College football's top offensive transfers for the 2023 season
Both Florida State and UCLA significantly added to their offenses through the transfer portal
With the 2023 college football season quickly approaching, there are a lot of familiar faces in new places.
Earlier this offseason we recapped all of the player movement at the quarterback position as nearly 30 Power Five schools could open the season with transfer QBs as their starters.
Now it’s time to focus on the best players at all the other offensive positions who switched teams in the offseason and there are a lot of very good wide receivers at new schools.
The list below is in alphabetical order and players' former schools are listed in parenthesis.
Iowa TE Erick All (Michigan)
All joins former Michigan QB Cade McNamara in Iowa City after he had just three catches in three games in 2022 because of a back injury that required surgery. All had 38 catches for 437 yards in 2021 and could post comparable numbers in 2023 if he’s fully healthy.
Florida State TE Jaheim Bell (South Carolina)
Bell served as a dual-purpose threat with the Gamecocks in 2022 after Marshawn Lloyd suffered an injury late in the season. The Florida native had 25 catches for 231 yards and rushed the ball 73 times for 261 yards. He will be much more of a receiving threat in Tallahassee.
Florida State OL Jeremiah Byers (UTEP)
Byers has been a very good player for the Miners and shouldn’t have much trouble transitioning to the ACC. Byers was a four-year starter at UTEP.
Penn State WR Dante Cephas (Kent State)
Cephas has been one of the more prolific wide receivers in the country over the past two seasons in Kent State’s uptempo offense. He had 82 catches for 1,240 yards and nine scores in 2021 and had 48 catches for 744 yards and three TDs over nine games in 2022. With Parker Washington off to the NFL, Cephas could fill the void as Penn State’s top receiver.
Miami OL Javion Cohen (Alabama) and Matt Lee (UCF)
Both Cohen and Lee should immediately start for the Hurricanes as Miami returns just one starter on the offensive line. Cohen was a second-team All-SEC selection at guard in 2022 while Lee was a three-year starter at center for the Knights.
Florida State WR Keon Coleman (Michigan State)
Coleman came to Florida State after leading the Spartans in receiving in 2022. Coleman had 798 yards and seven TDs on 58 catches as Michigan State dropped to 5-7 after going to the Peach Bowl at the end of 2021. Coleman could be the perfect complement to Johnny Wilson at receiver for the Seminoles as FSU looks poised to take on Clemson for the ACC title.
LSU RB Logan Diggs (Notre Dame)
Diggs split time with Audric Estime and Chris Tyree in 2022 with the Fighting Irish and led the team with 822 rushing yards on 165 attempts. He now reunites with former coach Brian Kelly in Baton Rouge as the Tigers are looking for a top back to take some of the rushing pressure off QB Jayden Daniels.
Alabama TE C.J. Dippre (Maryland)
Dippre had 30 catches for 314 yards and three scores in 2022 and now heads to an Alabama offense run by former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. The ex-Notre Dame QB has featured the tight end position heavily in the passing game previously and Dippre could be in line for a major role in Tuscaloosa.
TCU WR JoJo Earle (Alabama)
The Texas native was a four-star recruit and the No. 5 wide receiver in the class of 2021 but had just 24 catches over two seasons with the Crimson Tide. He missed multiple games in 2022 because of a foot injury. He should have the opportunity for plenty of playing time in a TCU offense that needs to replace Quentin Johnston, Taye Barber and Derrius Davis.
Ole Miss WR Zakhari Franklin (UTSA)
Franklin has been awesome over the past two seasons during the Roadrunners’ emergence. Franklin had 94 catches for 1,136 yards and 15 scores in 2022 after grabbing 81 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 TDs in 2021. He may not post the same numbers in Lane Kiffin’s offense at Ole Miss, but he should be very productive.
USC RB Marshawn Lloyd (South Carolina)
The Trojans added an experienced running back through the transfer portal for the second consecutive offseason. Lloyd averaged 5.2 yards a carry and rushed for 573 yards and nine TDs in 2022 over nine games. He also added 18 catches for 176 yards and two scores. He could start right away in Lincoln Riley’s offense.
