Minnesota Transfer Portal News 2023
The transfer portal has transformed college football as we know it. Since its official implementation and inception in 2018, the portal has become a beast. With thousands of D1 names already entered since things went live on December 1st and thousands upon thousands of names entered from all ranks of collegiate football, the act of transferring has now become as common as an occurrence as staying at your original school, and we’re seeing horror stories of prospects on their third, fourth, and even fifth program since entering the college ranks. However, I choose to lean on the positives of the portal, which gives the athletes agency and independence in their collegiate football journey, which is now an undisputable business at the D1 levels, and I absolutely cannot get enough of prospects transferring up a level to find success after decorated careers at a lower level program, something our Golden Gophers have done a very good job of hitting at under PJ Fleck. With the portal acting as a sometimes overwhelming tool in the evolving college football world, I really find it beneficial to track, categorize, and eventually report on Minnesotans entering the transfer portal during the opening and closing of the individual cycles. With the New Years about to kick off, now is as good of a time as any to break down, highlight, and check in on some Minnesota-born-and-bred college football prospects who have entered the transfer portal since December 1st. Tons of storylines, transfer-up-a-level recruits, and productive, large, and talented Minnesotans to report on. Dig in below in this FREE PrepRedzoneMN transfer portal report.
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Ben McNaboe (Rogers) DE. 6’3, 245 lbs. Transferring from North Dakota
High School: As a senior at Rogers, McNaboe posted 76 tackles (53 solo), 17 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and a FF to earn All-Conference honors. As a senior, he tallied 65 tackles (45 solo), 10 TFLs, two sacks, a defensive TD, and a fumble recovery as a junior.
College: Originally signed to Minnesota as a PWO and played in two games for the Golden Gophers before transferring to Grand Forks as a sophomore. Earned 2021 MVFC All-Newcomer Team and 2022 MVFC All-Conference Second Team honors with the Fighting Hawks. In 2021 as a sophomore with UND, McNaboe appeared in 10 games and started 5, posted 19 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, an INT, a QB hurry, and a PBU. As a junior in 2022, he started 12 games and finished the year with 35 tackles (22 solo), 13 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, four QB hurries, and a FF against Nebraska. In 2023, McNaboe posted 19 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 6 QB hurries, and a blocked kick in 8 games of action.
Current recruitment: Entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer with a year of eligibility remaining. has received offers from Robert Morris, Northern Iowa, Murray State, Stephen F. Austin, and Incarnate Word. No commitment announcement yet!
Cole Hentges (Sartell-St. Stephen) QB. 6′, 205 lbs. Transferred from UMary to UND (PWO)
High School: 2023 graduate of Sartell-St. Stephen. Threw for over 2,000 yards and 19 TDs as a senior with Sartell-St. Stephen. Was a four-year starter – three with a Wing-T offense and one in the Air Raid – and finished his 22-game starting career with 3,072 yards and 31 TDs on a 59% completion clip. Rushed for 511 yards and 10 TDs as well. Earned All-District, District Offensive POY, Team MVP, Team Outstanding Offensive Player, All-Section, and a Mr. Football nomination as a senior in 2022. Holds eight school records and is #2 All-Time in total offensive yards, #3 in both career passing yards and career completions, and #4 in passing TDs and total TDs.
College: Committed to the University of Mary out of high school. Redshirted and didn’t record any stats. Entered the transfer portal in mid-November with four years of eligibility.
Current recruitment: Visited Grand Forks, earned a PWO, and committed to the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota in early December. Has four years of eligibility remaining.
Bryce Boyd (Holy Angels) WR. 6’4, 210 lbs. Transferring from the University of St. Thomas
High School: Two-sport athlete and standout at AHA. Wideout who helped the Stars qualify for state on the gridiron and earned academic All-Conference honors. Named Team MVP on the hardwood as a hooper as well. Held offers from Bemidji State, Southwest MN State, St. John’s, and St. Thomas out of high school before shutting it down with the Tommies.
