Breaking: Bulldogs now top suitors to land 6-foot-4 WR after offer

When Bryan McClendon called Travis Smith to invite him to Georgia earlier this month, Travis Smith finally realized how much Georgia wanted him.

He understood the Bulldogs were recruiting him. After all, they’d offered him early. They’d invited him to multiple game visits. Coaches swing by Westlake whenever the contact period permits it. But still, receiving the phone call with McClendon at the beginning of January hit differently.

McClendon came with a clear message: Georgia is hosting an exclusive junior day, and you’re one of the only wide receivers invited.

 

 

 

Transfer portal: Where 2024’s top 10 wide receivers committed ahead of Signing Day

A talented pool of pass-catchers made interesting moves in the transfer portal.

The wide receiver position was absolutely loaded during the first transfer portal window, with nine wideouts in the top 50 overall rankings. Georgia and Texas were the biggest beneficiaries as the only schools to land two of the top 10 receivers in the portal.

Georgia’s receiver depth got pillaged this offseason as the Bulldogs lost six wideouts to the portal. Kirby Smart and Co. got busy and have added three receiver transfers this offseason, including two four-star prospects featured on this list. All three of the Bulldogs’ transfers came from Power Five programs.

Texas returns star quarterback Quinn Ewers next season but lost its top three receivers to eligibility and the NFL Draft. With a Heisman Trophy contender under center and an offensive guru in Steve Sarkisian at the helm, Austin is an attractive destination for any pass-catcher, and the Longhorns added plenty of transfer talent, including the best receiver ever to enter the portal.

Here are the top 10 wide receivers in the 2024 transfer portal and where they’re headed:

10. NOAH ROGERS, OHIO STATE TO NC STATE

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 54 Overall

Noah Rogers rated as the No. 40 overall prospect and No. 8 wide receiver in the class of 2023 but didn’t manage to crack Ohio State’s stacked wide receivers rotation in 2023. He didn’t record a reception for the Buckeyes this past season, and the Raleigh, NC native is looking for a fresh start at his hometown, NC State. The Wolfpack boasts the No. 10 transfer class in the nation, headlined by four four-stars on offense.

9. JULIAN FLEMING, OHIO STATE TO PENN STATE

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 49 Overall

Julian Fleming visited Nebraska before ultimately pleading to Big Ten rival Penn State. The former No. 1 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class never quite reached his full potential in Columbus, but appeared in 37 games in the past four seasons. He hauled in 80 passes for 990 yards and seven touchdowns with the Buckeyes. He caught 26 balls for 270 yards and didn’t ding the end zone as a senior this past season.

8. COLBIE YOUNG, MIAMI TO GEORGIA

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 48 Overall

Georgia went into the transfer portal period looking to add at least two wide receivers and scored a commitment from Colbie Young on Dec. 23. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder finished third among Hurricanes in receiving yards this past season, catching 47 balls for 563 yards and five touchdowns. He recorded 32 catches for 367 yards and five scores as a sophomore in 2022. He chose the Bulldogs over heavy interest from Penn State in the portal.

7. MATTHEW GOLDEN, HOUSTON TO TEXAS

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 42 Overall

Texas had to replace its top three receivers — Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington — this offseason and struck early with Matthew Golden on Dec. 16. A former four-star recruit in the class of 2022, Golden caught 76 passes for 988 yards and 13 touchdowns in two seasons at Houston. He had one of the best games of his career in a loss to the Longhorns on Oct. 21, catching seven passes for 88 yards and two scores.

6. DEION BURKS, PURDUE TO OKLAHOMA

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 40 Overall

Oklahoma went out of its way to aid in Jackson Arnold’s transition to the starting quarterback role, giving him a proven receiver in transfer portal product Deion Burks. The ex-Purdue pass-catcher should be a reliable target for the former five-star recruit after breaking out with the Boilermakers last year, racking up 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. Burks has two years of eligibility remaining and should be a primary focal point of the Sooners’ offense as they settle into the SEC.

5. CJ DANIELS, LIBERTY TO LSU

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 38 Overall

LSU has the lowest-ranked transfer class in the SEC, but while it is a modest haul of just six players, half of them hold four-star ratings. That includes CJ Daniels, who joins the program as a potential replacement for some of the tremendous production the Tigers lost from last year’s receiving corps. He elevated his status in a major way throughout his Liberty career, joining the Flames in 2020 as a two-star recruit and leaving as one of the top wide receivers in the transfer portal. He is fresh off his first 1,000-yard campaign and racked up 10 touchdowns in his final year at Liberty.