College football spring transfer tracker 2023: Latest CFB portal news, updates
Free agency has come to college football 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.
The 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.
Last offseason saw the movement of several elite, blue-chip players including quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Jordan Addison, both of whom transferred to USC, and the likes of wide receiver Jermaine Burton and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who pledged to Alabama.
Here's your look at the best players that have decided to enter the transfer portal and try their luck with a new school this coming fall.
College football spring transfer tracker 2023: Latest updates, news
Where things stand in the 2023 college football transfer portal
Check back here during transfer portal season to see where college football's top players are heading in 2023
WR Keon Coleman: Michigan State ⟶ Florida State. The wideout had 65 catches for 848 yards and eight touchdowns over two seasons, and boasts experience in basketball, too.
WR Tyler Harrell: Alabama ⟶ Miami. The wideout played in five games for the Tide after transferring from Louisville, but caught just two passes for 18 yards. In his career, Harrell scored six times off 18 catches in 2021, averaging 29 ypc.
QB TJ Finley: Auburn ⟶ Texas State. Earning the starting role last season, Finley threw for 431 yards with a touchdown and four picks before getting pulled.
QB Casey Thompson: Nebraska ⟶ FAU. Last year's starter didn't get to practice this spring and transfer Jeff Sims was in the lead for the job, leaving Thompson with one year left and looking for options. He completed 173 of 274 pass attempts for 2,407 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 10 games with Nebraska last season.
WR Dominick Blaylock: Georgia ⟶ Georgia Tech. The receiver had 15 catches for 227 yards this past season, has two ACL injuries in his past, but brings two years of eligibility.
DT Tywone Malone: Ole Miss ⟶ Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound interior lineman had 10 total stops and a sack last season and also plays baseball.
WR Mycah Pittman: Florida State ⟶ Utah. The one-time Oregon wideout missed spring practice after a hip surgery and could be out 4-6 months as a result, but caught 32 passes for 330 yards and three TDs last season for the Seminoles.
QB Payton Thorne: Michigan State ⟶ Auburn. The former two-year starter and grad transfer passed for nearly 6,500 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career.
QB Ben Bryant: Cincinnati ⟶ Northwestern. The graduate transfer quarterback passed for 2,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while hitting 61.2 percent of his throws and steps into an offense that badly needs a jolt.
OL Matthew Wykoff: Texas A&M ⟶ Cal. An All-SEC center for the Aggies last season who stands at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds with three years left and only allowed one sack last year.
WR Tar'Varish Dawson: Auburn ⟶ Colorado. A former four-star recruit who caught two passes for 30 yards in four games last season.
LB Jaheim Thomas: Cincinnati ⟶ Arkansas. Over 27 games for the Bearcats the last two years, Thomas had 93 stops and 2.5 sacks. He has two years left.
DB Jahquez Robinson: Alabama ⟶ Colorado. The former 4-star prospect from Florida was with the Tide for three seasons, but earned limited playing time on special teams.
WR Lorenzo Styles: Notre Dame ⟶ Ohio State. Over two seasons with the Irish, the wide receiver caught 30 passes for 340 yards and a touchdown in 13 games last year.
DB Damond Harmon: Oklahoma ⟶ ??. The defensive back played 18 games for OU the last two years, posting 22 stops in two starts.
QB Tyler Buchner: Notre Dame ⟶ Alabama. The starter for the Irish to begin last season was in competition with transfer Sam Hartman, but instead elected to reunite with former ND play-caller Tommy Rees and now the Crimson Tide has another big question at quarterback.
Edge Derrick McLendon: Florida State ⟶ Colorado. The redshirt junior had his best season at school yet in 2022, recording 37 tackles and five TFLs, both career-highs.
WR Brenen Thompson: Texas ⟶ Oklahoma. The former top 75 prospect caught just one pass for the Longhorns but presents a ton of after the catch potential with the ball.
WR Montana Lemonious-Craig: Colorado ⟶ Arizona. The wideout had 154 yards in the Buffs' spring game and had 359 yards and scored three times a year ago.