College: In 22 games of action with UST, Boyd completed a pass for 36 yards and a TD, caught 21 passes for 287 yards and a TD, and posted two tackles. He entered the portal on December 1st with two years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers.
Edmund Ocansey Jr. (Champlin Park) DB. 6′, 180 lbs. Transferring from North Dakota
High School: Had a good career with the Champlin Park Rebels as he finished with 55 tackles, nine forced fumbles, six interceptions, and four touchdowns in his career. Named All-Conference as a junior. Also held offers from St. Thomas, St. John’s, UMary, PWO track offer from Colorado State and North Dakota.
College: Redshirted in 2021 as a freshman. Appeared in 11 games with eight starts as a redshirt freshman in 2022, recorded 20 tackles and 3 PBUs, and was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team for his efforts. In 2023, posted 23 tackles, 5 PBUs, and a QB hurry in 12 games of action. Entered the transfer portal on December 1st with two years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers.
Jakari Hunnecook (Minneapolis Patrick Henry) WR. Transferring from St. John’s University
High School: 2020 graduate of Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School in the 612. Played WR, RB, and DB and committed to SJU after a decorated multi-year starting career for the Patriots.
College: Played four seasons with the Johnnies and didn’t record any stats during that time. Entered the transfer portal on December 1st with two years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Hasn’t reported any interest or offers.
Jordan Titus (Hutchinson) DT. 6’1, 311 lbs. Transferred from the University of St. Thomas to MSU-Mankato.
High School: Lynchpin of some very competitive Hutchinson Tiger squads during his prep career. 3x All-Conference, All-District, and helped Hutch to a state semifinal finish. Named Preseason All-Metro by Kare11 and also won the conference championship in the shot put. Held offers from UMary, Augustana, SMSU, St. John’s, Northern State, Bemidji State, Sioux Falls, Minnesota-Duluth, Concordia-St. Paul, MSU-Mankato, and St. Thomas out of high school.
College: In 19 games of action as a Tommie, Titus posted 23 tackles and a TFL through three seasons of experience. Entered the transfer portal on December 1st with two years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Grabbed offers from MSU-Mankato And Concordia-St. Paul after entering the portal. Committed to the NSIC powerhouse Mavericks on December 23rd.
Jimmy Buck (Orono) WR. 6’4, 210 lbs. Transferring from St. John’s University
High School: A supremely athletic Orono Spartan product, Buck accepted a PWO to the Minnesota Gophers over a PWO from Wake Forest and an FCS offer from Lafayette College. The big-bodied pass-catcher set school records in single-game receiving yards (216) and career receiving yards (1,420) and posted a decorated prep career with Orono that included 56 catches for 1,070 yards and 11 TDs as a senior. He was named to the MN All-Star Game, Academic All-State, First Team All-District, Second Team All-State, and Second Team All-Metro.
College: After a redshirt and redshirt freshman year in Dinkytown, Buck transferred to the distinguished St. John’s University, a common landing place for high-level but in-between MN bounceback talent. In his first year with the Johnnies in 2021, Buck tallied 33 catches for 551 yards and 7 TDs. As a redshirt junior in 2022, Buck turned things up a notch and caught 68 passes for 899 yards and 8 TDs, but sadly 2023 was a disappointment as he finished the fall with 2 catches for 21 yards in 5 games. He was a 2021 All-MIAC Second Team pick and bumped it up to an All-MIAC First Team selection in 2022. The Allstate Good Works Team pick entered his name in the transfer portal on December 1st with a year of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Offers from FCS Pioneer League competitor Stetson University and DII University of New Haven and Bentley University have rolled in since Buck entered his name in the transfer portal.
