The NCAA transfer portal has officially opened for all college football players hoping to play for new schools next season. The players have a window to enter the portal that ends on Jan. 16.

Thousands of players will be moving around in the 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle. In some cases, it is an opportunity for prospects to showcase their skills on larger stages by transferring into Power Four schools.

Former North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins is among those entering the transfer portal to increase his exposure on a national level. He will have three seasons of eligibility at his second school.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder arrived as a freshman at North Texas in 2025. In his lone season with the Mean Green, he ran for 1,434 yards and an FBS-high 25 touchdown runs to go with 32 receptions for 370 yards and four touchdown catches in the air.

He rushed for over 100 yards in six games, including a season-high 198 yards in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl against San Diego State.

Hawkins received a handful of accolades for his illustrious freshman season. On a conference level, he received AAC Rookie of the Year and All-AAC First Team recognition. Nationally, he was named to the Walter Camp All-America Second Team.

Hawkins’ long list of accomplishments in one season of college football has drawn the interest of multiple Power Five programs looking to land him from the transfer portal. Pete Nakos of On3 reported on three programs pursuing Hawkins.

Oklahoma State

The connections between the staff at Oklahoma State and Hawkins would make him an instant fit for the Cowboys in 2026. Former North Texas head coach Eric Morris took the head coaching vacancy left by Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State on Nov. 25, 2025.

Morris has brought former North Texas offensive coordinator Sean Brophy with him to fill the same role in Stillwater. While there remains a possibility Hawkins ends up at another school, the coaching change will likely draw a bevy of former North Texas players to Oklahoma State.

Texas

Despite a more successful offensive output to end the season, Texas is going to have to address its running back depth in the transfer portal. Lead rusher Quintrevion Wisner and fellow running backs CJ Baxter and Jerrick Gibson are all heading for the transfer portal.

Whether Hawkins wants to be the workhorse of a group or is content to serve as a rotational piece could impact a decision to go to Texas. Christian Clark, the Longhorns’ second most productive running back, is returning to Austin in 2026.

Oklahoma

The production at running back for Oklahoma in 2025 did not play out according to plan. The expectation was for Jaydn Ott and Jovantae Barnes to be heavily featured for the Sooners. What actually happened was a mixture of Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, with quarterback John Mateer leading the team in carries.

Blaylock finished with the most rushing yards on the team at 480 to go along with four touchdowns. Group of Five to SEC is a sizable jump, but Hawkins could slide in and give the Sooners the steady production they have been craving.

This year’s lone NCAA transfer portal window officially opened on Friday, as thousands of players across the country look for an opportunity to find a new place to call home.

The transfer portal as a whole is the wild west reincarnated and on steroids, as just about anything can happen. According to On3, last year’s portal cycles saw 4,184 players enter their name, with 68% of them committing to a new school while just 3.61% withdrew their names. Where things get complicated is the fact that a player can enter his name into the portal, but not find a landing spot for himself somewhere else. It also doesn’t mean that a player has to leave, but schools aren’t obligated to preserve their place on the team if they don’t want to.

However, the transfer portal experience varies for every player. While some athletes risk their careers by entering, others will have some of the biggest schools in the country throwing significant money at them.

The latter being one of the main reasons we see what is called a “do not contact” tag. Notable players such as Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), Isaac Brown (Louisville) and Luke Reynolds (Penn State) have entered their names into the portal with the tag, but what does that mean?

For the select few players who are good enough to take that risk it means one of two things: they either have an idea of where they are going, or they will be in contact with the schools that interest them.

While many will be outraged or naive about the matter, programs have been in touch with players months before the portal’s opening. Any inclination that the player might enter the portal throughout the year, whether it’s Leavitt getting hurt and his season ending prematurely or James Franklin being fired from Penn State, programs around the country find ways to stay in contact with the star players.

Again, this likely doesn’t apply to the backup quarterback leaving a Group of Five program, but not all situations are the same. For a player like Leavitt or Brown, they have a chance to essentially go to a school, see what it offers in terms of development, and also see how much it will offer. They then can go to another program and see if they will match or top the offer, and can control the bidding war over themselves.

The January portal window runs through Jan. 16 this year, and unlike in years past, there will be no spring window. So, once a player decides their next move, they have to live with it.

Former Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on Friday with a “do not contact” tag, meaning schools can’t reach out unless Leavitt or his camp makes the first move.

