NIL

Instant Impact

Published

5 months ago

August 20, 2025

The college football transfer portal has reshaped how programs construct rosters in recent years. Some top programs continue to lean into high school recruiting, while programs like Texas Tech spent over $10 million on acquiring its portal class.

Transfers are not depth pieces in this age of college football. They’re expected to step in and be instant difference-makers on teams with College Football Playoff ambitions. Led by On3’s Clark Brooks, Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire and On3 college football reporter Pete Nakos, here is On3’s Preseason All-Transfer Portal Team entering the 2025 season. Check out the team below:

Miami locked in a commitment from Georgia quarterback transfer Carson Beck less than 24 hours after he entered the portal. A projected first-round pick entering the 2024 season, Beck opted for a final season of college football coming off an injury to his throwing elbow in the SEC title game. He’s now healthy and expected to help the Hurricanes contend for their first ACC title and a College Football Playoff berth.

“Shannon [Dawson] loves him,” a source close to the Miami offensive coordinator told On3 this week. “He thinks he has another No. 1 pick in Carson.”

The Cal running back flirted with the transfer portal in December, but ultimately did not head for free agency until the spring. Oklahoma and Georgia were closely tied to Jaydn Ott when he entered in April. The Sooners won out, as quarterback John Mateer helped close out the recruitment. If the 2023 first-team All-Pac 12 player can stay healthy and put together a 1,000-yard season, it will be a difference maker in Oklahoma’s bid for a College Football Playoff berth.

Auburn wanted to bring in another piece to its wide receiver room this offseason to complement Cam Coleman. Auburn had to hold off a final effort from the Yellow Jackets, but the Tigers reeled in Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton. One of the most proven wideouts available in the portal, Singleton has 104 receptions and nine touchdowns in the last two years at Georgia Tech. Known for his speed, his 1,468 receiving yards over the last two seasons are the second most among returning Power Four wideouts.

When LSU found out Garrett Nussmeier was returning to Baton Rouge for a final season and passing on the 2025 NFL draft, the Tigers were aggressive in the portal to surround their quarterback with talent. Enter Barion Brown, who is one of the most experienced wide receivers in the SEC. He ranked No. 10 on Kentucky’s all-time receiving yards list (1,528) and has 3,277 career all-purpose yards. The 2024 First-Team All-SEC selection is also Kentucky’s record-holder for kickoff returns for a touchdown in a career, with five.

At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Malachi Fields is a physical wide receiver who was a major portal pickup for Notre Dame this winter. The Virginia transfer will provide a big target for CJ Carr to throw the ball to this fall. Known for his ability to pull down contested passes, he finished eighth in the ACC last season with 55 catches for 808 receiving yards. Despite being raised in Charlottesville and a team captain at UVA, Fields opted to play his final season at Notre Dame.

All eyes will be on Jeremiah Smith whenever Ohio State passes the ball this season, but the addition of Purdue tight end Max Klare adds another option through the air for the Buckeyes. Ohio State battled Louisville for the top tight end in the portal. With a 6-foot-5, 243-pound frame, Klare enters the 2025 season with 73 career catches for 881 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons. Klare averaged 13.4 yards per catch as a redshirt sophomore last season and his 684 receiving yards is the most among returning Power Four tight ends. He now enters an offense where he will not be the No. 1 receiving target.

Dan Lanning’s program reworked its offensive line through the transfer portal this offseason, adding Texas State’s Alex Harkey and USC’s Emmanuel Pregnon. But the headliner was Nevada offensive tackle Isaiah World. The 6-foot-8, 312-pound offensive lineman’s name is already being tossed around as a potential top-10 pick if he can put together all his skills this season and reduce his penalties. He graded out with an 82.4 pass-blocking grade at left tackle for Nevada in 2024.

Virginia Tech lost multiple pieces of its offensive line to the portal this offseason in Braelin Moore and Xavier Chaplin. But the Hokies also picked up a three-year starter out of the portal in West Virginia’s Tomas Rimac. He was one of five interior offensive linemen last year to grade out with a run and pass-block grade of 77 or higher. The 6-foot-6, 317-pound Rimac played 937 total snaps last season and will be charged with leading an offensive line that will need to protect quarterback Kyron Drones, who is coming off a spring surgery.

