2026 Transfer Portal

[Globetrotter]

Caden Marshall to NIL-rich SMU. Do the big schools still have high school recruiting classes? Where do they all have room for so many G5 guys?

I know we underachieved as a team due to injuries and awful QB play and play-calling, but I am a bit surprised that we are at 6 P5 transfers and counting. I thought Harris and Lampron (and MAYBE Pabst, who I did not think had a great year) would find greener pastures.

My buddy is friends with an agent and here's what is happening. The P4 is realizing recruiting and development is sunk cost. Spending resources on guys that may or may not pan out. The guys who don't pan out are essentially getting cut and told to go into the portal. Good luck to ya.

They're being replaced with G5 players who have been developed and are known entities. Even depth guys. They're cool with shelling out $50-75K to guys who probably only get 20 snaps a game. All in the name of 1) trying to keep guys away from other schools and 2) making the drop off from the 1s to 2s being less severe.

The G5 is going to become underclassmen heavy with P4 castoffs sprinkled in. Basically developmental leagues for the big boys to then have their pick of the litter every offseason. The quality of play at this level is going to suffer and maxing out 8-9 wins will be the peak.

The transfer portal certainly hurts us but we are going to get very good players from the Power 5 we had no business getting just because they are being asked to leave. We also will get guys who develop there senior year. We won't be keeping guys who flash freshman and Sophomore year but we will have good quality teams made up of homegrown products who take a while and power 5 guys who want to play. We will be fine....it will just be different.

[hammb]

Caden Marshall to NIL-rich SMU. Do the big schools still have high school recruiting classes? Where do they all have room for so many G5 guys?

I know we underachieved as a team due to injuries and awful QB play and play-calling, but I am a bit surprised that we are at 6 P5 transfers and counting. I thought Harris and Lampron (and MAYBE Pabst, who I did not think had a great year) would find greener pastures.

My buddy is friends with an agent and here's what is happening. The P4 is realizing recruiting and development is sunk cost. Spending resources on guys that may or may not pan out. The guys who don't pan out are essentially getting cut and told to go into the portal. Good luck to ya.

They're being replaced with G5 players who have been developed and are known entities. Even depth guys. They're cool with shelling out $50-75K to guys who probably only get 20 snaps a game. All in the name of 1) trying to keep guys away from other schools and 2) making the drop off from the 1s to 2s being less severe.

The G5 is going to become underclassmen heavy with P4 castoffs sprinkled in. Basically developmental leagues for the big boys to then have their pick of the litter every offseason. The quality of play at this level is going to suffer and maxing out 8-9 wins will be the peak.

The transfer portal certainly hurts us but we are going to get very good players from the Power 5 we had no business getting just because they are being asked to leave. We also will get guys who develop there senior year. We won't be keeping guys who flash freshman and Sophomore year but we will have good quality teams made up of homegrown products who take a while and power 5 guys who want to play. We will be fine....it will just be different.

The problem with that mindset is the "Guys we had no business getting" mostly can't play. If they could play, the P5 schools wouldn't be telling them to go away to sign our guys.

It's pretty much inarguable in my view that the quality of G5 football has gone downhill, the MAC specifically has been near unwatchable. For decades what made MAC football was the ability to find, develop, and build around the overlooked QB talent/offensive styles.

In this era there is simply zero chance most of our quality QBs would've ever taken a snap at BG. Johnson probably starts here due to his size, but after his first year starting is long gone.

[Globetrotter]

Caden Marshall to NIL-rich SMU. Do the big schools still have high school recruiting classes? Where do they all have room for so many G5 guys?

I know we underachieved as a team due to injuries and awful QB play and play-calling, but I am a bit surprised that we are at 6 P5 transfers and counting. I thought Harris and Lampron (and MAYBE Pabst, who I did not think had a great year) would find greener pastures.

My buddy is friends with an agent and here's what is happening. The P4 is realizing recruiting and development is sunk cost. Spending resources on guys that may or may not pan out. The guys who don't pan out are essentially getting cut and told to go into the portal. Good luck to ya.