Leavitt burst onto the national scene in 2024 after transferring to Arizona State, establishing himself as the Sun Devils’ starter and finishing the season with 2,885 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding 443 rushing yards and five scores as a true dual-threat.

He helped fuel ASU’s 11–3 finish and first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Big 12 honors.

Leavitt followed that up with solid production in 2025, throwing for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 300 rushing yards and five scores, though he was limited to just seven games after a lingering foot injury required season-ending surgery on October 31.

Before coming to college, Leavitt starred at West Linn High School in West Linn, Oregon, as a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 21 quarterback in the 2024 class per 247Sports, choosing Michigan State over offers from Washington State, Arizona, Florida State, and Washington.

With the transfer portal set to open at midnight Friday, On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong provided the latest intel on programs showing early interest, reporting that three schools have emerged as primary contenders for Leavitt — Miami, Oregon, and LSU — as the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the portal.

Oregon, Miami, and LSU each present a compelling scheme and situational fit for Leavitt. 

Oregon offers a home-region landing spot with an offense built to maximize his mobility and timing with playmakers, while Miami provides a high-visibility ACC platform and a scheme well-suited for an accurate, aggressive quarterback as the Hurricanes continue to explore veteran portal options. 

LSU also looms as a logical destination, with Lane Kiffin’s new staff actively working the portal and seeking an immediate upgrade at quarterback, where Leavitt’s experience and draftable traits would fit seamlessly.

It’s also worth noting that Oregon and Miami are both CFP semifinalists set to lose their starting quarterbacks, creating a rare opportunity for Leavitt to step into a title-contending environment right away.

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Through the first part of Bowl Season, ESPN has seen strong returns on its non-College Football Playoff games. The biggest one, of course, was the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

An average of 8.7 million people tuned in for the game, which saw BYU take down Georgia Tech on ABC, ESPN announced. It’s the best viewership for the game since 1991, when it was the Blockbuster Bowl, and became ESPN’s best non-CFP bowl game since the 2019-2020 Citrus Bowl.

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As a whole, ESPN’s bowl game viewership is up 13% for non-College Football Playoff games through Dec. 27, the network announced. On the whole, 2.7 million people on average have tuned in as multiple games drew strong numbers.

BYU’s victory over Georgia Tech came down to the final seconds as the Yellow Jackets fell short on the final possession. The Cougars then had the opportunity to partake in one of college football’s newest – and most popular – traditions. Head coach Kalani Sitake and the players got to eat one of the edible mascots after two of the three went into the toaster.

Protein Slammin’ Strawberry was the one who “escaped” beforehand, though. Officials for the Pop-Tarts Bowl game said it was the decision to “go pro,” which brought a new twist to the celebration.

The Pinstripe Bowl between Penn State and Clemson drew its best viewership on record as 7.6 million people tuned in for the Nittany Lions’ victory over the Tigers. Additionally, the Gator Bowl hit 6.0 million viewers on average – its best figure since 2009. Virginia took down Missouri in that game to secure a 10-win season for the Cavaliers.

At 4.4 million viewers, the Rate Bowl also drew its highest numbers since 2011 as Minnesota picked up yet another bowl game victory over P.J. Fleck, taking down New Mexico. The L.A. Bowl went out on a high note with a new record-high of 3.8 million viewers tuning in for Washington’s win against Boise State in the final installment of the game, as On3’s Brett McMurphy previously reported.

Three other bowl games drew record viewership, as well, according to ESPN. The First Responder Bowl between FIU and UTSA brought in 3.1 million viewers to set a new all-time high, while the Hawaii Bowl averaged 2.7 million viewers for Cal’s thrilling win over Hawaii on Christmas Eve. That made it the most-watched Hawaii Bowl since 2013. Finally, the Military Bowl averaged 2.5 million – its best since 2018 – as East Carolina took down Pitt.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby emerged as a productive, efficient starter for Cincinnati in 2025, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions, while adding 580 rushing yards and nine rushing scores on the ground, completing 61.6% of his passes across 12 games.

The Bearcats finished 7–5 overall (5–4 in Big 12 play) under third-year head coach Scott Satterfield, marking a two-win improvement from the previous season and the program’s best finish since the Luke Fickell era.

However, Sorsby informed Cincinnati of his intent to enter the transfer portal ahead of the window opening, which runs from January 2 to January 16.

