with the Horned Frogs and played in 11 games last season; he had the game-sealing interception in an upset of eventual Big 12 champ Baylor. This season, Banks has seen ample time and even started twice. He had a career-high 10 tackles in the Big 12 title-game loss to Kansas State and has 39 tackles on the season. Banks also has returned three kickoffs this season, for 81 yards.

+ DE Caleb Fox: He’s a key rotation piece at end after transferring from Stephen F. Austin. Fox played for TCU defensive line coach JaMarkus McFarland at SFA and followed him to TCU. Fox has 25 tackles, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries.

+ LB Johnny Hodges: TCU starts four transfers on defense, and Hodges – who left Navy in the offseason – will be the most important one in this contest. TCU can’t let Michigan RB Donovan Edwards have a big day. Hodges (and other TCU defenders, too) need to get up close and personal with Edwards. He leads the Horned Frogs with 76 tackles and is fourth with 7.5 tackles for loss. He was a second-team All-Big 12 pick. Hodges has a cool backstory: He went to Navy originally to play lacrosse, then switched to football (in which he also starred in high school) as a sophomore.

+ DE Dylan Horton: Horton transferred from New Mexico after the 2019 season and is a second-year starter for the Horned Frogs. He’s second on the team in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (9.5), and his ability to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable needs to come to the fore against Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Horton (6-4, 275), who was a high school safety in the Dallas area and also competed in the long jump and high jump, has accepted a Senior Bowl invitation.

+ NT Tymon Mitchell: Mitchell is hoping for a second consecutive national title – he played in five games for Georgia last season, then transferred. He’s the main backup at nose tackle and has played in all 13 games. Mitchell has shown an ability to be disruptive, as he has three sacks, including ones against Oklahoma and Texas.

+ CB Josh Newton: Newton had two interceptions and eight pass breakups for ULM last season; after transferring in the offseason, he has three picks and 12 pass breakups. His big season led to first-team All-Big 12 honors. Last season, opposing quarterbacks completed 64.3 percent of their passes against TCU. Thanks in part to Newton and fellow newcomer Mark Perry (more on him in a second), that figure has been sliced to 53.9 percent this season, which is ninth nationally.

+ S Mark Perry: Perry transferred in the offseason from Colorado, where he was second on the Buffs with 66 tackles last season, and added three picks and three pass breakups. He’s TCU’s second-leading tackler this season (74), and also has six tackles for loss and two pass breakups.

+ TE Jared Wiley: Wiley, who transferred from Texas in the offseason, made an impact in the final month of the regular season. He has 21 catches, and nine came in the final four games. Wiley had 19 receptions in his three seasons at Texas.

+ Others: Two reserve wide receivers who play are Gunnar Henderson (Incarnate Word) and Geor’Quarius Spivey (Mississippi State); they’ve combined for 21 receptions and three touchdowns. Henderson doesn’t see much time, but he had TD receptions vs. Oklahoma and a big one against Baylor.