NCAA Transfer Portal Busting with Top Former 4-Star Receivers
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Every spring college football fans brace for the bad and the good with the transfer portal, and this year is no different. Fans hate seeing beloved players seek opportunity elsewhere but love seeing top players matriculate onto their campus bringing more experience and athleticism to a given position. As spring practices across the country start to come to a close, more and more players are seeking that liberty for a fresh beginning. One position loaded with talent waiting for offers is at wide receiver.
There are 15 former four-star players currently in the transfer portal along with a five-star tight end. From the Big Ten to the Pac-12, guys with size and speed are taking pitches going back through the recruiting process. Let’s see some of the top players ready to make an impact at a new school.
2021 Spring Transfer Portal – Receiving Targets
TE Arik Gilbert – transfer from LSU
Of all the high-profile players available, all coaches would love to land Freshman All-SEC tight end Arik Gilbert. Opting out of the season after eight games with LSU, Gilbert showed why he was a five-star recruit and Gatorade National Player of the Year. Listed at 6-5, 253, he finished third on the Tigers roster in receptions (35) and fourth in yards (368) with two touchdowns scored. After a brief commitment to the Florida Gators, Gilbert remains on the open market.
WR Theo Howard – transfer from Oklahoma
If curious how deep the receiving talent is on the Sooners’ roster, it was tough for former four-star receiver Theo Howard to make a big impact during the 2020 season. A four-star from the 2020 class out of Westlake High School (CA), Howard was 10th on the team last fall in yards (167) after hauling in 13 passes.
WR Marquis Spiker and Austin Osborne– transfer from Washington
On April 2, both Marquis Spiker and Austin Osborne announced their decision to leave Seattle. The 2020 season was hard on the Pac-12, top to bottom, and especially hit Washington hard with only four games played. Neither Spiker nor Osborne registered a catch last fall. Osborne and Spiker are both big targets, listed over 6-2; a lot of programs need experienced receivers with size and speed.
WR Roderick Fisher and Jamire Calvin – transfer from Washington State
When Roderick Fisher and Jamire Calvin signed with Washington State, the Pirate was roaming the sidelines. After Mike Leach left for Mississippi State, the Cougars brought in Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich. Calvin made the most of his opportunities during the team’s four-game schedule in 2020 pulling in 17 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown. During the 2019 season, Fisher won the “X” spot in Leach’s offense pulling down 19 passes for 265 yards with a touchdown. Fisher entered the portal in August 2020.
WR J.J. Holloman – transfer from Georgia and FIU
Jeremiah Holloman has been through this process before leaving Athens for FIU. Holloman was dismissed from UGA before the 2019 season transferring to FIU but sat out the season due to transfer rules. During the Panthers five-game season, the former four-star caught eight passes for 108 yards with one touchdown.
WR Mike Woods – transfer from Arkansas (committed to Oklahoma)
Although not a four-star, Mike Woods is one of the more attractive targets in the portal. Playing off All-SEC receiver Treylon Burks, Woods was second on the Razorbacks roster in receptions (32), yards (619), and receiving touchdowns (5).
WR Tommy Bush – transfer from Georgia
As part of the 2018 recruiting class, one does not get much hotter on the recruiting trail than Tommy Bush coming out of Samuel Clemens High School in Texas. With 46 offers listed, the 6-5, 195-pound, receiver signed with the Bulldogs. Bush’s career at UGA amounted to one reception in 2019 against Georgia Tech. A hit and run accident cost him the 2020 season.
Other Notable 4-Star Transfers
Nolan Grouix – from Wake Forest
Warren Thompson – from Florida State
Trevon Sidney – from Illinois
Dee Anderson – from Oklahoma State
Daquon Green – from Murray State
Giles Jackson – from Michigan
Jacob Mathis – from South Florida
Ray Rose – from North Carolina
Photo credit: Fox16.com; Mike Woods vs. Tennessee