by With the college football transfer portal window practically closed, it’s now feasible to give a more complete assessment of the recent comings and goings of each roster across the country.
Today, we’ll dive into the biggest portal win and loss for each Sun Belt West program. Let’s break it down.
Troy
Biggest Loss: WR Jabre Barber
A rebuild is in order for the Trojans as Jon Sumrall left for Tulane and a handful of players hit the portal. Barber was arguably the best of the departures and was the clear-cut WR1 before an injury derailed his season after six games. Barber ranked top-3 in the Sun Belt in catch rate (73.5%) and was a receiving yard shy of 1,000 on the season. He will be a threat at Texas A&M next season.
Biggest Win: S Devin Lafayette (Northern Illinois)
The Trojans had a plausible secondary in 2023, allowing just 6.6 yards per pass (22nd in FBS) and helping the defense rank Top 15 in the nation. The unit added to its arsenal last week when it landed Lafayette, a former Third-Team All-MAC safety, who has two years of eligibility remaining.
Texas State
Biggest Loss: QB TJ Finley
After announcing his return to the team two weeks ago, Finley decided to transfer after Texas State picked up another solid quarterback in the portal. Finley dazzled in 2023, throwing for for 3,439 yards (17th in FBS) and 24 touchdowns (23rd in FBS) while having the 16th-best completion rate in the country (.674).
Biggest Win: QB Jayden de Laura (Arizona)
Call it tit-for-tat if you will. De Laura’s commitment is what triggered Finley to transfer out, but the Hawaii native may end up being the better overall option for the Bobcats in the end. Prior to Noah Fifita’s emergence at Arizona this season, de Laura was one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac 12 after coming off a 25 touchdown-3,685 yard year in 2022. An ankle injury ruined his season in 2023, but de Laura is a talented signal caller that can put Texas State over the top in the Sun Belt this fall.
South Alabama
Biggest Loss: WR Caullin Lacy
Arguably the top wide receiver in the Group of Five portal haul, Lacy salvaged a terrific junior campaign by posting a gaudy 91-1316-7 line while being saddled in a below-average passing game. A 2024 preseason Biletnikoff Award candidate, Lacy will look to unlock his full potential at Louisville this fall.
Biggest Win: C Malachi Preciado (Purdue)
The Panthers bolstered its offensive line by adding one of the better center prospects in the portal in Preciado. A former three-star recruit, the Louisiana native returns to the Deep South after spending his freshman year as a backup in the Big Ten. He is an immediate plug-and-play starter.
Arkansas State
Biggest Loss: None
Biggest Win: QB Malik Hornsby (Texas State)
Jaylen Raynor is still in line to be the starter in Jonesboro following a stout freshman season, but there’s no doubt Hornsby will give him a run for his money for the starting job this offseason. Hornsby was a four-star prospect and the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school and began his career at Arkansas before transferring to Texas State and now here. His talent level and upside makes him a huge addition for the Red Wolves, who now all of a sudden have a loaded QB room.
Louisiana
Biggest Loss: None
Biggest Win: DE Ashley Williams (Arizona State)
Head coach Michael Desormeaux and crew did a fantastic job retaining its roster and reeling in four key additions for next season. Williams, a former three-star recruit out of Louisiana who was one of ASU’s top defensive recruits under Kenny Dillingham, is returning to his home state and will be one of the anchors of the Ragin’ Cajun pass rush.
Southern Miss
Biggest Loss: None
Biggest Win: QB Tate Rodemaker (Florida State), CB Braxton Myers (Purdue)
To say the Golden Eagles made some waves in the portal would be an understatement. Southern Miss signed a few big-named players over the past few weeks with Rodemaker and Myers being the most notable.
Most college football fans know Rodemaker, the Florida State backup that gutted out two wins for the Noles to keep their — what was once believed — playoff hopes alive before going down with a season-ending injury.
Myers was a four-star prospect and standout cornerback coming out of high school who looks to have finally found his permanent home after brief stints at Ole Miss and Purdue. His raw talent makes up for his lack of production at the college level as he will be penciled in as a Day 1 cornerback for the Golden Eagles.
Louisiana-Monroe
Biggest Loss: C Zarian McGill
Following the firing of head coach Terry Bowden, several notable Warhawks entered the portal with McGill being the best of the bunch. The talented center was a people-mover in the Sun Belt this season and did not allow a single sack in over 700 snaps. He committed to Louisiana Tech on December 17.
Biggest Win: WR Tyler Griffin (UCF)
UL Monroe stacked up its receiving corps in the portal and Griffin was the highlight of the signees. While he still has yet to fully blossom, the redshirt freshman is a raw talent that was one of the top high school receivers in the state of Georgia his senior year. The big-bodied 6’5”, 205 Griffin is the type of field-stretching, jump-ball receiver that instantly improves the Warhawks’ passing game.
