Portal season is beginning to pop. With the 2023 College Football regular season down to just one more game (Army-Navy), it is time to start shifting focus away from the gridiron (that is, until the bowl games and the College Football Playoff kicks off) and look to the players that have entered the transfer portal. Many big names have entered the portal, but one of the more under-the-radar names is Boise State's Eric McAlister.

McAlister got his first real taste of major playing time this season, and he delivered on it. He only brought in 47 receptions, but he turned those 47 receptions into 873 yards and five touchdowns. Those were all career highs by far. The most notable of those receptions came against San Jose State, in which he caught an 83-yard touchdown en route to a career-high 170-yard performance.

McAlister is a talented player who was somewhat hidden in the Mountain West, though he did deliver a seven reception, 69 yard performance in Boise State's season opener against the playoff-bound Washington Huskies. He will help any team that he goes to. The question is: who will be the lucky team that lands him?

TCU Horned Frogs

Eric McAlister, TCU logo. Eyeball emojis all around

Eric McAlister is a Texas native, which makes it likely that a Texas school will be the lucky one to nab him out of the transfer portal. Chris Hummer of 24/7 Sports estimates that the team with the inside track to land McAlister is the TCU football program.

The destination makes sense for a number of reasons. For one, TCU football could really use a No. 1 receiver. The Horned Frogs didn't have a single receiver who exceeded 600 receiving yards last season. Savion Williams was the team's leading receiver with 573 yards; McAlister had 873 at Boise State. McAlister's 47 receptions also would've been tied with tight end Jared Wiley for the lead among TCU pass catchers in that statistic.

Another reason: TCU football and their coaching staff have had success in the transfer portal. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles was able to pluck Matt Landers out of the transfer portal while he was at the University of Arkansas and get a 47 reception, 901 yard and eight touchdown season out of him. Briles was also able to get a 59 reception, 702 yard and three touchdown season from Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood at Arkansas too.

TCU has taken many cracks at the transfer portal and they are not all hits; former Alabama receiver JoJo Earle is on the TCU roster, but he only registered 16 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns in Fort Worth in 2023. Earle may look like a miss, but McAlister comes with more production than Earle did. McAlister would be a big boost to TCU and their wide receiver room.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

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A team outside of the state of Texas that Chris Hummer mentioned in that video above that could appeal to Eric McAlister is the NC State Wolfpack football team. The Pack could really use another receiver. Kevin Concepcion had a nice season in 2023 as their number one receiver; he caught 64 balls for 767 yards and ten touchdowns.

Concepcion looked the part, but the rest of NC State football's receivers were lacking in 2023. Their second-leading receiver on the season had just 29 receptions for 247 yards and no touchdowns. One of their receivers, Porter Rooks, just entered the transfer portal himself.

Eric McAlister would be a godsend for this program. They badly need another threat alongside Concepcion to keep defenses honest. McAlister would be just that. He'd be a great and much-needed fit for this program.