Jalen Travis (Delasalle) OT. 6’9, 315 lbs. Transferring from Princeton
High School: Coming out of the 612 private school ranks, Travis was Delasalle’s football, basketball, and Male Athlete of the Year, which should come to no one’s surprise given his bloodlines. The brother of Reid and Jonah Travis – who played D1 basketball, Jonah at Harvard and Reid at Stanford and Kentucky – not to mention his cousin Ross, a former basketball player at Penn State who switched to football and became an NFL TE, the youngest Travis is heading for bright lights on Sundays and is one of an impressive amount of Minnesotans to make it big at the Ivy League level of athletics. Travis was a 2x captain, district lineman of the year, Minnesota All-Star Game selection, and First Team All-State pick.
College: After his first year of college football was canceled in 2020 due to COVID, Travis came out of the gates swinging and contributed to Princeton’s OL was the center point to a #1 ranking in Ivy League scoring, second in passing offense and passing efficiency, and third in total offense. In 2022 he started at OT for the Ivy’s #1 passing attack and #2 scoring offense, and in 2023 he started six games as well. He’s been awarded Second-Team All-Ivy in 2022 by both Phil Steele and Blue Bloods. Things started to really gain steam on the NFL front for Travis going into the season, as he was named to the Senior Bowl’s watchlist and has been graded as a draftable and potentially Day 2 or Day 3 NFL OT. However, he elected to raise his college stock and enter the transfer portal as a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. Now, he’s the most highly-touted and sought-after Minnesotan in the transfer portal this cycle.
Current recruitment: As mentioned, Travis is now the most popular and highest-ranked Minnesotan in the transfer portal for this cycle, and since entering his name around a month ago, he’s earned offers from Iowa State, Rutgers, Kansas, Duke, Houston, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Arizona State. He’s going be playing big-time P5 ball next fall.
Tyson Schilling (Henry Sibley(Two Rivers)/Cretin-Derham Hall) WR. 5’11, 175 lbs. Transferred from Mississippi State to Texas A&M-Commerce
High School: It’s been a heckuva ride for 651 product Tyson Schilling. The big-play wideout transferred from Henry Sibley – now Two Rivers High School – to Cretin-Derham Hall, where he had an explosive and eye-catching senior season that turned him into a very popular name on the recruiting trail. Despite a healthy list of offers, Schilling elected to bet on himself and take the route of a #JUCOPRODUCT, and he committed to Iowa Western CC over offers from Iowa Central CC, Southwest MN State, St. Thomas, University of Jamestown, Concordia-St. Paul, UMary, Judson, Minnesota-Crookston.
College: After a brief stint in Council Bluffs, Iowa with JUCO powerhouse Iowa Western, Schilling transferred and committed to East Los Angeles Community College, which was featured in a later season of esteemed Netflix series “Last Chance U.” After settling in Cali and healing up from a torn meniscus and strained ACL, Schilling tore up the JUCO ranks, earning some NJCAA All-American nods and eventually earning roster spots from three FCS Pioneer League competitors, a PWO from USC, an offer from Western Kentucky, a prospective visit to Idaho State, and a PWO from Mississippi State, the last of which he ended up committing too. However, after a year in Starkville, he entered his name in the portal.
Current recruitment: Earned a PWO from Florida International and an offer from FCS Texas A&M University-Commerce after entering the portal, with TAMUC earning his commitment to on December 20th. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Dylan Fischer (Burnsville) LS/ATH. 6’2, 220 lbs. Transferring from Alcorn State
High School: Accomplished weight lifter at Burnsville who also put together a nice career on the gridiron for the Blaze as a LB and long-snapper. Earned PWOs from Southwest MN State and Alcorn State before committing to the Braves to play FCS ball. Earned First Team All-District and Special Teams MVP award as a senior.
College: Redshirted and spent another year with Alcorn State before announcing his intent to enter his name in the transfer portal in late November. Played in three games throughout his career. Has three years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Has earned a PWO from Idaho and an offer from Albany State since entering the transfer portal.
