A look at the key transfer for the teams in early, early top 10s for 2023

At the end of Monday night’s national championship game – truthfully, by the middle of the second quarter – college football thoughts pivoted to the 2023 season.

Numerous preseason top 25s already have been released. We’ve looked those over, come up with a consensus top 10, then dove into the transfers each of those 10 schools is bringing in. Here’s a look at the key transfer (for now, at least) for each team.

The schools are listed alphabetically.

Alabama

The transfer: TE C.J. Dippre (from Maryland)
The skinny: Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2023? That’s an unknown. But that quarterback will have a capable target at tight end in Dippre (6-5, 250). He had 30 receptions for 314 yards and three TDs this season in a good passing attack at Maryland; coincidentally, he caught passes from Alabama transfer Taulia Tagovailoa with the Terps. Dippre has “old-school tight end” size, but could stand to improve as a blocker. Still, his receiving ability is a major selling point. He is the only transfer commitment for the Tide at this point.

Florida State

The transfer: CB Fentrell Cypress (from Virginia)
The skinny: Big things are expected from the Seminoles in 2023, but that’s mostly because of their offense. The decision by QB Jordan Travis, who has made massive strides the past two seasons, to return for a final season was huge. FSU’s secondary was shaky at times in 2022, and Cypress (6-0, 184) may have been the best corner available in the portal. Given that he is moving from one ACC team to another, he certainly knows the lay of the land. Cypress was a second-team All-ACC selection this season, when he had 39 tackles and a league-high 13 pass breakups. He was a part-time starter in 2021, but emerged as a key defensive cog for new Cavs coordinator John Rudzinski this season.

Georgia

The transfer: WR Dominic Lovett (from Missouri)
The skinny: What do you get for a team that has won back-to-back national titles? You grab one of the best receivers in the SEC. Lovett (5-10, 187) was Missouri’s best receiver this season, with 56 catches for 846 yards (15.1 per catch), though just three TDs. Georgia needed an established big-play receiver and it got one. Lovett was strictly a possession receiver as a true freshman in 2021, averaging 6.7 yards on his 26 receptions. But he developed into a legit downfield threat this season and was third in the SEC with nine receptions of at least 30 yards. Georgia’s leader in that category was TE Brock Bowers with five.

LSU

The transfer: CB Duce Chestnut (from Syracuse)
The skinny: Five transfers played big roles in LSU’s secondary this season, and Chestnut (6-0, 198) should do the same in 2023. Heck, he might be the Tigers’ best corner. Regardless, he’ll be a key part of a secondary that – given all the new pieces – was much better than expected in 2022. Chestnut was one of the best true freshman corners in the nation in 2021 and also played well this season for Syracuse. He started all 24 games in which he played in his two seasons with the Orange and had 83 tackles, four picks and nine pass breakups.

Michigan

The transfer: TE AJ Barner (from Indiana)
The skinny: TE Luke Schoonmaker was the Wolverines’ second-leading receiver this season (35 receptions), but he is turning pro. Enter Barner (6-6, 252), who was Indiana’s third-leading receiver (28 catches) as well as a team captain. Michigan uses a lot of two-tight end sets, and Barner and holdover Colston Loveland – a rising star who had a solid true freshman season in 2022 – will be an effective duo. Barner was a two-way player in high school, and was recruited by a lot of schools to play defense. While he played strictly tight end at IU, he still is developing at the position and has an intriguing upside.

Ohio State

The transfer: S Ja’Had Carter (from Syracuse)
The skinny: Ohio State definitely needed an experienced safety; starters Ronnie Hickman (NFL) and Tanner McCalister (graduation) are gone and Lathan Ransom also could head to the pros. The Buckeyes responded by getting one of the best safeties in the portal. Syracuse played some of the stingiest pass defense in the nation in the past two seasons despite going against some of the nation’s most productive quarterbacks in ACC play. Carter (6-2, 198), as well as the aforementioned Chestnut, played a big part in those stingy secondaries. He was a three-season starter at safety for the Orange, and had 138 tackles, five interceptions and seven pass breakups in that span. Carter played a lot as a slot defender in 2022, and adds versatility as well as experience.

Penn State

The transfer: CB Storm Duck (from North Carolina)
The skinny: The Nittany Lions’ secondary was a team strength this season and it will be again in 2023. Joey Porter Jr. is leaving for the NFL, but Kalen King and Johnny Dixon return, as does nickel corner Daequan Hardy. Adding Duck (6-1, 200) to that group is big. He had 46 tackles, three picks and nine pass breakups this season to earn second-team All-ACC honors at North Carolina. Duck’s addition gives Nittany Lions coaches a veteran player who can slide right into the rotation. Duck started for the Tar Heels as a true freshman in 2019, missed 14 games 2020 and ’21 because of injuries, then regained his starting job this season.

TCU

The transfer: WR JoJo Earle (from Alabama)
The skinny: Earle didn’t live up to his high school hype with the Tide, though injuries certainly played a role. He was a four-star prospect who was an On3 Consensus national top-50 prospect in the 2021 signing class. He had a leg injury that hampered him in 2021 and a foot injury limited him to eight games in 2022. Now he gets a fresh start with the Horned Frogs. Earle is from the Dallas Metroplex and thus is returning “home.” TCU is losing its top three receivers, and only one wide receiver with more than 14 catches is set to return. That means ample playing time is available, and Earle needs to seize the opportunity. He had 28 receptions in two seasons with the Tide but for just 243 yards. Earle has the ability to be a deep threat, and that needs to come to the fore with the Horned Frogs.

USC

The transfer: WR Dorian Singer (from Arizona)
The skinny: USC was bad on defense this season and may not be appreciably better in 2023. So, we’re going with Singer, a proven deep threat, because USC is accentuating the positive. The Trojans’ offense figures to again be one of the nation’s most productive, and adding Singer to the mix will help it be so. He’ll be part of a deep receiving group that will catch passes from Heisman winner Caleb Williams. Singer had 66 receptions for 1,105 yards (16.7 per catch) and six TDs this season. He was tied for the Pac-12 lead with five receptions of at least 40 yards and with 11 for at least 30; he also led the league with 21 receptions of at least 20 yards. And as for that “accentuating the positive” thing: USC is going to be in a lot of high-scoring games in 2023, and the more firepower at Lincoln Riley’s disposal, the better. Hey, just think of it like his Oklahoma teams: Heisman-winning quarterback and his offensive mates have to put up a ton o’ points because their defensive teammates give up a ton o’ points.

Washington

The transfer: CB Jabbar Muhammad (from Oklahoma State)
The skinny: Washington was one of the nation’s biggest surprises this season, even if its transformation from a 4-8 team in 2021 to one that finished 11-2 didn’t get enough national attention. A highly productive pass offense was the key to the turnaround, and it should be the same in 2023. But if the Huskies want to make a Playoff run, the defense – specifically the secondary – must get a lot better. The Huskies allowed 26 TD passes, and opposing quarterbacks completed 63 percent of their passes against UW. The Huskies had just seven interceptions, their lowest total since 2000. Muhammad (5-10, 180) should help. After serving as a key reserve in 2021 as a freshman, when he had 23 tackles and three pass breakups, Muhammad moved into a starting role this season. He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection, finishing with 48 tackles, an interception and nine pass breakups. Washington signed four corners in the early signing period, and one or two of those guys figure to play. But Muhammad is the most important new corner by far.