Transfer Portal Thoughts: A surprising OL entry, can Tyler Van Dyke rediscover his mojo at Wisconsin, Kentucky making moves

The Transfer Portal continues to be a dizzying, daily merry-go-round where players are still submitting their names to test college football’s version of free agency while many have used the last 10 days to find a new home already. 

There have been plenty of surprising entries, but the news that Oklahoma offensive lineman Cayden Green reportedly plans to enter the portal is as shocking as any thus far. The former Top 100 prospect started seven games for the Sooners in 2023, playing mostly at left guard. 

Heading into next season, Oklahoma was already having to replace future NFL linemen Walter Rouse, Andrew Raym and Tyler Guyton, so now a thin room got even thinner. The program was naturally blindsided by the news Tuesday, as linemen like Green don’t typically enter the portal. Missouri is seen as a potential landing spot, but Green will have no shortage of suitors.

Welcome to the new world of college football. Here are some other thoughts on happenings in the portal over the last few days.

Will Tyler Van Dyke rediscover his mojo at Wisconsin?

Ex-Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke committed to Wisconsin on Tuesday, with a change of scenery perhaps just what the doctor ordered for the 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year. 

Three years ago, Van Dyke was seen as a future 1st Round pick after averaging 9.0 yards per attempt with 25 touchdowns and just six picks as a redshirt freshman for the Hurricanes. 

Van Dyke thrived in Rhett Lashlee’s hybrid Air Raid offense, but the last two seasons after been mostly nightmarish for the veteran quarterback. He’s been benched multiple times by Mario Cristobal for subpar play and battled a variety of injuries, too. Van Dyke threw for just 1,823 yards in 2022, and this fall, he had 19 touchdowns with a career-high 12 interceptions. 

But a fresh start at Wisconsin seems like a potential nice fit. Luke Fickell needed an upgrade at quarterback, and Van Dyke at least has the upside to give the Badgers way more than what they got from former SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai last fall (1,688 yards with six touchdowns and four picks).

Wisconsin’s transition to Phli Longo’s ‘Dairy Raid’ offense mostly produced spoiled milk in 2023, with the Badgers ranking 90th nationally in passing and averaging just 5.8 yards per attempt — 126th in the county. Van Dyke has his limitations but he’s not afraid to push the ball vertically, which could help Longo’s offense really take flight in 2024. 

Next season will be Van Dyke’s third season (2021 with Lashlee and 2023 with Shannon Dawson) operating some semblance of an Air Raid system. Perhaps under Longo, who saw him up close in 2021 and 2022 when he was the OC at North Carolina, he’ll rediscover his 2021 glory. 

Kentucky is making some early moves in the transfer portal 

Liam Coen did a lot of good work with a former 6-5, 220-pound transfer quarterback who couldn’t get on the field at a blueblood but starred at Kentucky and is now making plays on Monday Night Football. 

Can Brock Vandagriff be Will Levis 2.0 for the Wildcats?

Coen, UK’s OC, and head coach Mark Stoops sure hope so, grabbing the former 5-star from the transfer portal after three seasons riding the bench at Georgia. Vandagriff isn’t quite as big as Levis (6-3, 210) but he’s a bulldozing athlete and a playmaker with both his arm and legs. 

Vandagriff will be surrounded by plenty of talent at Kentucky, too, as promising wideouts Dane Key and Barion Brown will both be back (hopefully they’ve fixed their drop issues), and the Wildcats recently brought in Texas A&M transfer receiver Raymond Cottrell. Cottrell redshirted with the Aggies in 2023, but he’s a former 4-star prospect from Florida who also was once committed to Georgia. 

The Wildcats don’t appear to be done bringing in receivers to surround Vandagriff, either. They hosted North Texas’ Ja’Mori Maclin, brother of former Missouri star Jeremy Maclin, on an official visit over the weekend. Maclin had over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023. Kentucky hosted Indiana receiver Donaven McCulley last week, too, and he’s another name to keep an eye on. 

Finally, Kentucky landed its Ray Davis replacement Tuesday, grabbing a commitment from Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum. The Wildcats had also expressed interest in Arkansas transfer Rocket Sanders, who reportedly will commit to South Carolina on Wednesday. Trayanum is a bruising, bowling ball tailback (5-11, 235) who should be a nice rotational option (and perhaps more depending on the opportunity). 

All signs point to the Wildcats continuing to be active in the portal at other positions, but for an offense that needed to replace quarterback Devin Leary, wideout Tayvion Brown and tailback Ray Davis, this week’s returns have been a good start. 

South Carolina adds some fuel to the SEC’s worst rushing attack

In a manner of two days, the Gamecocks have totally flipped their RB room with two transfer commitments, including reportedly landing the best available ‘back in the portal in Arkasnas‘ Raheim “Rocket” Sanders.

Sanders has yet to go public with his decision, but On3’s Pete Nakos has confirmed the news is likely to come out Wednesday. Sanders is one of the crown jewels of the 2024 transfer cycle. He had a miserable 2023 season battling injuries and playing in an anemic offense (just 209 yards and two touchdowns on only 62 carries) but Sanders was a breakout star in 2022 with over 1,400 yards (6.5 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. 

In addition to Sanders, South Carolina also added a pledge from North Texas tailback Oscar Adaway III. The senior had 735 yards and six touchdowns (6.0 per carry) in 2023. 

South Carolina had the worst rushing offense in the SEC in 2023, averaging just 2.77 yards per carry. The Gamecocks barely rushed for over 1,000 yards as a team — something only Washington State and Colorado could also say after last season. They still need all sorts of help to shore up a leaky offensive line, but adding Sanders and Adaway to running back unit that lacked bodies and talent will at least provide South Carolina some much-needed pop at the position.