Monthly Round-Up: April 2025
Transfer, injury and spring camp news from April.
The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.
Pigs, welcome back—gather in, make yourself comfortable, call in sick from work etc. etc. because we have yet another jam packed edition of the monthly round up series.
Notable Coaching Changes
Stanford head coach Troy Taylor is replaced by former NFL coach Frank Reich.
Stanford promoted TEs coach Nate Byham to OC.
Kent State head coach Kenni Burnes has been fired. OC Mark Carney will handle on-field duties.
Notable Transfer News
Stanford WR Emmett Mosley transferred to Texas.
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA.
UCLA QB Joey Aguilar transferred to Tennessee.
Arkansas QB Madden Iamaleava transferred to UCLA.
Syracuse WR Trebor Pena transferred to PSU.
Oklahoma RB Gavin Sawchuk transferred to FSU.
South Alabama QB Gio Lopez transferred to UNC.
Minnesota QB Zach Pyron transferred to South Alabama.
UGA QB Jaden Rashada transferred to Sacremento State.
UMass RB Brandon Campbell
UW WR Johntay Cook transferred to Syracuse.
South Alabama RB Kentrell Bullock entered the portal but then left.
South Alabama WR Devin Voisin entered the portal but then left.
Georgia State WR Ted Hurst entered the portal but then left.
Hawaii WR Dekel Crowdus
BYU WR Keelon Marion transferred to Miami.
Texas State QB Gevani McCoy transferred to Temple.
Cal RB Jaydn Ott transferred to Oklahoma.
Cal RB Javian Thomas transferred to UCLA.
Cal RB Byron Cardwell
Cal RB Kadarius Calloway transferred to New Mexico State.
Cal RB Justin Williams-Thomas transferred to Marshall.
Cal TE Jack Endries transferred to Texas.
Ball State TE Christian Abney transferred to Illinois.
UTSA RB Brandon High transferred to Cal.
Arizona State RB Alton McCaskill transferred to SMHU.
FIU RB Ajay Allen transferred to Tulsa.
Nevada RB Savion Red transferred to Sacramento State.
ULM RB Antonio Martin transferred to Kansas State.
ULM RB Ozarrio Smith
Tulsa RB Viron Ellison
Tulsa RB Rickey Hunt
CSU WR Dylan Goffney
FSU WR Hykeem Williams transferred to Colorado
New Mexico State RB Seth McGowan transferred to Kentucky.
New Mexico State RB Dominic Richardson transferred to Tulsa.
Memphis RB Rashod Amos transferred to Georgia State.
Michigan RB Benjamin Hall transferred to UNC.
SMU RB Jaylen Knighton transferred to WVU.
USC RB A’Marion Peterson transferred to UTSA.
UCLA RB TJ Harden transferred to SMU.
UAB RB Armani Goodwin
USF WR Naheim Simmons
Ole Miss RB Jordan Simmons transferred to Georgia State.
SJSU WR Treyshun Hurry transferred to Louisville.
NC State WR DaCarri Collins transferred to Louisville.
JMU WR Yamir Knight transferred to SMU.
Cincinnati WR Tony Johnson transferred to Miami.
Syracuse WR Zeed Haynes
UGA WR Nitro Tuggle transferred to Purdue.
Troy RB Damien Taylor transferred to Ole Miss.
Texas Tech RB Cam Valdez
Illinois RB Josh McCray transferred to UGA.
ECU QB Jake Garcia
Tulane QB TJ Finley
UCF QB Dylan Rizk
ND QB Steven Angelli transferred to Syracuse.
Illinois State (FCS) WR Xavier Lloyd (912 yards, 6 TDs) transferred to Missouri.
Wagner (FCS) Jaylen Bonelli (732 yards, 5 TDs) transferred to Arkansas State.
Wake Forest QB Jeremy Hecklinski transferred to Iowa.