A Denton, Texas, native from Lake Dallas High School, Sorsby was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 66 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 cycle, initially committing to Indiana over offers from Army, Delaware, Navy, and East Texas A&M.

With the Hoosiers (2022–23), Sorsby redshirted in 2022 and appeared in just one game before playing in 10 contests in 2023, throwing for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions while showcasing his dual-threat ability with 276 rushing yards and four rushing scores.

He transferred to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season and quickly established himself as the Bearcats’ starter, posting a career high 2,813 passing yards alongside 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions, plus 447 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs, before another strong finish in 2025 that solidified him as one of the more proven quarterbacks in the transfer portal.

With the portal opening Friday at midnight, On3 reporters Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong flagged Texas Tech as an early frontrunner while identifying LSU as a competing suitor, describing the two programs as going “head-to-head” to land Sorsby.

Shortly after, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Sorsby already has visits lined up with both programs, with the quarterback set to visit Texas Tech late Friday before heading to Baton Rouge.

Texas Tech offers an immediate schematic fit for Sorsby, operating a pass-heavy, vertical offense under Joey McGuire’s staff, while also providing geographic proximity to his Texas roots. 

Furthermore, the Red Raiders are expected to have a clear opening at quarterback with senior starter Behren Morton set to move on, creating a direct path to early playing time.

LSU, meanwhile, presents a different but equally compelling case, offering SEC competition, greater national exposure, and a proven track record of developing transfer quarterbacks under head coach Lane Kiffin, notably Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and now New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart. 

With the portal window opening at midnight, typical transfer timelines point to visits and official meetings taking place quickly, with a commitment potentially coming within days to a few weeks as NIL discussions and evaluations progress.

Sorsby’s current NIL valuation sits around $2.4 million, ranking him among the top-valued quarterbacks in college football, a figure that could rise if schools escalate offers, with some suitors reportedly prepared to push past $4 million.

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BETHLEHEM, Pa.—Fresh off an exciting postseason run to the FCS playoff semifinals, a new era will dawn for Villanova Football in 2026 as the Wildcats join the Patriot League as an associate member. The complete schedule for the League’s 41^st football season was announced by the conference office on Friday morning. The two newest additions to the Patriot League – Villanova and William & Mary – will face each other in a season-opening Week Zero (August 29) matchup.
 

The Patriot League expands to 10 teams for the first time, as the FCS playoff semifinalist Wildcats and Tribe join second-year member Richmond, along with Bucknell, Colgate, Fordham, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Lafayette and two-time defending champion Lehigh. The 2026 schedule features 74 total games, including 45 League matchups, with the 10-member programs playing a nine-game round-robin schedule. Villanova will continue its historical conference rivalries with William & Mary and Richmond, with home games against both foes on the Wildcats home schedule.
 
Villanova has an evenly balanced 2026 slate with six regular season games at home and six on the road. The non-conference schedule includes a trip to ACC member Louisville (September 11) and a road game at LIU (September 19), as well as a home date with Morgan State (September 26).
 

The Patriot League will continue to feature a full conference schedule to determine the League champion and automatic bid to the NCAA DI FCS Championship. Due to the odd number of League games, Patriot League programs will rotate between five and four home games during the upcoming scheduling cycle. Fordham, Holy Cross, Richmond, Villanova and William & Mary will play five home League games, while Bucknell, Colgate, Georgetown, Lafayette and Lehigh will be on the road five times during the 2026 League schedule.
 
Villanova compiled a record of 48-18 (.727) over the last five seasons (2021-25) while making four playoff appearances and winning 10+ games four times. Its winning percentage is the eighth highest among all FCS programs during that time span, while the Wildcats are one of just four FCS teams with 10+ wins in at least four of the last five years. Expanding the snapshot to the last 10 seasons (2016-25), Villanova owns a record of 78-40 (.661) with six playoff appearances.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIRSTS

Villanova and William & Mary will open their Patriot League schedules on Week Zero (Aug. 29) against each other. The Wildcats will play their next League game the following week when they travel to Bucknell. The Tribe’s second League meeting will be in Week Two when they head to Lehigh.
 
RIVALRY WEEK

The final week of the regular season (Nov. 21) will feature meetings between historic rivals, including two of the four most-played matchups in college football. Lafayette hosts Lehigh in the 162nd meeting of “The Rivalry,” college football’s most-played rivalry game. William & Mary plays Richmond for the Capital Cup in the 137th meeting of a matchup coined “The Oldest Rivalry in the South.”
 
