Miami RedHawks Class of 2023 Transfer Portal Rundown

With the advent of the Transfer Portal, there will be winners and there will be losers. Unfortunately, for Group of 5 schools, it will be more likely that they end up losing more talent than they take in as Power 5 schools poach away. Unfortunately for Miami, they hemorrhaged talent in the Portal.

As the window closed, the Redhawks had 17 players enter their names into the Transfer Portal. A glimmer of good news, however, is the fact that quarterback Brett Gabbert, the program’s sixth most prolific passer in history, removed his name and is back with the team in 2023. Sometimes, an uptick of transfers is due to coaching changes but Chuck Martin is heading into his 10th year at the helm.

Sometimes, players just need a change of scenery.

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The Departures

• QB Joe Humphreys (Uncommitted)

After just one year on campus, the third-highest signed recruit since 2016 is looking for another place to call home. Joe Humphreys was a highly-decorated quarterback in high school as he threw for 3,940 yards and a ridiculous 48 touchdowns and added 601 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

• QB Kamell Smith (Uncommitted)

The second quarterback - well, third, if you count Gabbert - to put his name in the Transfer Portal was Kamell Smith. After two years in the Miami program, Smith is looking for a new beginning. In his time in Oxford, Smith never appeared in a game for the Redhawks.

• RB Darez Snider (Uncommitted)

As another member of the 2021 class, Darez Snider was never able to get his footing with Miami. As a true freshman, Snider appeared in three games and managed 28 yards off of nine attempts. The vast majority of that production came in the win over Long Island where he ran the ball six times for 21 yards. In 2022 as a redshirt freshman, Snider only appeared in one game and did not record any stats.

• RB Tyre Shelton (Louisiana Tech)

The second-leading rusher for the RedHawks from the 2019 season was Tyre Shelton and he’s on his way to Louisiana Tech. In that freshman year, Shelton ran for 587 yards and a pair of touchdowns off of 108 carries. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2020 season and never really got it back. In 2021, Shelton ran for just 245 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, it was 321 yards and three touchdowns that Shelton contributed.

• WR Devon Dorsey (Uncommitted)

Miami’s wide receiver depth took a hit in this cycle. First off, third-year receiver, Devon Dorsey. After not appearing in a game as a true freshman in 2020, Dorsey was a semi-regular part of the rotation in 2021. In ten games, Dorsey hauled in three passes for 34 yards. Last year, however, Dorsey only appeared in a single game where he did not record any stats.

• WR Angelo Butts (Missouri State [FCS])

After two years on campus, speedster Angelo Butts will be headed closer to home. In those two years, Butts did not appear in any games as a freshman and just two last year. Butts came to Miami as a three-star recruit out of Florissant, Missouri in the 2021 class.

• WR Jeremiah Batiste (UT-Chattanooga [FCS])

Jeremiah Batiste is the next wide receiver looking for a new home. Batiste came to Miami in the 2020 class and played sparingly in his three seasons in town. In total, he appeared in eight games and recorded just one catch for five years in the Frisco Bowl following the 2021 season.

• WR Austin Robinson (Uncommitted)

As a three-star member of the Redhawks’ 2019 recruiting class, Austin Robinson had a few offers on the table which he spurned to play for Miami. In his four years on campus, Robinson appeared in a total of 18 games but none greater than the eight in his freshman year. In those 18 appearances, Robinson only logged one reception in the loss to Buffalo in 2020.

• TE Jeffrey Simmons (Uncommitted)

After just one year on campus, Jeffrey Simmons is taking his entire six-foot-six frame elsewhere. In that year, Simmons did not register any snaps played. Out of high school, he was considered a three-star prospect and the 20th-best player out of the state of Indiana.

• OG Caleb Shaffer (Oklahoma)

The Miami offensive line is going to look quite different in 2023. To start, stalwart interior offensive lineman Caleb Shaffer has since taken his talents to the Big 12. In his career, Shaffer appeared in 35 consecutive games and logged well over 2,200 snaps as a Redhawk. Last season, Shaffer earned Second-Team All-MAC honors for his play. The next man up is going to have big shoes to fill.

• IOL Rusty Feth (Iowa)

On the other side of the line, Rusty Feth also decided to hop into the Transfer Portal to earn a gig at a Power 5 school. For his four years on campus, Feth appeared in 39 games and started 34 times. For his first two years, Feth was a starting guard. Over the past two seasons, Feth started at center. As with Saffer, Feth’s replacement will have massive shoes to fill.

• OT Ryan O’Hair (Robert Morris [FCS])

The RedHawks lose another member of their offensive line depth with the departure of six-foot-eight, 305-pound tackle, Ryan O’Hair. O’Hair was a member of the 2021 recruiting class for Miami. In his two years on campus, he did not appear in any games. His reputation as a hard worker and leader will serve him well in his new endeavor at Robert Morris.

• LB Nico Pate (Duquesne [FCS])

After just one year on campus, Nico Pate will be heading elsewhere. In that lone year in Oxford, Pate redshirted after not appearing in any action. Out of high school, Pate was a two-way player out of Peters Township High School in Pennsylvania. The athletic linebacker should be able to take advantage of a new beginning at the FCS level.

• CB John Saunders (Ole Miss)

John Saunders was a key member of the Redhawks’ secondary and he is making his way south to the SEC. As a true freshman, Saunders only appeared in the game against Akron where he recorded a pair of tackles. In 2021, however, he played in seven games and racked up 13 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, and three interceptions. One of which he returned 32 yards for a touchdown against rival Cincinnati. Last year, Saunders played in 11 games and accounted for 52 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

He was a three-star recruit out of high school, but 247Sports upgraded him to a four-star transfer.

• CB Ja’Von Kimpson (Uncommitted)

For his first three years on campus, Ja’Von Kimpson did not make too much noise on the football field. In that time, Kimpson appeared in 12 games and accounted for a total of seven tackles. Last year, he played in all 13 games and racked up 31 tackles, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for the Redhawks.

• SAF Rowan Zolman (Minnesota)

Rowan Zolman just needed one year at Miami to garner enough momentum to get to the Power 5 level. As a true freshman, Zolman amassed six tackles and an interception in six games played. It’s a small sample size but evidently, the Golden Gophers saw enough in his limited action to extend an offer.

• SAF Deavion Pierce (Robert Morris [FCS])

Joining Ryan O’Hair at Robert Morris, Deavion Pierce is hoping to get a start on his career. After two years on campus, Pierce only appeared in a handful of games and registered a single tackle.

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The New Faces in Town

• QB Maddox Kopp (Colorado)

Was there a more active program than Colorado in this year’s Transfer Portal?

One of the Buffaloes’ losses found a home in Miami. Miami will be his third stop in three years. Initially, a Houston recruit, Kopp jumped in the Portal to Colorado after not seeing any time as a true freshman. A Colorado, Kopp appeared in two games but only recorded stats in the loss to Utah. There, he threw for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Kopp comes to Miami with three years of eligibility remaining.

• RB Rashad Amos (South Carolina)

After losing two running backs to the Portal, Miami gets one back in Rashad Amos. In three years at South Carolina, Amos played sparingly. He finished with 13 appearances and 106 yards. 99 of those came in his true freshman season in appearances against Georgia (39 yards) and Kentucky (60).

The Redhawks will get Amos for the next three years thanks to the 2020 year and his 2021 Redshirt season.

• WR Gage Larvadain (Southeastern Louisiana [FCS])

Where MAC programs can really work the Transfer Portal is poaching FCS talent. It worked for Bowling Green and Odieu Hilaire, it could work for Miami and Gage Larvadain. At Southeastern Louisiana, Larvadain racked up 1,252 yards and seven touchdowns off of 96 receptions. He was a highly-decorated freshman and earned Second-Team All-Southland as a receiver and First-Team as a returner.

The dynamic playmaker will have two years of eligibility remaining. Don’t be surprised if he takes a kick to the house if given the chance.

• WR Cade McDonald (Michigan State)

Continuing to bolster the depth of the Redhawks’ receiver room is former Michigan State walk-on, Cade McDonald. As a former walk-on, McDonald spent four years at Michigan State as a receiver and punt returner. In total, McDonald brings to Miami 46 yards off of five receptions and 43 yards off of five punt returns.

McDonald has two years of eligibility remaining.

• WR Joe Wilkins, Jr. (Notre Dame)

Initially a three-star athlete, Joe Wilkins, Jr. began his career at Notre Dame as a cornerback. Despite that, he made the switch to receiver after some time on campus and has been a regular member of the rotation. After playing sparingly in his first two years, Wilkins played in 11 games in 2020 where he added 63 yards and a touchdown.

2021 looked like it was going to be a decent year for Wilkins but in the fifth game, he suffered a season-ending injury. In that time, he contributed 61 yards and a score.

Wilkins comes to Miami with a year of eligibility.

• OL John Young (Kentucky)

What better way to replace some offensive line holes than to get a former SEC four-star lineman? John Young was the third-best recruit from the state of Kentucky in the 2020 cycle and brings with him plenty of playing experience. Given, it’s mostly on special teams, but Young has suited up at both tackle and guard for the Wildcats.

Even as a depth piece in Kentucky, Young was part of what was considered a top-three unit in the best football conference in the nation. With two years of eligibility remaining, Young could be a solid addition to the RedHawks for the next couple of years.

• LB Jackson Kuwatch (Ohio State)

Finally, the RedHawks added a local piece to their linebacker room in Jackson Kuwatch. Originally from Lakota East High School - a mere 26 miles from Yager Stadium - Kuwatch initially elected to walk on at Ohio State. As a walk-on, Kuwatch never appeared in a game for the Buckeyes.