[2025] Transfer Talk: Ep.5 - Featured Players, Revisited

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This article was originally published on plus.espn.com - featured audio has been transcribed for the reader's ease.

Welcome back, football fans!  It's finally upon us: the transfer portal - a mystical and magical realm where Quarterbacks, Linebackers, and Punters can be bought for a mere promise of a six-win season and walk-ons can be cast into the shadow realm; what a wonderful time to be alive!

Over this past season, we took a look at some high-profile transfer targets - admittedly, mainly Quarterbacks, because that's where the money's at - ahead of their entry into the portal for the upcoming 2025 season.  Well, that season is here, and we'd be doing a disservice if we didn't catch up with each of our previously-featured targets to see who's currently soliciting their talents, and whether or not its a good fit for the player themselves.  That's right, we're taking the same formula and running it back.  Except this time, instead of providing a Top 5, we're gonna take a look at each of the visible programs on the Transfer Portal who're chasing each of our previously-featured targets and provide a letter grade for each fit - with some analysis along the way, of course.  Don't worry folks, there is a curve.  So sit, back, relax, and enjoy the reboot.

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Kelly Jarwin, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior

When we last left Kelly Jarwin, he was optimistic about getting another shot at the starting job at Florida State; before getting ceremoniously demoted in favor of Colt McIntyre for the remainder of the 2024 season and entering the transfer portal soon after.  Boy, has our proverbial black swan transformed into the belle of the ball.  From what we can currently see on the Transfer Portal interface, nine teams are pursuing Jarwin to be their Quarterback for the 2025 season - hell, there are probably more, but we're going to stick with an analysis of those we can feasibly confirm are in the race for Kelly Jarwin.  That's right folks, no speculation here - only hard-hitting facts.

Measurables

Overall

Height

Weight

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

A

6'3"

228 lbs

B

C

C+

B

A+

A+

Balanced

B-

B-

F

C

Texas (@SlinkyJr)
Transfer Talk Grade: C

Let's be candid: Texas needs all the help they can get.  The Longhorns first season in the SEC was one to forget and that's an understatement - finishing any season 1-11 (0-8) constitutes a catastrophic campaign, but when you finish with an NCAA-lowest 64 points-scored and an NCAA-sixth highest 424 points-allowed alongside the NCAA-lowest total offensive yards (2,139; avg. 178.25 per game) and horns are not only down, but they're six feet under.  Lest we forget, these statistics all include those from Texas' sole win against *checks notes* FCS Prairie View A&M where the anemic Longhorns offense was propelled to a 22-10 victory at home by the heroics of Kicker Pat Bethea, who accounted for 15 of Texas' 22 points on the day.  In fact, over the course of 2024, Pat Bethea accounted for 40 of Texas' 64 total points (62.5%).

Okay, a lot of negativity, so let's switch to some positives; or in the case of Texas, positive.  Phillippe Johnson (A/C+) is an absolute stud and Texas's 2025 offense should undoubtedly run through and seek to leverage the talents of the Senior Halfback.  By all accounts, Johnson's agility is only outmatched by his animalistic strength and his sheer speed.  He's also become a true leader in the locker room, and a cerebral one at that; known for academically breaking down walkthroughs for his younger teammates.  Johnson's also proven himself a more-than-capable receiver and pass blocker - at least compared to his peers - and it's frankly a shame that he can't pass or hand the ball off to himself.

Now the negatives, and trust me, there are a few when it comes to analyzing the Texas offense from the perspective of Kelly Jarwin.  Firstly, despite the presence of Phillippe Johnson in the backfield, there's not a whole lot to come by in terms of outlets to work with.  Redshirt Sophomore Halfback Kevin Hong (B/C) looks to capable to come in as a third-down or redzone option to keep Johnson fresh and Senior Wide Receiver Taylor Paulsen's (B/C+) hands are sure enough, but that's it.  The remainder of the Wide Receiving corps is weak, and that's being particularly generous; the Tight End options only boast Junior Daniel Shaffer (C+/C) as a serviceable blocker; and the Offensive Line as a whole is below-average, despite boasting the talents of Redshirt Senior Brant Taylor (A/A-) to bail out the whole group by bringing the average up.

