College Football: 5 area high school graduates among hundreds entering transfer portal

After redshirting in 2021, the 6-foot-1, 201-pounder from Wayne High School became the starter for the Thundering Herd midway through last season, went 6-1 as a starter and led the team to wins in their last five games.

He finished 2022 with 1,558 yards passing and 10 touchdowns while also running for 466 yards.

This season, the left-hander completed 202 of 309 passes with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 273 yards (net) and four touchdowns.

He finished with one of his best games of the season, completing 16 of 22 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns while running for 100 yards and two more scores in a 35-21 win over Arkansas State.

Marshall coach Charles Huff told reporters Fancher was healthy after missing two games and playing through injuries in the month before that.

“The kid’s been banged up for a while, and it got to the point where he was unavailable,” Huff said. “I think if you look at when he’s healthy, probably the last time he was healthy healthy was probably N.C. State (on Oct. 7).

“Obviously he changes the game. He changes the way defenses play. He looked like Cam Fancher. He’d been banged up, a couple different things here and there. Was he hurt enough to not play right after N.C. State? No, but it changes your dynamic. It changes how you are able to feel the defense, it changes how if you feel like you can get to the edge. And then the last couple of weeks he’s been available, completely unavailable. Can’t go.”

Fancher was a three-star prospect in the class of 2021, when he was the No. 72 prospect in Ohio in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and his offers included Georgia State, Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky.

His announcement came one day after the Thundering Herd announced the hiring of Seth Doege as offensive coordinator, replacing Clint Trickett.

“Herd nation, I want to thank you for the three years I have been here,” Fancher wrote on social media Wednesday. “I also want to thank my coaches, teammates, trainers, staff and family for the unwavering support. I am eternally grateful for Coach Huff giving me the opportunity to do what I love at this university. I will truly never forget the relationships I’ve built while at Marshall.

“With that being said, I’ve made the decision to enter my name in the transfer portal.”

At least four other local high school graduates also announced plans to transfer this week.

Trotwood-Madison graduate Sammy Anderson Jr. is looking for a new school to play his last two seasons after spending four years at Cincinnati. He had 19 tackles in 13 games last season and was expected to be a starter this fall before injuries cut short his season.

The 6-foot, 185-pounder was a four-star football prospect who helped the Rams win the 2019 Division III state championship in football and the 2017 Division II basketball state title.

He announced his decision after the Bearcats’ season finale in late November and has reported already received offers from Massachusetts, Akron, Youngstown State, Toledo and Connecticut.

JuTahn McClain, a running back from Fairfield High School, announced he is on the move as well after running for 643 yards and a touchdown and catching 27 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns at Kentucky. Also a four-star prospect in the class of 2020, the 5-9, 198-pounder has two seasons of eligibility left as a result of the NCAA granting a free year of eligibly to everyone who played through the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of ‘20.

Lakota West graduate Jyaire Brown is also in the transfer portal after two seasons at Ohio State.

Brown was a four-star recruit two years ago and played in 10 games as a true freshman. He was pressed into starting duty against Wisconsin because of injuries and ended up playing 197 defensive snaps in 2022, the most of any member of his signing class.

This season Brown logged one tackle in four games so he has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

After one season at Iowa State, linebacker J.J. Jean-Louis announced he is entering the portal. The Centerville High grad played three games for the Cyclones and made one tackle this season.