Remember the days when you followed high school football recruiting? Breathlessly anticipating the same quotes from different players about how much they enjoyed their official visit and how the coaching staff made them feel like they were family. Remember anxiously awaiting the announcement of a commitment and then white-knuckling it until National Signing Day, hoping nothing changed before they signed on the dotted line?
Those days feel like a long time ago, don’t they? Well, they weren’t. It was only a few years ago, but it speaks to the impact of the transfer portal that it feels like The Stone Age. These days, we don’t spend nearly as much time worried about what a high school junior is doing; we’re far more interested in the disgruntled player looking for more playing time or the ascendant superstar looking to move up a level (both on the field and in the checking account).
Transfers dominate the sport now. Five of the last seven Heisman Trophy winners were transfers. Instead of waiting for the four-star sophomore to develop into a reliable starter, title contenders not named Clemson fill gaps in the roster through the portal. Sometimes, they find another ruby to stick on an already jewel-adorned, gold-plated crown.
The portal means you can turn things around in one offseason, making it one of the most important roster-building tools available. Every season, well-known faces show up in new places, and in top conferences like the Big Ten and SEC, there is never a shortage of big-name newcomers.
As we head into the summer, here’s a look at the Big Ten transfers poised to make the most significant impact in the 2024 season.
Michigan State isn’t considered a threat in the Big Ten after finishing 4-8 last year, but if there’s one…
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