DT Bear Alexander: Georgia ⟶ USC. A high-profile top 100 recruit, the lineman had two sacks last season and played over 150 snaps with the Bulldogs.
TE Var'Keyes Gumms: North Texas ⟶ Arkansas. The receiving end was second on his team in catches and yards and third in TDs and already has big offers from Arkansas, Colorado, Utah, and others.
CB Josh DeBarry: Boston College ⟶ Texas A&M. In four years, the defensive back had four interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 154 total stops.
WR Jordan Hudson: TCU ⟶ SMU. The receiver, a former consensus top 25 at the position in the 2022 recruiting class, played in all 14 games as a true freshman a year ago, finishing with 174 receiving yards.
TE Elijah Brown: Alabama ⟶ ??. The former four-star prospect out of Dayton didn't play in any games last season and has all four years of eligibility remaining.
LB Brenden Grant: Florida State ⟶ Colorado. In four seasons, Grant recorded 112 total tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a pick, two pass breakups, with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
QB Harrison Bailey: UNLV ⟶ Louisville. The former Tennessee transfer is on the move again, in six games for the Rebels completing 51.7 percent of his throws and two touchdowns. He scored twice on 594 yards passing for the Vols before then.
RB Sy'Veon Wilkerson: Jackson State ⟶ ??. The first-team All-SWAC rusher had 1,152 yards and scored 10 touchdowns a season ago.
QB Ben Finley: NC State ⟶ Cal. The quarterback passed for 912 yards in three seasons for the Wolfpack, playing in eight games and posting a 55 percent completion mark. He has three years of eligibility left.
OL Caleb Etienne: Oklahoma State ⟶ BYU. The starting left tackle comes in at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds and was one of two players on offense to start every game in 2022.
LB Desmond Tisdol: Auburn ⟶ ??. In six games on The Plains last season, the 'backer had 12 stops and has 24 games' experience in total.
CB Jalil Tucker: Oregon ⟶ ??. The one-time four-star recruit played in one game for the Ducks a year ago.
OL Cam'Ron Johnson: Houston ⟶ ??. The left guard didn't allow a sack in over 500 blocks and has two years remaining as a redshirt sophomore.
College Football Winter Transfer Tracker
Where we left off
WR Dylan Wright: Minnesota ⟶ TCU. The graduate transfer wide receiver caught 35 passes the last two seasons with 645 total yards in that time.
DL Trill Carter: Minnesota ⟶ Texas. A starter for the Gophers the last two seasons, Carter was All-Big Ten Honorable Mention a year ago after compiling 19 stops and 2.5 sacks.
RB Trey Potts: Minnesota ⟶ Penn State. The tailback ran for 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons and joins an already-loaded rotation at PSU.
DB Jaheim Singletary: Georgia ⟶ Arkansas. The former five-star player and one-time Ohio State commit didn't register a tackle while playing three games this past season. He's a former No. 5 corner and No. 27 prospect in the '22 class.
WR Xavier Weaver: USF ⟶ Colorado. The leading receiver for the Bulls is the next budding star to join Deion Sanders' project, adding a major coup to the Buffaloes' offense. Weaver caught 94 passes for 1,433 yards and nine touchdowns the last two seasons and is top 10 in USF history in catches and yards.
LB Nick Jackson: Virginia ⟶ Iowa. The leader of Virginia's defense the last three seasons, Jackson had 104 combined stops with seven tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and four quarterback hurries this past season, a vocal team leader on and off the field.
CB Davison Igbinosun: Ole Miss ⟶ Ohio State. The corner emerged as one of the nation's most promising in coverage during his freshman year, when he racked up 37 stops and five pass breakups. A big addition for the Buckeyes.
QB Sam Huard: Washington ⟶ Cal Poly. A former five-star recruit, Huard was the backup to Michael Penix this past season, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown in four games as a backup redshirt freshman.
TE Arik Gilbert: Georgia ⟶ Nebraska. Originally a top 5 recruit back in 2020 before initially pledging to LSU, Gilbert never caught on at Georgia after missing a lot of time for undisclosed reasons, catching 2 passes for 16 yards and a touchdown.
