The top player in this year's transfer portal just so happens to be the same guy who was the top overall player in the 2022 recruiting class.
During that cycle, the 5-star from Memphis, Tennessee, who played his high school senior season in Knoxville decided to play his college ball at Texas A&M for Jimbo Fisher. And after working his way into the rotation as a freshman, he began to blossom this year.
He's a huge player at 6'4", 285 pounds, but he still possesses incredible athleticism at that size and can get after quarterbacks aggressively from the center of the line. He finished his sophomore season with 37 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, and four sacks.
"Disrupter" is a great way to describe Nolen, and many teams around the nation want him, even if it likely will be for just one season before he leaves early for the NFL.
Steve Wiltfong and Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Nolen visited Oregon this weekend and Ole Miss will get the next shot at him. They also noted Alabama, Florida, Texas and USC were trying to get in the mix, and while Tennessee was mentioned early on, there isn't a lot of buzz surrounding the Vols right now.
The Ducks are normally very active and aggressive in the portal, but will Nolen head that far away from home to play his college ball? If the Crimson Tide and Longhorns get firmly in the mix, both programs would be a threat, and Lane Kiffin is a top-tier recruiter.
For now, though, let's roll with Dan Lanning.
Prediction: Oregon
