College Baseball Transfer Portal 2024 Winners And Losers

Image credit: LSU coach Jay Johnson (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

With the 2024 transfer cycle all but wrapped up, there has been time to sit back and dissect the transfer classes—and departures—of various programs. This cycle was arguably the craziest yet, as thousands of players opted to hit the portal. Somehow, though, the dust has finally settled and there will be plenty of notable players donning new jerseys when Opening Day rolls around in February.

LSU

Like they seem to do each summer, head coach Jay Johnson and his staff once again put together a loaded transfer class. Former UC San Diego righthander Anthony Eyanson (6-2, 3.07 ERA) will compete for the Friday night starter job, while Daniel Dickinson (.367/.469/.661) and his exciting skill set will hit in the top-third of the order. In addition to Eyanson, righthanders Jacob Mayers (5-1, 4.58 ERA) and Deven Sheerin (6-5, 4.76 ERA) both possess big-time stuff. They could end up in the Tigers’ weekend rotation when all is said and done.

The X-factor of LSU’s transfer class is righthander Zac Cowan (10-2, 3.35 ERA). An advanced strike-thrower and innings eater, Cowan brings a low heartbeat and track record of success to Baton Rouge. Between a revamped pitching staff and added firepower to its lineup, LSU’s latest portal haul will have it competing for a national championship.

Tennessee

Quality over quantity is the name of the game here for Tennessee, which brought in a trio of high-profile transfers to help defend its title. The Volunteers have plenty of production to replace from this year’s national championship team. Former Duke and Ole Miss infielder Andrew Fischer will help in that regard. The powerful lefthanded hitter hit .285/.397/.643 with 10 doubles, 20 home runs and 57 RBIs in 55 games. Fischer figures to slot into the heart of Tennessee’s order and once again has 20+ home run upside. Joining Fischer in Knoxville is fellow former Rebel Liam Doyle. Doyle this spring struck out a career-high 84 and walked just 21 across 55 innings.

Finally, Gavin Kilen makes his way to Tennessee by way of Louisville. He projects to be the Vols’ everyday second baseman while hitting at—or near—the top of the lineup. Kilen this spring hit a career-high .330/.361/.591 with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 41 RBIs.

Texas A&M

Texas A&M could be viewed as a portal winner simply for retaining Gavin Grahovac, Jace LaViolette, etc. The fact that it also brought in perhaps the deepest transfer class in the country is a big-time cherry on top. Former Long Beach State southpaw Myles Patton (4-3, 3.26 ERA) rounds out what figures to be an all-lefthander weekend rotation, as he joins a pair of potential day one draft picks in Ryan Prager (9-1, 2.95 ERA)—who was drafted in the third round last month but opted to return to Aggieland—and rising junior Shane Sdao (5-1, 2.96 ERA).

First-year head coach Michael Earley will have immense depth at the catcher position. He welcomes the trio of Jacob Galloway (.286/.386/.451), Jamal George (.316/.409/.546) and Connor Harrison (.322/.410/.541) to College Station. All three are viable options behind the dish, but expect Harrison to be the No. 1 guy. Earley will also have plenty of power on the corners thanks to third baseman Wyatt Henseler (.360/.465/.755, 22 home runs) and first baseman Gavin Kash (.300/.365/.561, 15 home runs). Both profile as middle-of-the-order bats and their skill sets will translate well in Blue Bell Park. After being one win from their first-ever national championship this season, the Aggies are squarely in the mix to dogpile in Omaha next June.

Georgia

2024 SEC Coach of the Year Wes Johnson and his staff put in serious work this offseason, landing a dozen new portal additions. It’s the perfect blend of experience and exciting, young talent, as well as a nice balance of pitching and position players. On the position player side, infielder Ryan Black stands out. Following a fantastic freshman campaign, Black took a bit of a step back this spring but still laced 29 extra-base hits. He has advanced contact skills and a knack for being on the barrel. Black figures to hit in the top-half of the Bulldogs’ lineup.

Also on the position player side, rising sophomore Daniel Jackson projects to be Georgia’s everyday backstop after hitting .358/.460/.599 last spring with 10 doubles, 12 home runs and 69 RBIs in 56 games. Veteran outfielder Robbie Burnett will be a stalwart in the Bulldogs’ lineup. Across three seasons at UNC-Asheville he hit .339/.450/.623 with 27 doubles, 36 home runs and 113 RBIs.

