The college football transfer portal officially opens just one day after the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal on Jan. 2, and with just one window, is expected to be as wild as ever.

While the transfer portal isn’t officially open, the NCAA is not only drowning in lawsuits, but also has no way to prevent contact from occurring before the window opens. There have already been plenty of reports linking some of the top names in the portal to other programs despite the fact that they aren’t technically allowed to be in contact.

Regardless of the back-channeling, which is most certainly happening, teams across the sport need the portal for a variety of reasons. Some schools will be using it to completely revamp their roster after a down year, while others are looking for the perfect piece or two to help them make a title push.

Although just about every team in the country has portal needs, five programs stand out among the rest in terms of who is under the most pressure.

Colorado Buffaloes

We are three seasons into the Deion Sanders era at Colorado, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame corner has shown minimal interest in recruiting from the high school ranks. In fact, Sanders has made zero off-campus visits, brought in just 14 recruits in the 2026 class and said he’d be a “fool” to try and recruit 30 freshmen a year since “half” will “probably” leave.

That said, the portal method has drawn mixed reviews, as his first year saw him bring in 52 transfers and go 4-8, just one year after the program’s dreaded 1-11 season.

Year two saw Colorado bring in a 43-man class, go 9-4 and make its first bowl game since 2020, while Travis Hunter won the Heisman. However, this season saw Colorado bring in 33 transfers, but the Buffs took a huge step back, going 3-9.

With Colorado already losing 25 players to the portal in addition to a slew of other upperclassmen, they will need to bring in around 50 transfers. If they miss this group, it very well could mark the beginning of the end for Sanders in Boulder.

Texas Longhorns

As I mentioned earlier, no two programs use the transfer portal in the same manner. While Colorado needs a portal class that can revive the program again, Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns need a portal class that can be the difference between them being left out of the College Football Playoff by a couple of spots, and getting into the dance for the third time in four years.

The Longhorns have already let All-SEC running back Tre Wisner and former five-star running back CJ Baxter walk, while also seeing their linebacker room take a hit with Liona Lefau (transfer portal) and Anthony Hill (NFL Draft) both leaving as well.

Quarterback Arch Manning turned things around at the end of the year, but it was clear that, based on the fact that he was constantly running for his life, had receivers with drop problems and no run support, the team around him wasn’t necessarily helping his case.

Texas started this season ranked No. 1 and came up short of its goal. While the portal isn’t open yet, they are expected to take some massive swings that could be the difference between them not coming up short next year.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Oh, where to begin with Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was already viewed as somewhat of a risk for Belichick to go from being one of the winningest coaches in NFL history to a college game he had never coached in, but this season didn’t instill any confidence in the 73-year-old.

Whether it be behind-the-scenes drama with his 24-year-old girlfriend, or the fact that his team had the No. 110 average scoring margin of -8.9, Belichick found himself on the hot seat after about four games.

It’s truly unclear how long of a leash he has in Chapel Hill, but he does have a guaranteed deal that sees him earn $10 million a year, so a hefty buyout could work out in his favor. However, the best way to ease the tensions and distract fans from his girlfriend’s attempts to trademark everything is to win games.

The Tar Heels have been linked to Bobby Petrino for the offensive coordinator role, and Belichick now knows what he struggled with this season. A good portal class can gain some faith, but another down year filled with shenanigans could mark the end of his legendary career.

LSU Tigers

Much of the pressure here stems solely from Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for the LSU job. The new Tigers head coach led the Rebels to their best regular-season record in program history and their first College Football Playoff appearance, but still couldn’t turn down the opportunity to coach at a blueblood.

Since winning the title in 2019, the Tigers have gone 47-29 and haven’t really come close to making the College Football Playoff. Kiffin won’t be getting very much grace in Baton Rouge from LSU fans, but those around the country are simply waiting for the 50-year-old head coach to fail in order to scold him for leaving Ole Miss.

