Diving into the portal: 5 key transfers into the SEC

There will be another spate of transfers after spring practices are over, but for now the transfer portal is relatively quiet, which gives us an opportunity to look at key transfers into each Power 5 league.

Today, it’s five key transfers in the SEC. “Key” is a relative term, but you can expect each of these players to make an appreciable impact this fall for their new teams.

(We looked at transfers into the Big Ten on Monday and the Big 12 on Tuesday, and will look at the ACC on Thursday, the Pac-12 on Friday and independents and the Group of 5 on Saturday.)

LSU CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse

The buzz:  Bernard-Converse was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021 for one of the nation’s best defenses, and should seamlessly move into a Tigers secondary starving for corners. Bernard-Converse, from Shreveport, La., 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.

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart

The buzz: Dart made three starts for USC in 2021 after Kedon Slovis was injured, and he should be the no-doubt starter for Ole Miss, which is looking to replace Matt Corral. While Ole Miss has a new offensive coordinator in Charlie Weis Jr., it’s still coach Lane Kiffin’s offense and he does a nice job tailoring things to accentuate the positive with his quarterbacks. Dart, who was the No. 3 quarterback for On3 in the 2021 class, certainly can wing it. He started the final three games of the ’21 season for the Trojans and played in six games overall, throwing for 1,353 yards, with nine TDs and five interceptions. He had two 300-yard outings, including a 391-yard effort early in the season against Washington State after Slovis was injured in the first quarter.

Ole Miss RB Zach Evans

The buzz: For sheer talent, Evans takes a backseat to very few college running backs (maybe none, in fact). But he has a … ahem … mercurial temperament. But, hey, who better to manage a mercurial temperament than Rebels coach Lane Kiffin? Ole Miss lost its top four rushers from 2021, and assuming Evans is healthy, go ahead and pencil him in for 1,200-plus yards in 2022. He has a big-time burst, can run between the tackles and has promising ability as a receiver, too.

Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs

The buzz: Gibbs did good work for mediocre (at best) Georgia Tech offenses the past two seasons, rushing for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns and averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Now for something news: He’ll run behind a top-flight 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 welcome in Gibbs as a transfer for him 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).

Florida G O’Cyrus Torrence

The buzz: Torrence was a three-year starter at Louisiana who was an All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2021 and a second-team pick in 2020. He obviously is familiar with new coach Billy Napier’s offense. On top of that, the Gators’ offensive line was uneven the past few seasons and getting a road grader like Torrence was important. His arrival also should create legit competition at the other guard spot and at right tackle, something Florida really hasn’t had up front for a while.