All of that even avoids the biggest concern for Kelly Jarwin - Redshirt Sophomore Quarterback Joseph Wise (B+/A).  With two remaining years of eligibility, Wise should be Texas' 2025 starting Quarterback.  Coming off of a season where he was usurped in favor of a younger, talented Quarterback at Florida State due to a poor performance against a contending rival, Kelly Jarwin shouldn't touch Texas with a ten foot pole.  With their lack of all-around offensive talent, Jarwin will undoubtedly have a less-than-stellar game during his time at Texas - lest we forget this is the same Texas team that was shut-out by UTSA, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Georgia last season.  At the first sign of trouble, Wise could be viewed as the solution, and this should send shivers down Jarwin's spine.  From Texas' perspective, these are rebuilding years and they already have a young Quarterback option in Wise, so the pursuit of Jarwin raises more questions than answers, espeically when other areas of the Longhorns roster are in dire need of an upgrade via the Transfer Portal.

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Baylor (@Vivid)
Transfer Talk Grade: A

There is no greater statement-of-intent that the Baylor Bears are looking to win the 2025 National Championship than going after a top-tier Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin.  Their returning Offensive Line, led by Redshirt Senior Center Chris Watkins (A/B), is filled to the brim with generational talents; they have a dual-threat and one-two backfield of Redshirt Seniors Shareece Hinojosa (A/C+) and Drew Floro (A-/C+); Redshirt Junior Tyler Prochnow (A/B+) and Redshirt Senior Ariel Pyke (A/B-), alongside Redshirt Senior Tight End Jonathan Burke (A-/B-), are up there for some of the best receiving corps in the country.  The only thing Baylor needs is a lights-out Quarterback who can utilize the weapons around him while acting as a bridge for the talent that the Bears have waiting to develop over the coming seasons.

This one's short and sweet; Kelly Jarwin fits the bill perfectly, and the opportunity to play for a pre-season National Championship contender is one that may be too good to pass up.

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Penn State (@Rocketcan)
Transfer Talk Grade: A-

Speaking of pre-season National Championship contenders, enter stage-right the Nittany Lions.  Despite an uneventful 2024 campaign, where they ultimately finished 6-7 (5-4) in a cut-throat Big Ten, Penn State are gearing up for 2025 firing on all cylinders.  Redshirt Senior Chris Brooks (A/A) and Redshirt Junior Matt van Roten (A/B) offer a dual-threat, one-two punch out of the backfield alongside Redshirt Senior Fullback Anthony Brown (A/C+); four-out-of-five presumptive Offensive Line starters are A-rated, with the strong and quick Redshirt Senior Johnny Chacin (A-/B+) the only exception; and a receiving corps led by the speedy Junior Brian Walker (A/C) and with the safe hands of Redshirt Junior Pedro Farrow (A/C+) round out the talented Penn State offense.  Moreover, Quarterback heir-presumptive, Redshirt Freshman Michael Garcia (B/C+) eagerly awaits the keys to the offense, but could probably benefit from another year behind an establish collegiate starter - someone like Kelly Jarwin, who could take the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title and beyond.

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Georgia Tech (@ATonOfLaw)
Transfer Talk Grade: B-

This one's hard for me: in the first episode of Transfer Talk, Georgia Tech was the hands-down, number one destination for Kelly Jarwin due to scheme fit, play time, and potential.  While I don't backtrack on my initial opinions or analysis, the calculus has changed and the Yellow Jackets are simply no longer the "best fit" for Kelly Jarwin; however, that's not to say they aren't still a decent fit.  Despite possessing a shaky offensive line, particularly in comparison to the talent they possessed during their 10-4 (8-1) 2024 season and ACC Championship,  Georgia Tech possess a young RB1 in true-Freshman Paul Heard (B/D-) who has to be hungry to prove himself.  Coupled with an experienced, returning Wide Receiving corps of Redshirt Senior Natrell Mihalik (A-/C+), Senior Byung-Hyun Socolovich (B+/B-), and Senior Jonathan Cruceta (B/B-), Georgia Tech have decent options for an incoming Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin.  Plus, the opportunity to compete with Florida State directly within the ACC, with the team that caused the biggest harm to the Seminoles (and Jarwin himself) last season, could be an enticing prospect that is beyond any letter grade we could provide.

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James Madison (@JC.)
Transfer Talk Grade: B

If James Madison are able to sign Kelly Jarwin, it would be a resounding coup for not only the Dukes and their chances for a Sun Belt title, but for the Sun Belt Conference as a whole.  The only Group of Five team on this list, James Madison beats out a number of their Power 5 counterparts for a number of reasons.  First, while the Dukes don't possess a world-beater offensive line, the group led by Senior Center DaVante Littleton (A-/C) are a serviceable bunch; not only have they spent the past few years working in pass-heavy situations, but despite being merely an average offensive line in comparison to contenders Baylor and Penn State, the Dukes possess one of the best offensive lines in the Sun Belt.  Circling back to experience, James Madison also boast a plethora of returning Wide Receivers, such as Senior Chris Morgan (B+/C+) who led the Sun Belt in receiving yards in 2024, and Senior Halfback Taiwan Hayward (B+/B-) who are eager to build upon the Dukes break-out campaign where they became bowl eligible for the first time.  Should Kelly Jarwin choose to join James Madison for 2025, I'd reckon this launches the Dukes into Sun Belt contention - and out of all the possible options, selfishly, this one might be the one I'd want to see the most just to see the Dukes continue their meteoric rise from the FBS to Sun Belt Champions in a few years time.

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Southern California (@Dr_Novella)
Transfer Talk Grade: C+

USC are in an intriguing spot ahead of the 2025 season: while they're only two years removed from their 2023 National Championship, and still possess so crucial pieces from that team, their 2024 title defense season was unspectacular to say the least, and the scars from this abject disappointment - and the departure of Quarterback Julian Longacre - could prove too consequential.  While the Trojans boast elite receiving outlets in Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Phillip Adams (A/C+) and Redshirt Senior Tight End Lou Jackson (A-/B+), USC's strengths going into 2025 are on the defensive side of the ball.  While Redshirt Senior Haywood Wick (B+/C+), a Quarterback in the scrambler mold, could slot in as a Halfback - as has become somewhat in-vogue across the college football ranks - to solve USC's backfield woes, their offensive line remains a glaring weakness.  There's no doubt that Kelly Jarwin could fit into the Trojans offense to guide them on a resurgence; however, if other positional concerns aren't address within the transfer portal, the signing of Jarwin by USC could be all for naught.

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NC State (@Dean)
Transfer Talk Grade: F

Senior Wide Receiver Sonny Dekker (A-/B).  There, that's it.  That's all the offensive support Kelly Jarwin would have is he becomes a member of the Wolfpack.  Given that NC State were geared for a run-heavy offense, or at least a run-focused offense, and arguably still are, the focus on Kelly Jarwin is a confusing one.  When it comes to playing Jarwin's sort of pass-heavy offense, the Wolfpack Offensive Line transforms into an abysmal one; that's not to say they're generally poor, but they're not the sort of linemen you'd want protecting a pocket passer who drops back for a majority of snaps.  Adding insult to injury, NC State possess a thoroughly unimpressive running backs room; there's nobody with the agility, strength, speed, or receiving acumen to take some offensive pressure off of Kelly Jarwin, let alone be a game-changer when called upon.  All in all, NC State have far more pressing issues to address in the transfer portal; targeting a plug-in Quarterback like Kelly Jarwin is honestly a gross waste of resources.

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Houston Christian and Villanova
Transfer Talk Grade: F
Effort Grade: A

There's not much to talk about here - both Houston Christian and Villanova only have 20 players currently rostered: A for effort, F for fit.  Though we could see an absolute master-class in trash-talk from @Kirby if either team manages to snag Kelly Jarwin, and that alone may be worth it.

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Meyers Ramirez, Quarterback, Redshirt Junior

In our second episode of Transfer Talk we discussed five fits for our Scrambler leaving Wazzu for pastures new: Colorado State, Rutgers, Cincinnati, NC State, and Illinois.  As it turns out, Meyers has three potential suitors and none of them are those we'd mentioned within our Top 5; only one was even mentioned within the Meyers Ramirez episode of Transfer Talk all together, and I'm honestly a little surpise by each of them, but not necessarily in a bad way.  Let's take a look.

Measurables

Overall

Height

Weight

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

B+

6'0"

224 lbs

A

A-

B

A-

C-

C+

Balanced

C

A

D+

A-

Clemson (@Spoof)
Transfer Talk Grade: B-

Let me be clear at the outset, I think that Clemson would be a fantastic fit for Meyer Ramirez.  As one of the handful of teams across the college football landscape to commit to the I-Option and stick with it, the rush-forward offense has been tested by the Tigers and is seemingly here to stay.  While Senior Wide Receiver Garrett McGee (A-/C+) is the sole stand-out in terms of receiving support, Clemson possess a powerful rusher in Redshirt Senior Halfback Ronald Beato (B+/C) and a complementary dual-threat option in Senior Halfback Josh Hollis-Jefferson (B/B-).  Although the Tigers' offensive line is a bit of a patchwork of rush and pass blockers, the line is led by the formidable Redshirt Senior Tackle Alex Figueroa (A/C+).  Okay, this all sounds way better than a B-, what's the problem.  Quarterbacks, plural.