As we have seen with Kiffin at Ole Miss, the right portal class can get you in the playoff, and that appears to be the immediate expectation. So, anything short of that will already have fans turning on the controversial head coach.

Florida State Seminoles

Whether it was due to money or just how many other programs moved on from their head coach, the Florida State Seminoles opted not to fire Mike Norvell this season. After a 13-1 season in 2023, the Seminoles have gone a combined 7-17 over the past two seasons, and Norvell is on ice that is as thin as it gets.

The Seminoles have relied on the portal for two consecutive years to fill certain positions, but the program’s biggest flaw has been its quarterback evaluations. They whiffed on DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State) and Tommy Castellanos (Boston College) in the portal, and really haven’t found a steady solution at the position since Jordan Travis’ departure.

To put it bluntly, if Florida State has another down year, or even a slow start because of an underwhelming portal class, Norvell will be in the unemployment line.

The college football transfer portal will officially open Jan. 2 and with it should come a flurry of activity, big-money deals and roster transformations. 

There is more pressure than ever this time around with the spring portal period disbanded in favor of a sole winter period that runs from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16. It’s why this year’s winter portal could resemble what we see with NFL free agency with many of the best options coming off the board quickly for big money deals. 

“People are going to spend out of the gate — like immediately — your top guys, your best guys, are going to go quick,” said a Big Ten general manager. “Then it’s the rest of them that are asking for money, but at some point they’re going to come down a little bit because the money has already been spent.” 

There was a belief a year ago that with the passing of the House settlement and introduction of the College Sports Commission as an enforcement arm that last year may have been the Golden Age for big paydays. With a $20.5 million revenue share cap and a promise for stricter enforcement of NIL deals, the idea was that prices would come down this cycle as teams could no longer double dip between unlimited collective money and the rev share. For a variety of reasons, however, that hasn’t proven to be the case. 

In some cases, even, prices have doubled. 

“I feel like the average starter this cycle, the sort of line you have to hit, is $600,000,” said one SEC general manager. “I feel like last year starters’ in our conference were $300,000. Now it feels like starters are more like $600,000.”

What does that look like for the entire market? CBS Sports talked to dozens of sources from agents to general managers to collective leaders to put together value ranges for each position ahead of this window’s official opening. 

Quarterback

High End: > $3.5 million
Average: $1.5 million to $2.5 million
Low End: $750,000 to $1 million

Just like in the NFL where the top quarterbacks account for around 20% of a team’s cap, the best portal quarterbacks this cycle are expected to command a hefty chunk of the pie. 

Top-ranked arms like Brendan Sorsby (from Cincinnati), Josh Hoover (from TCU) and Sam Leavitt (from Arizona State) are expected to reach — and possibly pass — the $3.5 million mark. 

It’s well-documented last cycle’s double dip (teams spending freely before rev-share caps were put into place over the summer) allowed teams to go gangbusters in transfer portal spending, including at QB where Duke made the little-known Darian Mensah famous for a $4 million annual salary. General managers thought there would be a downturn in spending at the position this cycle because of rev-share caps, but that sentiment has changed in recent weeks. 

Schools are figuring out creative ways to exceed the rev-share cap, usually through marketing deals the school can find for their high-profile QB1.  

“Six weeks I would have said no way,” an ACC GM said. “In the last six weeks people have figured out ways to construct a contract. You can put 15 deals together to get to $4 million.” 

What 20% of a team’s cap looks like depends on the school. Some Power Four programs will only be at the full revenue sharing max, around $14-18 million for each Power Four football programs. Other big spenders will be at $25 million-plus due to the outside name, image and likeness deals the program manages to generate. 

As for whether it makes sense to pay a quarterback that much, it’s a matter of debate for the general managers we spoke with. 

“Even if you’re at $25 million, are you really going to put 20 percent of your resources into one player?” a Big Ten GM said. “You better hope he’s good. You better hope he’s Fernando Mendoza or Diego Pavia – he has to be or that’s a bad investment.” 