WR Dante Cephas: Kent State ⟶ Penn State. An important addition for the Big Ten hopefuls after Cephas emerged as a deep threat the last two years, catching 130 passes for 1,984 yards and scoring 12 times in that span.
QB Jake Garcia: Miami ⟶ Missouri. The quarterback played one game as a true freshman and was backup to Tyler Van Dyke last fall. Garcia was a former 4-star prospect and top 55 national recruit.
QB Walker Howard: LSU ⟶ Ole Miss. Walker is a formerly coveted four-star recruit from St. Thomas More (La.), playing in one regular season game and part of the bowl.
WR Bryson Green: Oklahoma State ⟶ Wisconsin. The receiver had 36 catches for 584 yards and five touchdowns this past season and now joins a Badger offense that's about to open things up more in 2023.
QB Connor Bazelak: Indiana ⟶ Bowling Green. The former Missouri transfer played most of the season as IU's starter, hitting under 60% of his passes in seven games, passing for 13 scores and 10 picks.
WR J. Michael Sturdivant: Cal ⟶ UCLA. The receiver had 65 receptions for 755 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, a notable loss for the Golden Bears.
DL Jordan Burch: South Carolina ⟶ Oregon. A key playmaker and former 5-star edge rusher prospect is heading to the Pac-12. He had 60 stops and 40 quarterback pressures for the Gamecocks this past season and helps replenish a Ducks front seven that lost some notable pieces this year.
WR John Paul Richardson: Oklahoma State ⟶ TCU. The receiver was 2nd on the Cowboys with 49 catches and four touchdowns. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
RB Treshaun Ward: Florida State ⟶ Kansas State. The talented back ran for 628 yards and seven touchdowns while setting an average of 6.6 yards per rushing attempt as part of the Seminoles' productive backfield.
WR Andrel Anthony: Michigan ⟶ Oklahoma. The fourth loss for UM to the transfer portal, Anthony caught 19 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns in 19 games.
WR Dont'e Thornton: Oregon ⟶ Tennessee. The sophomore wideout was fourth on the Ducks in receiving production, catching 17 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown and now lands with a Vol offense that was college football's best most of last season.
QB Malik Hornsby: Arkansas ⟶ Texas State. The redshirt sophomore from Texas played in 15 games over the last two seasons and started his first game this year against LSU. He's 18 of 39 passing in his career with one score and two picks and is known as a skilled runner, adding 307 yards rushing on 52 attempts.
QB Brennan Armstrong: Virginia ⟶ NC State. The fifth-year senior wanted out of UVA after watching his previously brilliant offensive output crater in Tony Elliott's first year as coach. Armstrong had 7 TDs and 12 picks a year after hitting almost 4,500 yards with 31 scores and 10 INTs in 2021.
RB Marshawn Lloyd: South Carolina ⟶ USC. The tailback ran 111 times for 573 yards and nine touchdowns for the Gamecocks this past season, adding 176 yards and two more scores as a versatile receiving threat.
QB Sam Hartman: Wake Forest ⟶ Notre Dame. The quarterback has 12,967 career passing yards with 110 touchdowns, an all-time ACC record, and 41 interceptions and is hoping to boost his NFL Draft profile with one year left of eligibility.
RB Trey Sanders: Alabama ⟶ TCU. The former No. 1 ranked running back as a recruit back in 2019, Sanders has dealt with injuries, playing in nine games for the Crimson Tide this past season, scoring once off 14 carries.
RB Carson Steele: Ball State ⟶ UCLA. A nice pick-up for Chip Kelly and the Bruins at the running back position after Steele ran for 2,447 yards and 20 touchdowns the last two years in the MAC, including a 1,556-yard, 14 TD effort this past fall.
DB Ja'Had Carter: Syracuse ⟶ Ohio State. One of the top 15 players in the transfer market, Carter had 3 INTs this year and a 90-yard fumble return TD, a key play-making presence on what was the No. 2 pass defense in the ACC.