Wake Forest transfer Luke Petitbon might be Florida State’s top transfer acquisition, a source told On3 this week. Described to On3 as a “ballplayer,” there is a lot of optimism about what he can do on the field for the Seminoles in 2025. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound redshirt senior was a 2024 All-ACC honorable mention selection and has played in 35 career games with 23 starts.

The two-year starting offensive guard at Arizona, Wendell Moe, has not missed a beat since transferring to Tennessee this offseason. One of Tennessee’s most heralded portal pickups in fall camp, he played 760 snaps without a penalty or giving up a sack last year and has shown why to this point in training camp. “He’s really, really good,” a source told On3. The 6-foot-2, 335-pound offensive lineman chose Tennessee over Auburn and started 11 of 12 games last season for the Wildcats.

The only transfer offensive lineman to earn a Preseason All-SEC nod, Xavier Chaplin, is expected to be a key figure on an Auburn offensive line that will be tasked with protecting Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold. Chaplin is already picking up potential first-round NFL draft buzz after he started 12 games at left tackle for the Hokies in 2024 and earned honorable mention All-ACC honors. He allowed only two sacks in 2024 in 315 pass-blocking snaps.

From the jump of David Bailey’s transfer portal recruitment, Texas Tech was involved. The Red Raiders were aggressive in the winter window, putting together the top-ranked portal class. But they viewed Bailey as the finishing piece. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound EDGE has posted 111 career tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in his career. He’s also forced seven fumbles in his career. Bailey was viewed as a potential 2025 NFL draft prospect, but will now return to college and prove he can be an early-round pick in 2026. The former Freshman All-American touted the No. 1 pass rush win rate in the nation last season and also ranked in the top 10 in impact and havoc rates.

A pillar of Texas Tech’s No. 1 transfer portal class this offseason, Lee Hunter earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last year at UCF. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Hunter led all defensive tackles in tackles in 2023. With one year of eligibility remaining, Hunter is coming off a 2024 season where he posted 45 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss with a sack. With 25 starts in the last two seasons at UCF, Hunter had 69 tackles, 11 for a loss and three sacks in 2023.

Texas went to work adding talent at defensive tackle this offseason, bringing in five transfers. But the Longhorns scored their biggest win in the spring window, landing Syracuse freshman standout Maraad Watson. The 6-foot-3, 313-pound defensive lineman finished his 2024 season with 31 tackles and a sack. He also showed up as a disruptor against Miami, forcing chaos and pressure on quarterback Cam Ward. He’s expected to be a key piece of the Texas defensive line in the years to come, with three years of eligibility remaining, and he’s strung together a strong fall camp, according to sources.

Missouri and Ohio State battled into mid-January for Georgia transfer EDGE Damon Wilson, but the Tigers ultimately won out. Now the 6-foot-4, 250-pound EDGE is expected to be an instant impact player for Missouri. In 26 games over the last two seasons, the former five-star recruit amassed 26 tackles, including seven for loss and 3.5 sacks, to go with two forced fumbles.

After losing Ta’Mere Robinson to USC in April, head coach James Franklin made clear that Penn State would like to find another addition via the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions got aggressive and picked up North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell, edging out SMU. Campbell has come in and quickly emerged as a leader in the linebacker room. In two seasons in Chapel Hill, the linebacker posted 90 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two deflections and a forced fumble and interception. That includes a breakout 2024 season with 11 tackles for loss.

Boise State’s Andrew Simpson transferred to North Carolina this spring and immediately became the most experienced linebacker on the depth chart. He made 11 starts in 2024, recording 46 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. In his three seasons at Boise State, the 6-foot, 240-pound linebacker posted 141 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He also posted three interceptions with five forced fumbles and five pass breakups.

