LSU upgrades OL for Garrett Nussmeier, Arch Manning’s new best friend, Notre Dame pass rush help, and more hypothetical CFB trades

The wonderful world of the transfer portal has completely altered how College Football rosters are put together each offseason. With so much turnover each and every year now, teams have the ability to flip their success in a hurry. While we aren’t quite to the point of players being traded (and we never will), it is still a fun experiment to consider. 

So let’s stop being so serious, and enter the hypothetical world where college football trades are possible. Here are some ones that would be interesting for each team involved, and could potentially put them over the top. There are a lot of fun possibilities to consider. 

LSU trades WR Aaron Anderson for Penn State OT Nolan Rucci and WR Tyseer Denmark 

The LSU offense has loaded up with talented pass catchers this offseason. That wide receiver room boasts insane depth, including Anderson, Nic Anderson, Barion Brown, Chris Hilton Jr., and Zavion Thomas. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has a lot of talent to work with, and looks set for a big season. The Tigers will, however, need to find a couple of answers on the offensive line. 

With Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. both heading off to the NFL this offseason, a lot hasn’t been made of breaking in new bookends with Weston Davis and Tyree Adams. While both players are certainly talented, having inexperienced tackles for a quarterback who struggles against pressure at times isn’t a great recipe for success. Someone like Rucci can come in, and at least provide needed competition at the right tackle spot. 

It may have taken Anderson to do so, but at least LSU got back a talented young wide receiver in Denmark. For Penn State, they got a proven big play threat to go along with a remade wide receiver unit. There are no more excuses remaining for quarterback Drew Allar. 

Texas trades WR Ryan Wingo for Missouri OC Connor Tollison  

A lot of attention has gone to quarterback Arch Manning and the skill position weapons he has to work with, and for good reason. The running backs are very good, and the pass catchers are even better on paper. There appear to be a lot of big plays in the Longhorn future. One thing, however, that isn’t talked about much is the overhaul on the offensive line. Texas is excited about Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker taking over as the starting offensive tackles, but not many people have talked much about finding a new center to replace Jake Majors.

In the case of Tollison, he is one of the best centers in the entire country. He fits best in a running scheme that allows offensive lineman to block on the move, possessing outstanding overall athleticism. That experience would be huge for Manning, and would provide him with a new best friend up front. Trading Wingo isn’t ideal, but the presence of DeAndre Moore Jr., Emmett Mosley V, Kaliq Lockett, and Jaime Ffrench does make the gamble possible. 

This would also give Missouri a second chance with Wingo, and bringing him back to his home state.