Top 5 ACC Transfers for the 2022 Season

Ben Anderson

With the transfer portal more active than ever in college football, there have been a lot of shifts on nearly all of the rosters in the ACC. Every team in the conference has added at least one transfer, but let’s take a look at the five who may be the most impactful in their first year with new teams.

1. Jared Verse DE – Florida State

Jared Verse exploded onto the scene at Albany during its spring 2021 season, amassing 10.0 TFL in just four games played — an outstanding number for just a redshirt freshman. He then backed his play up in the fall, finishing with 9.5 sacks, which accounted for more than half of the Great Danes’ total as a team. After being highly coveted in the portal, he picked the Florida State Seminoles, where coach Mike Norvell hopes he has found his next Jermaine Johnson, who was also an addition through the portal before having a monster season. Verse should be an exciting addition to help keep Florida State’s defense performing in the top half of the conference.

2. Kedon Slovis QB – Pitt

Perhaps the transfer with the most proven production coming into the ACC, Kedon Slovis also showed his prowess as a freshman, throwing for 30 touchdowns during his first season at USC. Although his next two seasons were up and down, ultimately getting beat out for the starting position by Jaxson Dart, the Panthers hope they can recapture the magic of Slovis’s 2019 season that made him a dark horse Heisman contender going into 2020. Because offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left the program, Pitt may not have the dynamic offense it did this past season, but at the very least Slovis can be a serviceable ACC quarterback.

3. Tiyon Evans RB – Louisville

Tiyon Evans was one of the most highly-coveted JUCO prospects in the country during the 2021 recruiting cycle, and ultimately picked Tennessee as the place to bring his talents. But after just one season in Knoxville, Evans entered his name into the portal, even after rushing for over 500 yards and a team-leading 6.5 yards per carry, ultimately ending up with the Cardinals. Louisville certainly appreciates his arrival, especially after losing four-year back Hassan Hall to Georgia Tech. Evans could be a valuable cog in a strong Louisville offense this coming season.

4. Frank Ladson WR – Miami

A ranking that may be more projection than anything else, Frank Ladson makes his way to Coral Gables after a tough couple of seasons at Clemson. The former four-star recruit showed flashes during his time under Dabo Swinney, but ultimately a combination of injuries and other talent in the wide receiver room hampered his ability to shine there. Now, with a fresh start and a talented quarterback in Tyler Van Dyke, Hurricanes fans hope that the wide receiver can help replace some of Charleston Rambo’s production and perhaps move into that WR1 role.

5. John Paul Flores OT – Virginia

A second-team All-Ivy League selection in his final year at Dartmouth, John Paul Flores fills perhaps the biggest hole in the entire conference, which can be found on Virginia’s offensive line. The Cavaliers need to replace all five starters up front from last year’s dynamic offense, which in combination with a new coach and play style could create some headaches in Tony Elliott’s first year at the helm. Flores, however, is a strong addition that can play either tackle spot as he makes his way into the Power 5 for the first time. He should contribute heavily to making quarterback Brennan Armstrong’s final year a productive one.

About the author

Ben Anderson
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I am currently a second-year student at the University of Virginia and will always be a diehard Wahoo fan. Before coming to UVa, though, living in Memphis introduced me to college football through the seemingly endless amount of SEC rivalries I was exposed to. I also write for my student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, where I covered both football and men's basketball this year.

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