Beyond the upper end of the market, the number required for a quality starter in the portal continues to creep up. Last year, quality-starting QBs could be found in the upper 600s and low million-dollar range. Now the same level of player costs $1.5 to $2.5 million. 

Even high-upside backups who haven’t started are making that sort of ask. 

“I don’t know in the portal if you’re going to get a guy experienced and proven (for) less than $2 million,” a SEC GM said. 

As for the low end of the market, there are some Power Four teams who could choose to go the discount route for a starter, be it a player jumping up from the FCS or Group of Five ranks — there are starters who’ve played a lot of snaps who can be found at that price — or betting on a player who’s shown flashes in short bursts on the Power Four level. 

Running back

High End: > $1 million
Average: $400,000 to $700,000
Low End: $250,000

Similar to the NFL, at the running back spot you’ll see some college teams really prioritize it and others shy away from spending big money. There are multiple running backs this cycle who could command seven figures if they enter the portal such as Louisville’s Isaac Brown and Florida’s Jaden Baugh. The idea of a $1-million plus running back prompted strong reactions.

“If you’re spending a million dollars on a running back, you need a new GM,” said one agent.

Said a Big Ten general manager: “The running back numbers have been absolutely stupid. They don’t make any sense.”

Still, there are those willing to invest major resources in a top running back just like the Philadelphia Eagles did in plucking Saquon Barkley away from the New York Giants or the Atlanta Falcons drafting Bijan Robinson 8th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

“I’m a bigger fan of running backs than the whole trend 10-15 years ago,” said an ACC general manager. “‘Oh don’t ever draft a running back in the first round’. Well, look at all the best ones that ever played. They were all drafted in the first round.” 

Once you get past the top-end running backs, most agree that you can get a good back in the $300,000-$500,000 range. 

Wide receiver

High End: $1 million to $2 million
Average: $500,000 to $800,000
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

If you want a top receiver out of the transfer portal, be prepared to spend big. Auburn’s Cam Coleman could be in the $2 million range, predicted one Big Ten general manager. Coleman is ranked as the No. 1 overall transfer in Cooper Petagna’s 247Sports transfer portal rankings. 

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With receivers, it can depend on whether the player is viewed as a true No. 1 receiver or more of a No. 2. If you’re a true No. 1 with legitimate NFL talent, you’ll command $1 million and upward, especially the big-bodied outside plays. A Big Ten general manager, throwing out a hypothetical, said Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith could command up to $4 million for one year of his services should he transfer. Smith is a cut above the rest of the sport, though. The hypothetical gap between him and Coleman could be $2 million — though a bidding war could also push Coleman’s number above $2 million — while the gap between Coleman can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

As one Big 12 general manager explained: “$1 million for elite receivers, $1.5 million to $2 million for freak receivers and $400,000-$750,000 for everyone else.” 

A No. 2 starting receiver could be more in the $300,000-$600,000 range. What determines the price range for those? Some of it is based on production, some of it is based on traits and some of it is simply physical attributes. 

“Bigger, taller WRs, even without production, can be in that $600,000-$700,000 range,” said an agent. “Smaller guys/third guy is $200,000-$300,000. Decent guy is $400,000-$600,000 at No. 2. Tall guys get an extra $100,000.” 

In last year’s cycle, there were multiple receivers who were in the seven-figure range including Auburn’s Eric Singleton and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion. Multiple receivers will hit that range again. 

Tight end

High End: $600,000 to $800,000
Average: $300,000 to $500,000
Low End: $200,000 to $300,000

Tight end is an eye-of-the-beholder position. Some schools don’t use them much in their offense. Others require two on the field at a time. The best ones can be game changers at receiver like Tanner Koziol was for Houston this year (727 yards, 6 TDs) for a 10-win team. Interestingly, Koziol transferred to Wisconsin first, didn’t mesh and reentered the portal in the spring to emerge as a difference maker for the Cougars. 