At time of writing, Clemson have seven rostered Quarterbacks going into 2025 - Meyers Ramirez would make eight.  Of those seven, three are scramblers like Ramirez; of those three, only two are feasible threats to the starting job: Redshirt Junior Isiah Fitts (B+/B) and true Freshman Gregg O'Connell (B/B+).  I have no doubt that Coach @Spoof would figure out a way to make it work between these talented scramblers; with the heir-apparent O'Connell probably taking a redshirt season and Ramirez and Fitts either splitting snaps or one of the two transitioning to halfback.  Either way, the B- grade is a conditional one - until there's a sense of finality as to whether or not our Quarterback in question would be able to join the Tigers as, well, a Quarterback, there's no higher grade to give.

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Northwestern (@David VanHousen)
Transfer Talk Grade: C-

In the cutting room floor, Big Ten Hot Seat extraordinaire, I had Northwestern slated to run the Run and Shoot offense starting in 2025 to make the most out of their sparse offensive weapons.  One of these weapons, if not the Wildcats' main weapon, Senior Halfback Anthony LaMarre (B+/A+) entered the transfer portal and is solely being targeted by Stanford in their post-Vontae Knebel era.  That said, Northwestern's new RB1: Junior William Brown (B-/C); as well as their top two receiving options in Junior Wide Receivers Robert Stack (B/C+) and William Goodwin (B-/A-) are all scheme-fits for the Run and Shoot.  In contrast, should Northwestern persist with the Spread Option that they ran last year, the only player who would seemingly benefit is Meyers Ramirez himself.  While this would undoubtedly been a boon and would lock up the starting job in Evanston for his remaining two years of eligibility - at what cost?  The Wildcats' offensive line is unreliable at best, their backfield would be able to provide mediocre run support by virtue of not playing in an explicitly complementary system, and their below-average receiving corps would receive no favors either; and all of this in an increasingly competitive Big Ten.

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Washington (@CoachCartier)
Transfer Talk Grade: A-

The Washington Huskies were featured twice within the Top 5s of Transfer Talk due to their need for a Quarterback for 2025 - the first was at #2 for Kelly Jarwin and the second was at the top spot for Mark Koch.  So imagine my surprise when I scoured the transfer portal and found that they were targeting a scrambler in Meyers Ramirez instead of the pocket-passer of Jarwin or the balanced Koch.  And frankly, I love it.

First of all, there would be nothing quite like a two-year long Meyers Ramirez Apple Cup Revenge Tour - absolutely juicy.  But mainly, the Huskies have an impressive supporting cast that could help bring out the best in what Meyers Ramirez has to offer while allowing for his development ahead of 2026.  Specifically, Washington boasts a powerful duo of dual-threat halfbacks in Redshirt Senior Xavier Smith (A/C) and Redshirt Junior Franklin Riggins (A-/A); alongside top-tier receiving outlets like Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Randy Peterson (A/C+), Redshirt Senior Tight End Robbie Bloom (A/B), and Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Joey Tejada (A-/C+).  Despite being led by Redshirt Senior Center Emmanuel Murdock (A/C+), Washington's offensive line risks being its Achilles Heel due to the potential shift from a passing-based offense to a rushing based-offense; however, this disadvantage could be easily mitigated with additionally astute moves in the transfer portal and shrewd play-calling.

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Jay Ratley, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior

With only one year of eligibility remaining and only a handful of college programs favoring mobile Quarterbacks, it's honestly not all that surprising that Jay Ratley has only garnered interest from one program - particularly when Meyers Ramirez with an additional year of eligibility has three interested programs.  What is interesting, or rather, intriguing, is which program is going after Ratley.

NC State (@Dean)
Transfer Talk Grade: F

Two things: yes, I am aware of the coaching change (that occurred during the drafting of this article - makes me feel like @kgreene829 with mock drafts), but @Dean and his staff were the ones who made the transfer portal investment and shall receive the grade; and two, we'll keep it short and sweet since we've already discussed NC State.  The Wolfpack, as discussed, have an abysmal offensive line, an unimpressive backfield, and one talented receiver.  They have a few capable, but uninspiring, options at Quarterback who could bridge the gap for an incoming recruit but that's about it for their offensive makeup.  So it's surprising that NC State, instead of filling some pretty gaping holes in the transfer portal, have adopted a sort of "scattershot" approach to Quarterbacks and Quarterbacks alone in that they've heavily targeted the highest ranked Quarterback of each archetype.  While other programs, such as Baylor, have adopted this exact same strategy, this sort of strategy only works if you're Baylor and have a roster full of generational talents and a sole potential weakness; then you can afford to target this weakness aggressively via the transfer portal.