Ferris State (D2) QB Trinidad Chambliss transferred to Ole Miss.
SMU RB LJ Johnson transferred to Cal.
Missouri State TE Lance Mason transferred to Wisconsin.
NIU TE Grayson Barnes transferred to WVU.
Wisconsin TE Tanner Koziol transferred to Houston.
NC State RB Kendrick Raphael transferred to Cal.
OU RB Sam Franklin transferred to USF.
WSU RB Josh Joyner
WSU WR Tre Shackelford transferred to Tulane
SMiss WR Tiaquelin Mims transferred to Texas State.
UGA RB Branson Robinson transferred to Georgia State.
Miami WR Ny Carr entered the portal and then left.
Georgia Tech RB Trey Cooley transferred to Troy.
Marshall WR Christian Fitzpatrick transferred to Oklahoma State.
Emory & Henry (D2) WR Cam Abshire (1057 yards, 13 TDs) transferred to Oklahoma State.
Clark Atlanta (D2) WR Armone Harris (1055 yards, 14 TDs)
Charleston (D2) RB Chavon Wright (2235 yards, 38 TDs) transferred to NIU.
NDSU (FCS) RB CharMar Brown (1181 yards, 15 TDs) transferred to Miami.
Georgia State RB Freddie Brock transferred to Oklahoma State.
Washburn (D2) WR Tre Richardson (1200+ total yards, 11 TDs) transferred to Vanderbilt.
UIW (FCS) WR Roy Alexander (13 TDs) transferred to Texas Tech.
Sacred Heart (FCS) WR Ethan Hilliman
Missouri QB Drew Pyne transferred to Bowling Green.
Texas A&M WR Micah Hudson transferred back to Texas Tech.
Campbell (FCS) WR Sincere Brown (1028 yards, 12 scores) transferred to Colorado.
Wyoming RB Harrison Waylee transferred to UVA.
Former Mississippi State/UGA WR RaRa Thomas has signed with Troy.
Division II. national champion RB Kannon Katzer from Ferris State transferred to WVU.
Georgia State QB Zach Gibson transferred to FAU.
Baylor RB Richard Reese transferred to the FCS level.
UMass RB CJ Hester transferred to Michigan.
Spring Camp News
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham on RBs:
With running back, Wayshawn Parker continues to lead the way for the group but Whittingham likes what he’s seeing from the guys behind him.
“NaQari Rogers is doing a good job, Daniel Bray is a different type of back but he’s doing some good things,” Whittingham said. “Hunter Andrews is doing a nice job there, and Nate Johnson is also getting some reps there.”
… Whittingham on utility piece Hunter Andrews:
After moving between offense and defense, Hunter Andrews seems to be settling in as a versatile offensive player.
“He’s a hybrid, he’s more of a running back/tight end guy,” Whittingham said. “We’ve seen good things; when he’s in the backfield, he does a great job of blitz pickup. He’s got great speed, a 4.4 kid, so he’s got the ability to go the distance.”
“Still got to sort things out at wide receiver; we’re still trying to figure out who the go-to guys are going to be, and that’s going to be a process,” Whittingham said. “We feel comfortable with a bunch of them, it’s just who’s going to step up consistently and make plays.”
An update out of Missouri State on WR James BlackStrain:
Nick Petrino's offense has produced great slot receivers in recent years, whether that be Raylen Sharpe or Hunter Wood. Both put up all-conference-level numbers, proving to be the favorite targets for star quarterback Jacob Clark and even Jordan Pachot when Clark missed the second half of the 2023 season injured.
Both are gone now, and Clark will now have to find a new go-to receiver.
Beard teased that James BlackStrain has taken a step toward becoming Clark's top choice throughout the spring. BlackStrain caught 24 passes for 368 yards and three scores last year but never really strung together consecutive high-level games. He was considered a high-ceiling prospect at Georgia Tech when he was a four-star receiver out of high school.
