Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
This week we take a position-by-position look at which teams might be the biggest buyers when the transfer portal opens next month. Up next are the defensive linemen.
MORE IN THIS SERIES: Which program needs to buy a QB? | RB | WR/TE | OL
MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer Team Ranking | Football Player Ranking | Basketball Player Ranking
MICHIGAN
The Wolverines are likely losing defensive linemen Josaiah Stewart, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant after this season and they’ll need to make up for the lost production somehow.
Look for Michigan to use the portal like it did when it brought in Stewart a few years ago. His arrival in Ann Arbor positively impacted other defensive linemen because of the attention he drew from the offense and allowed them the chance to develop into difference makers.
OLE MISS
Ole Miss worked very hard to land Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen out of the transfer portal last year but both of those standouts will be gone after this season so the Rebels will need to replace them.
There isn’t anybody on their roster or in the last recruiting class that would be able to fill those shoes so the transfer portal is where Ole Miss will have to look.
OREGON
Jordan Burch and Derrick Harmon are likely off to the NFL once this season concludes and that will give Oregon’s talented young defensive linemen the chance to shine. Thanks to his time at Georgia, head coach Dan Lanning knows the value of a dominant defensive front so don’t be surprised when Oregon makes a big push to land top defensive linemen from the transfer portal.
