Transfer Portal Adds Needed Depth

I am a huge fan of the transfer portal. It allows a school like ours to scoop up higher quality talent than we can recruit once these decide they want to transfer. Despite losing a lot of players to the portal this year, Scott Loeffler has done a quality job bringing in kids from high quality P5 schools to add to this team's depth and give these kids an opportunity to put up better numbers than at their previous destination. Let's take a look at the incoming players in no particular order.

1. Davon Ferguson DB Kansas Big 12
    


    Davon comes into the program with 2 years of eligibility left. Ferguson decided to opt out the back half of Kansas' season in 2020 which is fair considering their coach was out the door. Coming to BG, Ferguson will add much needed depth to a very young defense. He is a guy who has been in a P5 college program for years now and can show some of these younger men how to be a D1 athlete. Coach Loeffler even said that Davon is a great role model who should be looked up to by kids who have not been through a proper training camp yet. Ferguson started 9 games at Kansas and is the number one guy I am looking at to make an impact right away.

2. Bryce Brand LB West Virginia/Maryland Big12/Big Ten



    Bryce enters BGSU with 2 years of eligibility left. Brand is a big guy, who like Ferguson adds some experience to a very inexperienced defense. Brand got a lot of playing time at Maryland but not as much at WVU. This may have led to his transfer, either way I am stoked to have this guy. We lost Jerry Roberts in the portal and our linebacking core is scary young (like almost every position). Brand is also a guy that younger players can look at and learn how to eat, train, and practice like a D1 player at an impressive P5 program. 

3. Ali Saad DL Minnesota Big Ten




    Ali comes to BG with 4 years of eligibility left. Saad is a big kid who did not appear in any games at Minnesota. Despite not having any game film to analyze, Saad had offers from Minnesota, Mizzou, Boston College, Illinois, Iowa State, Rutgers, Kansas, and Northwestern. Typically a recruit with that many P5 offers does not commit to Bowling Green. Thank you transfer portal! High hopes for this kid to step into the program and blossom into a very talented player. 

4. Drew Gunther QB Syracuse ACC



    Gunther comes to BG by way of former coach Dino Babers who won the MAC Championship in 2015. Gunther has 4 years of eligibility after not appearing in any games in 2020 and redshirting in 2019. Drew enters a QB room that is finally filling out some depth after having two scholarship QBs in 2019 with just Grant Loy and Darrius Wade. Drew was not highly recruited in high school but was still able to walk on to a P5 program in the ACC so it will be exciting to watch him compete for the starting job in the following years. 

5. Jayden George QB Alabama SEC



    I mean it is a little crazy to think that a player good enough to be in the QB room, on the most prestigious team in college football is now rocking the Orange and Brown. George was not highly recruited out of high school but was able to walk on at Bama. Jayden's dad Jeff was the first overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft, so this kid brings some good genes, a National Championship ring, and a look into how to practice at a championship level to Bowling Green. Plus 4 years of eligibility.

6. Tommy Guajardo TE Michigan State Big Ten



    Guajardo brings 4 years of eligibility to BGSU. Tommy was very highly recruited out of high school and is a very impressive pick up by Coach Loeffler. Tommy is an absolute unit who may see a lot of the football if he is to pick up some of the slack left behind by the graduating Quintin Morris. This man is built like a truck house so he can be a big help in protection for Matt McDonald as well as in the run game. Look for this kid to be a duel threat TE that develops into a stud.

7. Austin Osborne WR Washington Pac 12



Osborne has 3 years of eligibility left. Austin played high school football with our QB1 Matt McDonald so these guys should have chemistry from Day 1. Catching one ball in his Washington career, Osborne comes to BGSU clearly looking to catch the football. BG has just one TD pass to a WR in the last 17 ish games, so this is a very exciting pick up to say the least. Much love for the skill guys, but this team is young and threatens nobody through the air. This kid is my pick to lead the team in receptions and should be able to stretch the field. 

8. Devin Taylor VTech ACC DB (Late add)


Totals
SEC: 1
Big10: 2
ACC: 2
Big12: 2
Pac12: 1


Feel free to discuss BG football with me on twitter: @BGFootballTalk





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