The son of former NFL linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr. and brother of current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Josiah Trotter transferred from West Virginia to Missouri this winter. A 2024 Freshman All-American and the 2024 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, the 6-foot-2, 237-pound linebacker posted 92 tackles, four tackles for loss and an interception last season. The rising redshirt sophomore also posted two pass breakups and five quarterback pressures as he posted eight or more tackles in seven games.

Arguably the most talented transfer pickup for Florida State this offseason, Houston cornerback Jeremiah Wilson is expected to be an immediate contributor this fall. He’s continued to pick up praise in fall camp, too. A former Syracuse transfer, Wilson finished third in the Big 12 with four interceptions last season. With two career pick-sixes, he graded out with an 86.9 PFF grade in 2024, the sixth-highest grade of any Power Four cornerback in the country.

Arizona transfer cornerback Tacario Davis has reunited with his former head coach Jedd Fisch at Utah. Davis opted to stay in college football for the 2025 season rather than enter the NFL draft, despite earning some first-round mock draft grades entering 2024. He picked up a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season and was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist. Davis started 11 of 13 games as a sophomore in 2023, too, earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors. During his three seasons with the Wildcats, Davis logged 76 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and 23 passes defended.

Ranked as the No. 1 safety in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings, Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman picked Oregon over Ohio State. Already earning Preseason First-Team All-American honors, the safety with elite speed picked off six passes in his first college football season in 2023, to go along with 74 tackles en route to earning several national and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Awards. Thieneman followed up that special campaign with another 70 tackles and six pass breakups this fall. He’s viewed as one of the top instant impact transfers entering the 2025 season.

One of the final dominoes to fall in the transfer portal this spring, Big 12 first-team all-conference selection A.J. Haulcy picked LSU over Miami. The Houston transfer finished the 2024 season with 74 tackles. His five interceptions ranked first in the Big 12, and his 13 passes defended were second in the league. With 703 defensive snaps played, he was viewed as one of the most experienced and proven players to hit the portal in the spring.

NIL

Can I say it now. College football is losing me as a fan.

Published

43 minutes ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

I don’t understand.

Overwhelmingly on this board the sentiment was to pay players. No forethought or implication considerations, just pay them. They deserved it.

Now, the aftermath isn’t so cozy anymore. I read where upwards of 70% of transfers will not receive a scholarship at the next school.

So they either get paid NIL riches or they find themselves in a pickle. In either case this is what the vast majority wanted.

Remember, you wanted this.

Ready shoot aim is eviserating college sports. These are minor leagues. Get what you can while you can. It’s a business now since NIL was introduced. Free movement has little to do with it. It’s all about getting it now

Remember y’all wanted this

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NIL

Why college football fans should care about the transfer portal

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

College Football Enquirer co-hosts Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey discuss why college football fans should care about the transfer portal and all its storylines. Hear the full conversation on the “College Football Enquirer” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

We want to have a transfer portal discussion that is really not for recruitment.

It is for the mainstream college football fan.

Yes.

…who wants to know why all of this rigmarole matters.

And I feel like you’ve gotten enough evidence in the last few days, In the last few weeks, the last few months, to understand why this matters.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Why, when, when a D2 quarterback from Ferris State commits to be the backup at Ole Miss out of the transfer portal.

Might be important.

…could be important later on.

Why, when the quarterback from a .500 Cal team decides to go to Indiana, and you may not have known who else was looking at him during his Recruitment, that it may matter, that he might wind up holding the Heisman Trophy.

He might wind up destroying Alabama in the Rose Bowl.

So this matters quite a bit.

It does.

Quite a bit.

It matters, and yet, as the sort of Everyman proxy on this program, I think people are still learning how to, Pick up on the portal and figure out what’s important about it.

Like, I’ve had a lot of just college football dads in the real world just say, Like, “Hey, I, you know, I get it.

I, I get that Fernando Mendoza, I didn’t know who that guy was last year, and now he’s quarterback of probably the best team left in our tournament.

But am I, like, really fired up right now about The Cincinnati quarterback?

Like, am I, like, “Why does my team need Brendan Sorsby?”

