Florida International losing 1,857 WR yards, 21 TDs to transfer portal
12/02/2024 06:08 PM
The mass roster exodus for Florida International (FIU) football has begun. Following FIU firing Mike MacIntyre as head coach, the Panthers already lost starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins to the transfer portal. Jenkins won’t be alone.
The Panthers are losing not one, but two wide receivers to the portal, per Pete Nakos of On3.com. Dean Patterson made his intentions to dip first before 5 p.m. ET Sunday.
FIU wide receiver Dean Patterson plans to enter the transfer portal, the @nxtsportsagency tells @On3sports.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound receiver had 50 catches for 685 yards and 9 total touchdowns this season. Will have one year of eligibility.https://t.co/VxSGJETKD9pic.twitter.com/vorsOr1hra
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 1, 2024
Patterson officially joined the portal Monday morning. But he wasn’t the only WR dipping out of FIU. Eric Rivers joined his WR teammate in the portal on the same morning.
Collectively, this means the FIU offense will lose two WRs who combined for 1,857 yards and 21 touchdowns this past season. And their moves, along with Jenkins, comes in the wake of MacIntyre’s dismissal.
Florida International endured three consecutive 4-8 seasons under the former San Jose State and Colorado head coach. The school is now searching for its sixth head coach in football program history.
Former Florida International WRs joining deep portal pool
Both proved to be dynamic together in Miami, despite the 4-8 finish.
Rivers emerged as the most productive of the WR duo. The 5-foot-11, 172-pounder led the way with 62 catches, 1,172 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He even averaged an astonishing 18.9 yards per catch. Rivers delivered five 100-yard games. Although he’s best known for his epic 11-catch, 295-yard performance against New Mexico State on Oct. 29.
Patterson was the towering option for Jenkins and MacIntyre at 6-foot-2, 200-pounds. The junior grabbed 50 receptions, tallied 685 yards, and scored seven times as the WR2 for FIU. He produced just one 100-yard outing (Nov. 16 against Jacksonville State). That game also witnessed season-highs for Patterson — catching nine passes for 116 yards against one of the Conference USA title game representatives.
Rivers and Patterson are adding to an already intriguing list of portal WRs. Johntay Cook of Texas helped start the movement by leaving the Longhorns on Nov. 7. But more followed after Cook.
The 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year Kevin Concepcion hit the portal Sunday. He delivered 1,299 total yards and 16 touchdowns for North Carolina State in two seasons. Arguably the biggest portal entry is Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson, who’s a former five-star talent. Hudson declared his intentions for the portal Sunday.
Rivers will be seeking his third college. He previously enrolled at Memphis in June 2021. Patterson took the leap from NCAA Division II program Findlay to FIU in 2020. Both are anticipated to hear from multiple suitors, given their past history of delivering 1,000 yards or 50 receptions in a single season.
The transfer portal officially opens Dec. 9 for undergraduates. The portal opening continues onto Dec. 28.
The post Florida International losing 1,857 WR yards, 21 TDs to transfer portal appeared first on ClutchPoints.
