The winter transfer window has come and gone, and a majority players that decided to test the waters by entering the transfer portal have found a new home. As they have in each year since the portal's inception in 2018, several SEC schools were aggressive when it came to acquiring new talent.
Ten of the soon-to-be 16 SEC programs for the 2024 season took at least 10 transfers. Texas A&M -- under new coach Mike Elko -- leads the way with a whopping 23 additions thus far. But the Aggies are still behind in the race for most impressive transfer class; that honor goes to Ole Miss, which not only holds the top spot in the SEC in 247Sports' Team Transfer rankings but sits in poll position nationally.
The Rebels have 17 transfer commits, eight of which are either four- or five-star prospects. They are just one of two SEC programs, along with newcomer Texas, to receive a commitment from a five-star transfer prospect. Speaking of the Longhorns, they have the SEC's best "blue-chip ratio," with six of their eight transfer commits holding at least a four-star ranking.
Though teams always take transfers with the hopes that they'll make an immediate impact, some stand apart from the rest. Here is one transfer from each SEC team that's set to play a major role during the 2024 season.
SEC transfers ready to make impact in 2024 season
Parker Brailsford, OL, Alabama: Alabama's need for better center play was evident in its Rose Bowl loss to Michigan. Former starter Seth McLaughlin, who transferred to Ohio State, struggled mightily with the simplest of tasks; it was a bad snap that ultimately foiled Alabama's final play in overtime, after all. So, it seemed imperative that new coach Kalen DeBoer brought Brailsford with him from Washington. He started all 15 games for the Huskies' 2023 Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line and was named second team All-Pac-12 while anchoring the talented unit. Though there are questions about his slight frame -- Brailsford is listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds -- he is an immediate upgrade for the Crimson Tide at one of the most important positions on the field.
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas: Want the ideal KJ Jefferson replacement? Look no further than Green, a former two-year starter at Boise State who plays like a much taller and slightly leaner version of Jefferson. At 6-foot-6 and 221 pounds, he has one of the most unique quarterback frames in the nation. He takes full advantage of that, dazzling with both his arm talent and rushing ability. He finished the 2023 season with 1,752 yards passing and 11 touchdowns while logging 436 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He's an exciting playmaker that could flourish under new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who has a good track record of developing the position.
Percy Lewis, OL, Auburn: The Tigers sorely needed some help in the trenches after allowing 34 sacks last season, which ranked in the bottom half of the SEC and tied for 101st nationally out of 133 schools. Enter Lewis, a 6-foot-8, 345-pound behemoth that started seven games at left tackle for Mississippi State in 2023. In 235 pass-block snaps he only allowed one sack, according to Pro Football Focus. He should transition seamlessly into Auburn's left tackle vacancy and provide the Tigers with an outside mauler that has proven SEC experience.
Grayson Howard, LB, Florida: Florida's lack of quality linebacker depth got exposed a bit last year when Shemar James missed the last month of the season due to injury. The Gators took another hit in December when James' running mate, Scooby Williams, entered the transfer portal. Instead of looking for another proven option, Florida's staff went with upside by landing Howard from South Carolina. It was the right choice. He had 19 total tackles, one for a loss, and a forced fumble with the Gamecocks in 2023, providing some legit minutes off the bench as a freshman despite the presence of several veteran options. At 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, he has a frame built for the SEC and the athleticism to run around the field and make plays. He should start alongside James from Day 1. Though there might be growing pains, that gives UF an enticing duo around the line of scrimmage.
Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia: Georgia is very selective in the transfer portal. You can afford to be when you recruit and retain talent at an elite level like Kirby Smart has done. But the Bulldogs are set to lose their top two rushers in Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton, and though there's some young talent in that room, that's a lot of production to replace. So, it's huge that UGA was able to entice Etienne, the No. 2 running back in 247Sports' transfer rankings, to take his talents from rival Florida to Athens, Georgia. Etienne is an electric playmaker that has a knack for making would-be tacklers miss in open space. He averaged almost 6 yards per carry in his two seasons as a Gator and gives the Bulldogs some lightning to go alongside their more thunderous options, like 240-pound rising sophomore Roderick Robinson II.
Brock Vandagriff, QB, Kentucky: There's a lot on Vandagriff's shoulders here. Kentucky has had a pretty decent run at quarterback with Will Levis and Devin Leary manning the position over the past couple seasons. Despite that, Kentucky's passing offense barely rose above average. At points, it looked inadequate. Vandagriff steps into a presumed starting role with very little actual experience. A former five-star prospect, he spent his first two seasons at Georgia sitting behind former walk-on Stetson Bennett before losing the quarterback battle to Carson Beck ahead of the 2023 season. Vandagriff has attempted 21 total passes in his collegiate career. He's a great scheme fit in offensive coordinator Liam Coen's pro-style offense, but those questions about experience are legitimate. As Vandagriff goes, so will Kentucky.