Georgia WR Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and RaRa Thomas (Mississippi State)
Could either Lovett or Thomas be Georgia’s top wide receiver in 2023? It’s not farfetched. The former Mizzou wide receiver had 56 catches for 846 yards in 2022 and was widely coveted when he announced his transfer. Thomas had 44 catches for 626 yards in Mike Leach’s offense a season ago and led the Bulldogs in receiving yards. They should both force defenses to not focus solely on Brock Bowers in Georgia’s passing game.
Colorado RB Alton McCaskill (Houston)
McCaskill was explosive as a freshman in 2021 with 1,074 total yards and 18 TDs on just 210 total touches but missed the 2022 season after he tore an ACL during spring practice. Now fully healthy, McCaskill is one of the myriad new faces on the Colorado roster and his production will depend a lot on how good the Buffaloes are up front.
Texas WR AD Mitchell (Georgia)
After 29 catches for 426 yards and four scores in 2021, Mitchell played in just six games in 2022 because of a lingering ankle sprain suffered early in the season. He had nine catches over the six games he appeared in and three of them went for TDs. If he’s fully healthy, Mitchell and Xavier Worthy could highlight the top receiver room in the Big 12.
USC OL Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming)
Pregnon was one of the more coveted OL transfers of the spring after he was very good as a redshirt freshman in 2022. He could immediately start at guard for the Trojans.
Ole Miss TE Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss)
Prieskorn was one of the more productive tight ends in the country in 2022 with 48 catches for 602 yards and seven TDs. TE Kenny Yeboah had 27 catches for 524 yards in Kiffin’s offense in 2021 and a similar stat line for Prieskorn in 2023 wouldn’t be a surprise.
Oklahoma OL Walter Rouse (Stanford)
The longtime left tackle for the Cardinal came to Norman as a graduate transfer. Rouse started all but one game he appeared in over four seasons for Stanford and should be penciled in as a starter for the Sooners.
USC WR Dorian Singer (Arizona)
Singer broke out in 2022 with 66 catches for 1,105 yards and six TDs as Arizona’s offense was much improved in Jedd Fisch’s second season. With Jordan Addison off to the NFL, Singer can team with Mario Williams and Tahj Washington on the outside for the Trojans and will be catching passes from the reigning Heisman winner.
UCLA RB Carson Steele (Ball State)
Steele comes to Los Angeles after posting one of the best rushing seasons in college football in 2022. Steele rushed for 1,556 yards a season ago; only eight players had more yards and no other Ball State player rushed for more than 133. Steele won’t have as big a workload at UCLA as he did in Muncie but is still in line to take over as the Bruins’ top rusher with Zach Charbonnet’s departure to the NFL.
UCLA WR J. Michael Sturdivant (Cal)
Sturdivant had 65 catches for 755 yards and seven TDs in 2022 after not recording a receiving statistic over three games as a freshman in 2021. He joins a UCLA offense that relied on Jake Bobo a lot in the passing game in 2022. Bobo was the only player who had more than 500 receiving yards and both he and Kazmeir Allen are out of eligibility.
Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton (Oregon)
Thornton averaged over 20 yards per catch for the Ducks in 2022 and could step into Jalin Hyatt’s vacated role in Tennessee’s offense. Thornton had 17 catches for 366 yards a season ago and it’s easy for UT fans to envision Joe Milton connecting on deep TD passes with the former four-star recruit.
Louisville WR Jamari Thrash (Georgia State)
Thrash had 61 catches for 1,122 yards and seven TDs in 2022 at Georgia State. He’s an exciting fit in Louisville’s offense in Jeff Brohm’s first season given the stats that receivers like David Bell and Charlie Jones have put up over the last two seasons.
Auburn OL Dillon Wade (Tulsa)
Wade appeared in 16 games over the past two seasons for the Golden Hurricane and could step in as a starting tackle for Hugh Freeze’s first game with the Tigers. Auburn returns just one starter on the offensive line.
North Carolina WR Devontez Walker (Kent State)
Walker was Kent State’s leading receiver in 2022 with 58 catches for 921 yards and 11 TDs. He now teams with Drake Maye at North Carolina and could end up being the Tar Heels’ No. 1 wide receiver with the departure of Josh Downs to the NFL.
Kansas State RB Treshaun Ward (Florida State)
Ward appeared in 22 games for the Seminoles over the past two seasons and rushed for 1,143 yards and 11 TDs in those appearances. He’s in line to take over the rushing load at Kansas State now that Deuce Vaughn is in the NFL.
