College football transfer portal: Wide receivers highlight this week's biggest commitments
College football now has something equivalent to a free agency period thanks to the new transfer portal, and up to now a few thousand players have already taken advantage, with many more on the move leading up to the 2023 season.
The spring transfer window opened on April 15, lasting for 15 days until the end of the month and follows what was an active winter window after the national championship game.
That first wave of transfers included some high-profile names making a move including quarterbacks like Cade McNamara, who departed Michigan for Iowa, and DJ Uiagalelei, who left Clemson for a shot at Oregon State.
But plenty more players have been making their declarations known in the weeks and months since then, and this week saw the dust settle on more high-profile players in the transfer portal as we come closer to putting a wrap on the spring window.
Here's your look at where the most important remaining players in the college football transfer portal are heading as their commitments are made public.
Montana Lemonious-Craig
Position: Wide receiver
Where he was: Colorado
Where he went: Arizona
Need to know: One of the better players to leave Deion Sanders' program via the portal, the wide receiver stays in the Pac-12 with two years of eligibility remaining. In his first year as a starter, the wideout led the Buffaloes with 23 receptions and was second-best with 359 receiving yards, scoring three touchdowns in 12 games. MLC shined in Colorado's spring game, catching three balls for 154 yards.
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Jordan Hudson
Position: Wide receiver
Where he was: TCU
Where he went: SMU
Need to know: Another key addition for the Mustangs' already-impressive transfer portal class, the Garland (Tex.) product was a one-time commit to SMU and now returns after covering 174 yards off 14 catches and three touchdowns. Hudson brings three years of eligibility remaining coming into this fall.
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Shane Hooks
Position: Wide receiver
Where he was: Jackson State
Where he went: Auburn
Need to know: A former Ole Miss pledge, Hooks is coming back to the SEC West to team up with incoming transfer quarterback Payton Thorne in his final year of college eligibility. He scored five times off 26 passes at Ohio and then twice more for Deion Sanders before taking a huge jump last fall, leading JSU with 66 catches for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Harrison Bailey
Position: Quarterback
Where he was: UNLV
Where he went: Louisville
Need to know: Now at his third school, the quarterback hit almost 52 percent of his throws a year ago as he becomes Louisville's third transfer at the position for first-year head coach Jeff Brohm. When at Tennessee, the signal caller had four touchdowns and two interceptions with 578 yards passing.
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Joey Gatewood
Position: Tight end
Where he was: UCF
Where he went: Louisville
Need to know: At his fourth school and his third different position on the field, Gatewood played some quarterback at Auburn and Kentucky before landing at UCF where he moved to wide receiver but didn't play any snaps. Now moving to tight end, the incoming Cardinal has seven all-purpose TDs in his career.
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Mikel Barkley
Position: Wide receiver
Where he was: Toledo
Where he went: Fresno State
Need to know: The wideout had eight catches in 15 games with TCU after beginning his college football career at Palomar College in California, and last season caught 22 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns in five starts for the Rockets.
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