Colton Gregersen (Burnsville) DE. 6’2, 235 lbs. Transferring from Minnesota
High School: One of the hardest hitters and most fearsome linebackers in MN coming out of high school, Gregersen recorded 100 tackles, 18 TFLs, 10.5 sacks, three blocked kicks, 700+ yards of offense and 7 TDs as a senior with the Blaze, earning Preseason All-Metro, Academic All-State, All-District First Team, Team MVP, and District Defensive MVP, plus he was named to the MN All-Star Game on the South roster. Also played hockey and set the Burnsville record with 240 hits. Named All-Conference in hockey as a senior as well. He earned a Gophers PWO late in the recruiting process and picked the U of M over a PWO from Iowa State and offers from St. Thomas, Presbyterian College, Valparaiso, Southwest MN State, Northern State, and UMary. Also, set Burnsville records for blocked kicks and career sacks.
College: Redshirted in 2022. Wasn’t on the Gophers roster in 2023. On November 29th, he entered his name in the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Has earned offers from Indiana State and North Dakota in early December. Would be an excellent addition to the mighty Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Charlie Wilson (Woodbury) WR. 6’2, 210 lbs. Transferring from Hamline University
High School: Three-sport athlete for the Woodbury Royals who was named All-Conference in football. Also competed in basketball and track & field. Also held an offer from Minnesota-Crookston (RIP) out of high school.
College: One of my favorite and most intriguing transfers during this budding 2023-24 cycle, Wilson is arguably the best WR in Hamline’s storied history and one of the best players I’ve seen in my lifetime as a MIAC competitor and superfan. Fresh off a senior season in which the 6’2, 220 lber. posted the best pass-catching season in Pipers history, racking up 77 receptions for 1,221 yards and 18 TDs, all of which were single-season school records. He was named All-Conference and All-Region Third Team for his efforts and is a heckuva potential conclusion to a decorated MIAC career that has posted 191 receptions, 2,437 yards, and 31 TDs in his 30 career games, two First Team All-Conference picks, and an All-Conference Honorable Mention nod as well. He’s got one year of eligibility remaining and entered his name in the transfer portal during that opening announcement weekend of transfers leading up to December 1st.
Current recruitment: The PRzMN Showcase is good for many of things, one of which is to temporarily satisfy my MIAC football craving, and with many MIAC coaches in attendance to both work and scout the event, I can’t help but start talking about some D3 ball. Word on the street is that credits, graduation timing, or some sort of other academic minutiae prevented Wilson from being able to get on a different program roster, so I believe he may be back at Hamline again next season. Not 100%, but he hasn’t reported any interest or offers on his Twitter and I will make sure to ask around if his name is still in the portal. Either way, I want him to play ball next season.
Kyle Haas (Prior Lake) QB. 6′, 215 lbs. Transferred from Winona State to UW-La Crosse
High School: Haas was a standout, undisputed leader for the Prior Lake Lakers with a talented arm and multi-sport background, earned two captain nods in football as well as one in basketball, and was twice named All-Conference for his gridiron exploits. Also held offers from Grinnell College, South Dakota School of Mines, MSU-Moorhead, Sioux Falls, and Winona State before committing to the Warriors in January of 2022.
College: As a true freshman with Winona State, Haas posted 77 completions on 141 attempts for 926 yards and 5 TDs to 3 INTs, as well as 32 rushes for 22 yards. Only two games of participation were recorded this fall, and with no statistics either, Haas looked elsewhere and entered the transfer portal at the end of November.
Current recruitment: Shortly after he entered the portal on December 5th, Haas committed to D3 and WIAC powerhouse UW-La Crosse to finish things out. Can’t wait to watch this dude ball out across the border.
Ismael Kante (Park Center) LB. 6’2, 230 lbs. Transferring from Northern State
High School: A former thumper from the 612 and Park Center High School, Kante made for a nice recruiting win for the Northern State Wolves when he committed in late January of 2022 after earning offers from Southwest Minnesota State and UW-River Falls. Was an MN All-Star Game pick, three-year starter, team captain as a senior, 2x All-District, All-Area pick, and All-State selection in 2021. He finished his high school career with 157 tackles, 13 TFLs, 10 PBUs, and 2 INTs.
