For our second edition of Chain Reaction we shift from QB’s to other offensive skill players. The QB’s have gotten the hype but no position has seen a bigger in flux of young men into portal than running backs and there are some highly rated guys still there. We have seen WR’s and TE’s such as Mario Williams, Trey Palmer, Kobe Hudson, Michael Trigg, and Austin Stogner follow their QB or coach to pastures anew yet their remains solid pass catching targets available. This list will be more evenly spread out by position unlike the QB’s who I ranked 1-5. Instead here I opted for an alignment we may see on the field at any given time.
Update:
Sean Dollars has removed himself from the portal and intends to return to Oregon, as was one of the options I had listed.
Jaelyn Lay has committed to FCS Alabama State.
RB’s
Camar Wheaton, Alabama
Sean Dollars, Oregon
WR’s
Deion Smith, LSU
Bru McCoy, USC
Kaemen Marley, Tennessee
TE
Jaelyn Lay, Clemson
The Reaction:
RB’s
Camar Wheaton, Alabama
Possibilities: SMU, LSU, Baylor, Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Coach Prime(yes, it would be committing to him not JSU)
Chain Reaction: The class of 2021 highly touted Wheaton never really saw the field for the Tide and with Roydell Williams, Jase McLellan, and Trey Sanders all returning it wasn’t a total shock to see the Dallas-Ft. Worth area product hit the portal. Having only recently made himself available there are many schools Wheaton could choose, especially considering he has 4 years to offer a team but this early list will be schools to watch. SMU is a hometown team and under new coach Rhett Lashlee they have been getting early hype to land Camar. Would be a huge pickup in a position where Lashlee has used multiple guys in the past. With Tre Siggers having exhausted eligibility and Ulysses Bentley IV returning there definitely is room for Wheaton. Would this cause Bentley and Tyler Lavine to transfer out? Possibly, but if Wheaton reaches potential is it worth it? Absolutely. LSU and Brian Kelly is a top level program who could use a RB if Wheaton wants to join Kelly’s fam-uh-lee. The Tigers will certainly run the ball if we believe Kelly and new OC Mike Denbrock’s past. Leading rusher Tyrion Davis-Price declared early for the NFL draft and second leading Corey Kiner didn’t get many touches until the Tigers ran a 1930’s style offense in the bowl game though he is returning along with Penn St. transfer Noah Cain. The addition of Cain makes this one seem unlikely to me but if I’m a RB looking at coaches Brian Kelly would be tough to look past. Baylor and Dave Aranda are trending upwards and look to have staying power, as well as being a home state team for Wheaton. With Abram Smith and Tristan Ebner both gone there is also an immediate need that most teams won’t face to this extent. Wheaton would definitely be a contender for RB1 his first day in Waco. Colorado was a team in contention for Wheaton as a high schooler, thus they would be tough to not at least mention here. With leading rusher Jarek Broussard having left for Michigan St. in the portal, Wheaton would also be in the mix with Alex Fontenot to carry the load for the Buffs along with FCS transfer Ramon Jefferson(Sam Houston St.). Arkansas has a rushing attack as multi-faceted as anyone and with Trelon Smith having already portaled to TCU this should be a very appetizing destination for Wheaton. Sam Pittman prides his teams in bullying the trenches and running the ball, surely this would make sense for Wheaton. Oklahoma was, by all accounts, a finalist along with the Tide to get Wheaton out of high school. This makes them worth a look now. Will Brent Venables rekindle that pursuit? Would Wheaton have interest with Eric Gray and Marcus Major still there to pickup where Kennedy Brooks left off? As far as the Jackson St. Tigers go, this seems like the one position they haven’t brought in a P5 caliber guy. Would Wheaton buy what Coach Prime is selling? Well……..wouldn’t we all?
Sean Dollars, Oregon
Possibilities: UCLA, Oregon(staying put), Cal, Colorado, Arizona, Colorado St.
Chain Reaction: I’m going to jump to the end of this list for explanation purposes. You may find Colorado St. an outlier here, as it was for JT Daniels. What do Dollars and Daniels have in common? Both were prep standouts at California powerhouse Mater Dei. Where did Jay Norvell get his new RB coach James Finley from? You guessed it, Mater Dei. Chip Kelly and the Bruins ran the ball very effectively last season and with Zach Charbonnet the #1 spot may be out of reach but returning home still could be a possibility that would bring plenty of touches on a solid team, especially considering #2 RB Brittian Brown topped 100 carries last season before graduating. We have yet to see this in my columns yet but leaving the portal and staying at Oregon could be an option for Dollars. With Travis Dye portalling to USC and Trey Benson to Florida St. the Ducks and Dan Lanning will need bodies for the RB stable and it could be a good situation for Dollars to consider. Cal lost leading rusher Christopher Brooks to BYU in the portal already though they do return Damien Moore who also got ample touches. The in-state and in-conference Golden Bears could be a team to keep an eye on. Arizona returns top two leading rushers in Drake Anderson and Michael Wiley though neither were particularly convincing in their performance. Jedd Fisch has to be considering all comers in this good portal class, though most of the top guys the Wildcats have brought in have been on the defensive side of the ball.
https://www.on3.com/db/sean-dollars-105393/
WR’s
https://www.on3.com/db/transfer-portal/top/football/2022/?position=wr
Deion Smith, LSU
Possibilities: Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Louisiana Tech, Houston, Jackson St.
