During his post-spring game press conference Saturday, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said his program would be "active" in the transfer portal now that it has re-opened through the end of April. The Aggies have already landed one transfer and have targeted at least a couple of others since.
After adding former Rice fullback Jerry Johnson III -- brother of incoming linebacker Chantz Johnson -- Sunday, the Aggies have offered two of the more prominent players in the portal. The first, Wyoming guard Emmanuel Pregnon, was offered Monday night.
While the Aggies don't have a pressing need for interior offensive linemen, Pregnon is good enough that he can be an exception to the rule. He has the athleticism to move outside and, at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, has the size to handle any position on the line.
Pregnon was a freshman All-American last year at Wyoming and would have three years remaining.
A&M is not the only program to offer Pregnon; he's picked up more than 20 offers in less than a day, including from the likes of LSU, Miami and Tennessee. He has quickly established himself as one of the more in-demand players in the portal.
Rhode Island cornerback Antonio Carter hasn't picked up quite as many offers as Pregnon, but he's getting close. Carter entered the portal Sunday and immediately was offered by Utah State, and the offers began to pour in after that. He's gotten offers from Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Louisville, SMU, Virginia, Kentucky and Baylor, to name a few. The Aggies offered Tuesday morning.
At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Carter is a big and physical defender with a lot of playing experience. He's racked up 105 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 17 passes defensed over the past two seasons. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
A&M's need for defensive backs, corners especially, is clear. Even with the return of Tyreek Chappell late in camp and the addition of Tony Grimes and Sam McCall through the portal earlier in the offseason, A&M's other corners are either coming off of major injuries or are true freshmen. Carter and Boston College's Josh DeBerry, as a result, have been targeted by the Aggies.
A&M also remains in the hunt for wide receivers and linebackers, as Jackson State LB Jurriente Davis and JUCO WR Shemar Kirk officialled last weekend.
Other interesting names in the portal
Hudson, who had an A&M offer before signing with TCU, went in the portal Tuesday morning. He caught 14 passes for 174 yards and 3 TD in his single season in Fort Worth.
Oklahoma starting cornerback Jaden Davis entered the portal this morning. He started 9 games last season before an injury knocked him out of the final quarter of the season. He still had a career-high 35 tackles.
Thomas is coming off an outstanding year, with 70 tackles and 2 sacks. He could definitely help an Aggie defense that needs depth at linebacker.
Ford, a native of Cedar Hill, started 11 games at left tackle in 2021 and 2022. He won the job out of training camp last year, then was hurt and missed most of the season. He won the job back before the Cotton Bowl and started that game.
