Top Corners and Safeties Line NCAA Transfer Portal from Power Five Programs

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

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Elite cover corners and a do-all safeties that can fill the alley as well as come across the top are easy to find at the high school level, per the recruiting rankings, but athleticism and technique do not always translate with a given next level scheme. The NCAA Transfer Portal offers another opportunity for a former “free agent” recruit to find another fit while also giving college programs a chance to fill needed positions with a player who already has college experience. With the modern game turning more and more to a pass-heavy focus, defensive coordinators need top talents in the secondary who can do it all, and the portal may provide it.

Portal activity has been nonstop since the college football regular season ended with a heavy flow of players lining up in the secondary hitting the open market. So far, four former four-star corners and five safeties have gone in and come out the other side with a new team. So far, 14 three-star corners have landed with a new team along with 11 safeties. Those in need of a four-star corner better move fast, there are only five on the board paired with five four-star safeties. The remaining depth is among the one-time three-star prospects.

As rosters shift, there will be a noticeable difference on the Florida State squad during spring practices. Gone are four-star corners Cyrus Fagan (NC State) and Jaiden Lars-Woodbey (Boston College) along with three-star safety Raymond Woodie III. Texas has also lost a pair of four-star defensive backs in corner Kenyatta Watson II (Georgia Tech) and safety Xavion Alford (USC).

South Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan State, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame are seeing multiple players leave campus. The Fighting Irish will be without four-stars safety Isaiah Robertson and corner Isaiah Rutherford and three-star safety Jordan Genmark Heath (UCLA) in 2021.

One team active in the secondary market under new head coach Deion Sanders is Jackson State. Sanders has welcomed two high-profile players out of the portal in corner Javorrius Selmon from Mississippi State and Shilo Sanders from South Carolina.

Transferred 4-Star Cornerbacks

Julian Barnett – Michigan State to Memphis

Kenyatta Watson II – Texas to Georgia Tech

Christian Williams – Miami to South Florida

Taiyon Palmer – NC State to Troy

Transferred 4-Star Safeties

Jaiden Lars-Woodbey – Florida State to Boston College

Cyrus Fagan – Florida State to NC State

Russ Yeast – Louisville to Kansas State

Xavion Alford – Texas to USC

Brandon Burton – New Mexico to Murray State

 

Transferred 3-Star Cornerbacks

Trent Gordon – Penn State to Arkansas

John Dixon – South Carolina to Penn State

Javorrius Selmon – Mississippi State to Jackson State

Lakevias Daniel – Ole Miss to Southern Miss

Dontye Carriere-Williams – Vanderbilt to Texas State

Clifford Chattman – Texas A&M to UTSA

Jarques McClellion – Arkansas to Florida State

Will Jones – Kansas State to South Florida

Lance Robinson – Kansas State to Tulane

Greg Ross – Iowa State to James Madison

Telly Plummer – Louisville to Chattanooga

Anthony Johnson – Louisville to Virginia

Malik Dunlap – NC State to Texas Tech

Logan Wilson – Louisiana-Monroe to North Texas

Transferred 3-Star Safeties

Tre Douglas – Vanderbilt to Coastal Carolina

Tae Daley – Vanderbilt to Virginia Tech

Shilo Sanders – South Carolina to Jackson State

Jordan Genmark Heath – Notre Dame to UCLA

Bryson Richardson – North Carolina to UMass

D.J. Ford – North Carolina to East Carolina

Marquis Waters – Duke to Texas Tech

Ronald Delancy III – Nebraska to Toledo

Skyler Thomas – Washington State to Liberty

Jonathan Alexander – Kansas State to Charlotte

Tank Robinson – East Carolina to Charlotte

 

Available 4-Star Cornerbacks

Nigel Knott – East Carolina to –

Isaiah Rutherford – Notre Dame to –

Corione Harris – Kansas to –

Tre Shaw – North Carolina to –

Colin Samuel – Houston to –

Available 4-Star Safeties

Robert Barnes – Oklahoma to –

Raymond Woodie III – Florida State to –

Peyton Woulard – Wake Forest to –

Isaiah Robertson – Notre Dame to –

Tyrone Lewis – Kansas State to –

 

Available 3-Star Cornerbacks

Big Ten

Tahj Capehart – Maryland to –

Davion Williams – Michigan State to –

Christian Jackson – Michigan State to –

Geovonte Howard – Purdue to –

Daraun McKinney – Iowa to –

SEC

Korey Charles – Mississippi State to –

Chester Kimbrough – Florida to –

MJ Devonshire – Kentucky to –

Baylen Buchanan – Tennessee to –

Randall Haynie – Vanderbilt to –

Elijah Hamilton – Vanderbilt to –

ACC

Raymond Woodie III – Florida State to –

Shawn Smith – Virginia to –

Tacorey Turner – West Virginia to –

Tavian Mayo – West Virginia to –

Isaiah Essissima – Wake Forest to –

Big 12

Alex Hogan – Texas Tech to –

John Davis – Texas Tech to –

Tony Wallace – TCU to –

Elijah Jones – Kansas to –

Kyle Mayberry – Kansas to –

Pac-12

Edric Whitley – Arizona to –

Bronson Boyd – Utah to –

Trey Davis – Washington State to –

Isaiah Strong – Washington to –

Group of Five

Antwan Collier – Central Florida –

Ton’Quez Ball – Tulane to –

Marques Evans – Boise State to –

Jevon Jones – Arkansas State to –

Greg Francis – UNLV to –

Christian Cumber – Colorado State to –

Available 3-Star Safeties

SEC

Jammie Robinson – South Carolina to –

Myles Mason – Arkansas to –

Quincy Lenton – Florida to –

Frank Coppet – Vanderbilt to –

Big Ten

Julius Brents – Iowa to –

Delano Ware – Illinois to –

Gunner Maldonado – Northwestern to –

Jeremiah McDonald – Northwestern to –

Antwaine Richardson – Maryland to –

Tim Barrow – Rutgers to –

Jarrett Paul – Rutgers to –

ACC

Cam Jones – Syracuse to –

Myles Wolfolk – North Carolina to –

Trey Rucker – Wake Forest to –

Avery Showell – Georgia Tech to –

Pac-12

William Anglen – Colorado to –

Stuart Head – Stanford to –

Mason Moran – Oregon State to –

Big 12

Davon Ferguson – Kansas to –

Group of Five

Anonta Crim – Western Kentucky to –

Garland LaFrance – Western Kentucky to –

Nick Roberts – South Florida to –

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Photo credit: NoleGameDay.com; No. 6 Jaiden Lars-Woodbey