SEC Football: Transfers Who Will Make an Impact in 2016
The transfer market has become one of the hottest markets in the country.
When former stars or starters are elbowed out at other FBS or FCS schools, there always seem to be other schools ready to welcome them with open arms.
In the SEC, several former difference-makers around the country have made their way to the best conference in college football after either graduating over the offseason or sitting out a transfer year after switching schools as undergraduates.
Which former FBS or FCS transfers (not including junior college transfers) will make the biggest impact this year? Our picks based on talent, scheme and opportunity are in this slideshow.
Just Missed the Cut
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There's only room for 10 players on a top-10 list, and there are more than 10 FBS/FCS transfers in the SEC this year who could make an impact.
Former Alabama wide receiver Chris Black could make a big difference for a Missouri offense in need of a spark, former Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby could beat out Luke Del Rio for Florida's quarterback spot, and Auburn has a host of transfers who could shine.
Here are the players who just missed the cut:
- Florida QB Austin Appleby (from Purdue)
- Missouri WR Chris Black (from Alabama)
- Auburn CB Jamel Dean (from Ohio State)
- Auburn OL Darius James (from Texas)
- Auburn DB Marshall Taylor (from Miami-Ohio)
- Arkansas OL Jake Raulerson (from Texas)
10. Georgia OL Tyler Catalina (from Rhode Island)
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Georgia has two vacant tackle spots to fill along the offensive line, and first-year head coach Kirby Smart plans on former Rhode Island tackle Tyler Catalina to fill one of them.
The 6'6", 298-pounder from Worcester, Massachusetts, was voted as a team captain last year for the Rams, started 11 games at left tackle and was a second-team All-CAA member, according to his Rhode Island bio.
"New #UGA offensive lineman Tyler Catalina is a big man pic.twitter.com/RalXSKKmSW
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) July 16, 2016"
He'll likely assume the role at left tackle by the time toe meets leather for the Bulldogs' season opener against North Carolina, but the versatility of Isaiah Wynn at right guard could allow Smart and new offensive line coach Sam Pittman to get a little creative with the offensive line if needed.
9. Texas A&M CB Priest Willis (from UCLA)
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Which secondary finished second in the SEC in pass defense last year? Or, perhaps a better question, how many guesses would you need to land on Texas A&M as the answer?
Ten? More?
That's where the Aggies finished, after giving up just 166.3 yards per game through the air in 2015 thanks to the work of safeties Armani Watts and Justin Evans, as well as multitalented hybrid player Donovan Wilson.
Now you can add Priest Willis to that mix.
The former 4-star prospect and UCLA Bruin transferred to Texas A&M last year and sat out during the 2015 season. In 2014 in Westwood, Willis made 22 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups in a reserve role as a sophomore. He had one interception as a freshman in 2013, made seven tackles and broke up a pass as a backup.
He'll likely slide into a starting role for the Aggies opposite Nick Harvey, benefit from the tremendous pass rush and evolve into a star in 2016 for a defense that will shed its "punchline" label in favor of a different one—"power."
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
8. Kentucky LB Courtney Love (from Nebraska)
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Kentucky lost six of its top seven tacklers from a rather mediocre defense a year ago. But luckily for head coach Mark Stoops, Courtney Love is now eligible and ready to make an impact.
As a redshirt freshman for the Cornhuskers in 2014, Love notched 12 tackles—one for loss—in a reserve role, one season after earning scout-team MVP honors, according to his Kentucky bio.
"I am the middle linebacker," Love said at SEC media days earlier this month. "I lead the defense, I have to make the calls and make the necessary adjustments that the coaches don't really see when we are out there on the field. I have to put people in position and get people lined up."
The mere fact that Love was present at SEC media days as one of Kentucky's three player representatives shows not only how highly Stoops thinks of him but how much of a role he is going to play in the Wildcat defense in 2016.
Kentucky needs a boost to kick-start a defense that finished 12th in the conference last year in total defense (394.2 yards per game), and Love should provide it.
7. Alabama WR Gehrig Dieter (from Bowling Green)
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Alabama's already stout wide receiving corps that features Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart added another weapon this offseason, and it's somebody who has had plenty of success at the FBS level.
Gehrig Dieter, a former Bowling Green Falcon who caught 94 passes for 1,033 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, has joined the Crimson Tide as a graduate transfer. He was a second-team All-MAC performer last year, and his 94 receptions were the fourth-highest mark in program history, according to his Bowling Green bio.
In just a few short months in Tuscaloosa, Dieter has already joined Ridley as one of the top options for third-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
"Congrats to Calvin Ridley & Gehrig Dieter for being named to the @biletnikoffawrd Watch List. #RollTide #CFBWatchMe pic.twitter.com/kWkQbx4qHM
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) July 13, 2016"
The experience Ridley and Stewart received last year in Kiffin's system, along with the return of O.J. Howard and the presence of Dieter, will ease the transition to a new starting quarterback and should allow the Tide to pick up right where they left off.
6. Ole Miss LB Rommel Mageo (from Oregon State)
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Ole Miss saw a star emerge at the "stinger" position last season in DeMarquis Gates, who finished with a team-high 76 tackles for a Rebels team that earned its second straight "New Year's Six" bowl berth.
