5 college football teams who failed miserably in 2024 Spring transfer portal ft. Arizona State
The 2024 college football spring transfer portal window is coming to a close as players make their final moves to new homes for this upcoming season. Some programs have struggled to bring in new talent after losing a large number of players during the spring window.
With the 2024 season on the horizon, here is a look at the five college football teams that failed to make the most of the 2024 spring transfer portal.
Five college football teams who failed miserably in the 2024 spring transfer portal
#5. Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are coming off a disappointing 4-8 season. Jonathan Smith will take over his first season as Michigan State's head coach after coming over from Oregon State.
Smith and the Spartans have been able to bring in a small number of big names to the program but have lost many players since the spring transfer portal opened. Jaelon Barbarin, Eddie Pleasant, Simeon Barrow Jr., Luke Nickel, Bai Jobe, and Jalen Berger are among the big names that Michigan State has lost to the portal.
These players all rank among the top recruits the Spartans have brought in who will now be moving on from the program. This will be a major shift for a team that is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 under a new head coach.
#4. Duke Blue Devils
After Duke lost their starting quarterback, Riley Leonard, to the transfer portal earlier this year, many other players followed Leonard into the portal during the spring. The Blue Devils have had seven players enter the spring transfer portal but have failed to bring any players into the program so far.
Many of the players Duke has lost have been underclassmen but were expected to play a larger role in future seasons. Duke hasn't yet brought in any transfers during the spring months, and they will have work to do if they want to return to another bowl game this season.
#3. West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia showed massive improvement last season under head coach Neal Brown, going 9-4 and winning the Duke's Mayo Bowl over North Carolina. However, they've had six players enter the spring transfer portal ahead of the upcoming season.
They lost five three-star recruits to the portal and only managed to bring in junior cornerback Dontez Fagan from Charlotte. Fagan will be a great addition to the Mountaineers' defense, but they will also lose a future key wideout in EJ Horton, along with quarterback Sean Boyle and offensive lineman Charlie Katarincic.
Read more: 2024 Big 12 Football Championship Odds after College Football Spring Games
#2. Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State's roster will look very different from last season. After Jonathan Smith's departure to Michigan State, Trent Bray was promoted to head coach. The Beavers have already lost their quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei, and now their leading rusher, Damian Martinez, has also decided to enter the portal.
In addition to Martinez, Oregon State lost eight players to the spring transfer portal and has yet to bring any players into the program. Trent Bray will be losing many of the top offensive weapons that made this team so dangerous a season ago.
#1. Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State is coming off its second consecutive 3-9 season as head coach Kenny Dillingham looks to improve his squad ahead of his second year at the helm. The Sun Devils lost their quarterback, top prospect Jaden Rashada, after his transfer to Georgia.
Receiver Elijhah Badger and tight end Bryce Pierre quickly followed Rashada into the portal and left the program. One of the team's top defensive backs, Ed Woods, also left the program and committed to Michigan State on Tuesday.
The Sun Devils have managed to bring in players like J'mond Tapp and Chamon Metayer during the spring months, but the loss of their top offensive players could be problematic in the upcoming season.
Also read: Top 5 college football standouts to watch out for in final hours of Spring transfer portal closure ft. Cormani McClain
Which program do you think failed in the 2024 spring transfer portal? Let us know in the comments below.