Once a rummage sale where one might find some depth, today the transfer portal is an essential tool for building a roster – and possibly winning a championship. Who did the Sun Belt haul in?
| Team | Player | Pos. | 24/7 Grade | Former School |
| Appalachian St. | Thomas Davis | EDGE | 0.8804 (HS) | Miami |
| Arkansas St. | Jalen Cunningham | OL | 0.8800 (HS) | Ole Miss |
| Coastal Carolina | Cane Berrong | TE | 0.8900 (T) | Notre Dame |
| Georgia Southern | Cameron Williams | S | 0.8926 (HS) | Washington |
| Georgia St. | Ozzie Hoffler | EDGE | 0.8500 (HS) | Kansas St |
| James Madison | Trevell Mullen | CB | 0.8800 (T) | Indiana |
| Louisiana | Trey Fite | EDGE | 0.8511 (HS) | SMU |
| ULM | Donell Harris | EDGE | 0.9745 (HS) | Texas A&M |
| Marshall | Stephen Dix Jr. | LB | 0.9124 (HS) | Florida St. |
| Old Dominion | Jahlil Taylor | DL | 0.8498 (HS) | North Carolina |
| South Alabama | Lucas Taylor | OT | 0.8859 (HS) | Mississippi St |
| Southern Miss | MJ Danials | S | 0.8924 (HS) | Ole Miss |
| Texas State | Malik Hornsby | QB | 0.8900 (T) | Arkansas |
| Troy | Chris Lewis | WR | 0.8967 (HS) | Kentucky |
Some of these guys have cache (and stories) attached to their names. Chris Lewis, a native Alabamian and a nice addition for Troy. is a former 4-star and one of several WRs that bailed on Kentucky this season. Donell Harris was a 5-star defensive end coming out of high school; now he’s plying his talents in Monroe. Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher had declared Harris “medically retired” before Harris jumped into the portal. Stephen Dix Jr. was a highly touted 4-star LB whose rash of injuries buried him on the depth chart at Florida State. If he’s healthy, he’ll be dangerous for the Thundering Herd. Coastal Carolina’s new tight end Cane Berrong was once the No. 1 tight end in the 2021 class. He was also ranked as the nation’s No. 61 overall player by Sports Illustrated.
A reminder: the highest graded transfer isn’t always the most important transfer, as my FunBelt Podcast partner Shane Mettlen reminded me, revealing that QB Jordan McCloud from Arizona may be the most essential key to the Duke’s success.
CORRECTION: Malik Hornsby (0.8900T) replaces Derrick Brown (0.8700T) for Texas State
Photo Credit: me
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