10 College Football Transfer Players to Watch in Spring Practice 2016
Sometimes, you just need a fresh start. Maybe the coach who recruited you left. Maybe that same coach recruited a better player at your position, or maybe you just don’t agree with his philosophies. Any way you look at it, transfers happen all across college football.
A new start is appealing for plenty of players, and plenty have had successes in new homes. Baker Mayfield led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff. Jake Coker led Alabama to a national championship. And there are plenty of stories just like theirs.
Be it a graduate transfer, junior college transfer or regular transfer, transfers are as prevalent as they’ve ever been in college football. With spring practice churning to life across the nation, here are 10 transfers worth watching this spring.
Houston RB Duke Catalon
1 of 10
Last fall, head coach Tom Herman’s fast-paced system was a revelation in Houston. The Cougars excelled with quarterback Greg Ward Jr. leading the way, and they finished 13-1 with an American Athletic Conference title and a Peach Bowl win over Florida State.
Ward and his 1,108 rushing yards return, but the Cougars need a lead back following the graduations of Kenneth Farrow and Ryan Jackson.
Luckily for Houston, Duke Catalon will be eligible this fall. Catalon, who stands 5’10”, 203 pounds, has some solid power and speed. He transferred from Texas following his redshirt freshman season. The Cougars recently dismissed Javin Webb, who had 277 yards and four touchdowns last season, so Catalon is an even stronger bet to begin the season as the main man in Houston’s backfield.
TCU QB Kenny Hill
2 of 10
Head coach Kevin Sumlin and Texas A&M have an impressive group of former quarterbacks fanning out across college football. This offseason, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray transferred away from the Aggies program, but they were just following a trend started by Kenny Hill.
Hill burned bright and flamed out quickly as an Aggies quarterback. As a sophomore starter in 2014, he garnered early Heisman Trophy hype and the nickname Kenny Trill with a strong start that included a 511-yard, three-touchdown debut against South Carolina. He began his A&M career with 11 touchdowns against no interceptions.
But by November, Allen had supplanted him in the starting role, and he transferred to TCU following the season. His game is a natural for the Horned Frogs' Air Raid system. With Trevone Boykin graduated, Hill is the clear favorite to become the new starter.
Top receiver Josh Doctson is gone, but KaVontae Turpin is a developing star wideout who’ll be Hill’s top target. Hill has the skills to thrive in TCU’s offense, and he’ll get a head start this spring.
Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight
3 of 10
Some transfer matches are just too obvious. Take Texas A&M and Trevor Knight, for example. Last fall, the Aggies had a pair of highly recruited quarterbacks in Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. But following a disappointing 2015 season that also led to the departure of offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, both transferred.
Head coach Kevin Sumlin needed a proven quarterback; Trevor Knight needed a new home. Once considered one of college football’s up-and-coming signal-callers at Oklahoma, Knight struggled in 2014, throwing 14 touchdowns against 12 interceptions as OU finished 8-5.
Last summer, Knight lost a quarterback battle to Baker Mayfield, who led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. Knight threw for just 305 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he did help the Sooners hang on for a win over TCU after Mayfield left with a concussion.
Knight will fit well with A&M, which boasts an impressive group of receivers led by Christian Kirk, who was one of the nation’s top wideouts as a freshman. Assuming Knight seizes the job in the spring, it’s a perfect opportunity for him to finish on a high in the competitive SEC West.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Oklahoma WR Geno Lewis
4 of 10
Last fall, Baker Mayfield was a revelation as Oklahoma’s new starting quarterback. He threw for 3,700 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he helped lead the Sooners to a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth.
He has skills, but Mayfield won’t repeat those stats without quality receivers. Sterling Shepard (86 receptions, 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns) is gone, and so is No. 3 receiver Durron Neal. Dede Westbrook (46 receptions, 743 yards, four scores) is the only returning wide receiver with more than 19 receptions.
There’s real opportunity for an experienced receiver in OU’s offense, and Geno Lewis hopes to capitalize. Lewis, a graduate transfer from Penn State, had just 17 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns in 2015, but he had a great sophomore season with 55 receptions for 751 yards and two touchdowns.
His experience is an excellent fit in Norman. Expect him to catch plenty of passes from Mayfield this fall; Lewis will get a head start this spring.
Michigan QB John O'Korn
5 of 10
Head coach Jim Harbaugh struck gold with quarterback Jake Rudock last fall. The Iowa graduate transfer was a huge key to Michigan’s 10-3 record in Harbaugh’s maize-and-blue debut. Rudock played within himself and provided a veteran presence to the Wolverines offense.
So, with Rudock’s eligibility done, why not try another transfer? John O’Korn is hoping Harbaugh’s magic strikes again. As a freshman at Houston, O’Korn won the American Athletic Conference’s Freshman of the Year honors, throwing for 3,117 yards with 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
But when offensive coordinator Doug Meacham moved to TCU, O’Korn fell out of favor with his replacement and threw six touchdowns against eight interceptions. Houston benched him after five games in favor of dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
O’Korn stands 6’4”, 220 pounds and is a great fit for Harbaugh’s preferred pro-style attack. He’ll be part of a quarterback competition along with junior Shane Morris, freshmen Zach Gentry, Alex Malzone and Brandon Peters and junior Wilton Speight. His tools make him a favorite to win the job and push Michigan’s offense forward in 2016.