College: This season, as a sophomore LB in 2023, Kante recorded 16 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks after putting in some real work in the weight room as a freshman in Aberdeen. After the season concluded, Kante entered his name in the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Has earned offers from Iowa Central’s renowned JUCO program, as well as a DII offer from Concordia-St. Paul. No commitment announcement yet!
Lucas Heyer (Hill-Murray) OL. 6’5, 306 lbs. Transferring from Stanford
High School: A top Minnesota-bred prospect in terms of transfer ability and the #1 most accomplished high school athlete from MN to enter the transfer portal of college football, former Hill-Murray Pioneer Lucas Heyer was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and unanimous Top-50 lineman nationally, was twice named All-State, twice named All-Metro by the StarTribune, a Kare11 All-Metro pick, a Mr. Football Finalist, District OL of the Year, Team MVP, and twice named All-District as well. With a hearty list of offers that included Ole Miss, Penn State, Illinois, Michigan, TCU, West Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee, Buffalo, Mizzou, Northwestern, Kansas State, Nebraska, Arizona State, Minnesota, and Iowa State before committing to Stanford. You did not want to get in the way of this kid while he was in high school, much less now.
College: Appeared in one game during his freshman season of 2022, retaining his redshirt, and appeared in three games in 2023, against USC, Sac State, and Arizona. Heyer hit the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining in early December.
Current recruitment: Boston College offered a week after Heyer hit the portal. You won’t want to miss out on this kid.
Kham Chiaokhiao-Bowman (Armstrong) WR. 6’1, 200 lbs. Transferring from Florida
High School: An explosive and extremely athletic pass-catcher who prepped with Robbinsdale Armstrong, Chiaokhiao-Bowman continues to raise and raise his stock that initially took a lot longer to get going than it should have. While he was an Armstrong Falcon, Chiaokhiao-Bowman earned offers from the likes of Northern Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota State, Eastern Illinois, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, and FAU after earning All-State, All-District, All-Metro, and All-Conference honors, not to mention All-State honors in the long jump, but given the All-B1G bloodlines from his brother and overall skillset, he was bound to play P5 ball, and after doing a post-grad year at St. Thomas More in Connecticut, more offers rolled in from South Florida, UMass, and a grayshirt offer from Illinois. However, Chiaokhiao–Bowman kept betting on himself and his work ethic and enrolled at Independence Community College. After only a short time in Indy, Chiaokhiao-Bowman received offers from Illinois, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and Florida, where he eventually committed to in June of 2022.
College: Came in ready to contribute in Gainesville, and in 2022 as a freshman he played in 12 games on special teams and as a reserve WR, finishing with seven catches for 138 yards and 3 tackles. In 2023, he posted a tackle and zero catches in two games of action.
Current recruitment: Quickly becoming one of the most popular Minnesotans in the portal this cycle, Chiaokhiao-Bowman has earned offers from Cal-Berkely, Miami (FL), and Temple. Can’t wait to see how the rest of his career plays out.
Jonathan Bunce (Edina) LB. 6’3, 235 lbs. Transferred from St. Thomas to South Dakota
High School: A kid I’ve been following since he was a JVer at Edina, Bunce was a bruising, tough, nonstop, gritty, and well-built LB/RB with a prolific, rep-heavy, and successful prep career with the former Lake Conference heavyweight Hornets. Named All-State and All-Metro as a senior, as well as All-Conference twice on the gridiron. Also captained the football and baseball teams for the Hornets. Loved watching him play for Edina, particularly as a prep RB. Dude was a beast.
