Transfer portal stars kept reshaping Week 7, and a few names made the kind of impact that swings a game before the final whistle even sounds. From quarterback fireworks to defensive plays that slammed the door, this week’s top portal performers were everywhere.
Michael Hawkins put together the loudest stat line of the bunch for West Virginia. The Oklahoma transfer authored a career night in a 45-42 win over Cincinnati, throwing for 464 yards and three touchdowns while completing 25 of 33 passes without an interception. He also added 77 rushing yards and two more scores, helping the Mountaineers snap a three-game losing skid.
Auburn’s upset of No. 1 Georgia in Athens had Byrum Brown right at the center of it.
The former USF quarterback went 15 of 26 for 150 yards and a touchdown, then piled up 115 rushing yards and another score to finish with 265 yards of total offense. Auburn’s win was its first at Georgia since 2001.
Wake Forest kept rolling behind Gio Lopez, who continued to look locked in. The former North Carolina and South Alabama transfer completed 16 of 23 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout win at Cal. He averaged 11.6 yards per throw, and with just one interception through seven games, he’s now in the Heisman Trophy conversation as the Demon Deacons moved to 6-1.
Jordan Castell also delivered a defining moment late. The Florida transfer came through with two interceptions for Kentucky at Oklahoma, including a pick with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter that he returned for a touchdown to help seal the win. He finished with eight tackles and two pass breakups as Kentucky improved to 6-1 in Year 1 under Will Stein.
Miami stayed perfect with Darian Mensah steering the offense through a wild double-overtime battle against Florida State. The former Duke and Tulane quarterback completed 23 of 34 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. The victory pushed Miami to No. 1 in Sunday’s AP top 25 poll for the first time since 2002.
On the defensive side, LSU got big work from Jordan Ross against Mississippi State. The Tennessee transfer totaled six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in a dominant Tigers win. He also helped create the pressure that led to a Mississippi State interception.
Tennessee’s defense was suffocating against Alabama, and Amare Campbell was one of the reasons why. The Penn State transfer finished with eight tackles and two tackles for loss as the Crimson Tide were held to 201 total yards and just 54 on the ground.
Sam Leavitt turned in his sharpest outing yet for LSU, bouncing back after last week’s overtime loss at Kentucky. The Arizona State transfer completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a 31-0 shutout of Mississippi State.
Even in a 17-7 loss at the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin had a transfer portal standout in Marvin Burks Jr. The Missouri transfer safety recorded four tackles and two interceptions, keeping the Badgers within striking distance while the offense managed only one touchdown.
Rounding out the list, Virginia Tech’s Que’Sean Brown was a nightmare for Georgia Tech. The Duke transfer hauled in six catches for 182 yards and a touchdown in a 34-24 win, averaging 30.3 yards per catch. Through seven games, Brown has topped 600 receiving yards and emerged as the Hokies’ top passing-game threat.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Ran Into One Big Obstacle With Seneca Driver
Kentuckys road win over Oklahoma gave the Wildcats a little extra juice on the field, but it also came with a reminder that some recruiting battles are going to be harder to flip than others. Seneca Driver, a 5-star tight end prospect already pledged to the Sooners, made it clear he remains firm in that commitment, keeping Kentucky in the chase but not changing the shape of the race.
Drivers loyalty appears tied closely to Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten, and he said his commitment is likely to hold as long as Witten is still on staff. Kentucky will keep working, because that is what elite programs do with a talent like Driver, but the Wildcats are trying to climb a steep hill here with a recruit who has already drawn a line around where he stands. [Read more 🡒]
Ty Bryant Had A Bigger Reason Behind His Huge Night At Oklahoma
Ty Bryants performance against Oklahoma stood out on the field, with the veteran Kentucky safety piling up two interceptions and nine tackles in a game that gave the Wildcats a much-needed spark. But the night carried a meaning beyond the box score, because Bryant also chose to use the moment to honor the memory of Neven Coofer, the 6-year-old child who recently passed away.
Bryant wore eye black reading Neven Forever 6 and stayed in touch with Nevens family before and after the game as a way of showing his support. For Kentucky, it was a reminder that some of the most powerful moments in football come from the reasons players carry onto the field with them, even when the game itself provides plenty of its own drama. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Suddenly Has A CJ Baxter Question It Can't Ignore
Kentuckys win over Oklahoma came with a little extra uncertainty attached, and it had everything to do with the backfield. Jason Patterson handled the load after CJ Baxter was held out because of an injury, giving the Wildcats a steady presence in a 21-13 victory that was sealed by two late John Mateer interceptions in Norman.
Will Stein said Baxter did warm up before the game, but the decision was made to rest him rather than risk making the injury worse. Kentucky now turns to Vanderbilt with the encouraging part being that Baxter is expected back, even if the Wildcats offense showed there is still a contingency plan if he needs it again. [Read more 🡒]