Oregon QB Dakota Prukop
6 of 10
An idea so nice, they decided to try it twice. That’s how the Oregon Ducks feel about FCS quarterback graduate transfers. Last summer, when Oregon needed an experienced replacement for Marcus Mariota, it turned to Vernon Adams. Adams moved up from Eastern Washington as a graduate transfer and won the starting role despite not joining the team until after preseason practice had begun.
The Ducks began 3-3 as Adams struggled with a broken finger, but once he got healthy, he showed why Oregon wanted him in the first place. Oregon finished the regular season on a six-game win streak, and Adams wound up with 2,643 yards and 26 touchdowns against six interceptions.
Adams’ success in a short stint showed it can be done, and Dakota Prukop hopes to duplicate his standout season. The Montana State transfer chose Oregon over Alabama and Michigan, among others. Last year, he threw for 3,025 yards with 28 touchdowns and also had 797 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
He has already enrolled at Oregon and will be a clear favorite to win the starting role over backup Jeff Lockie. Prukop is an excellent fit in head coach Mark Helfrich’s fast-paced system, and with a spring to gel around his new teammates, he could surpass Adams’ stats.
Florida RB Mark Thompson
7 of 10
Head coach Jim McElwain has questions beyond quarterback in Florida’s offense. Tailback Kelvin Taylor’s departure to the NFL left a big hole in Florida’s backfield.
2015 backups Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett did not distinguish themselves in their freshman seasons, combining for 338 yards and four touchdowns.
Mark Thompson is ready to take advantage of his opportunity. The Dodge City (Kansas) Community College transfer was a second-team JUCO All-American who stands 6’2”, 230 pounds—a frame that is capable of every-down SEC usage.
He has speed and power as well as the ability to juke potential tacklers, and he has already signed with the Gators. He’ll go through spring practice in Gainesville and could lock down the starting role by spring’s end.
Colorado QB Davis Webb
8 of 10
Davis Webb had a strong beginning at Texas Tech. Now, he hopes for a strong ending in the Rocky Mountains. Webb had a promising freshman season with the Red Raiders, throwing for 2,718 yards with 20 touchdowns against nine interceptions and adding 2,539 yards with 24 touchdowns against 13 interceptions as a sophomore.
However, he missed multiple games both seasons with injuries and ultimately lost his job as a junior to Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes was highly productive, throwing for 4,653 yards with 36 touchdowns against 15 interceptions and leading Tech back to a bowl game.
Webb decided to move on (a smart decision) and landed at Colorado. It’s a great destination for him. The Buffaloes have a starter in Sefo Liufau, but he is likely to miss the entire 2016 season with a Lisfranc injury in his foot. The job is Webb’s to grab. The Buffs don’t throw as much as Tech does, but they’ll throw enough to showcase Webb’s skills while trying to improve from a 4-9 2015 season.
Texas Tech WR Derrick Willies
9 of 10
Derrick Willies probably had some pangs of regret last fall. He started his career at Iowa but transferred midway through his freshman season and wound up at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes excelled with a 12-0 regular season, Big Ten West title and Rose Bowl berth.
Willies stood out in junior college, making 49 receptions for 1,155 yards and 15 touchdowns. And he’ll probably forget about the Hawkeyes pretty quickly in Texas Tech’s offense. The Red Raiders boast one of the nation’s most prolific passing offenses. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the helm, they averaged 388.2 passing yards per game last fall—second-best nationally. The Red Raiders love to throw, and Willies should be heavily involved in the offense.
Last year, Tech’s leading receiver, Jakeem Grant, made 90 receptions for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns. Grant has graduated, which leaves an opportunity for another receiver to take over his role. Willies should quickly establish himself as an integral part of Tech’s fast-paced passing scheme.
Miami DE Gerald Willis
10 of 10
Mark Richt has a new job with Miami, but the former Georgia head coach has some serious SEC East-caliber talent on the Hurricanes defensive line. This fall, former Florida defensive end Gerald Willis will be making a new start in South Florida.
Willis was a 4-star recruit with the Gators and recorded 14 tackles, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in eight games. But he had serious attitude issues, and following multiple run-ins with teammates, he was dismissed from the program and landed in Miami. He told Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald that he is working on controlling his emotions.
“I just count to three,” he said. "I have to walk away. I can’t do what I did in my past. Even if it hurts me so bad, I just gotta walk away. I’ve practiced that a lot. I’ve been doing some classes with that and I’ve been practicing.”
Willis stands 6’2”, 280 pounds and has great pass-rushing ability. Miami has a returning starter at defensive end in Chad Thomas, but Willis has the ability to make a real difference on the defensive line. He’ll start doing so this spring.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