Fordham hosts Holy Cross for the Ram-Crusader Cup, in a series that began in 1902, with the trophy to be contested for the 41st time. Bucknell will host Colgate for the 74th time in a series that began in 1894, and Georgetown and Villanova meet on the gridiron for the first time since 1950, in a matchup more known for its important games on the hardwood.
 
FCS PLAYOFF REMATCH
For the second straight season, Patriot League Champion Lehigh will meet its previous season’s FCS Playoff opponent during the regular season as a new League rival. The Mountain Hawks travel to Villanova to take on the Wildcats in Week Eight on Oct. 24. Lehigh met Richmond to open the 2025 season.
 
FCS POSTSEASON SUCCESS

Eight of the 10 programs have finished ranked in the Stats Perform and AFCA FCS Coaches Poll since 2015. During that span, the 10 programs have combined to win 20 games in the FCS Playoffs, advancing to the quarterfinal round nine times, including three by Villanova and two apiece by Colgate and Richmond. Holy Cross and William & Mary have both advanced to the quarterfinals once.
 
For more information on the 2026 Patriot League football schedule, including times and coverage, visit the football composite schedule on the League’s official website – www.PatriotLeague.org. Follow the Patriot League on X (@PatriotLeague) and Instagram (@patriotleague) to stay connected.
 
2026 Patriot League Football Schedule By Week
*denotes Patriot League Game
Week 0 (Aug. 29)
Bucknell at Richmond*
Colgate at Fordham*
Lafayette at Georgetown*
Lehigh at Holy Cross*

William & Mary at Villanova*
 
Week 1 (Sept. 5)
Villanova at Bucknell*
Holy Cross at Colgate*
Georgetown at Lehigh*
Fordham at CCSU

Delaware State at William & Mary
Richmond at Howard
Lafayette at UConn
 
Week 2 (Sept. 11-12)
(Friday, Sept. 11)
Villanova at Louisville
(Saturday, Sept. 12)
Bucknell at VMI

Lehigh at William & Mary*
Georgetown — Bye
Colgate at Central Michigan
Fordham at Coastal Carolina
Holy Cross at Miami (Ohio)
Lafayette at Marist
Richmond at NC State
 
Week 3 (Sept. 19)
Bucknell at Penn
Georgetown at Richmond*
Colgate at Cornell
Holy Cross at Yale
Lafayette at Columbia
Lehigh at Dartmouth
Villanova at LIU

Fordham at William & Mary*
 
Week 4 (Sept. 26)
Bucknell at Pittsburgh
Holy Cross at Lafayette*
Colgate at Villanova*
Lehigh at Penn
Georgetown at Columbia
Fordham at Stony Brook
Richmond at Furman

William & Mary at Duke
 
Week 5 (Oct. 3)
Bucknell — Bye
Fordham at Lehigh*

Holy Cross at William & Mary*
Richmond at Lafayette*
Georgetown at Cornell
Morgan State at Villanova
 
Week 6 (Oct. 10)
Bucknell at Georgetown*
Richmond at Fordham*
Colgate — Bye
Holy Cross — Bye
Lafayette — Bye
Lehigh — Bye
Villanova — Bye

William & Mary at NC Central
 
Week 7 (Oct. 17)
Lafayette at Bucknell*
Georgetown at Colgate*
Villanova at Fordham*
Holy Cross at Harvard
Lehigh at Cornell
Richmond — Bye

William & Mary — Bye
 
Week 8 (Oct. 24)
Bucknell at Holy Cross*
Colgate at Richmond*

Georgetown at William & Mary*
Lafayette at Fordham*
Lehigh at Villanova*
 
Week 9 (Oct. 31)
Bucknell at Lehigh*

William & Mary at Colgate*
Richmond at Holy Cross*
Villanova at Lafayette*
Georgetown — Bye
Fordham — Bye
 
Week 10 (Nov. 7)
Fordham at Bucknell*
Colgate at Lehigh*
Holy Cross at Georgetown*

Lafayette at William & Mary*
Richmond at Villanova*
 
Week 11 (Nov. 14)

Bucknell at William & Mary*
Lafayette at Colgate*
Georgetown at Fordham*
Villanova at Holy Cross*
Lehigh at Richmond*
 
