Group of Five/FCS Players in the Transfer Portal Attracting the Most Power Five Buzz

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There are well over 1,000 players in the transfer portal only a couple days after the window opened. A fraction of those players are from the Group of Five level and another fraction are from the FCS level. An even smaller fraction of those players will make the leap to the Power Five level.

Here’s a look at some of the top talent in the Group of Five and FCS that you’ll be seeing in the Power Five next season.

Offers accurate as of 6:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 7, 2022

Ajani Cornelius OT (Rhode Island)

Announced Power Five offers: Tennessee, Boston College, Illinois, Maryland, Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, Minnesota, Syracuse, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nebraska, West Virginia, Kansas, Washington State, Virginia, Missouri

Ajani Cornelius has been perhaps the hottest player in the transfer portal regardless of level, garnering 20 Power Five offers to this point. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound right tackle helped Rhode Island produce one of the most efficient offenses in the FCS. He proved that he can compete at the Power Five when he didn’t allow a single pressure against Pittsburgh early in the season. He told 247 Sports that he plans to decide his next school ahead of Christmas, so keep an eye on his announcement.

Andrew Armstrong WR (Texas A&M-Commerce)

Announced Power Five offers: Colorado, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kansas, Purdue, Indiana, Syracuse, Miami, Washington State, Virginia Tech, Missouri, Utah, NC State, Louisville

Andrew Armstrong entered the transfer portal early and earned Power Five offers immediately. He kicked off the season seven straight games with at least 95 receiving yards and finished the year with 1,020 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Southland Conference in both categories. At 6-foot-6, he will be a weapon for a receiver-needy team.

Drae McCray WR (Austin Peay)

Announced Power Five offers: Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Maryland, Louisville, West Virginia, Texas Tech

Drae McCray could not have started the season any hotter. Through his first three games of the 2022 season, he recorded 24 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns. The All-ASUN wideout became the fourth Governors receiver in program history with 1,000 yards in a season, and he led the ASUN with nine touchdown catches. The Tallahassee native is bound to be a household name at an elite school very soon.

Dante Cephas WR (Kent State)

Announced Power Five offers: Georgia, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Miami, Oklahoma, Kansas, Notre Dame, Penn State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh

Dante Cephas is an incredibly talented wideout who battled injuries in 2022 but had an outstanding tape in 2021. He racked up 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns on 82 receptions. While missing three games in 2022, Cephas still put up 744 yards and three touchdowns on 48 catches. This man will be playing for an elite program in 2023.

Grant Starck OL (Nevada)

Announced Power Five offers: Missouri, Mississippi State, Arizona State, Arizona, BYU, Washington State, Syracuse, California, Oregon State

Grant Starck started all 12 games at left tackle for the Wolf Pack and earned an All-Mountain West honorable mention in 2022. He was also a rotational lineman for Nevada in 2021 when the Wolf Pack had one of the most dynamic offenses in college football led by Carson Strong. He’s local to Springfield, Oregon, which is just south of Corvallis and north of Eugene. Oregon State was involved in Starck’s recruitment out of high school as well.

Ali Jennings III WR (Old Dominion)

Announced Power Five offers: Pittsburgh, Kansas, Washington State, Colorado, Louisville, Duke, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State

Ali Jennings III is one of the most productive receivers in college football over the last two seasons but doesn’t get the national attention he deserves. He can be an immediate impact player at the Power Five, which is actually where he began at West Virginia in 2019. But he has vastly improved in every aspect of his game since then. The Virginia native has offers from nearby Virginia Tech and Duke, but the intrigue of him going to a pass-happy offense like Mississippi State or Washington State is exciting.

Josaiah Stewart DE (Coastal Carolina)

Announced Power Five offers: Cincinnati, North Carolina, USC, Missouri, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan

Josaiah Stewart has been an absolute force in his two years at Coastal Carolina. In 25 games, he’s already tallied 25.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. His numbers are a bit lower in 2022 than they were in 2021 largely because of double teams, but his versatility is a trait unlike most defensive linemen in the portal. He can line up essentially anywhere on the front seven and produce. Michigan being the first to offer Stewart should be foreshadowing toward the interest he’ll garner.

Tyrese Chambers WR (Florida International)

Announced Power Five offers: Cincinnati, Colorado, Maryland, UCF, West Virginia, Arizona State, Louisville

Similarly to Stewart, Tyrese Chambers saw his numbers drop in 2022 after a strong year in 2021. And also similarly to Stewart, double teams were a big reason for that, as well as inconsistency at quarterback for Florida International. But Power Five programs are well aware of the talent that Chambers has and the production he can create given the opportunity.

Anthony Goodlow LB (Tulsa)

Announced Power Five offers: UCLA, West Virginia, Arizona State, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, TCU

Anthony Goodlow is a veteran linebacker who should be able to step in right away on a Power Five defense. He has appeared in 48 games in his five-year career and has racked up 113 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. UCLA is the latest to offer the All-AAC Second Team selection and is perhaps the most aggressive team attacking the portal right now.

Jamil Muhammad LB (Georgia State)

Announced Power Five offers: USC, Minnesota, California, West Virginia

Jamil Muhammad has assembled a couple of strong seasons in consecutive years that includes 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The redshirt junior has also forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass in his career. USC is a team to watch after losing Ralen Goforth and Julien Simon and to the portal.

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I am an Oregon Ducks fan who graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. At the UO, I did on-site reporting with Duck TV Sports and KWVA Sports 88.1 FM and have covered events such as the 2020 Pac-12 Football Championship Game and the 2021 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament. I previously wrote for Ducks Digest on the Sports Illustrated network.