RB Dillon Johnson: Mississippi State ⟶ Washington. Johnson ran for 1,198 yards and 11 touchdowns in the past three seasons, production that will now complement Michael Penix, college football's top passer, for the Huskies next year.
QB Davis Brin: Tulsa ⟶ Georgia Southern. Brin decided to transfer after Tulsa fired head coach Phillip Montgomery. He passed for 2,138 yards in nine games while hitting 59.2% of his passes for 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
QB Grayson McCall: Coastal Carolina ⟶ Back to Coastal Carolina. McCall decided against transferring and withdrew from the portal, enabling the Chanticleers to keep their star quarterback. He's an 8,000-yard passer in three years with 78 touchdown passes and just 8 picks while hitting over 70 percent of his pass attempts.
CB Fentrell Cypress: Virginia ⟶ Florida State. Considered a top five transfer prospect nationally, the corner nicknamed Deuce is coming off a career season in which he earned an 87.8 grade at PFF, marking elite pass coverage and run defense ability, recording 39 tackles and 14 pass breakups.
QB Tanner Mordecai: SMU ⟶ Wisconsin. The former 4-star prospect from Waco has 7,791 career yards with an 8.1 ypa average and 76 touchdowns against 23 interceptions, mostly in two seasons at SMU after transferring from Oklahoma before then. Now he'll help open up the Badgers offense under first-year head coach Luke Fickell.
QB Luke Altmyer: Ole Miss ⟶ Illinois. The quarterback lost out on the starting job to Jaxson Dart, passing for 125 yards and 2 TDs after going for 192 yards and a score last year behind Matt Corral.
QB Jack Plummer: California ⟶ Louisville. The quarterback completed 62.5 percent of his pass attempts this past season, compiling 3,095 yards and throwing 21 touchdowns.
QB Hudson Card: Texas ⟶ Purdue. The quarterback lost the competition to Quinn Ewers coming into this season but still saw action after Ewers' injury, passing for 928 yards and six touchdowns. He has 11 TDs and 2 picks in his career. Now he steps in for the departing Aidan O'Connell to help first-year coach Ryan Walters stabilize the Boilermakers' offense.
WR Chris Marshall: Texas A&M ⟶ Ole Miss. A former five-star prospect, Marshall played in six games with two start for the Aggies in 2022, recording 11 catches for 108 yards in his first season.
QB D.J. Uiagalelei: Clemson ⟶ Oregon State. The former 5-star prospect never fully lived up to his potential as Clemson's starter, despite marginal improvement this past season, and was pulled from the ACC title game after another slow start. A credible dual threat, Uiagalelei has had mixed results, but threw 22 touchdowns with 7 picks in 2022, bound for a Beavers team that won 10 games this fall.
QB Kedon Slovis: Pittsburgh ⟶ BYU. Once again, the quarterback has entered the portal after playing for USC and then Pittsburgh this past season, with 68 career touchdown passes against 33 interceptions. Now he steps into the likely starting role after Jaren Hall announced he'll enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
DB Denver Harris: Texas A&M ⟶ LSU. The former 5-star cornerback had a good initial showing before being suspended for a locker room incident, and now heads to LSU as a transfer with three years of eligibility.
WR Dominic Lovett: Missouri ⟶ Georgia. The sophomore wide receiver was sixth in the SEC with 56 catches and third with 846 receiving yards, scoring three of the team's 12 passing touchdowns on the year.
CB Tony Grimes: North Carolina ⟶ Texas A&M. A highly-touted five-star recruit before signing with UNC, Grimes had 36 tackles, a forced fumble, and seven pass breakups this past season and should be an instant upgrade to the Aggies' defense.
ATH Travis Hunter: Jackson State ⟶ Colorado. The former 5-star player and No. 1 overall recruit in 2022 follows Deion Sanders to the Pac-12 to continue his career. A two-way player, Hunter had 15 tackles and two interceptions and caught 14 passes for 141 yards with two touchdowns.