Georgia returns most of its starting pitching from last season, so adding bullpen depth was the focus of this summer’s transfer cycle. The trio of Davis Chastain (1-3, 8.37 ERA), Brian Curley (6-0, 2.87 ERA) and Alton Davis II (4-2, 5.61 ERA) all project to log their fair share of innings out of the ‘pen this spring. Georgia was one win from going to the College World Series this season. Its loaded transfer class will look to guide it to Omaha next spring for the first time since 2008.

Arkansas

The Razorbacks—as they are each season—will be poised for a run to Omaha. Their latest transfer class is a key reason why. Replacing last year’s rotation that included Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and Mason Molina is almost impossible, but adding the dynamic lefthanded duo of Landon Beidelschies (6-7, 4.15 ERA) and Zach Root (6-2, 3.56 ERA) certainly helps. Both possess an impressive combination of strikes and stuff and will headline Arkansas’ rotation.

Rising sophomore Camden Kozeal (.284/.349/.439) will slot somewhere on the dirt—most likely at second base—after a strong freshman season at Vanderbilt. Charles Davalan (.288/.413/.514) is in line to be the team’s everyday center fielder. Former division-II standout Carson Boles (.475/.572/.863) will be in the mix to earn meaningful reps after posting a video game-esque season at Lincoln Memorial. Michael Anderson and Rocco Peppi provide experience and pop to the lineup, and the hitterish Logan Maxwell (.335/.447/.482) could be slotted in anywhere in the order. Following a shocking regional loss this past June, the Razorbacks will be playing with an extra chip on their shoulder this season.

Losers

Miami (FL)

It was a transfer cycle to forget for first-year head coach J.D. Arteaga, who saw a litany of Hurricanes find new homes. On offense, both Blake Cyr (.284/.397/.537) and Jason Torres (.331/.385/.529) leave a gaping hole in Miami’s lineup. Antonio Jimenez’ back of the baseball card (.182/.300/.313) is modest, but he can really pick it at shortstop and leaves Miami in limbo up the middle. Lefthanders Ashton Crowther and Chris Scinta both logged meaningful innings this spring, while freshman J.T. Caruso transferred closer to home to Connecticut. Like East Carolina, the losses of the players above will be enhanced due to the talent lost in the draft. It was a tough 2024 for the ‘Canes, and there is a chance 2025 isn’t much better.

Ole Miss

Speaking of transfer cycles to forget, Ole Miss saw over a dozen players hit the portal. On top of losing Fischer and Doyle—both mentioned to Tennessee above—the Rebels also saw a number of additional arms depart the program. Wes Mendes (2-1, 6.82 ERA) is the most notable of the group, but Grayson Saunier (4-3, 5.64 ERA) leaves the rotation without much depth. J.T. Quinn (1-3, 8.84 ERA) has a chance to really help Georgia out if he recaptures the flashes he showed in 2022. Outfielder Treyson Hughes announced he was transferring for the second time in as many seasons after playing 50 games for the Rebels.

Ole Miss won the national championship—its first in program history—in 2022, but it has not made a regional since. The pressure is on in Oxford, and heading into the 2025 season without their most talented player on each side of the baseball does not bode well for the Rebels.

Louisville

Between the draft, players graduating and the portal, it was a difficult offseason for Louisville. When honing in solely on the portal, though, the Cardinals lost potential top-two round draft pick Gavin Kilen (.330/.361/.591) to Tennessee and everyday outfielder Isaac Humphrey (.310/.412/.565—who was fresh off a career year—to Ole Miss. When you combine that with the fact they lost nearly 80 innings on the mound—228 if you include the losses of Sebastian Gongora and Evan Webster—you’re looking at a Louisville team with a plethora of holes to fill before February rolls around.

East Carolina

The Pirates endured a tough portal cycle that ended with them losing their two most exciting underclass talents in lefthanded pitcher Zach Root (6-2, 3.56 ERA) and outfielder Bristol Carter (.346/.406/.440). In today’s game, retaining top talent is imperative for schools that don’t fall into the “power five” conference bucket, so it was tough to see ECU lose both Carter and Root. While two players might not seem like a lot when compared to other schools, both were high-impact players for the Pirates. Their departures are exacerbated by how much talent was lost to the draft. Head coach Cliff Godwin has done an outstanding job in Greenville, but there is no doubt he has his work cut out for him in 2025.

Indiana State

To no fault of its own, Indiana State saw a mass exodus after former head coach Mitch Hannahs took the same job at South Florida. Nearly every major contributor from the 2023 and 2024 regional teams is now gone, and new head coach Tracy Archuleta is tasked with rebuilding the Sycamores and maintaining their reputation as a mid-major powerhouse. It might not happen in year one of the “Archuleta Era,” but expect Indiana State to regain its footing and uphold its reputation as one of the most dangerous programs in the region.