CJ Daniels, WR, LSU: The 6-foot-2 Daniels spent the past three seasons as one of Liberty's top offensive playmakers, though he battled through an injury-riddled campaign in 2022. He had his first 1,000-yard receiving performance in 2023 with 10 touchdowns and a whopping 19.4 yards per catch. He should thrive in LSU's big-play offense with his combination of size and explosive ability. There's plenty of opportunity for Daniels to shine with both Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. off to the NFL. They're taking a combined 2,746 yards receiving -- 62.3% of LSU's 2023 team total -- and 31 total touchdowns with them.
Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss: Ole Miss boasts one of the nation's most robust transfer classes with 17 commitments thus far. Coach Lane Kiffin is loading up for a run at 2024's expanded College Football Playoff, and his efforts in the portal have the Rebels situated as an early favorite. None of the additions are more important than Nolen, who has the ability to start along any defensive front in the nation. The 290-pound Nolen, the No. 3 prospect overall in 247Sports' transfer rankings, is an explosive athlete and a disruptor on the interior. He had four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore at Texas A&M in 2023.
Kelly Akharaiyi, WR, Mississippi State: Not a single Bulldogs receiver went over 700 yards receiving last season. Their top two receivers, Lideatrick Griffin and Zavion Thomas, are both moving on. That won't do for new coach Jeff Lebby, who runs an offense predicated on playmaking wide receivers finding open space and working the field deep. Luckily, the Bulldogs pulled Akharaiyi, who's coming off a 1,033-yard, seven-touchdown showing at UTEP, from the portal. More importantly, he averaged over 21.5 yards per catch while breaking that 1,000-yard barrier. He's a proven deep-play threat that should thrive in Lebby's up-tempo scheme.
Cayden Green, OL, Missouri: Green, a top-100 prospect from the Class of 2023, actually struggled in his first season with Oklahoma. An offensive tackle by trade, he was pressed into the starting left guard role due to injury and played more snaps than any other player at the position, allowing 12 pressures as a freshman. He transferred out of Norman, Oklahoma, and returned to his home state of Missouri, giving the Tigers the No. 2 offensive tackle in the portal. He could move to his more natural left tackle position with Mizzou losing veteran starter and 2023 All-SEC selection Javon Foster to the NFL Draft. The Tigers also have a vacancy at left guard that Green could fit into, though his frame and toolset are much better served outside.
Febechi Nwaiwu, OL, Oklahoma: Nwaiwu has quietly been one of the most consistent offensive linemen in the nation. He emerged as a starter at guard for North Texas in 2022 as a redshirt freshman and remained on the interior in 2023 while battling through injuries. In 1,612 career snaps, he hasn't allowed a single sack. He was also named a team captain as a sophomore, an honor which speaks to his intangibles. Nwaiwu could play at multiple positions for an Oklahoma offensive line that has to replace all five of its starting options from the 2023 season.
Kyle Kennard, EDGE, South Carolina: Kennard led Georgia Tech in 2023 with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Both of those numbers would have paced the Gamecocks as well, and by a pretty wide margin. South Carolina managed a meager 21 sacks as a team in 2023, which tied with Vanderbilt for last in the SEC. Obviously, that made getting an experienced edge rusher with proven production a top priority. Kennard checks off both boxes. He had 21.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in four years with the Yellow Jackets. Not eye-popping numbers, but excellent for a South Carolina squad that's desperate for some disruption.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee: Tennessee lost six cornerbacks, including four with deep starting experience, to the transfer portal and NFL Draft. This from a Volunteers secondary that has struggled in pass defense and lacked in athleticism in recent years. McCoy should be an immediate upgrade in both areas. He joins Tennessee with three years of eligibility remaining after starting as a freshman at Oregon State. In his lone season with the Beavers, he tallied seven pass breakups and two interceptions and led the way with nine total passes defended. He's long on the outside and can run, projecting well to the SEC.
Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas: The hero of Alabama's 2023 season, Bond was responsible for one of college football's most memorable catches with his fourth-and-31 touchdown reception to give the Tide a last-minute win over Iron Bowl rival Auburn. He carried that momentum into the postseason, where he had nine catches for 126 yards across the SEC Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. Bond projects as the star in a Texas wide receiver corps that has to replace all three starters and five of its top options in terms of yardage. Bond is in-line for all-conference honors and maybe even All-American status in 2024.
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M: Scourton, a product of nearby Bryan High School, spent two seasons at Purdue and developed into one of the Big Ten's best pass rushers in a fairly short frame of time. He led the conference with 10 sacks in 2023 and finished second on his own team with 15 tackles for loss. Now, he'll carry a lot of water for a Texas A&M team that's losing its top pass rusher, Edgerrin Cooper, to the NFL Draft and two of its most disruptive defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Fadil Diggs to transfer.
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt: The Commodores lost all three scholarship quarterbacks, including two with real starting experience, and replaced them with three quarterbacks via the portal. Of those options, Pavia looks like the most natural option to take over the starting role. Younger players like former Utah signal caller Nate Johnson might have more upside, but Pavia is a proven player with two seasons of starting experience from his time at New Mexico State. He battled through injuries in 2022 and finished the 2023 season with 2,873 yards passing and 26 touchdowns. By comparison, Vanderbilt's quarterbacks threw for a combined 2,684 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