They're being replaced with G5 players who have been developed and are known entities. Even depth guys. They're cool with shelling out $50-75K to guys who probably only get 20 snaps a game. All in the name of 1) trying to keep guys away from other schools and 2) making the drop off from the 1s to 2s being less severe.

The G5 is going to become underclassmen heavy with P4 castoffs sprinkled in. Basically developmental leagues for the big boys to then have their pick of the litter every offseason. The quality of play at this level is going to suffer and maxing out 8-9 wins will be the peak.

The transfer portal certainly hurts us but we are going to get very good players from the Power 5 we had no business getting just because they are being asked to leave. We also will get guys who develop there senior year. We won't be keeping guys who flash freshman and Sophomore year but we will have good quality teams made up of homegrown products who take a while and power 5 guys who want to play. We will be fine....it will just be different.

The problem with that mindset is the "Guys we had no business getting" mostly can't play. If they could play, the P5 schools wouldn't be telling them to go away to sign our guys.

It's pretty much inarguable in my view that the quality of G5 football has gone downhill, the MAC specifically has been near unwatchable. For decades what made MAC football was the ability to find, develop, and build around the overlooked QB talent/offensive styles.

In this era there is simply zero chance most of our quality QBs would've ever taken a snap at BG. Johnson probably starts here due to his size, but after his first year starting is long gone.

We have gotten lots of guys from P4 that have played well here. Particularly on the offensive line.

I don't think we will have trouble building solid teams. I do think we will struggle to ever have a draft pick.

[jpfalcon09]

Braeden Fuller, QB from Angelo State is scheduled to visit today. However, he has scheduled a visit to Oklahoma State Jan 7-8. Not sure if he's headed there after BG, or if his visit here has been cancelled.

Afogho committed to West Virginia last night. That's now seven P4 transfers.

[pdt1081]

Afogho committed to West Virginia last night. That's now seven P4 transfers.

Better believe coaches are using that for recruiting purposes.

[BillyLP]

Braeden Fuller, QB from Angelo State is scheduled to visit today. However, he has scheduled a visit to Oklahoma State Jan 7-8. Not sure if he's headed there after BG, or if his visit here has been cancelled.

Afogho committed to West Virginia last night. That's now seven P4 transfers.

Unless they cut him a huge check, I'd be surprised if Fuller went to Ok St. Mestemaker is probably a confirmed two year starter (he is getting ~$7mm) barring injury

[jpfalcon09]

New QB signed - Jay Kastantin from Assumption, who is Division 2 and made it to the D2 second round this year. Was the Northeast 10 Conference MVP this season. 62% completion pct, 1,974 yards, 19 TDs. Added 530 yards on 100 carries for five scores on the ground. 6'4, 230 so he's got some size.

Kleather has also signed with Northwestern, so that's eight P4 transfers.

[mbenecke]

WR Reid Stocksdale is hitting the transfer portal. He was a walk-on at Ohio State for 4 years before transferring here. 4 catches for 23 yards this season.

Best of luck to the kid.

Committed to Temple today.

[mbenecke]

DB Gavin Harris has entered the portal. 2025 3-star recruit, don't believe he played at all this past season.

Committed to Campbell (FCS) today.

[mbenecke]

WR Caleb Goodloe and WR RJ Garcia are both in the portal this morning.

Goodloe has committed to North Dakota (FCS).

[jpfalcon09]

App State transfer OL Gabriel Funk has committed to BG.

Braeden Fuller posted via Instagram that he indeed visited BG yesterday.

[mbenecke]

LB Sanders Ellis committed to BG. He was an FCS freshman All-American and a Jerry Rice Award finalist at Tennessee State in 2024. He spent last season at Purdue. Huge pickup.

[Flipper]

Our new QB can throw it a bit

https://x.com/Jaykastantin3/status/1996 ... 03/video/1

[jpfalcon09]

Kal-El Pascal announced he is returning.

[mbenecke]

RB Austyn Dendy is returning to BG.