I think there’s, There’s a lot, there’s a lot that’s kind of lost in translation about this one.

Like, who to target, who to get excited about.

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NIL

$2.1 million QB weighs 2026 NFL Draft decision after College Football Playoff loss

Published

2 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The offseason ahead of the 2026 season is eventful for many players. With the transfer portal open, thousands of college football players are explosing transfer options. That said, the NFL Draft opens for underclassmen on January 5th, except for CFP competitors, who may declare on January 23rd.

While only third-year players or later are eligible for the NFL Draft, there are still plenty of players trying to weigh the decisions to either return to school, hit the transfer portal, or enter the NFL Draft. Those players have the most complicated offseason.

Alabama QB Ty Simpson is perhaps foremost among those players weighing options. On3.com projects an NIL valuation of $2.1 million for Simpson in the 2026 season. That figure ranks 19th of all college athletes, and includes four college basketball players.

Simpson has also commanded significant respect as an NFL Draft prospect. Draft guru Mel Kiper has Simpson as the third projected QB on his 2026 NFL Draft board, trailing only Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore.

Simpson’s agent Peter Webb told On3, “No decisions have been made about Ty declaring for the Draft at this point, and he is still evaluating everything with his family and close advisors.”

The other issue here is that if Simpson’s value is $2.1 million, it would likely be more on the open market. Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby, for instance, has been valued by some at over $5 million. If that figure is accurate, it would not be surprising if Simpson commanded a similar value.

In 2025, Simpson took over at Alabama after throwing only 50 total passes in his first three years at UA. He passed for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in leading the Tide to the College Football Playoff and a second-round battle with Indiana. With other QBs like Brendan Sorsby, Sam Leavitt, or others headlining the portal, it’s not hard to imagine that Simpson would be at the top of the group.

Meanwhile, 2026 NFL Draft valuation says that the pure finances of the decision could be tough. A $2.1 million price tag for 2026 would be the rookie scale amount for picks 39-41 of the Draft. On the other hand, $5 million would be the rookie scale amount for the 11th pick.

Simpson thus is stuck trying to firm up his NIL market situation, weigh his NFL Draft decision, and decide what role competing at Alabama versus potentially playing in the NFL would pay. It’s an interesting situation, but it’s also unsurprising that Simpson is still weighing his options.

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NIL

The NCAA further fails high schoolers with G League Rulings

Published

3 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Your Sports Nation

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College football scout hypes up $3.3 million QB amid interest from major programs

Published

4 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Half the fun of the transfer portal is the endless evaluation. Considering a player in one system and projecting him into possible landing spots can make everything different. It’s why a Division II QB and a mildly above average ACC QB can morph into two of the best passers in the nation a season later.

ESPN’s Tom Luginbill has scouted QBs for over 20 years at ESPN. Luginbill was once a QB himself and where he once might have spent much of his energy scouting college QBs for the NFL Draft, he’s now contemplating the portal college football market increasingly.

Luginbill saw a standout QB he is impressed with in Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby. Luginbill praised Sorsby’s “excellent size, arm strength, and mobility.” Sorsby also caught Luginbill’s attention as a “powerful runner” who “anticipates extremely well and helps players get open with his throws.” ESPN ranks Sorsby as the top prospect in the portal and Luginbill terms him “an instinctive player… with elite processing and navigation skills when pressured.”

On3 wasn’t quite as impressed with Sorsby. While the site’s NIL valuation estimator gives Sorsby a hefty $3.3 million valuation, he is ranked No. 15 nationally in the site’s transfer portal rankings. That’s behind other QBs like Sam Leavitt, Byrum Brown, and Dylan Raiola. 247sports ranks Sorsby second behind only Leavitt.

Of course, the bigger question than whether Sorsby is the best or second-best or even sixth-best portal prospect is where the passer will spend the remainder of his career. Unsurprisingly, that’s not very clear either. On3’s picks favor Texas Tech while 247’s picks favor LSU.

Among the other schools mentioned as possibilities for Sorsby have been LSU and Miami from one expert. Other rumors have circulated that Sorsby will command a payment of over $5 million for his final portal destination.

