There was a lot of hype about a massive amount of players entering the portal across college football today, and some stars did enter the portal. However, it seemed tame. Now, many players have entered the portal before today but they had to be graduate transfers, walk-ons or their coach left or got fired. I count 29 players who specifically entered today. How many hard core ACC fans would know? Not sure.

NC State had redshirt junior wide receiver Julian Gray, who will be an impact return guy at his next stop, and redshirt sophomore nose tackle Nick Campbell. I'll call it a win that no one else entered today, but the portal will last another 13 days.

Locally, freshman quarterback Tad Hudson has left UNC, which doesn't surprise me as he was a project guy to begin with. UNC offensive lineman D.J. Geth isn't a "name" but many would remember his father, former Tar Heels post player Ed Geth.

Pittsburgh's defense took a hit with outside linebacker Solomon DeShields and defensive end Dalon Hayes entering the portal. They are just good solid players. Hayes had 45 tackles and four sacks this past season, and DeShields was third on the team with 58 tackles and two sacks.

Pitt sophomore quarterback Christian Veilleux essentially was turned loose in six games and had 1,179 passing yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He threw four picks against Notre Dame, but showed what he could do against a bad Wake Forest defense with 302 passing yards and two scores in a 21-17 loss.

Florida State junior defensive back Greedy Vance Jr. will be interesting. He played two years at Louisville and then two years with FSU. In 2022, he had 16 tackles and three interceptions with the Seminoles. His sophomore year with the Cardinals, he recorded 36 tackles, with 33 of them solo stops, plus seven passes defended.

Louisville senior nose tackle/defensive tackle Jermayne Lole has proven to be a good player, when healthy. He had 6.5 sacks and 42 tackles in 2019 at Arizona State, but missed 2021 and 2022. He had 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Cardinals last fall.

Boston College rising junior wide receiver Joseph Griffin has entered the transfer protal after he caught 25 passes for 345 yards and a score last fall. Many know his most famous touchdown.

Some have made a big deal about Miami losing running back Henry Parrish, but the Hurricanes have sophomore back Mark Fletcher, who could be a pro one day. Parrish played his first two years at Ole Miss and last two at Miami. He had 100 carries for 625 yards and six scores last fall for the Hurricanes.

Former Duke safety Da'Quan Johnson has an interesting back story to landing in the portal. Johnson had 61 tackles and a forced fumble for Duke in 2021, but fell out of favor in 2022 and wasn’t on the team in 2023. Now, he wants to resume his career.

Not ACC related, but Notre Dame star punter Bryce McFerson averaged 45.1 yards on 38 punts with a long of 59. So someone is likely getting a good new punter. He went to Metrolina Christian Academy in Indian Trail, N.C., and originally committed to Wake Forest. He then flipped to ND.

Not too many other former in-state guys are in the portal. South Florida wide receiver Khafre Brown entered it after catching 27 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns. He played at Charlotte West Mecklenburg High and followed his older brother Dyami Brown to North Carolina. After Dyami got drafted, Khafre got lost a bit and landed at USF for a reboot.

NC State backup nose tackle Nick Campbell will be hitting the portal when it opens next week he told me. He didn’t play in the spring game and Davin Jackson was the backup nose tackle.

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Kent State senior nose tackle C.J. West, who is 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds, entered the portal today and has been a big hit with colleges. He had 40 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks this season.

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Rising senior running back Peny Boone of Toledo is one of six players Louisville has landed this weekend so far, giving them 24 new transfers, which is the most in the country.

The 6-1, 242-pound Boone rushed 194 times for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns, and caught 15 passes for 219 yards and a score. He’ll be a good test case on how well playing in the MAC converts to the ACC. He’ll join Miami running back Donald Chaney.

Louisville is bringing a new starting quarterback, three tight ends, two wide receivers and six offensive linemen.

The defense hasn’t had a complete overhaul like the offense, but Harvard defensive tackle Thor Griffith is well regarded, another defensive lineman is coming from FIU and six guys in the secondary, including UNC freshman Tayon Holloway and two players from Tennessee.

How would anyone even come close to predicting whether they are good or not next year. NC State doesn't play Louisville next year unless it happens in the ACC title game.

Louisville portal​

Virginia sophomore forward Ryan Dunn will be a good example of can guys develop through the G-League and time spent on the NBA team that drafts him. He's very raw, but near-freakishly athletic. Big blow to Virginia.

Ryan Dunn stats

The popular defensive end today has been Arkansas State junior Keyron Crawford. NC State hasn’t offered him but many others have. The 6-4, 243-pounder started all 13 games, and had 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles this season.

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A lot of recruiting is profiling and Shane Calhoun could fill some needs if what looks good on paper checks out. NC State currently has three tight ends and walk-on Reid Mitchell.

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JZ had a very busy weekend. Leave it to the Wolfpack to complicate his planning. 😉

Anyone know who?

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A few guys are doing this to squeeze in both June 19-21 and June 21-23 visit periods. Monroe (N.C.) High junior athlete Jordan Young had a lot of Clemson commitment buzz at one point this spring, but he's holding steady and going through the process and will see NCSU on June 19-21.