Chain Reaction: Initially it looked like the Jackson, MS native was a lock to board the Lane Train at Ole Miss but there has been no commitment in addition to rumors of academic issues for Smith. Should those get cleared up the Rebels look to be in pole position for Smith with all they’ve lost at that position and the guys Kiffin has brought in. The in-state rival Bulldogs have already lost Malik Heath in the portal to Ole Miss and Mike Leach surely could use another legit WR. Neither of the teams in the Magnolia State figure to have too much roster disruption if they land Smith. I don’t know how much Smith is considering G5 schools, frankly if he wasn’t I wouldn’t be shocked, but if he is both La Tech under new coach Sonny Cumbie and Houston could be great landing spots. Holgo is a guy who can game plan and throw the ball around with the best of them which makes the Coogs a decent option too.
Bru McCoy, USC
Possibilities: Ole Miss, Georgia, West Virginia, UCLA
Chain Reaction: There have been rumors that McCoy may not land anywhere until the summer which will broaden the list as more guys will enter the portal by then. The Rebels will also be in play for the former Texas and USC signing. With his USC teammates Dart and Trigg already in Oxford this one could have traction. The national champion Bulldogs have notably lost George Pickens to the NFL and Jermaine Burton to Alabama in one of the most divisive decisions of the portal season. Following former OC Graham Harrell to Morgantown could also be a move to resurrect McCoy’s career. The crosstown rival Bruins are also a team who has been mentioned and could use a WR after losing guys to the portal but having gained Duke transfer Jake Bobo via the portal as well as UCF transfer Titus Makiao-Atimalala, I don’t see this one as a great spot for McCoy. It should be noted that there were some questions regarding McCoy’s legal situation but the DA has refused to charge him so this may clear the way for any of these moves, or more, to open up.
Kaemen Marley, Tennessee
Possibilities: Georgia Tech, Kentucky, North Carolina
Chain Reaction: Marley is a guy not as as high on most lists but he should be. He was a top 100 recruit in 2021 as an athlete who played WR for the Vols but could land at WR, OLB, or S at his next stop. That kind of versatility in a 6’3 and 200lbs.+ frame isn’t a common trait and with 4 years left to play Marley is a guy who could land anywhere. There has been little inclination where Marley will end up apart from the schools he was considering as a high school recruit and those which geographically and competitively make sense. For the purposes of this we will assume Marley will continue to lineup at WR as he did at Tennessee. Georgia Tech was a school that recruited him heavily out of high school and the Jackets only return one of their top three pass catchers, Malachi Carter. Geoff Collins could use a solid WR more than most P5 schools and Marley instantly is in the mix if he decides to land at Tech. Kentucky thought it already had their portal WR in Taj Harris but he switched his commitment to Rutgers after being pledged to UK. Wan’Dale Robinson had more than double the catches of the second leading receiver for Mark Stoops squad in the fall and he and Josh Ali both need to be replaced as targets for Will Levis. Combined the two of them caught more balls than the rest of the squad combined. Lexington seems like a very enticing option for Marley with minimal disruption to the existing squad. The Tar Heels are in Marley’s home state and return leading receiver Josh Downs though their next top WR’s in Antoine Green and Ty Chandler both have finished their careers as Tar Heels. Mack Brown could definitely use more pass catchers on the outside and I expect the Heels to at least be in consideration for Marley.
TE
https://www.on3.com/db/transfer-portal/top/football/2022/?position=te
Jaelyn Lay, Clemson
Possibilities: Miami, Indiana, Virginia, LSU, Georgia Southern, Minnesota. Alabama State
Chain Reaction: Lay is a 6’6 270lbs. TE with a huge arm radius and a thick frame making him versatile as a flexed or end line player. A player of his physical attributes is not common and most school would have use for a man of his talents. Miami and Minnesota have both picked up Clemson transfers in recent years, including this offseason. Both Mario Cristobal and PJ Fleck love to use the TE in a variety of ways, including formations with multiple TE’s frequently. I’d put the Canes near the top of this list with the Gophers also a contender. Indiana with new OC Walt Bell, formerly of UMass, were a school that recruited Lay heavily out of high school and with Tom Allen still in charge they look to be in the hunt for Lay. The new offense Bell will run may be an appetizing thought for Lay who could look to catch passes from incoming portal QB Connor Bazelak, formerly of Mizzou. You know I always follow the coaching movements in line with the portal and the next three teams all have new head coaches. The first, Virginia, has Tony Elliot who was Lay’s offensive coordinator at Clemson last season. Could a reunion with the Hoos be written in the stars? I’d certainly not discount it at this time. New LSU coach Brian Kelly may love the tight end more than any coach in America and has a record of getting them ready for the NFL that rivals anyone. The Tigers have lost a host of pass catchers to the portal this offseason and I believe they’re solidly in the mix for Lay. No offense in America will look as starkly different in 2022 as it did in 2021 than that of Georgia Southern. With former USC head coach Clay Helton now at the helm and an offensive coordinator who was previously at Western Kentucky you can say goodbye to one of the true staples of option football that was the Eagles. In revamping this offense to fit his likeness Helton will most definitely target at TE and the Atlanta area native Lay is the finest available.