Head coach of Group of Five team calls out Ole Miss for trying to snatch their top receiver

When Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell got up to the Mountain West Conference Media Days podium, nobody would have guessed he would mention Ole Miss football. However, that's precisely what happened alongside other Power Four Conference teams.

When asked about the uptick in NFL Draft prospects in the Mountain West Conference, Norvell replied that the challenge was keeping hold of their talent with how the transfer portal rules have changed over the last several years.

Norvell then mentioned his star wide receiver, Trey Horton, suggesting he had every school in America trying to take Horton from the Rams, mentioning Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Now, we don't know if what Jay Norvell said is true. However, it would be dismissive to suggest that things like that don't happen in college football. One thing is clear: It would be strange for Ole Miss to chase Trey Horton with the roster they had unless they did it during the season or the first week of the transfer portal opening.

With the wide receivers Ole Miss brought back, in Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, they also had talented sophomores Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee on the roster. Within the first few weeks of the transfer portal, they added Antwane Wells, a former All-SEC wide receiver. They also added four-star JUCO talent Deion Smith, giving them a stacked wide receiver room.

Despite Trey Horton's quality, I find it hard to believe that Lane Kiffin or his staff would be tampering with the Colorado State wide receiver. The truth will likely never come to fruition, but Jay Norvell's comments could see the NCAA react to the accusations.

Jay Norvell says one of his players was approached by Kansas State

In the same press conference, Jay Norvell mentioned that his quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, was offered $600,000 if he transferred to Kansas State.

""He said a guy from Kansas State called him, offered him $600k because they lost their quarterback, if he got in the portal. And I’m not accusing Kansas State of anything. I’m just telling you what the kid told me.""

- Jay Norvell at conference Media Days

Again, it's another controversial comment, with theses things likely happening across college football. However, Kansas State had a talented sophomore quarterback in Avery Johnson, the clear starter in 2024.

It seems unlikely they would pay such a figure for a backup quarterback or to compete with Johnson. However, Jay Norvell's comments still ignite the controversy surrounding the transfer portal. It will be interesting to see if anything more comes from them.