The transfer portal has completely taken over college football. Teams like TCU have essentially built the core of their roster through the portal. It has essentially become free agency in the college football world. Every year, countless players rise through the draft rankings at their new schools. In the PAC-12, there are some transfers at new schools who could find themselves surging up 2023 NFL draft rankings. Here are three guys to watch on the West Coast in 2023.
Ajani Cornelius, Oregon Ducks (Via Rhode Island), OT
Dan Lanning has made it a point to upgrade the trenches ever since he took over after the 2021 season. Ajani Cornelius is sure to help in that department. Standing at a massive 6-4 and 315 pounds, Cornelius has the requisite size and strength to hold up at the next level. Cornelius was one of the most sought after transfers this off-season, and Oregon was able to win him over despite countless schools coming after him extremely hard.
A little-known prospect, he is sure to see an uptick in NFL draft stock with the transfer to Oregon and the PAC-12. The Ducks have fostered a great offensive line culture in recent years and Cornelius appears to be the next Oregon offensive lineman to find themselves playing on Sundays.
MarShawn Lloyd, USC Trojans (Via South Carolina), RB
Lincoln Riley has built a reputation as one of the best run designers in the country. Adding a player of MarShawn Lloyd’s caliber to his backfield should make for some impressive numbers in 2023. Lloyd is one of the countless players to depart from the Gamecocks this off-season.
This was a player who contributed for the Gamecocks despite not touching the ball as much as he would have liked. Lloyd only had 129 touches during the entire 2022 campaign and still managed over five yards per carry. Adding a threat like this to Lincoln Riley’s offense is sure to raise his draft stock quite a bit.
Patrick McMorris, Cal Golden Bears (Via San Diego State), SAF
The California Golden Bears have built a reputation within the PAC-12 of having one of the better defenses. This off-season, they added a notable transfer in cornerback Patrick McMorris. McMorris is a 6-0, 210 pound safety who is transferring in from San Diego State.
McMorris is sure to get more attention from the NFL now that he is playing on Cal’s defense. In the Mountain West Conference, McMorris was the 2022 Co- Defensive Player of the Year. Had he declared for the draft in 2023, he likely would have been invited to All-Star events such as the Senior Bowl and Shrine Game.