Big 12 transfers to watch 2021

Tyler Shough, QB, Texas Tech

Texas Tech has struggled to find an impact player at the quarterback position. The Red Raiders have used many signal-callers since Patrick Mahomes left, yet no one has taken a firm grasp of the job. Alan Bowman showed promise at first has since regressed and transferred to Michigan. Henry Colombi is still around and may have a chance given his history with head coach Matt Wells at Utah State. Unfortunately, Colombi didn't impress much in four starts last year. That leaves the door wide open for the Oregon transfer Shough. Shough only has one year as a starter and impressed with 1703 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and a 64.8 completion percentage. Shough didn't really fit the dual-threat profile of most Oregon quarterbacks, but his skills seem like a good fit for this offense.

Eric Gray/Tre Bradford, RB, Oklahoma

The Sooners dynamic offense should have a strong rushing attack yet again. Not only does Kennedy Brooks return, but two highly-touted players enter the fold. Eric Gray ran for over 1200 yards in two seasons at Tennessee and had the sixth-best average yards per game and yards from scrimmage per game in the SEC. He also had the second-most receptions for the Vols last season. Tre Bradford wasn't used much in his freshman year at LSU but was a top 200 recruit in the 2020 class. Bradford is definitely the third option at this point and provides great depth in case of injuries.

Mike Woods, WR, Oklahoma

Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood, and Marvin Mims are pretty well entrenched as the starters, but, if there's someone who can add even more to the Sooners' passing game, it's Mike Woods. Woods has been Arkansas's most consistent receiver over the last three years and is coming off of career highs in catches and receiving yards. Overall, he put up over 1200 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns for the Razorbacks--with 1,042 of the yards and nine of the touchdowns coming in the past two seasons. Woods should easily help will the void in the receiving corps after Charleston Rambo chose to transfer to Miami.

Daniel Imatorbhebhe, TE, Kansas State

Imatorbhebhe has athletic skills in his genes. He spent previous seasons at Illinois, where his brother, Josh, became one of the program's best receivers. Daniel himself had a very productive year for the Illini with 25 catches, just shy of 400 yards, and four touchdowns on an anemic offense. He may not be asked to do much more than that at Kansas State, but he has plenty of potential.

Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma

Wanya Morris brings plenty to like to Norman after spending two seasons as a staple along the Tennessee offensive line. He was a member of the SEC All-Freshmen team and a couple of Freshmen All-America teams in 2019 and excels in pass blocking while rarely committing penalties. Morris comes in at a perfect time for Oklahoma and can help the Sooners fill in for the three starters they lost from last season.

Doug Nester, OG, West Virginia

Adding experience to a team in the offseason has gotten easier with the implementation of transfer portal and its revised eligibility rules, and West Virginia landed a good one upfront. Nester started at right guard from the getgo at Virginia Tech and was part of a group that finished each year among the nation's leading running games. While the Mountaineers don't run the ball as much as the Hokies, Nester is an instant plug-and-play guy for the o-line.

Siaki Ika, DT Baylor

This is a pretty significant addition to the Baylor defensive line. As a freshman, Ika was able to crack a loaded defensive rotation for the eventual National Champions at LSU. The Tigers' season went downhill quickly last year, and Ika only played in four games before deciding to transfer. Baylor should have a pretty good defense this season and Ika just makes the unit better.

Timmy Horne, DL, Kansas State

Horne was a starting defensive tackle at Charlotte and part of the first team in program history to make a bowl game. He is a two-year starter and has displayed a good ability to penetrate the line and get into the backfield. He is projected to join the Wildcats' starting defense and can be a difference-maker up front.

Lance Dixon, LB, West Virginia

Dixon has only played in 12 games but has one start under his belt and plenty of eligibility left. He's also projected to be a contributor and fight for the WILL linebacker spot. Dixon was a high school All-American and has shown a great ability to tackle in limited playing time. I'm extremely interested to see how he fares with increased responsibilities.

Ben Davis., LB, Texas

Ben Davis left high school as the best linebacker recruit in the country and a five-star prospect. Even with those accolades, it took him a while to crack the Crimson Tide's lineup. He saw significant playing time at outside linebacker as a junior in 2019 and moved to more of a pass-rusher role last season. His potential impact for the Longhorns is multifold. Not only was he a top recruit, but he has spent time contributing to one of the nation's best defenses and won a National Championship. Although they worked on different sides of the ball, Texas also just hired Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as its new head coach, and you have to think there's a solid level of familiarity between the two of them.

TJ Carter, S, TCU

Carter is one of the most accomplished transfers from this recruiting cycle. A top recruit from the state of Tennessee, he burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2017, starting each game at cornerback and setting a Memphis record for interceptions by a freshman. He followed that performance with two more spectacular seasons before finishing his junior year with an injury. 2020 was not as great a season, but Carter brings an instant impact to TCU if he can return to form. He's been on the NFL radar for a while now and joins a conference known for prolific passing attacks. He is listed on the roster as a safety after playing corner for Memphis.

Rayshad Williams, CB, Texas Tech

Williams comes in from UCLA and has three years of eligibility remaining. His best season thus far was in 2019, when he made 33 tackles, had 12 pass breakups, and started eight games during his first exposure to the college game. There is plenty to develop and he can help replace Zech McPherson, who left for the NFL.

Russ Yeast, S, Kansas State

Yeast played in 45 games with 29 starts at Louisville and should be on the radar of pro scouts by now. He has the flexibility to play both corner and safety and should make an instant impact coming in as an upperclassman on the Wildcat defense.

Trey Rucker, S, Oklahoma State

Rucker transfers after two years at Wake Forest where he had a significant role--starting nine of thirteen games as a freshman in 2019. OK State brings back just about all of its secondary from a year ago, so it may be tough for him to find much laying time. Nonetheless, the opportunity is there for him to become an impactful player in the rotation and a building block for 2022.