Transfer portal: Who are biggest in-state winners and impact players?

The transfer portal remains open, but most of the top names already have made their decisions.

Three of the state's top programs brought in new quarterbacks — Cam Ward at Miami, D.J. Uiagalelei at Florida State and K.J. Jefferson at UCF — who are expected to be starters in the fall.

Quarterbacks are the headliners but they're not the only ones who will make a difference in 2024.

"State of Florida Recruiting H.Q." hosts Jon Santucci and Chris Boyle discussed what in-state schools have done the best job in the portal so far and which recruits could have the biggest impact in 2024.

Overall, which in-state school has impressed you most so far?

Boyle: Florida State. Few teams have utilized the transfer portal better and acquired more premium, underutilized talent than the Seminoles in recent seasons — especially along the defensive line. Three of the state's "big four" schools brought in impact quarterbacks, including FSU with D.J. Uiagalelei from Oregon State. I also think UCF did a nice job addressing an immediate need at QB with Arkansas' K.J. Jefferson, and Miami's late addition of Cameron Ward was a fairly surprising U-turn.

Santucci: I agree with you on both counts. But to specifically answer the question of the in-state school, it’s Florida State. There’s a reason that they’re universally ranked in the top five on transfer portal additions. Not only do they continue to bring in really talented defensive linemen as they’ve done in the past, but they also brought back guys who played high school football in Florida like Marvin Jones Jr., Earl Little II and Jalen Brown. These are players the Seminoles recruited in high school and eventually landed them.

Which transfer quarterback to an in-state school will have the biggest impact in 2024?

Boyle: I think Cam Ward has the biggest impact. I think he has the highest ceiling of the three guys. He’s motivated to improve his draft stock, which is why he said he returned to college. He wants to be a potential Day 1 pick. He’s an electric player and a guy who can really get it down the field. It’s been a long time since Miami had a player as accomplished as him at quarterback.

Santucci: Ward is the answer on paper, but I’m going to go with Uiagalelei. I feel like after everything that happened with missing the playoff last year, 2024 will be kind of a prove-it year for the entire Florida State program. I think they’ll play with a chip on their shoulder and I think that fits Uiagalelei. Going back to his time at Clemson, he’s been in a spot where he’s had to prove it and has that chip on his shoulder. I think he will, especially under Mike Norvell's tutelage.

Which non-quarterback will have the biggest impact in 2024?

Boyle: To me, it might be Joey Slackman at Florida. Defensive line was a position of need. They had to get a higher talent level across the board at defensive line. He’s a Day 1 starter for them. He’ll play as long as he’s healthy. They need to be better defensively, particularly up front and in the box. Florida allowed opponents to gain 4.8 yards per carry and 155.6 yards per game on the ground.

Santucci: I think I’m going to stay with Florida State’s backfield and say running back Roydell Williams. He’s a guy who had over 100 carries at Alabama last year and rushed for over 1,000 yards during his time in Tuscaloosa. He was one of the top running backs in the portal. I think he’ll have a big year.

Which in-state transfer will have the best long-term impact?

Boyle: Grayson Howard. He’s a guy Florida wanted in the 2023 cycle, and Florida needs immediate help at linebacker. Whether he goes in and starts right away or not, he’s a guy that’s going to rack up a ton of tackles at some point. He’s an instinctive and dominant player with SEC size (6-foot-4, 241 pounds).

Santucci: I agree with you on Howard. But since you already said him, I’m going to go with Goldie Lawrence transferring from Florida State to UCF. Lawrence is a player I saw a lot in high school at Seminole and he’s a strong receiver who likes the physical aspect of the game. He will be loved by both his quarterback and running backs because he’s a very willing blocker as well as a pass catcher. He’ll make a difference for the Knights.

Which transfer from an in-state school is the biggest loss?

Boyle: Florida losing Trevor Etienne and Princely Umanmielen was enormous. Arguably, it’s their two best players for a team that has to win in 2024. That’s huge. Not only did they lose Etienne (Georgia) and Umanmielen (Ole Miss), but they lost them to direct rivals who they’re playing next year. It's not an ideal situation considering the pressure Billy Napier is already under after going 5-7 this past season. LaJohntay Wester leaving FAU for Colorado is big, too. He caught 108 passes for 1,168 yards and eight TDs for the Owls.

Santucci: I’m going to say Kris Mitchell transferring from FIU to Notre Dame. It’s the unfortunate reality of college football now for teams like FIU that once they develop a difference-maker, a bigger program with deeper pockets comes calling. Mitchell has good size and speed and is coming off a career year. FIU added some freshmen receivers during the early signing period, but the Panthers will miss Mitchell’s experience and play-making ability. Colbie Young leaving Miami for Georgia will hurt, too.

Which Florida native who transferred will make an impact at an out-of-state school?

Boyle: Rocket Sanders. It’s a big thing that he’s going to play for Dowell Loggains. He was Arkansas’ tight ends coach and then he went to South Carolina to become offensive coordinator. The familiarity is there, and Sanders is a proven player in the SEC when healthy.

Santucci: Agreed. It’s Sanders, who played his high school ball at Rockledge. He was a first-team All-SEC player in 2022 and was being talked about as a first- or second-day draft pick before dealing with injuries last season. The talent is there and now he’s heading back to an offense that will make the most of his abilities.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida transfer portal: Biggest in-state winners and impact players