Sorsby started his collegiate career at Indiana, where he sat in 2022 and split time in 2023 ahead of the hiring of Curt Cignetti. Sorsby passed for 1,587 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023. He continued to blossom at Cincinnati, throwing for over 5,600 yards and rushing for another 1,000 yards across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

In his total college career, Sorsby has thrown for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He’s rushed for another 1,295 yards and 22 touchdowns. In 2025, Sorsby led the Big 12 in total touchdowns created (36) and yards per passing attempt (9.3).

He’s one of the most experienced and talented players in the portal and the evidence of Luginbill’s testimony certainly is unlikely to hurt his seven-figure NIL offers. Sorsby may end up pacing the NIL market in 2026.

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No. 1 transfer portal player linked to four major college football programs

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The NCAA transfer portal officially opened for all college football players looking to compete for different programs on Friday. The transfer portal will remain open until Jan. 16.

A myriad of players from all different levels decided to enter the portal in the weeks after the end of the 2025 regular season. Power Four quarterback transfers have been a major talking point, but plenty of other coveted offensive skill players are entering the portal.

One skill player that is sought after by multiple major college football programs is former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at his second school.

The 6-foot-3, 201-pounder arrived at Auburn as a freshman in 2024. He appeared in 10 of 12 games for the Tigers in his freshman season, catching 37 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team for the strong start to his college career.

Coleman was Auburn’s most productive wide receiver in 2025. He grabbed 56 receptions for a team-high 708 yards and five touchdowns in his final season at Auburn. Head coach Hugh Freeze was fired following Auburn’s loss to Kentucky, and Coleman officially decided to transfer on Dec. 29, 2025.

Every recruiting service ranks Coleman as the No. 1 overall prospect in the transfer portal, something that will have some of the top programs in the country interested in him. Pete Nakos of On3 reported that four different schools are jockeying for Coleman in the portal.

USC

The Trojans have positioned themselves well enough to receive a visit from Coleman on Thursday. Quarterback play was an inhibitor for Coleman’s production at Auburn the last two seasons, but that would not figure to be an issue with Jayden Maiava set to return for USC next year.

2025 Trojans wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane have both declared for the 2026 NFL draft, so Coleman could slide in to fill a need for USC. CeeDee Lamb, Hollywood Brown and Jordan Addison are among the wide receivers to play for Lincoln Riley and find success in the NFL.

Texas A&M

Mike Elko during the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff. — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts to a call during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Coleman has a visit to Texas A&M scheduled for Sunday. The Aggies had Coleman committed to their 2024 signing class for four months before he flipped to the Tigers on Early Signing Day.

Texas A&M will return starting quarterback Marcel Reed for at least one more season. Reed has experience working with transfer wide receivers in KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, the former of which has declared for the 2026 NFL draft.

Texas

Steve Sarkisian has helped multiple high profile wide receiver prospects make their way to the NFL as an offensive play caller. 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, Xavier Worthy and Matthew Golden are among the wide receivers taken in the first round of the NFL draft and play for Sarkisian.

The return of an improving quarterback in Arch Manning figures to be a draw for high-profile portal receivers to Texas. Ryan Wingo will return for the Longhorns in 2026, but the second and third most productive receivers, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Parker Livingstone, are both heading for the transfer portal.

Livingstone issued a statement that said “some things are out of my control,” potentially implying he was asked to leave in favor of a transfer.

Alabama

Kalen DeBoer ahead of the 2026 Rose Bowl. — Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer walks on field before the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

If proximity to home matters, and Auburn was not going to be a good fit with Alex Golesh, Alabama is the only other option for Coleman in his home state. Of course, Coleman transferring to Alabama would add an extra level of intrigue to the 2026 Iron Bowl.

The quarterback situation in Tuscaloosa is less certain than the prior three schools competing for Coleman, as it is unclear what Ty Simpson will do in 2026. The Crimson Tide will lose its lead receiver from 2025 in Germie Bernard, but neither Ryan Williams nor Isaiah Horton appears to be going anywhere.

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