That’s why the range for tight ends is so varied. 

Value is there to be found on the lower range — with at least one all-conference player this year making $200,000 this year — but mostly it’s the block-first tight ends who fit in the lower range. Most starters will be between $300,000 to 500,000 while the elite players of the cycle, like Iowa State’s Benjamin Brahmer and Tulsa’s Brody Foley, will sit between $600,000-800,000.

Offensive Tackle 

High End: > $1 million
Average: $500,000 to $1 million
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

Outside of quarterbacks, offensive tackle is the position that traditionally commanded the highest average premium. Even some non-proven tackles last cycle — think 300 or fewer snaps coming from a high-end Power Four program — commanded well into the seven-figure range last year. 

That seems to have shifted, or at least plateaued, this cycle. 

“That’s the one position that oddly feels like it’s the same market as last year,” the SEC GM said. 

As one agent with several high-level tackles — those located in the top 15 of the 247Sports rankings — put it: “Last year it seemed like if you were pretty good you could get a million. This year it seems like teams are shying away from a million. I’ve seen a lot of $700,000 to $900,000 offers for the tackles. The minute you ask for a million they clam up.” 

Regardless, elite tackles will still command a million-plus. There just aren’t that many of them with those like Auburn’s Xavier Chaplin and LSU’s Carius Curne fronting the market as currently constructed — and a few big names are floating out there still as hot rumors. 

Teams still have to pay up even for the solid starters. The average in the Power Four for that level of player will still sit between $500,000 and a million. Some teams will try to find value between $300,000 to $500,000 at tackle, but those players will either be FCS players jumping up or unproven Power Four players teams are taking a chance on. 

Interior Offensive Line

High End: $600,000 to $800,000
Average: $300,000 to $500,000
Low End: $200,000 to $300,000

Opinions on guard can vary depending on a team’s priorities. Seeing them as critical interior anchors and a huge piece of the run game, some high-profile programs are willing to shell out up to $800,000 for an elite guard. Other schools, even the  high-profile ones, consider them the most replaceable pieces on offense and allot around $400,000 on the high end. 

Thus, the salary range can be extreme. 

“A large-bodied guard could warrant $700-800K plus for a guy who could be drafted,” said one agent who represents a blue-chip guard. The agent noted there would only be a handful of those types this cycle.

Center is a more specialized position generally than guard, so the better ones tend to be a bit more expensive. A good center with experience will be in the $500,000 range, a little higher than the average on the inside. 

EDGE

High End: $1 million to $1.7 million
Average: $600,000 to $1 million
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

After quarterback and offensive tackle, edge-rusher is the premium position where you’ll see considerable resources dedicated for many programs. If you have a game-wrecker at this position, it can open so much for you defensively and it’s why so many programs want a great one.

With high demand comes hefty prices. If a player like South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, who recently re-upped with the Gamecocks, had instead hit the portal, he would have garnered in the $2 million range, according to a Big Ten personnel executive. If you want anyone even in the neighborhood of Stewart’s caliber, you’ll be spending seven figures this cycle. One general manager known for shopping in the expensive portal aisles said “the really good ones are between $1-$1.5 million.” 

Penn State edge-rusher Chazz Coleman is the top-rated edge transfer, according to 247Sports, and No. 2 overall transfer. 

Even just an average starting edge-rusher can command in the $700,000 range, according to a different Big Ten general manager.

“I don’t know if it’s desperation or scarcity,” the GM said, “but guys without a whole lot of production or proven impact are commanding eye-brow raising money.”

Defensive tackle

High End: $800,000 to > $1.5 million
Average: $500,000 to $700,000
Low End: $250,000 to $500,000

The scarcity of talented defensive tackles has made this a position of high value if you’re going shopping out of the transfer portal. The gem of this year’s class is Wake Forest’s Mateen Igirogba (No. 5 in 247Sports’ rankings) who could command in that range of $1.5 million or a little more. USC transfer Devin Thompkins, No. 11 in the rankings, is another expected to be in the seven-figure range. 

