The quarterback battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz at Ohio State is reportedly neck and neck, and while I think no matter who wins, Sayin will most likely remain a Buckeye. However, he could want to get paid and start elsewhere if he feels like he’s going to lose (especially with the Tennessee job open).
Bryson Washington was one of the most productive backs in the country last season at Baylor. In 2023, Washington flipped his commitment from Baylor to SMU, and there have been some rumors about him possibly returning to Dallas. If Washington entered, he’d get a big-time payday, so I don’t think this is out of the question.
Similar to Sayin, Novosad is in an intense quarterback battle at Oregon against Dante Moore. It’s worth mentioning again that Tennessee is actively looking for a starter, which would give Novosad more reason to leave Oregon so that he could start at a big-time program. If Novosad feels like he’s losing the battle in Eugene, I think he could leave before the spring window closes.
There were some heavy Jayce Brown portal rumors when the college football season ended, but Brown outspokenly denied that he ever considered entering. While I don’t know if that’s true, there are plenty of WR-needy teams in CFB right now, and if the right offer comes, it wouldn’t be wild for Brown to enter.
With Nico Iamaleava out of Tennessee, I think there’s a chance we’ll see some of the Vols’ skill players leave as well. If Mike Matthews is worried about his production falling off amid the quarterback uncertainty in Knoxville, I think he could leave and go to a program with an elite quarterback like the one he just lost.
