Fresno State’s Jeff Tedford and NCAA transfer rule could be a productive pairing

Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener withdrew from the NCAA transfer portal, returning with an apology to the Bulldogs and their fan base and an eye fixed on a 2022 Mountain West Conference championship.

But with hundreds of college football players still in the portal, according to a 247 Sports database, one national recruiting analyst said the Bulldogs could be more active recruiting it in the one-time transfer era if a need arises and broke down the reasons for that to one: coach Jeff Tedford.

“Between his contacts, between his reputation, being that he’s beloved in Northern California and there are a lot of Southern California guys that send guys up there, I think he’s going to be able to attract a lot of talent,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor at 247 Sports.

“I think it’s going to happen in the ‘23 class – you’ll see it with their high school recruits. But I think you’ll also see them hit the portal well pretty quickly. The fact that Aaron Rodgers still touts his relationship with Tedford, that’s something that resonates with good players. This is a guy that resonates with elite talent and with NFL talent, and I think that’s something that’s really going to help them.”

Tedford hit it big on two transfers in his first run at his alma mater, bringing in quarterback Marcus McMaryion from Oregon State in 2017 and Haener from Washington in 2019.

McMaryion was immediately eligible as a graduate transfer and went 21-4 as a starter for the Bulldogs with two bowl wins and a Mountain West Conference championship in 2018. Haener, a redshirt sophomore when he transferred, had to sit out the 2019 season under the NCAA rules in place at that time.

Starting with the 2021-22 academic year, student-athletes in any sport who have not transferred schools in the past can play immediately. That gives Tedford and the Bulldogs another very large and well-stocked target in recruiting, should they be short in a position group or two and looking for some immediate roster help.

“That’s going to be a significant part of the process,” Huffman said. “Now, you can maybe find quicker fixes elsewhere, and I think if you’re a coach that has a reputation for developing NFL players, you’re going to be that much more attractive. It’s not going to be so much about playing time, it’s about playing time and the opportunity to be developed for the NFL.

Another well-stocked recruiting area for Tedford, Bulldogs

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you start to see Fresno State hit the transfer portal harder in the next year or two. Tedford has the resume that probably allows him to recruit the portal hard and land those guys.”

The reputation is built on the play of quarterbacks, but Tedford when at Cal developed 40 NFL Draft picks including eight first-round selections. Only two of them were quarterbacks – Rodgers in 2005 and Kyle Boller in 2003, who Tedford in his first season in Berkeley turned into a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens. Boller in his sophomore and junior seasons combined had 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, then as a senior passed for 28 TDs with just 10 interceptions.

Cal under Tedford also had two running backs, two defensive ends, one cornerback and one offensive lineman go in the first round and 19 players selected in the first three rounds.

Tedford’s first recruiting class at Fresno State included running back Ronnie Rivers and defensive end Arron Mosby, who will be available in the upcoming draft along with with defensive tackle Kevin Atkins (a 2016 recruit), wideout Keric Wheatfall (2019), offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu (2019) and cornerback DaRon Bland (2021).

“Obviously, the portal is a huge thing and it has to be monitored continually,” Tedford said. “It’s always a moving target. We’ll tackle a look at where we are and I would anticipate trying to get at it.

“That’s going to be part of the recruiting process we have. That’s why I say I’m going to be busy doing a lot of that for the next five, six, seven days at least, until signing day, which is next Wednesday.”

How active the Bulldogs are in the transfer portal will likely depend on the roster and number of scholarships available – the first meeting Tedford went into after his introductory press conference was on recruiting, going over the players on the board, the players they have committed, what their needs are in the Class of 2022 and beyond.

Nine high school commitments

Fresno State has commitments from nine high school players ahead of the early signing period on Wednesday with wideout Nathan Acevedo from Lincoln High in San Diego, defensive lineman Miles Bailey from Benicia, cornerback Jomarion Briggs from Lincoln High in Stockton, wideout Jayden Davis from Bullard High, defensive lineman Jahzon Jacks from St. Mary’s High in Stockton, offensive lineman Nate Maier from Rim of the World High in Lake Arrowhead, wideout Jalen Moss from Menlo-Atherton High, linebacker Tim Thomas from Lincoln High in Stockton and tight end Merhauti Xepera from Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz.