Tulsa welcomed its mid-year transfers and enrollees this week, as just three weeks remain in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Four of the Hurricane's 18 early signees started classes on Monday at TU, along with three Division-1 transfers.
As we reported in November, Texas A&M running back Deneric Prince made an official visit to Tulsa on the weekend of November 8 and committed to the Hurricane later that month. In December, his teammate -- linebacker Brian Johnson -- visited Tulsa and also committed.
"It felt like a family culture [at Tulsa]," Johnson told Inside Tulsa Sports last month. "That's something I want to be a part of."
Johnson and Prince were also teammates at Manvel High near Houston, the same school that produced TU receiver Keylon Stokes and 2020 TU signee Jalen Paxton. Johnson and Prince didn't necessarily plan to both transfer to the same school.
"It just worked out like that," Johnson explained.
Oklahoma State tight end Grayson Boomer was less of a surprise when he committed to Tulsa on December 29. Once he joined the transfer portal, many expected the brother of TU quarterback Seth Boomer to join the Golden Hurricane.
All three D-1 transfers are currently expected to sit out the 2020 season under NCAA transfer rules; however, it is possible that one or more will apply for a waiver to become immediately eligible.
Early signees that have joined these D-1 transfers at Tulsa this semester include NEO defensive end Bryce Alonso, Decatur (TX) quarterback Roman Fuller, Tyler JC tight end Jacob Kainer and Jones County CC offensive lineman James Middleton.
In case you've missed our profiles of these new additions over the past several months, below is another look at the D-1 transfers and early signees that joined TU football at mid-term.
• DIVISION-1 TRANSFERS
Grayson Boomer signed with Oklahoma State in the 2019 class and suffered a torn ACL while working on the scout team as OSU prepared for its season opener. The younger brother of Tulsa quarterback Seth Boomer, Grayson had offers from LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas A&M, Texas and others out of Collinsville High School. He was used mainly as a blocker during his senior season but still caught 15 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Boomer entered the transfer portal in early December, and on December 29, he announced on Twitter his intention to attend Tulsa.
Like Boomer, Brian Johnson was a highly recruited prospect in high school. The Texas A&M linebacker signed with the Aggies in the 2018 class over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisville, West Virginia, Illinois, Iowa State and others. Johnson put his name in the transfer portal in late November. He played in 13 games as a freshman and won the team’s special teams newcomer award, but he only played in four games this season before asking to redshirt. Under current NCAA rules, a player can see action in up to four games and still redshirt. Johnson committed to Tulsa after an official visit to TU on December 6 weekend.
Deneric Prince was an under-the-radar recruit who signed with Texas A&M in the class of 2018 over offers from Arkansas, Louisville, Purdue, Arizona, Colorado State, SMU and others. He appeared in one game as a freshman, rushing for 21 yards on two carries. Coming into 2019, he expected a bigger role, but despite injuries clearing up the depth chart, Prince wasn't used in the first few games of the season and elected to enter the transfer portal. He made an official visit to Tulsa on the weekend of November 8 and committed to Tulsa later that month.
• EARLY SIGNEES ENROLLED AT MID-TERM
NEO defensive end Bryce Alonso picked up an offer from Tulsa on January 3, and he signed with TU a week later toward the end of the mid-year junior college transfer window. Alonso attended Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa before spending two seasons with the Golden Norse. As a sophomore this season, he totaled 35 tackles, five sacks and five tackles for loss. He had 28 tackles as a freshman in 2018.
Decatur (TX) quarterback Roman Fuller committed to Tulsa back in June. He was one of 25 semifinalists for the Mr. Texas Football High School Player of the Year Award in 2019 and was named district and county MVP as a senior, as well as honorable mention AP all-state. Fuller completed 244 of 356 passes (68.5 percent) for 3,904 yards, 41 touchdowns and just seven interceptions this season. He averaged an impressive 300.3 passing yards per contest and also ran for a score.
Tyler Junior College tight end Jacob Kainer committed to Tulsa in November over offers from Tulsa, South Florida, Louisiana-Monroe, Eastern Michigan, UTEP, South Alabama and several others. He finished the season with 18 receptions for 299 yards and one score, averaging 16.6 yards per catch. Kainer was ranked as the No. 3 junior college tight end nationally by JC Gridiron. In December, he was named an NJCAA Second-Team All-American and was first-team all-conference.
James Middleton played defensive tackle in high school at Fort Dorchester in North Charleston, South Carolina, before heading to Jones County Junior College in Mississippi. He flipped to offensive line and had an outstanding sophomore season. Very athletic for his size, Middleton committed to TU in early December after an official visit.