Projected Starters: James BlackStrain, Jmariyae Robinson, Ronnel Johnson
BlackStrain and Robinson remain in the starting lineup, with the former starting to look like Clark's go-to receiver. Johnson has made a quick impact, joining the starting unit after two seasons at Stetson.
An update out of Missouri State on RB Shomari Lawrence:
Shomari Lawrence, a Florida International transfer, is expected to be the every-down back. He's more of the between-the-tackles runner, filling Jacardia Wright's vacancy while also being a capable receiver.
Notes out of LSU’s camp on WRs and TEs:
Tight end Bauer Sharp shined while Trey'Dez Green showed improvement in his second spring with the program.
At wide receiver in particular, whether it was Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton, Zavion Thomas, Barion Brown or even Ta'Ron Francis, this group made plays throughout the various portions of spring ball.
The one guy we didn't get to see lean into his full talents this spring is arguably the one who can be the most impactful if he can get and stay healthy in 2025. There's nothing on a football field that Nic Anderson showed he couldn't accomplish in his true freshman season at Oklahoma in 2023. He wasn't technically missing because he was out there for every single practice but you could tell something was slowing him down.
Updates out of Jacksonville State’s spring game on RB Cam Cook and QB Gavin Wimsatt:
TCU transfer running back Cam Cook has looked REALLY good at Jax State’s spring game. Just broke off for a big run and made a slew of defenders miss.
Gavin Wimsatt looked awesome in practice at quarterback. Certainly passes the eye test.
SJSU OC Craig Stutzmann on QB Walter Eget and RB Lamar Radcliff:
QB Walker Eget
Walker, there's a sense of confidence because he is the starter coming back and he understands. He's one of the guys we talk about that's out there teaching the other guys, the other quarterbacks that have come in.
And he's doing the extra stuff - being in the weight room longer, being in the film room longer, being in the training room longer, and just being a pro about things. He's taking ownership of the group and infusing his giddy attitude into it, which has been great.
RB Lamar Radcliffe
Lamar, he's a freshman and he's a really good back. We're lucky to have him. He's come a long ways in terms of being more consistent and being a little bit more responsible on and off the field. He's a great kid.
But his grades - it looks like mine when I was younger … But he's a great kid and he's come a long way. Coach Mike Smith has done a great job of cultivating that environment to be a great learner and a great student. He's got all the ability in the world and his ball security has gotten a lot better.
From an update out of Charlotte on the QB competition:
With the departures of Deshawn Purdie and Max Brown after last season, there were questions as to how the new coaching staff would address this issue. All three quarterbacks Albin brought in are viable options.
However, as spring practice ground along, it’s become a two-man battle as transfers Connor Harrell (North Carolina) and Grayson Loftis (Duke) have stood out. Harrell checks all the boxes when it comes to the type of offenses that Albin has utilized in the past. Loftis’ arm is one of the best to come through Charlotte.
UTEP QB Skyler Locklear appears to be in pole position to be the starting QB in 2025.
Alabama OC Ryan Grubb puts Ty Simpson as the frontrunner in Alabama's QB competition: "If we're playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start."
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Lincoln Kienholz and Julian Sayin are "pretty much neck and neck" in Ohio State's starting quarterback competition.
According to a USC beat reporter on the pecking order of the QB room:
I'm watching the quarterbacks warmup, and the hierarchy is Jayden Maiava, Husan Longstreet and then Luke Huard. Pieces are falling in place.
From NIU’s practice notes on QB competition:
As the competition for the starting job gets underway, redshirt sophomore Josh Holst appears to have the inside track as the only QB in the room with starting experience at NIU.
However, redshirt junior Jalen Macon also got opportunities to showcase his skills as a potential suitor for the job.
During 11-on-11 drills Thursday, Holst and Macon shared a fairly even split of first-team reps with the offense, with each quarterback having their moments.
From NIU’s practice notes on RB room: