Grading Fresno State Football's 2025 Transfer Portal Haul

With spring ball wrapped up, Fresno State has seen some big changes thanks to the transfer portal. After having a down year in 2024, the Bulldogs are ready to bounce back with their new head coach signing, Matt Entz, and compete for another shot at a Mountain West Championship.

Bringing in 18 new players, including nine former Power Five players, Entz and the Dogs have had a successful offseason, adding a high level of experience to their group.

Let’s take a look at transfers incoming to Central Valley, and give a grade for the Bulldogs offseason.

A trend of Fresno State football has been signing young Power Five players who have seen little to no time at their previous school. Guys like Ezekiel Avit from Maryland, K’Vion Thunderbird from Arizona State, and Rayshon Luke from Arizona are a few examples. It is an interesting strategy, taking players from a higher level and developing them into leaders, but there is a great chance that they will find some gems from that level.

They made sure to prioritize wide receiver depth this time around, bringing in Luke Jones from Purdue, Ezekiel Avit from Maryland, Josiah Ayon from Western Colorado, and Jahlil McCain from Louisville. Three of those players are ranked as three-star transfer prospects by 247Sports, while one is a two-star prospect.

Another big issue they attempted to fix is their defensive line. Losing Jacob Holmes to Virginia, Gavriel Lightfoot to Colorado, and others to graduation, the staff did a phenomenal job of bringing in new players to help improve the defense. Bringing in Martin Owusu, Michael Jordan Jr., Bryson Harrington, and Finn Claypool surely will help improve the line.

Looking at some of their losses, none glare more than those of quarterback Mikey Keene and running back Malik Sherrod.

Keene was great for the Bulldogs, putting up 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. However, after the season he moved to in-season opponent Michigan, where he will likely serve as the backup to Bryce Underwood.

Sherrod was great for the Dogs in 2023, tallying 966 yards and 9 touchdowns as a junior, but played just four games as a senior before a season ending injury. In the offseason, he signed with Boise State, a Mountain West rival, and will likely compete with his former team in the Mountain West title race.

Despite losing 21 players, bringing in 18 guys to help fix depth issues and even provide star power could truly bring Fresno State over the hump in 2025. We grade the Bulldogs with a B- overall offseason rating, with potential to improve if they continue to impress this offseason.

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