Louisville return on table for transfer RB Peny Boone, Georgia, Miami in contact

Peny Boone made the decision this week to enter the transfer portal, after transferring into Louisville this offseason.

A return to the Cardinals is still on the table, a source tells On3. The No. 2 available running back in college football’s free agency, Boone is evaluating all his options at the moment. A source told On3 on Saturday night that Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Kentucky have all been in constant communication with the tailback, too.

The 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year rushed for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also tallying 219 yards receiving and a touchdown catch this past season. Boone is a former Maryland transfer, though his college production took off at Toledo.

He was slated to be in Seattle this weekend to visit the Huskies, however, the visit was called off. Washington is not off the board yet, though.

He’s tentatively expected to visit Ole Miss next week, too. The former Toledo running back entered the portal this past winter and transferred to the Cardinals. Roughly three months later, the 6-foot-1, 242-pound tailback is back in college football’s free agency.

Ole Miss is also in need of help at the running back position. The Rebels lost Quinshon Judkins this winter. The first-team All-SEC selection rushed for 1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023, while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He also had 149 receiving yards and two scores. Ole Miss added LSU’s Logan Diggs in January and landed a commitment this week from New Mexico transfer Jacory Merritt. The Rebels still want to add another back.

Boone did not leave Louisville because the Cardinals pushed him out. The transfer would have helped the Cardinals have one of the top backfields in the ACC with former Miami running back Don Chaney, who just transferred into Louisville this offseason, too. In his four seasons with the Hurricanes, he rushed for 852 career yards and six touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

Georgia has been looking for an experienced complement to Trevor Etienne this offseason. The Florida transfer was a needed pickup for the Bulldogs. With Kendall Milton off to the NFL, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs wanted to add a veteran back to their roster. Georgia added plenty of talent at the position in its 2024 recruiting class — Nathaniel Frazier, Dwight Phillips and Chauncey Bowens.

Arizona, Miami and Kentucky are in the Damien Martinez sweepstakes. Just one will win, leaving two scrambling to add a tailback. Colorado is hosting Ohio State transfer back Dallan Hayden this weekend in Boulder.

In four years in college, Peny Boone has recorded 2,101 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing, as well as 326 yards and one touchdown receiving. Because of his productivity, Boone is likely to get several looks from more high-profile programs.

Before enrolling at Maryland, Boone was a four-star prospect and the No. 380 overall recruit in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also the No. 37 running back in his class and the No. 10 overall player in the state of Michigan, hailing from Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King.

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