Live updates: Where things stand for UM football as transfer portal opens. Allen leaves
The transfer portal doors swung open at 12:01 a.m. Monday, and UM has been linked to several players in its search for veteran help.
Meanwhile, the Canes lost a player on Monday when Ajay Allen disclosed plans to enter the transfer portal, per on.3.com.
Allen, who transferred from Nebraska to UM two years ago, averaged 7.6 yards per rush (24 for 183) with two touchdowns this season, but was behind Damien Martinez, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Jordan Lyle on the depth chart.
Allen ran 70 times for 361 yards (a 5.2 average) and five touchdowns last season.
As for UM’s portal targets...
Per 247 Sports’ Gaby Urrutia, UM on Monday will host UCF transfer corner Chasen Johnson, a former three-star recruit from Sanford Seminole.
The 6-1 Johnson, who has a background in track, played 452 defensive snaps for UCF as a freshman this past season and started four of the final five games. 247 Sports rated him the No. 88 cornerback in last year’s recruiting class.
As a freshman, Johnson allowed 16 completions in 28 targets for 187 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in 2024. That’s a 101.3 passer rating in his coverage area.
Meanwhile, the NIL representative for Liberty guard/center Jordan White told Canesport.com and others that he will visit UM on Dec. 17 after visiting Michigan on Dec. 11. Colorado, South Carolina and Vanderbilt also are in the mix.
White started at center in 2023 and left guard in 2024. Pro Football Focus rated White the fourth-best guard in the country this season and third best as a run blocker. In pass protection, he allowed two sacks and just seven pressures in 340 pass-blocking snaps.
Meanwhile, Liberty right tackle Xavior Gray announced on social media that he has an offer from UM. He allowed one sack and 12 pressures in 235 pass-blocking snaps.
Per Canesport’s Matt Shodell, UM has called to expressed interest in Vanderbilt offensive lineman Gunnar Hansen, who has started 37 games and can play both guard and tackle.
Safety is a top priority, and Auburn’s Caleb Wooden told Canesport that UM is in the mix for him. He had 41 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble this season. He was targeted eight times in coverage and had a 100.5 passer rating against.
UM also is expected to be one of several suitors for North Carolina State receiver KC Concepcion, who had 71 catches for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns. He would be the ideal successor for NFL-bound Xavier Restrepo.
And as 247 Sports noted, UM is among several schools in the mix for LSU receiver CJ Daniels, who had 42 catches for 480 yards last season after spending four previous seasons at Liberty.
Both Concepcion and Daniels are considered top 12 portal receivers.
3:30 p.m. update: Cornerback Robert Stafford, who played just 31 defensive snaps last season, will enter the portal, per On3.com.
4 p.m. update: Miami of Ohio receiver Reginald Virgil said he has an offer from UM. He caught 41 passes for 816 yards (19.9 per reception) and nine TDs last season. At 6-4, he would give UM size in its receiving core.
5 p.m. update: Per 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz, UM is one of four serious contenders for Kentucky defensive line transfer Keeshawn Silver, a former five-star recruit who has 44 tackles (including three for loss) and a sack for the Wildcats the past two years, after two seasons at North Carolina.
UF, Southern California and Michigan are also in the mix.
At 6-4, 335 pounds, he’s a natural defensive tackle.
▪ UM coach Mario Cristobal, asked his thoughts about this new world of filling a roster with a lot of transfers, has said UM will be selective to fill specific needs where it needs veteran help.
“All years you have to fill holes,” he said. “Sometimes the price point gets to a certain range. I don’t complain about that.... You would love the old way [of development]. The word development is a beautiful word. But now it’s treated as almost a nasty word because development takes time. Guys all want to play now but they all have to buy into development.”
THIS AND THAT
UM running back Damien Martinez announced he will play in the Hurricanes’ bowl game Dec 28 in Orlando against Iowa State. Here’s where things stand with Cam Ward and the Pop Tarts Bowl.
▪ The Canes men’s basketball team, which has lost six in a row to fall to 3-6, will be enormous underdogs when they play No. 3 Tennessee (on ESPN) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
An NBA scout who has watched UM this season said their early season struggles aren’t surprising for this reason: “Unless you have a transcendent talent, which they don’t, it’s hard to get it together early in the season with so many transfers.
“I believe they will be difficult to play in late January, February, because Jim Larranaga is a great coach and they will learn how to play together.”
The scout said the talent isn’t as poor as the record would suggest, in his view.
Among UM’s top experienced wing players (Matthew Cleveland, Nijel Pack and Jalen Blackmon), the scout said Cleveland is the best prospect, though more likely a free agent than draft pick.
“Cleveland has good size and athleticism,” the scout said. “But the next two drafts are really deep.”
He said UM’s top veteran power rotation players — Lynn Kidd and Brandon Johnson — “are good college players” but not pro prospects.
He said five-star freshman guard Jalil Bethea is UM’s best pro prospect, but it’s too soon to know his ceiling.
So far, the season has been a massive disappointment.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 1:03 PM.