College: One of my personal favorite transfers to watch from our great state, both due to his high school accomplishments and collegiate pedigree, Bunce was an absolute force for the Tommies and is leaving St. Paul after a decorated, productive, and physical career at the second level of the Tommies intimidating defense. Also played baseball for UST and was a member of their 2021 team that was the NCAA DIII runner-up. As a LB, he played in all 10 games as a freshman and posted a TD, an INT, 47 tackles (20 solo), 5.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, a FF, a FR, and two PBUs. The breakout season was set for 2022, as Bunce started all 10 games and tallied 57 tackles and 5.5 sacks to earn All-Pioneer League First Team honors, as well as a ton of academic distinctions and a Phil Steele All-PFL First Team nod. In 2023, Bunce added another First Team All-PFL award after recording 63 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 6 QB hurries, and a PBU. Thanks to the COVID year and grad transfer rules, the 6’3, 235 lb. LB/EDGE entered his name in the transfer portal in early December with a year of eligibility and a redshirt remaining. I couldn’t wait to see if he’d move up a level.
Current recruitment: Things were quiet for a bit, but around the media-heavy Early National Signing Day bedlam, the South Dakota Coyotes tweeted that they had landed the grad transfer from Minnesota. Very exciting to seeing the FCS non-scholarship baller move up a level in competition and head to the Missouri Valley to keep the party going. I’m absolutely stoked to see this kid play for South Dakota, as we know that program loves them some Land of 10,000 Lakes LBs (I’m looking at you, Brock Mogensen!)
Trey Steinbach (Marshall) TE/LB. 6’5, 245 lbs. Transferring from St. John’s
High School: Came out of Marshall right around the peak of their recruiting/prospect output and signed to NDSU on a scholarship after his long & decorated Marshall Tigers career came to close in the fall of 2019. Steinbach finished his career with 183 tackles, 30.5 TFLs, 8 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 FFs, and 23 receptions for 305 yards and 5 TDs. His exploits landed him two All-Area selections, District DB of the Year in 2019, and a 38-5 record with two section titles and state playoff appearances, and Steinbach also participated in baseball and basketball for the Tigers. Held offers from Northern Iowa, hometown SMSU, Concordia-St. Paul, Northwest MO State, Augustana, Northeastern State, Wayne State, and North Dakota State and was a part of the Bison’s 2020 recruiting class.
College: After two years in the Bison’s program up in Fargo, Steinbach opted to transfer out and landed at MIAC powerhouse St. John’s University, where his pops Tim played in the early ’90s. Coming in as an impressive physical specimen from that storied NDSU S&C program, Steinbach moved from DE to TE and played in 20 games in his career. In early December, the now 6’5, 245 lb. TE/EDGE entered his name in the portal with two years of eligibility remaining as a grad transfer.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers from the Marshall product.
Zach Yeager (MPLS North) QB. 6’2, 215 lbs. Transferring from North Carolina A&T
High School: Originally a Champlin Park prospect, Yeager transferred to Minneapolis North and continued the storied success the Polars had become accustomed to under Coach Charles Adams, completing two U.S. Bank Stadium appearances under Yeager’s watch. The gunslinger finished his career with over 7,000 total yards and 81 TDs with a 30-3 record, and things culminated in a big senior year in which Yeager threw for 1,945 yards and 21 TDs as a senior to only 3 INTs, and also added 3 TDs on the ground. An All-Metro, All-District, and All-State Academic honoree, Yeager held a boatload of offers under his belt, with the likes of St. Thomas, Butler Community College, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State, Colgate, Eastern Kentucky, SEMO, South Dakota State, Fordham, Columbia, Fordham, Dartmouth, Tennessee State, Minnesota-Duluth, MSU-Mankato, and Missouri State all reaching out with offers before his committed to the historic HBCU program.
College: Yeager came in and immediately competed for the QB1 role, playing in four games as a true freshman and completing nine passes on 15 attempts for 57 yards, along with four carries for 20 yards. In 2022, Yeager played in four games and tallied three starts but missed the majority of the season with injuries. In those three starts, he threw for 296 yards and a TD on 27 completions to 59 attempts. He nearly broke the Aggies single-game record for pass attempts in the Aggies 27-13 loss to North Carolina Central, where he threw for 275 yards and a TD on a 23-48 completion/attempt stat line. He has P5 experience against Duke as well. Yeager announced he was entering his name in the portal in late November and has three years of eligibility remaining as a grad transfer. Has a 3.81 GPA as well.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers since entering his name in the portal.