If it weren't for the fact that Boston College and NC State don't play next year, I'd even be so inclined to presume that a scuppering were at-hand, but instead, I have to genuinely hope that either another team comes in for Jay Ratley or that the incoming coaching staff at NC State makes some serious changes to right this sinking ship.  Because Jay Ratley, and the NC State Wolfpack, deserve better.

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Mark Koch, Quarterback, Redshirt Junior

The college football world has heard narrative after narrative about Mark Koch; most recently, his literal lock-out from Tennessee following their 2024 National Championship.  Don't feel too terribly bad for Mark though, he's got a couple of very interesting programs vying for his services for 2025 and beyond - and he's earned it too, despite the animosity between Koch and Knoxville, the embattled Quarterback's time at Tennessee has led to impressive development this offseason.  Without further ado, let's get into it.

Measurables

Overall

Height

Weight

Agility

Speed

Carrying

Strength

Throw Power

Throw Accuracy

Shotgun Rating

Football IQ

Stamina

Injury

Potential

B+

6'2"

216 lbs

C+

C

C-

C

B

B-

Balanced

C+

A+

C-

B

Kansas (@Bundy)
Transfer Talk Grade: B+

Mark Koch as a Jayhawk isn't what I had on my bingo card, but it's an intriguing possibility in the 50/50 transfer portal toss-up.  Kansas have talented receiving outlets in Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Tanner Bradley (A/B), Senior Tight End Steel Blue (A-/A-), Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Eric Zawadzki (B+/A), and Redshirt Junior Tight End Travis Siegrist (B+/C-) that any Quarterback would be ecstatic to throw to on Saturdays.  Coupled with the fact that the Jayhawks offensive line is solid and you've got a transfer portal Quarterback's dream destination.  While there is the hiccup of incumbent Redshirt Senior Quarterback Tyler Summers (A/C-), Kansas' pursuit of Mark Koch leads me to believe that if they get their man (Koch, that is), that Summers will see himself deployed as RB1 to compensate for Kansas' sole offensive weakness: their backfield.  In an era where speedy Quarterbacks are beginning to see themselves transformed into backfield playmakers, this pursuit of Mark Koch is fun, ballsy, and extremely beneficial to both parties.

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Kentucky (@Ezaco)
Transfer Talk Grade: B+

Mark Koch and Michael Oliveros in the same lineup?  In the SEC?  Remember the Meyers Ramirez Apple Cup Revenge Tour?  Well this could be Mark Koch's own revenge tour if he finds himself a Kentucky Wildcat.  Let's not split hairs, Kentucky's receiving options are elite:  Redshirt Senior Wide Receivers Brennan Dominguez (A/A-) and Zack Beck (A/B) alongside Senior Wide Receivers Eddie Gibson (A-/B-) and Johnathan Forrest (A-/C) lining up four-wide are a force to be reckoned with.  Hell, Mark Koch may think he's back in Knoxville with all of that receiving talent on offer.  While Kentucky's glaring weakness is their offensive line, due to the fact that they'd be shifting from a run-dominant offense to a balanced or pass heavy offense, this weakness would be completely negated by one man: Michael Oliveros.  Just like with Kansas, Kentucky's pursuit of Mark Koch indicates one thing: Michael Oliveros will be switching to Halfback for 2025.  With defenses having to contend with Oliveros on the ground and four-wide sets any offensive line weaknesses won't have the opportunity to be exploited due to defensive indecisiveness; if they plan for Oliveros, they'll be burned on the pass; if they plan for Koch, Oliveros will torch them with his legs.

Mark Koch, take a bow.  Wherever you end up - Kansas or Kentucky, it'll be fun to watch in 2025.

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Alright, football fans, that's all for this iteration of Transfer Talk - let us know your thoughts!  We're gonna take another break to focus on the *increasing backlog* of media pieces to write before the 2025 season gets well and truly underway, but we'll be sure to take a look at the transfer portal again once it closes up shop - we'll see where our featured players have ended up and take a look at some new folks for the first time!

Until next time, football fans!