College football keeps finding new paths for overlooked talent, and this season’s crop of FCS and Division II transfers is making that point loud and clear. A handful of players who began far from the FBS spotlight have stepped in and produced right away, turning September into a showcase for programs that knew exactly what they were getting.
At the top of the list is Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson, who came over from Mercer and has been one of the most productive players in the sport. He ranks No. 2 nationally in passing yards per game at 355.3, and he has already done damage against ranked teams Texas Tech and Houston. With Pac-12 play about to begin, the Beavers and freshman receiver Jesse Legree have the look of a dark horse playoff contender.
South Florida running back DJ Crowther has also made the jump look smooth. After nearly reaching 1,000 yards last season as a breakout at Dartmouth, the senior is averaging 6.4 yards per carry for the Bulls. His 143-yard outing in a 14-6 win over Bowling Green stood out, and he has added another wrinkle too, catching three passes for 51 yards over the past two games.
Toledo has been especially active in this space, and one of its best finds is receiver Adjatay Dabbs, another Mercer transfer. Dabbs followed coach Mike Jacobs from Macon to Toledo and wasted no time adjusting.
He opened with a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance against Michigan State and has cleared at least 62 yards in every FBS game since. He sits one yard shy of leading the Rockets in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.
The Rockets also landed defensive end Andrew Zock from Mercer, and he has brought production on the other side of the ball. The former Buck Buchanan Award winner has sacks in each of his last two games and has posted a tackle for loss in all three FBS appearances. He’s up to 20 tackles and a fumble recovery as Toledo eyes another MAC title run.
Alabama’s offensive line has benefitted from Cal Poly transfer Racin Delgatty, who has handled every major snap at center. The jump from the Big Sky to the SEC can be brutal, but Delgatty has held his own and ranks among the team’s higher-graded linemen. Coaches even named him the offensive (power) player of the week after the ECU game.
Northwestern tight end Luke Dehnicke, who played at Division II Minnesota-Duluth, has become a favorite target for quarterback Aidan Chiles. Against Indiana, he caught seven passes for 140 yards while still doing the dirty work as a blocker. That versatility has given Chip Kelly another valuable piece to work with.
Iowa’s Tony Diaz has one of the most unusual stories in the group. He came from UTRGV, a program that only brought football to the Valley last year, and had no other opportunities out of high school.
He trusted coach Travis Bush, helped the Vaqueros to the first winning debut FCS season since 1978, and now he’s bringing real juice to the Hawkeyes passing game. Diaz is averaging 75 yards per game against FBS competition and leads Iowa in receptions.
Colorado’s biggest win on the defensive line has been Monmouth transfer Lamont Lester. He had nine sacks last season at Monmouth and already has four in four games for the Buffaloes. He didn’t get one against Baylor, but Pro Football Focus credited him with seven quarterback hurries in 29 pass rush snaps, opening things up for others.
Houston safety Jalen Mayo has been another offseason find. He started at Division II Virginia Union, moved on through Stephen F.
Austin, and now looks every bit like a future Sunday player. Mayo has 16 tackles, three passes defended and a forced fumble, plus a highlight-reel interception against Texas Tech in a tight loss.
Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes is part of the same theme, even if his route is a little different. He played at Division II West Florida, but his rise has been too fast to ignore.
Stokes leads the American in most major categories, and his 10.7 yards per attempt ranks No. 6 nationally, behind only Gunner Stockton and Josh Hoover. Memphis is 3-1, with the lone loss coming against Boise State, and Stokes has been a major reason why.
There’s also a broader story at James Madison, where Bill Napier had to rebuild after the bulk of the roster transferred or graduated. The Dukes brought in 10 players from the FCS portal, and just about all of them have delivered.
Nick Herman and Cole Keller have stood out in particular, while the defense has gained valuable depth. That class is already helping push JMU toward a Sun Belt title chase and beyond.
In Other News...
Oregon State Suddenly Has A Secondary Problem At The Worst Time
Oregon State heads into its Pac-12 opener at Colorado State carrying an issue in the secondary that comes at a particularly awkward time. The Beavers are already dealing with a thin group at cornerback, with injuries and availability questions leaving the staff to sort through an unsettled rotation before a road conference game that should have helped set the tone for the season.
Freshman cornerback Kai Wheaton is out, and Trey Glasper is questionable with a foot injury, adding to a list of moving parts at a spot where depth is already tight. Oregon State may have no more than four true corners available, which means every snap could matter a little more than usual while the Beavers try to patch things together and keep their opener from becoming a test of survival on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Big 12 Uncertainty Around Oklahoma State Could Soon Matter To Oregon State
The ripple effects from realignment still have a way of reaching the most unexpected corners, and Oregon State has reason to keep one eye on the Big 12s shifting power structure. Oklahoma State has been dealing with plenty of noise around its athletic department, and the situation comes at a time when the conference landscape remains unsettled enough that leadership changes can carry more weight than they normally would.
Eric Morris football team has become part of the broader conversation because on-field results can shape how much patience administrators are willing to show. Add in the broader backdrop of conference politics, fan engagement pushes elsewhere and the kind of comparisons that always follow a program with Oklahoma States history, and it is easy to see why Beavers followers would track developments there closely. Even without a final answer yet, the next move in Stillwater could have more relevance in Corvallis than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Legree Is Giving Oregon State A Dangerous New Edge
Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree has become one of the most intriguing pieces of Oregon States offense, and the speed of his rise is hard to ignore. He only started playing wide receiver in his senior year of high school, but he has already carved out a key role for the Beavers and given their passing game a new kind of threat downfield.
The latest sign came in the win over UTEP, where Legree kept stacking productive weeks with another strong outing through the air. On the season, he has 23 receptions for 585 yards and six touchdowns, production that has helped turn a first-year player into a regular problem for opposing defenses and a name the Beavers can count on when the game opens up. [Read more 🡒]