Week 12 (Nov. 21)
Colgate at Bucknell*
Fordham at Holy Cross*
Georgetown at Villanova*
Lehigh at Lafayette*

William & Mary at Richmond*
 
2026 Patriot League Football Schedules By Team
*denotes Patriot League Game
Bucknell
Week 0 (Aug. 29): at Richmond*
Week 1 (Sept. 5): Villanova*
Week 2 (Sept. 12): at VMI
Week 3 (Sept. 19): Penn
Week 4 (Sept. 26): at Pittsburgh
Week 5 (Oct. 3): Bye
Week 6 (Oct. 10): at Georgetown*
Week 7 (Oct. 17): Lafayette*
Week 8 (Oct. 24): at Holy Cross*
Week 9 (Oct. 31): at Lehigh*
Week 10 (Nov. 7): Fordham*

Week 11 (Nov. 14): at William & Mary*
Week 12 (Nov. 21): Colgate*
 
Colgate
Week 0: at Fordham*
Week 1: Holy Cross*
Week 2: at Central Michigan
Week 3: Cornell
Week 4: at Villanova*
Week 5: at Harvard
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: Georgetown*
Week 8: at Richmond*

Week 9: William & Mary*
Week 10: at Lehigh*
Week 11: Lafayette*
Week 12: at Bucknell*
 
Fordham
Week 0: Colgate*
Week 1: at CCSU
Week 2: at Coastal Carolina

Week 3: at William & Mary*
Week 4: Stony Brook
Week 5: at Lehigh*
Week 6: Richmond*
Week 7: Villanova*
Week 8: Lafayette*
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: at Bucknell*
Week 11: Georgetown*
Week 12: at Holy Cross*
 
Georgetown
Week 0: Lafayette*
Week 1: Lehigh*
Week 2: Bye
Week 3: at Richmond*
Week 4: Columbia
Week 5: Cornell
Week 6: Bucknell*
Week 7: at Colgate*

Week 8: at William & Mary*
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: Holy Cross*
Week 11: at Fordham*
Week 12: at Villanova*
 
Holy Cross
Week 0: Lehigh*
Week 1: at Colgate*
Week 2: at Miami (OH)
Week 3: Yale
Week 4: at Lafayette*

Week 5: at William & Mary*
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: at Harvard
Week 8: Bucknell*
Week 9: Richmond*
Week 10: at Georgetown*
Week 11: Villanova*
Week 12: Fordham*
 
Lafayette
Week 0: at Georgetown*
Week 1: at UConn
Week 2: Marist
Week 3: at Columbia
Week 4: Holy Cross*
Week 5: Richmond*
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: at Bucknell*
Week 8: at Fordham*
Week 9: Villanova*

Week 10: at William & Mary*
Week 11: at Colgate*
Week 12: Lehigh*
 
Lehigh
Week 0: at Holy Cross*
Week 1: at Georgetown*

Week 2: William & Mary*
Week 3: Dartmouth
Week 4: at Penn
Week 5: Fordham*
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: at Cornell
Week 8: at Villanova*
Week 9: Bucknell*
Week 10: Colgate*
Week 11: at Richmond*
Week 12: at Lafayette*
 
Richmond
Week 0: Bucknell*
Week 1: at Howard
Week 2: at NC State
Week 3: Georgetown*
Week 4: Furman
Week 5: at Lafayette*
Week 6: at Fordham*
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Colgate*
Week 9: at Holy Cross*
Week 10: at Villanova*
Week 11: Lehigh*

Week 12: William & Mary*
 
Villanova

Week 0: William & Mary*
Week 1: at Bucknell*
Week 2 (Sept. 11): at Louisville
Week 3: at LIU
Week 4: Colgate*
Week 5: Morgan State
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: at Fordham*
Week 8: Lehigh*
Week 9: at Lafayette*
Week 10: Richmond*
Week 11: at Holy Cross*
Week 12: Georgetown*
 
William & Mary
Week 0: at Villanova*
Week 1: Delaware State
Week 2: at Lehigh*
Week 3: Fordham*
Week 4: at Duke
Week 5: Holy Cross*
Week 6: at NC Central
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Georgetown*
Week 9: at Colgate*
Week 10: Lafayette*
Week 11: Bucknell*
Week 12: at Richmond*
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.