The college football transfer portal saw an influx of commitments over the weekend and it appears that the landscape of the sport is set to forever be changed this week. Former South Carolina RB Mario Anderson is a marquee name in the portal since he quietly entered the realm this past week.
Now, Anderson’s top four schools ahead of his ultimate decision dominate today’s transfer portal rumors.
Transfer Portal Rumors: Mario Anderson’s Top Four
Anderson will serve as a big-name get for any school that secures his commitment. That’s largely why he was seen receiving offer after offer, per his social media.
On Monday, Anderson appears to have narrowed down his future school to four choices:
- Oklahoma Sooners
- USC Trojans
- Memphis Tigers
- Cal Golden Bears
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
A redshirt senior, Anderson will be transferring to his next school with one year of eligibility and with hopes to improve his eventual NFL Draft stock. In one season with South Carolina, Anderson ran for 707 yards and three touchdowns, splitting time in the backfield, but flashing with his 4.9 yards per carry despite some lackluster blocking in front of him.
Anderson Transfers for Second Time in Two Years
Hailing from Newberry, Anderson entered the portal a year ago and played his most recent season at South Carolina. He was a coveted back in the portal during the 2023 cycle and chose South Carolina over a bevy of schools.
In 2022, Anderson torched defenses for 1,560 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, improving on his 1,233 yards and 12 touchdowns from the year prior.
During three seasons at Newberry, Anderson ran the ball 513 times for 3,296 yards and a whopping 35 touchdowns.
At 5’9″ and 208 pounds, Anderson’s bruising style is physically imposing but hides his real skill: speed. Anderson is one of the toughest players to take down in the open field.
Where’s Anderson Transferring?
Looking at his final four schools, all of them jump out as likely landing spots.
Oklahoma returns Gavin Sawchuk as their leading rusher from a year ago, but emerging talent Tawee Walker has since entered the portal himself. Walker and Sawchuk combined for 15 touchdowns on the ground with Sawchuk taking the reigns late in the season.
As MarShawn Lloyd and Austin Jones will enter the 2024 NFL Draft, USC loses both leading rushers from a season ago. Without Caleb Williams in 2024, the Trojans will look to replace their top three backs in terms of yards and scores.
The Trojans also boast a USC-to-USC pipeline in the fact that Lloyd transferred to Southern California from South Carolina just last season.
Memphis took on a transfer running back in Blake Watson a season ago and he blossomed into a full-fledged national name. Cal moves into the ACC in 2024 but does boast rising junior Jaydn Ott as the bellcow of the backfield.
Anderson’s commitment signifies one of the biggest moments in the transfer portal this offseason. His place on his next team’s roster will be a pivotal piece in each conference race in 2024.
Now that we know his top four, Anderson’s commitment could also trigger an avalanche of commitments at the running back position.