QB Shedeur Sanders: Jackson State ⟶ Colorado. Playing for his dad, Deion, the younger Sanders had 6,983 passing yards, 70 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while rushing for nine additional scores. Now he re-unites with his father to take on the Pac-12 next season.
QB Mikey Keene: UCF ⟶ Fresno State. Keene hit 72 percent of his throws for 6 touchdowns and 1 pick this season and went 7-3 as starter a year ago with 23 touchdowns and seven INTs in 15 career games with the Knights. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
QB Jeff Sims: Georgia Tech ⟶ Nebraska. A three-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, Sims started the first seven games of this season before injuring his foot. He has 4,464 career passing yards with 30 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
QB Emory Jones: Arizona State ⟶ Cincinnati. Jones landed at ASU from Florida this past season, playing eight games and completing 62.8% of his passes for 1,533 yards with 7 TDs and 4 INTs as a former 4-star top 100 national prospect.
QB Graham Mertz: Wisconsin ⟶ Florida. The quarterback started 32 games in three years at UW, amassing 5,405 yards with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions, going 19-13 as starter, now with two years of eligibility left.
QB J.T. Daniels: West Virginia ⟶ Rice. The former 5-star quarterback will take a chance on a fourth school after playing at USC and Georgia before landing at WVU, where he threw for 2,107 yards and 13 touchdowns this past season.
QB Donovan Smith: Texas Tech ⟶ Houston. In slightly more than 5 games early this past season, Smith had over 1,500 passing yards, scoring 12 times with his arm and 7 more times as a runner.
TE Trey Knox: Arkansas ⟶ South Carolina. The former Razorback had 26 receptions for 296 yards and five touchdowns this past season, emerging as a quality hybrid end/receiver threat.
RB Kobe Pace: Clemson ⟶ Virginia. A top 50 recruit from Georgia two years ago, Pace had 793 rushing yards with 9 touchdowns while adding 192 yards as a receiver with another score.
OL Tommy Brockermeyer: Alabama ⟶ TCU. A former five-star recruit from Texas and considered a highly promising edge blocker, the lineman used his redshirt in his first season, seeing time in two games.
QB Devin Leary: NC State ⟶ Kentucky. Leary was a sought-after commodity in the transfer portal after throwing for over 6,800 career passing yards with 62 touchdowns before a shoulder injury this season, but should be ready by March. He was the only quarterback in college football with at least 35 TDs and 5 or fewer INTs a year ago.
QB Drew Pyne: Notre Dame ⟶ Arizona State. Pyne moved into the starting role after Tyler Buchner's injury, going 8-2 as ND starter and now has three years of eligibility remaining with first-year ASU coach Kenny Dillingham. He hit over 2,000 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
WR Dorian Singer: Arizona ⟶ USC. A major transfer pickup for the Trojans after Singer led the Pac-12 in receiving this past season with 1,105 yards off 66 catches including six touchdown receptions. Notably, the 6-1, 185 pound receiver also had 141 yards and three of those scores against USC.
QB Haynes King: Texas A&M ⟶ Georgia Tech. King won the starting job out of training camp each of the last two years, but an injury intervened in 2021 and he was then benched after two games in 2022, although he would go on to start three games, hitting 55.6% of his throws with 7 TDs and 6 INTs.
WR Jack Bech: LSU ⟶ TCU. The wide receiver announced his intent to transfer after catching 43 passes for 489 yards and 3 touchdowns at LSU this past season and joins a Horned Frogs roster that has made some notable transfer additions.
QB Collin Schlee: Kent State ⟶ UCLA. The quarterback passed for 2,109 yards and 13 touchdowns this past season for the Golden Flashes, and should fit well into Chip Kelly's aggressive offensive scheme in the 2023 season.
WR JoJo Earle: Alabama ⟶ TCU. The consensus 4-star receiver played in 18 games across two seasons with the Crimson Tide, posting 24 career receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.6 yards per catch.