He needs a running mate, though, and former Oregon State Beaver Rommel Mageo might be that guy:
"AMRT | Why MLB Rommel Mageo will be one of the most important Rebels this fall despite never playing a down at OM: https://t.co/0HoKhXER6L
— Daniel Paulling (@DanielPaulling) June 28, 2016"
The 6'2", 233-pounder had a team-high 87 tackles last year for Oregon State, including two sacks. He also picked off two passes and forced two fumbles, which should bring even more stability to a defense that still includes stars such as safety Tony Conner, end Marquis Gates and tackle Breeland Speaks.
5. Missouri RB Alex Ross (from Oklahoma)
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Missouri desperately needed some running back stability this offseason, and Alex Ross, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma, is one who can provide it.
The 6'1", 220-pounder from Jenks, Oklahoma, rushed for 786 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Sooners, and averaged 25.72 yards per kickoff return and scored two touchdowns as one of the primary return specialists over the past two seasons.
He left Norman in search of more playing time after Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon emerged as the top two options in the Sooners backfield. But the former 4-star prospect has the size and speed to be a difference-maker in a system that thrives when its running backs get in space.
He'll be in a backfield with veteran Ish Witter and junior college transfer Nate Strong, but his experience at Oklahoma combined with his potential should make him one of the primary backs in Columbia from the start.
4. Auburn LB T.J. Neal (from Illinois)
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Auburn needed a boost at linebacker in a big way in 2016, and former Illinois star T.J. Neal looks to bring that boost after enrolling on the Plains as a graduate transfer.
The 6'0", 235-pounder from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, finished second on the Illini with 109 tackles in 2015, including 14 tackles for loss. For perspective, Auburn's starting linebackers last year—Justin Garrett, Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy—combined for 15.5 tackles for loss.
With all three starters gone and new coordinator Kevin Steele employing more of a 4-2-5 and Tre' Williams likely sliding in at "Will" linebacker, a veteran presence who knows the ropes is mandatory in the middle of the Tigers defense.
According to James Crepea of AL.com, Neal has already made a big impact:
"T.J. Neal's work ethic standing out in first month at Auburnhttps://t.co/8Q0rSZmK5P pic.twitter.com/eaBjEGcVJY
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) June 10, 2016"
Neal will have a talented group around him, including end Carl Lawson, tackle Montravius Adams and a veteran secondary. He could be the missing piece of Auburn's defensive puzzle.
3. Texas A&M RB Keith Ford (from Oklahoma)
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New Texas A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has made a name for himself over the past four years at UCLA with his tempo-based power attack that has produced a 1,000-yard running back three times.
Keith Ford might help him break that mark again at Mazzone's new digs.
Ford, a 5'11", 215-pounder and former 5-star prospect, rushed for 503 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons in Norman, and added 11 catches for 140 yards and a score as a receiver during his sophomore season.
Like Alex Ross at Missouri, Ford felt edged out by the emergence of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, and has found a perfect him at Texas A&M. He'll join a backfield with James White that should take some pressure off fellow Oklahoma transfer and new Texas A&M starting quarterback Trevor Knight.
"We've got depth [at running back]," head coach Kevin Sumlin said at SEC media days. "We've got a bigger group of running backs that we've ever had since I've been here. We have a situation philosophically that's a bit different technique-wise, which should give us a chance to be better."
2. Florida QB Luke Del Rio (from Oregon State and Alabama)
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Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio will have to fend off a challenge from fellow transfer and former Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby in order to win the starting job in Gainesville, but he certainly looked the part in Florida's spring game.
The former Alabama and Oregon State quarterback completed 10 of his 11 passes and tossed two touchdowns, and stabilized an offense that was anything but stable down the stretch when Treon Harris took over for suspended former Gator Will Grier.
"He is a good guy and a great quarterback," offensive lineman David Sharpe said at SEC media days earlier this month. "He's a great leader—a vocal leader. Both of these guys are great vocal leaders on the team. So either one—they are both great guys."
Del Rio is the odds-on favorite to win the job, but if Appleby makes a comeback during fall camp, he could easily slide into this spot. The Florida offensive line should be better now that some of the youngsters who were thrust into action received much-needed experience last year, the running game is in good hands, and both Del Rio and Appleby fit head coach Jim McElwain's system—unlike Harris, a dual-threat QB.
As long as Del Rio can continue to manage the offense well and keep the chains moving, he should keep Florida in the mix to repeat as SEC East champs.
1. Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight (from Oklahoma)
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It's a critical season for Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, and he'll enter it with one of college football's top leaders at the helm.
Former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight.
Knight led the Sooners to a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama following the 2013 season and beat Tennessee in September 2014, throwing for more than 300 yards in each contest. But he lost his job to Baker Mayfield prior to the 2015 season, and came to College Station as a graduate transfer to fill the void left by the departures of Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray.
"[Knight is] a guy who understands and starts to understand his strengths and weaknesses maybe at the age of 23 that he didn't understand at 18," Sumlin said at SEC media days. "You look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, look, I got beat out and let's not just think about, you know, was the guy better than me, what could I have done better.' He understands that.
"So the growth during your career can happen quicker if you understand where your shortcomings are, and there was no greater teacher than losing this opportunity at Oklahoma."
Knight, who served as "Johnny Manziel" on Oklahoma's scout team while redshirting prior to the Oklahoma/Texas A&M Cotton Bowl after the 2012 season, doesn't have to be the superstar who tossed four touchdown passes the next January against Alabama. He just has to pose that threat.
With new coordinator Noel Mazzone and his tempo-based power rushing attack now in College Station, he should be able to accomplish that feat.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
