Now that it's finally over, how did the 2023 transfer portal season treat SEC teams? We take a look at everyone involved, in and out.
Texas A&M
Evaluation: A&M lost a lot of players. They also lost a lot of dead weight and at least six players who were kicked off the team. The additions, which are significantly fewer (but more may join them) were a lot more productive. Considering the comments made by remaining players about the departed, this could be a serious case of addition by subtraction. We'll see if it's just sour grapes.
Biggest loss: Andre White. Players like Harris have more natural talent and upside, but they were persona non grata by season's end. They were toast in College Station. White, on the other hand, was a good team guy and his experience would have been a major boost to the 2023 team.
Biggest addition: DeBerry. 10 tackles, a sack and an interception as a starter in the opener put that one to rest -- for now.
Alabama
Evaluation: Alabama, like A&M, saw a lot of non-factors transfer out. Their receiver room took a big hit, but folks who cover the program believe they may be better in 2023. Their biggest problem remains at quarterback, where a clear leader to replace Bryce Young has not materialized.
Biggest loss: OL Javion Cohen. Anytime you lose an upper-level starter on the offensive line, it stings. Losing your leading touchdown catcher in Harrell doesn't exactly help either.
Biggest addition: Amos. It should have been Buchner, but he didn't win the quarterback battle he was acquired to win. Amos, on the other hand, could be a guy relied upon to take on a lot of WR1s.
Arkansas
Evaluation: There's cutting dead weight, there's trimming the fat, there's adding pieces at key positions and then there's...this. For all the discussion of A&M losing players, Arkansas lost more. And when you add in the loss of guys like Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool, I don't think you can say they're better. Arkansas folks are hyped about the "veteran" team they have -- but they need name tags. Heck, they had one transfer, safety A.J. Brathwaite, pull the Grampa Simpson and transfer in, take a look at transfer back out.
Biggest loss: DE Jordan Domineck. Catalon is an All-conference player when healthy, but he hasn't been in two years. Knox, Jackson and Blair are all big losses. But Domineck was a pass rusher on a team that was going to need them, and Jeffcoat hasn't been up to that level in a while.
Biggest addition: S Al Walcott. The Arkansas secondary has been gutted, but Walcott is a top-notch safety who will fit in immediately. The Hogs clearly don't like their wideouts (or didn't before the portal), but Walcott is a proven bigtime player.
Auburn
Evaluation: Hugh Freeze made Auburn significantly better. He picked up a top-flight running back, an experienced starting quarterback, a pass rush stud in McLeod (who killed A&M last fall) and got a lot of bulk on both lines. An excellent job.
Biggest loss: Nobody? They got hit much harder by the draft.
Biggest addition: Payton Thorne. Even with Tank Bigsby last year, Auburn's offense stunk out loud because their quarterback play was so bad. Thorne makes them a lot more competitive.
Florida
Evaluation: Florida lost more than it brought back in, and some of the pieces it did bring in flat out stunk in the season opener. They're going to need to get a lot more from their new arrivals.
Biggest loss: It's arguable, but after seeing how inept the running game was Thursday night, it looks like Florida will have to throw a lot. That makes the loss of Reynolds a big one.
Biggest addition: It has to be Mertz. He may not be great, but he threw for 333 yards in the opener and kept the Gators within shouting distance.
Georgia
Evaluation: Oh, you want to leave? Fine. We'll replace you with a better version. That's what Georgia did, at least at wideout.
Biggest loss: Alexander, literally and figuratively. He started the national championship game and dominated, then quickly headed west to bask in USC's NIL party.
Biggest addition: Lovett. He may not put up the numbers that he did at Mizzou, but he'll give SEC East corners hell in Athens.
Kentucky
Evaluation: Mark Stoops did a fantastic job, adding starters at quarterback, running back, linebacker and both lines. And, in many cases, we're talking about people who put up numbers at their last stop. In the meantime, Kentucky freed up a lot of scholarships by seeing guys who were largely dead weight transfer out (many haven't been picked up).
Biggest loss: Probably Justin Rogers, who goes from Kentucky right into the middle of Auburn's defensive lineup.
Biggest addition: This is tough, but it has to be Leary, who is only two years removed from throwing for more than 3,000 yards at N.C. State. Anytime you pick up a quarterback and he's the immediate starter, he wins this competition.
LSU
Evaluation: LSU is definitely all in for this season, as they went and got (bought?) many of the top players the portal. They basically re-did their cornerback room, added a top-notch linebacker and quality on the offensive line, not to mention a running back who ran for 800 yards at Notre Dame. A fine showing -- that did not show up in their blitzing at the hands of FSU.
Biggest loss: Probably Bech, but he really doesn't fit in Brian Kelly's scheme anyway.
Biggest addition: There's competition here, but Zy Alexander has come in and established himself as LSU's top corner. Duce Chestnut is probably #2 on the corner list, so they did well there.
Mississippi State
Evaluation: Um...this didn't turn out in State's favor, as far as numbers go. But this could be a situation like A&M's where a lot of dead weight was cut. Still, it doesn't seem like the team added many, if any, difference makers.
Biggest loss: Thomas was their best receiver last year and he was out the door as quick as he could be.
Biggest addition: Brown should start at corner this year.
Missouri
Evaluation: Looks like a wash in terms of production, even if a lot more guys left than came back in. Which, as we've seen, is not necessarily a bad thing.
Biggest loss: Lovett.
Biggest addition: Johnson. Anytime you can get an all-conference tackle, you jump on it. And they got a really good one.
Ole Miss
Evaluation: It's always a hoot to hear Lane Kiffin talk about how much he hates the transfer portal because he's the headmaster of the Oxford House for Wayward Football Players. He had 30 players leave and brought 26 in, both ridiculously high numbers. Now he has to try to find the right mix, because some of the guys he brought in can flat out ball.
Biggest loss: Tysheem Johnson. Ole Miss lost essentially their entire secondary to the portal and rebuilt it the same way. But Johnson was a veteran presence who made plays in the defensive backfiel.
Biggest addition: Tre Harris. He's already got 3 touchdowns on the year and could rack up big numbers as the team's leading wideout.
South Carolina
Evaluation: One of the ideas of the portal is to get better. I'm not sure South Carolina did that. They certainly didn't improve their offensive line, which has been a disaster for years and gave up 9 sacks to North Carolina.
Biggest loss: Burch. After he finally came into his own last season, he pulled up stakes and went to Oregon. That's just brutal.
Biggest addition: Knox. Shockingly, he was the only transfer to crack the stat sheet against UNC.
Tennessee
Evaluation: The Vols weren't hurt terribly by the portal and didn't add many big names, but they added a couple of players who have proven to be immediate impact types. They're probably pretty with how it all turned out.
Biggest loss: Terry. On paper, it's Mitchell, but he's now on his fourth program, which may tell you something about what impact he has off the field. But Terry would definitely have had a role up front this season.
Biggest addition: Pili played well against Virginia, but also got hurt. But Campbell was the starting left tackle, as he was at Miami last year. Any time you add a left tackle, you've grabbed a critical piece.
Vanderbilt
Evaluation: Poor Vandy. Not only do they lose players to the portal, their best players stayed in conference so they can come back and haunt the Commodores later.
Biggest loss: Davis. There goes the offense.
Biggest addition: DiCosmo. He went right into the lineup.