Terrance Kamara (MPLS North) RB/WR/Returner. 5’8, 180 lbs. Transferring from St. Thomas
High School: The yin to Yeager’s yang, Kamara was another high-powered Champlin Park transfer that elevated the North Polars to a consistent 2A state title contender, and boy could this kid run the rock in high school. As a junior, Kamara led MN in rushing with 2,369 yards and 32 TDs and was originally committed to Air Force before flipping to Missouri Valley heavyweight Northern Iowa, but the All-Metro, Second Team All-State, multi-time All-District, and track & field standout had a heckuva list of offers prior to committing. St. Thomas, Dartmouth, Butler Community College, Holy Cross, Missouri State, Air Force, Tennessee State, Fordham, Eastern Kentucky, Washburn University, MSU-Mankato, Northern State, SEMO, Bryant University, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Western Illinois, Alcorn State, Buffalo, Navy, South Dakota, Montana State, Illinois State, and Central Michigan all had reached out with scholarships/roster spots prior to Kamara shutting things down with the Panthers.
College: Things have been up and down for Kamara since he entered the collegiate ranks. After a redshirt season with UNI, Kamara recorded 46 rushing yards and a TD in two games of action and also caught two passes for 60 yards. After that, Kamara was moved to WR, caught two passes for four yards and returned three kicks as well. However, in late November/early December of 2022, Kamara entered the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining, and bounced back to St. Thomas to continue playing FCS football. The Tommies had also originally offered Kamara out of high school. However, the Tommies roster is crowded, and Kamara only caught seven passes for 63 yards and returned 6 kickoffs for 100 yards. With two years of eligibility left, the former North Polar again entered the portal in early December.
Current recruitment: NAIA competitor William Jewell College and DII NSIC member Minot State have offered since he entered his name in the portal from UST.
Shawn Shipman (Champlin Park) RB. 6′, 210 lbs. Transferring from St. Thomas
High School: One of the top running backs in MN coming out of high school, Shipman was a big get for the Tommies on the recruiting trail and originally held offers UWEC (track and field offer), North Dakota, UMary, Bemidji State, Augustana, and St. Thomas before committing to stay close to home with the Tommies. An All-Conference and All-Metro pick who helped the Rebels to a big-school MN state playoff appearance, Shipman was also a 2x letterwinner, 2x state qualifier, and a part of the 4x100M relay state championship team. He was named All-State and All-Conference in track & field as well.
College: Despite a talent-rich, deep, and overall loaded UST RB room, Shipman found a way to carve out 329 carries for 1,769 yards and 14 TDs on a 5.4 YPC average and 2022 All-Pioneer Football League Second Team and 2022 Phil Steele All-Pioneer Football League Second Team honors. With a lot of experience coming back to the Tommies RB room in 2024, Shipman elected to transfer in early December and has a redshirt year and one year of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Has earned an NAIA offer from Bethel University in Tennessee on December 7th.
Carter Jackson (Buffalo) CB. 6′, 190 lbs. Transferring from Northern State
High School: Two-year starter for the Bison who had a strong senior season that catapulted him into the DII recruiting sphere after posting 23 tackles, 10 PBUs, and 4 INTs, which earned him All-District and Buffalo Special Teams POY honors. Chose NSU over Winona State, Upper Iowa, Dakota State, and Bemidji State offers.
College: Played in two games in two seasons with the Wolves. Has four years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: Hasn’t reported any interest or offers since entering his name in the portal.