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Need a new KO returner

Class of 2025​

Commit:
Gus Ritchey, TE, Cary High — 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, 23.5 hand, 32 arm length, 77 wingspan.
Offered:
Je'Rel Bolder, WR, Marshville Forest Hills —5-9, 193 pounds, 21 hand, 31.75 arm length, 77.5 wingspan.
Malik Clark, WR, Rock Hill (S.C.) High — 6-1, 180 pounds, 23 hand, 33.5 arm length, 79.5 wingspan.
Tristan Teasdell, FS, Leesburg (Va.) Tuscarola High — 5-8, 157.5 pounds, 22 hand, 31.5 arm length, 75.5 wingspan.

Class of 2026​

Offered:
Elijah Littlejohn, OLB, West Charlotte — 6-1, 205 pounds, 23-inch hand, 32.75 arm length, 80.5 wingspan.
Aiden Harris, DE, Matthews Weddington — 6-2, 248.5 pounds, 22 hand, 33 arm length, 7.9.5 wingspan.
Noah Clark, NT, Durham Jordan — 6-3, 320.5 pounds, 19 hand, 34 arm length, 81.5 wingspan.
Pierre Dean, Jr., OT, Clemmons West Forsyth — 6-2, 269 pounds, 27 hand, 33.5 arm length, 78 wingspan.
Andrew Clarke, CB, Richmond (Va.) Hermitage — 6-0, 170 pounds, 24.5 hand, 32.5 arm length, 80 wingspan.
Samari Matthews, CB, Cornelius Hough — 5-10, 181 pounds, 21 hand, 30.75 arm length, 75.5 wingspan
Thomas Davis, OLB, Matthews Weddington — 6-1, 209.5 pounds, 25 hand, 33.5 arm length, 78.5 wingspan
Jayvon Gilmore, QB, Gaffney (S.C.) High — 6-3, 183.5 pounds, 23.5 hand, 34.5 arm length, 81.5 wingspan.
Aiden Smalls, QB/WR, Clayton High — 5-10, 169 pounds, 22 hand, 29.5 arm length, 75 wingspan.
Donovan Murph, WR, Columbia (S.C.) Irmo — 6-1, 187.5 pounds, 20.5 hand, 30.25 arm length, 76.5 wingspan.
Jaire Richburg, WR, Kernersville East Forsyth — 6-2, 183 pounds, 20 hand, 31.5 arm length, 76.5 wingspan.

Interest:
Dallas Brannon, MLB, Charlotte Independence — 6-1, 206 pounds, 23.5 hand, 30.5 arm length, 75 wingspan.
Dyzier Carter, WR, Woodberry Forest — 5-9, 174 pounds, 22.5 hand, 30.25 arm length, 74 wingspan.
Zavion Griffin-Haynes, DE, Rolesville High — 6-4, 216.5 pounds, 22.5 hand, 34.5 arm length, 79 wingspan.
Ely Hamrick, QB, Asheville Reynolds — 6-3, 217.5 pounds, 26.5 hand, 30.5 arm length, 75.5 wingspan.
Braylon Peebles, FS, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons — 5-8, 166.5 pounds, 22 hand, 28.25 arm length, 69.5 wingspan.
Jabian Shabazz, OT, Kernersville East Forsyth — 6-4, 290.5 pounds, 25 hand, 34.25 arm length, 78.5 wingspan.
KD Smith, DB, West Charlotte — 5-7, 170.5 pounds, 22 hand, 29.25 arm length, 71 wingspan.
Keshawn Stancil, DE, Clayton High — 6-2, 249.5 pounds, 23 hand, 33 arm length, 80.5 wingspan.
Gavin Waddell, WR, Rolesville High — 5-9, 168 pounds, 21.25 hand, 30 arm length, 74.5 wingspan.

Class of 2027​

Interest:
Akedran Crumel, CB, Clayton High — 5-9, 166.5 pounds, 21.5 hand, 31.5 arm length, 75 wingspan.
Jonathan Dillon, WR, Southern Durham — 6-0, 179.5 pounds, 21.5 hand, 32 arm length, 77.5 wingspan.
Davion Jones, WR, West Charlotte — 5-8, 161.5 pounds, 20.5 hand, 31 arm length, 75.5 wingspan.
Caleb Kearney, WR, Charotte Palisades — 6-2, 151 pounds, 20 hand, 35 arm length, 80 wingspan.

Kiki Iriafen Stanford’s top scorer this past season has entered the portal. 🤞

I believe Wes is just one or two players away from competing in next year’s Final…

The next two weeks could go a long way in determining our fortunes.

Directors' Cup Standings:

Clinched series

Go for sweep tomorrow

We finish at 10. I'll take it!!!

Duke is down to senior point guard Jeremy Roach on using his COVID year. Center Kyle Filipowski and shooting guard Jared McCain are off to the NBA, power forward Mark Mitchell is transferring and point guard Tyrese Proctor is coming back. That puts them at 13 scholarship players with Roach.