Every year, transfers flood the college football offseason news. This is especially true for quarterbacks, but there are other talented players who will be on new teams this season too. Here are the top non-quarterback transfers for the 2022 college football season.
Note: Only players who are eligible for the 2022 season will be listed.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC Trojans
Addison made a name for himself at Pittsburgh the last few seasons. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the country’s best receiver in 2021. For his career, he had 160 receptions for 2,259 yards and 21 touchdowns. Not only has he proven he is a good college receiver, he is also a great prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft.
At USC, Addison is joining a lot of other transfers. He and Caleb Williams can forge a good connection under Lincoln Riley. There will be a need to score points, as the defense will not be great. Addison can put up some huge numbers and help USC win games.
Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama Crimson Tide
Burton was a very talented young receiver for Georgia the last two seasons. He caught 53 passes for 901 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. His play helped the Bulldogs win the National Championship last year.
More and more prospects are joining teams from the same conference. Burton went from winning the National Championship with Georgia to now lining up with the runner-ups at Alabama. His joining the Crimson Tide is important because they have a young receiving core. Burton can have a big season with Bryce Young throwing him the ball.
Travis Dye, RB, USC Trojans
Dye started his career at Oregon. After splitting reps early in his career, Dye really took over last season. In 2021, Dye rushed for 1,271 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns. He has developed into a very good running back.
With the Trojans, Dye can help open up the passing offense by being a productive runner. He can also help the passing game as a receiver. Dye is capable of making some big plays and is in store for a big year at USC. A good season could help USC compete for the Pac-12 North.
Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Rebels
Evans has had a rollercoaster of a time in college football. His recruitment was wild and then he ended up at TCU. He rushed for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns in his two seasons with the Horned Frogs. Evans also had 18 receptions for 206 yards and one touchdown.
In the offseason, Evans decided to transfer to Ole Miss. He joins Lane Kiffin’s high-powered offense with USC-transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart. Evans can help establish the run and could help the Rebels after they lost a lot from their 10-win team last season.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Gibbs over the start of his career. He started with Georgia Tech, where he averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Gibbs rushed for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns. He added 59 catches for 768 yards and five touchdowns.
Alabama never lacks for talent, but Gibbs should be able to stand out for the Crimson Tide. He is one of the most talented running backs in college football. Playing in Alabama’s offense should open things up for him. The Crimson Tide will be hunting for a title after falling just short last season and Gibbs will help them greatly.
Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Joseph has been a huge playmaker early in his college career. He started with Northwestern where he had nine interceptions. For the Wildcats, he showed good coverage skills and registered 129 total tackles in over two seasons.
Notre Dame has some big shoes to fill at the safety position after Kyle Hamilton went pro. Joseph isn’t quite the physical freak that Hamilton is, but he does have excellent coverage and ball skills. In Marcus Freeman‘s first year as head coach, Joseph can provide leadership. With his play, Notre Dame could compete for another New Year’s Six Bowl.
Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati Bearcats
As a Cincinnati prospect, Kiner decided to start his college career at LSU. He rushed for 324 yards, had 10 receiving yards and two total touchdowns as a true freshman. Kiner was a good prospect who figured to be in the fold at LSU in the future.
In the offseason, Kiner decided to transfer back to his home city to play for the Bearcats. There was a mass exiting of players for the NFL this offseason and Kiner can help fill the void as the team prepares to move to the Big 12 in the future. Going by prospect rankings, Kiner will be one of the most talented players to ever put on the Cincinnati uniform and could be headed to the NFL in a couple of seasons.
Tanner McCalister, CB, Ohio State Buckeyes
McCalister played four seasons at Oklahoma State. The defense got better, especially last season. McCalister made a huge impact for the Cowboys, as he helped them rank ninth in the country. He registered 42 total tackles, one interception and six passes defended in 2021.
Following the season, McCalister decided to follow his defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to Ohio State. The Buckeyes did not play well defensively and McCalister can slide right in to the nickel corner spot for them as they try to make a run at the National Championship.
Olusegun Oluwatimi, OG/C, Michigan Wolverines
Oluwatimi is one of the more experienced players in the country. He played and started for three years at Virginia. His play really helped Virginia over his time, but especially during the 2021 season when the Cavaliers won six games and ranked 21st in the country in scoring.
Michigan has a veteran offensive line returning and Oluwatimi just adds to that. He specializes in run blocking and should help the Wolverines, as they ran the ball well last season on their way to the College Football Playoff. Oluwatimi can be one of the best offensive linemen in the country this season.
Jaxon Player, DL, Baylor Bears
Player improved every year he played for Tulsa. After registering 0.5 tackles for loss as a freshman, he racked up 15 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2021. Both of those numbers are very impressive for an interior defensive lineman and helped make him a coveted transfer.
For the 2022 season, Player decided to stay in the southwest part of the country and play for Baylor. Player joins a great defense that ranked 10th in scoring last season. He could create some havoc and help his draft status with a big season.
Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Ricks started his career at LSU where he had some early success. In two seasons, he registered five interceptions and six passes defended. The two seasons didn’t go well for the Tigers, but Ricks was one of the big bright spots for them.
It seems unfathomable, but Ricks decided to jump from LSU to Alabama. He figures to jump in and start right away for the Crimson Tide. Ricks is one of the most talented corners in college football and can help them in their quest to win the National Championship.
O’Cyrus Torrence, OG/C, Florida Gators
Torrence has been a great offensive lineman for Louisiana. He started for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Some outlets mentioned him as a Freshman All-American, while he was Second Team All-Sun Belt in 2021 and First Team All-Sun Belt in 2022.
After getting plenty of experience at Louisiana, Torrence decided to join Florida. He will be tasked with protecting Anthony Richardson, who will need to have a big season for the Gators to improve. With Torrence and possibly an improved offense, Florida can improve on their six wins from 2021.
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