Keontay Shorter (Holy Angels) DB. 5’10, 165 lbs. Transferring from Bemidji State
High School: An athletic and electric prep prospect from the private school ranks and the Academy of Holy Angels, Shorter committed to NSIC powerhouse Keontay Shorter over offers from SMSU, Concordia-St. Paul, PWO from Indiana State, and Cincinnati Christian. Shorter was a 2x All-Conference and 2x All-District selection who was named Special Teams Player of the Year due to his returning prowess and was a member of the Stars‘ 2017 state championship football team. Also lettered in track & field, basketball, and choir.
College: As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Shorter won BSU Defensive Scout Team MVP and primed himself very well for his breakout season in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. Shorter recorded 31 total tackles, 1.4 TFLs, and three PBUs + a fumble recovery in his initial season of NSIC ball, and he followed it up with a strong sophomore campaign in 2021 (2020 was cancelled due to COVID) that resulted in his starting 10 of 13 games and recording 44 tackles (33 solo), two INTs, four PBUs, a FF, and three kickoff returns for 58 yards and a punt return for 10 yards. After a couple of seasons MIA on the collegiate scene, Shorter has popped back up as a transfer portal free agent with 1-2 years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers as of right now, but DIIs, DIIIs, and NAIAs are missing out if they don’t take a flyer out on this kid’s return to football.
Alex Hollie (Minneapolis Washburn) LB. 5’10, 220 lbs. Transferring from Bethel University
High School: 612 product out of Minneapolis Washburn who chose Bethel over fellow MIAC suitors St. Olaf and Gustavus. Earned the Stacy Robinson Leadership Award, All-District, and District Defensive MVP honors after finishing fifth in the state in tackles with 116 as a senior, as well as 20 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 defensive TD, and 3 PBUs for the Millers.
College: Didn’t record any stats and has four years of eligibility remaining after entering the portal earlier this month.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers since entering his name in the portal.
DJ Monroe (Shakopee) RB. 5’10, 205 lbs. Transferring from Augsburg University
High School: Member of football conference championship and state participant with Shako in 2019.
College: Has had a more-than-solid career with the Auggies of the 612, and in his career he’s posted 284 rushes for 1,497 yards and 12 TDs on a 5.3 YPC average. Also added 33 receptions for 252 yards, 19 kick returns for 308 yards, and a tackle. Entered the transfer portal two days ago with a year of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers as of yet, but just recently announced his transfer intentions and has a lot of runway to figure things out.
Jenaro Ocama (Woodbury) CB. 6’1, 185 lbs. Transferring from North Dakota State
High School: A three-year letterman and two-year starter with Woodbury, Ocama posted 26 tackles, 3 INTs, and 10 PBUs in his standout senior season, which netted him All-Conference, StarTribune First Team All-Metro, and USA Today All-State First Team awards, as well as an AP All-State Second Team nod. Helped lead Woodbury to a 9-2 record, a conference championship, and the program’s first playoff appearance in 20 years. Career totals of 27 PBUs and 7 INTS and set the school’s single-season PBU record with 17 as a junior. Picked NDSU’s PWO over offers from MSU-Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota-Duluth, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Western Illinois (PWO).
College: In three years of action after his redshirt, Ocama posted 9 tackles, 6 of which were solo. On December 19th, Ocama entered the portal with a year of eligibility left as a grad transfer.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers as of yet. No sustenance behind this, but I’d watch UMD and UST in this one. Just have a feeling there.
Marcus Freeman (Park Center) QB. 6’1, 195 lbs. Transferring from South Carolina State University
High School: Chose South Carolina State University on an HBCU PWO. Led Park Center to an 8-2 record and 3rd round playoff appearance as a senior. Passed for 1,891 yards and 25 TDs to only 5 INTs as a senior and earned District MVP honors and an All-District nod as well. Came out of high school with a 3.0 GPA.
College: Rushed twice for 6 yards in two games of action in 2023. Entered the transfer portal in mid-December with 3 years of eligibility remaining.
Current recruitment: No reported interest or offers as of yet.