One of the top young offensive linemen in the SEC last season is set to enter the transfer portal.
Arkansas offensive tackle Andrew Chamblee plans to enter the portal when the spring transfer portal window opens, a source tells 247Sports.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Chamblee made eight starts at left tackle as a redshirt freshman for the Razorbacks last season and was selected to the SEC All-Freshman team, becoming the team’s the first SEC All-Freshman team offensive lineman since 2020. As a recruit, the Arkansas native was ranked by 247Sports as the 18th-best offensive tackle and 204th-best overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman had announced March 5 that Chamblee was retiring from football but Chamblee is now instead set to resume his playing career at a different school.
Chamblee’s NIL representatives are Darren Wilson and Chase Moss.
The spring transfer portal window for football is open from April 16-30.
He wasn’t their first choice or their second and maybe not even their third choice, but on Thursday the Louisville Cardinals officially announced Pat Kelsey as their head coach.
Kelsey comes to Louisville after three seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances at the College of Charleston.
Frankly, of those on their board, Kelsey might have been the best pick. He can coach. He can recruit and acquire talent. And, he has an energetic and big personality which is an added bonus for a job like Louisville.
After weeks of this wild search, it’s imperative that Kelsey doesn’t follow suit and treat the portal like the athletic department treated their search. These next five weeks will be crucial for Kelsey and how quickly he can turn this program and roster around to compete in the ACC in year one.
It’s possible, very possible.
With its rich history, passionate fanbase, and resources, the Louisville basketball program is a sleeping giant in this NIL era. There are already rumors swirling about how much the Cardinals have in its collective. If the rumors are true, then Louisville arguably has the biggest collective in the country. With that comes loads of opportunity, but also will require careful management and vision in how Kelsey and his staff build out this roster.
What is most important for Kelsey is not doing what his predecessor did.
When Kenny Payne first got the job at Louisville on March 18, 2022, the portal was still firing and there was plenty of talent to be had. But, Payne resorted to cleaning out the roster and then was extremely selective in targeting transfers. As the saying goes, you have to strike while the iron is hot. Payne didn’t take a swing and that iron quickly froze. This resulted in a 4-28 season in 2022-23, that Payne and Louisville couldn’t recover from.
For Kelsey, he can’t do what Payne did. He must realize there is some value to salvage from his predecessor’s roster, particularly in Mike James and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.
Both are already in the transfer portal, but should be prioritized by Kelsey to get them to return to Louisville.
Kaleb Glenn is another Cardinal in the portal that would be of value to return. Glenn is a former four-star recruit who can contribute and provide team culture value with his motor and toughness.
After Kelsey tries to get Cardinal players back on the roster, he needs to hit the portal hard. With Louisville’s rumored NIL budget, they should have no issue gaining interest from several of the big fish that are already in the portal or will be hitting the market in the coming weeks.
However, Kelsey must be careful while also being aggressive. Just going after the big fish can backfire. It’s a delicate art. Culture must also be built and the pieces, personalities, and mentalities must work. Louisville needs talent, but it needs the right talent.