For a top interior defensive linemen, according to a Big Ten general manager, “to get you in the conversation it has to be at least $800,000.” An SEC GM summed it up well, “Decent DT for $400,000-$500,000, really good ones $700,000-plus. Great ones $1 million-plus.”

Linebacker

High end: > $700,000
Average: $250,000 to $500,000
Low end: $150,000 to $250,000

The general consensus is this is the cheapest starting position outside of the specialists. Multiple people we talked to believed you could get a good starter around $300,000. If you wanted an all-conference type, it’d be in the $600,000 range. While the linebacker position isn’t where programs like to spend up, Jacob Rodriguez, who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, proved this year at Texas Tech just how potent having a top linebacker can be. 

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Chris Hummer

Cornerback

High end: $800,000 to > $1 million
Average: $400,000 to $700,000
Low end: $150,000 to $350,000

In part because programs need so many cornerbacks, this position has one of the widest ranges in salary, according to one agent who represents multiple top options. Some programs really value the position while others prefer quantity over well-paid quality. 

Elite cornerbacks, especially in the Big Ten and SEC, can command $1 million and up. Another agent, who represents cornerbacks, says SEC and Big Ten schools will pay $700,000 to $800,000 for those 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback types that Nick Saban loved. Meanwhile ACC and Big 12 programs, excluding Texas Tech, might be more willing to accept a 5-foot-10 fast DB, and spend only $400,000. 

A viable starting cornerback is usually going to cost you $300,000 and up. If you want more of a higher end option, that number is more in the $400,000-$600,000 range. But a Power Four nickel back could be more in the $150,000 neighborhood. 

“That’s a position I feel you can get a good player for a reasonable number,” said the SEC GM. “It’s hard to get a proven player for a reasonable number. There are good players out there for less than $400,000.”

Safety 

High end: $700,000 to $1 million  
Average: $350,000 to $500,000
Low end: $200,000 to $350,000

Once again similar to how NFL teams see the position in the draft, there are a few programs that really value this position but the majority are going to see an opportunity to invest elsewhere. One GM even said it wasn’t an impact position. For those that really value it and want their version of a Caleb Downs-type, as if they grow on trees, that could cost up to $1 million. 

But, by and large, there is value to be found in the $350,000-$500,000 range. One agent even said that multiple schools told them that their budget was $350,000 for a starting safety. 

“It’s just a position where there’s a lot of them,” the agent said. “If you’re not elite they fall into a different bucket.” 

Specialists

General range: $50,000 to $200,000

Specialists make money, too! It’s not often discussed in portal season, but there’s a healthy market for specialists, especially the really good ones. Solid starters will be in the $50,000 to $100,000 range. But the best kickers and punters, especially in the Big Ten and SEC, can push between $100,000 and $200,000. 

One of the most talented wide receivers in the SEC has made his final decision when it comes to entering the transfer portal days before his team is set to appear in the second round of the College Football Playoff.

And it’s a decision that Alabama fans should welcome right before their team is set to take on the top seed team from the historic Rose Bowl.

Alabama star is staying put

Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams has stated that he will return to the school for the 2026 college football season.

“Of course. I’m Alabama through and through. I have no intentions of being anywhere else,” Williams told reporters before the Tide’s appearance in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal game.

So he’s not going into the portal? “Nah,” he said.

Coming off an impressive comeback victory against Oklahoma in the first round, Alabama is set to face off against undefeated No. 1 overall seed Indiana in the second-round fixture from Pasadena on New Year’s Day, and Williams should be a big part of its game plan.

Williams burst onto the scene last fall

Williams made a name for himself as a 17-year-old freshman last season, catching 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in addition to two rushing scores.

The wideout’s gravity-defying and acrobatic plays in a statement win against Georgia, in particular, made him a household name among college football fans in the SEC and nationally.

And he was able to parlay that success into a solid NIL valuation, ranking among the top 50 players in the NCAA and in the top 35 in football with a reported $1.6 million estimation, according to the On3 Sports national rankings.

This was a down year, though

Expectations were through the roof coming off his debut campaign, but Williams’ production didn’t live as much up to the hype in his sophomore effort.

The wideout recorded 43 receptions for 636 yards and just four touchdowns in 2025, although he had a strong outing against Wisconsin early this fall, when he secured 5 grabs for 165 yards and two of his touchdown catches.

“This season has presented a lot of opportunities for me and my squad,” Williams said at the Rose Bowl media day from L.A.

He added: “Learning opportunities. On the field opportunities. Really just growing as an individual.”

How the college football transfer portal works

College football’s transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2, but that hasn’t stopped a flurry of players from entering their names for consideration at a new school right now.

The new 15-day transfer portal window from Jan. 2-16 and the elimination of the spring transfer period has condensed the timeline for players and programs to make their moves.

The NCAA Transfer Portal is a private database that includes the names of student-athletes in every sport at the Division I, II, and III levels. The full list of names is not available to the public.

But to hear the Alabama star speak for himself, it appears Ryan Williams will not be among those names.

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

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Nick Saban went on a lengthy rant about the state of college sports, claiming he had all the answers. But, the former Alabama coach said “nobody will listen” to his solutions.

“I got it figured out. Nobody will listen,” Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show. “So, you know, what are you going to do? I mean, we got to have, you know, some kind of antitrust exemption. You got to get the political parties together on it. I think the college people have to get over the fact that, you know, a graduate student can be a graduate assistant, get paid, is not an employee. So players don’t have to be employees. And these graduate students have representation. You call it a union if you want, but it’s restricted on what they can negotiate for.

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“They can’t say, you know, I have a lab that takes 10 hours and I’m going to go on strike, so we only have to go six hours. Can’t do that. You do the same thing in football. Put some restrictions and determine what you can and can’t negotiate. Shouldn’t be anything that has anything to do with athletic development. We already have those restrictions, 20 hours a week, whatever it is, that practice time. So there is a way to do this that satisfies both parties, that gives cover to both groups, so that we can move forward.” 

Saban even referred to how he was criticized for his opinions on the state of college athletics at this time. That’s despite college football being more popular than ever, but it’s not without its flaws. 

“And you know, I got killed in the Wall Street Journal for saying things like, college football is messed up,” Saban said. “But the thing about it is, everybody just looks at … the playoffs have created tremendous interest in college football. There’s a whole bunch of teams now that have a chance to get in the playoffs. There’s more interest than ever, higher TV ratings and all that. But the underbelly underneath that is not really good. It’s not really good for the development of players. It’s not really good for all the sports that we try to sponsor in college.”

Nick Saban has hot opinion about state of college athletics

“I mean, and I think we got to decide that we want to be, you know, a professional developmental league,” Saban continued. “Or are we really going to have college athletes who go get an education and develop value for their future as they’re playing and making money? I want them to make money. I think they should make money, but there should be some restrictions on how they go about doing it.” 

However, money aside, Saban said the biggest issue is the transfer portal. NIL can be tweaked, but player movement has to be fixed. He even likened it to the biggest issues in basketball and has coaching legends hitting him up!

“And the movement is as big an issue, to me, a bigger issue than even the money,” Saban said. “I mean, everybody being able to transfer all the time. I mean, that’s not a good thing. Now, we even got a basketball player going to Baylor after he played in the NBA. I mean, you heard me say this before: we are going to have a quarterback gets drafted by the New York Giants. He’s gonna be playing for Penn State. I mean, what about that? Calipari and Izzo are blowing me up. I’m not even a basketball guy.”