QB Nick Evers: Oklahoma ⟶ Wisconsin. Considered a top 10 quarterback prospect coming out of high school in Texas, Evers has four years of eligibility remaining, giving the Badgers a more dynamic piece to build around as they open up their offense under first-year coach Luke Fickell.
CB Avery Helm: Florida ⟶ TCU. The corner started four games for the Gators early in the year before seeing more limited action, not playing in the final two games of the season. The former 4-star from Texas had a pass breakup.
TE Jaheim Bell: South Carolina ⟶ Florida State. The standout receiving end had 25 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns this year, in addition to 261 yards as a rusher with three more touchdowns on the ground.
WR De'Zhaun Stribling: Washington State ⟶ Oklahoma State. A highly productive receiver with 95 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns the last two years.
WR Theo Wease: Oklahoma ⟶ Missouri. The now-former Oklahoma wide receiver was a five-star recruit according to Rivals and a consensus top 25 overall prospect by most services, catching 19 passes for 378 yards and 4 TDs this season, and had 1,044 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career.
WR Keagan Johnson: Iowa ⟶ Kansas State. The receiver, a former top 20 ranked athlete prospect, spent two seasons with the Hawkeyes, catching 20 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, both scores coming in 2021.
RB Jaylan Knighton: Miami ⟶ SMU. In three seasons with the Hurricanes, the back amassed 1,193 total yards rushing and scored 10 touchdowns. Now he'll seek to balance out an SMU offense that was 6th in passing and 12th in scoring in 2022.
QB Jacolby Criswell: North Carolina ⟶ Arkansas. A former four-star prospect from Arkansas and a top 20 quarterback recruit nationally, Criswell returns home after backing up Drake Maye and is considered a top 10 quarterback in the transfer portal market.
TE Austin Stogner: South Carolina ⟶ Oklahoma. Part of the package deal that transferred to Carolina from OU with Spencer Rattler last offseason, now Stogner is headed back to the Sooners after catching 20 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown with the Gamecocks.
TE McCallan Castles: UC Davis ⟶ Tennessee. In three seasons, the receiving end had 69 catches for 928 yards and nine touchdowns, scoring twice off 30 receptions and 347 yards this past season, moving into a Vols offense that relies on its tight ends.
QB Zach Calzada: Auburn ⟶ Incarnate Word. Calzada didn't play this past season after transferring in from Texas A&M. He went 6-4 as A&M starter, passing for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns.
QB Phil Jurkovec: Boston College ⟶ Pittsburgh. The quarterback started 24 games at BC and showed flashes when healthy, but hasn't played since late October with knee and rib injuries. A dual threat, Jurkovec has 5,405 yards with 37 TD passes.
RB Christian Turner: Wake Forest ⟶ Indiana. Turner ran for over 1,000 yards combined the last two seasons after transferring to Wake from Michigan back in 2020. He had 516 yards this past season and 506 the year before.
QB Cade McNamara: Michigan ⟶ Iowa. The quarterback helped revive Michigan's fortunes last season, helping lead the program to its first College Football Playoff berth, throwing for over 2,500 yards with 15 scores and 6 picks before losing the job to J.J. McCarthy early in 2022 and then suffering a leg injury that needed surgery. We'll see if he can resurrect Iowa's moribund passing offense.
QB Alex Padilla: Iowa ⟶ SMU. Despite sitting behind Spencer Petras, the backup appeared in two games this year, losses to Ohio State and Nebraska, and in his Hawkeye career has three TD passes and four interceptions.
QB Hank Bachmeier: Boise State ⟶ Louisiana Tech. The Broncos' four-year starter at quarterback has over 6,000 career passing yards with 41 touchdowns and 19 picks and should have two years of eligibility left.
LB Justin Wright: Tulsa ⟶ Oklahoma State. The linebacker had 101 tackles with 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two intercepted passes this season.
RB Byron Cardwell: Oregon ⟶ Cal. In two years with the Ducks, the former 4-star prospect was set to take a larger role after playing well as a true freshman after CJ Verdell's injury in 2021, but Cardwell played in just two games this season, running for a touchdown on 11 attempts.
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