Through four weeks of the college football season, plenty of transfers have already made a big impact on their new teams.
A number of highly talented players picked new schools this past offseason, including quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Jordan Addison, who both picked USC. Williams wasn't the only quarterback to switch schools, as former USC signal-caller Jaxson Dart left for Ole Miss, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler went to South Carolina and Texas quarterback Casey Thompson picked Nebraska as his new school.
Those new additions are among the many players who have already made marks at their new schools. With enough of a sample size a month into the season to give us a good grasp of who is standing out, these are the transfers at each position who have made the biggest impact this season.
QB: Caleb Williams, USC
Williams has reenergized the USC offense and helped the sixth-ranked Trojans to a 4-0 start, their third since 2011. He has 1,054 passing yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions. He also has 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Amid a wild coaching carousel and transfer portal cycle last year, Williams followed coach Lincoln Riley to USC from Oklahoma and turned the Trojans into College Football Playoff contenders.
Other notable quarterbacks: Michael Penix Jr., Washington; Adrian Martinez, Kansas State; Hendon Hooker, Tennessee; Will Levis, Kentucky; Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
RB: Khalan Laborn, Marshall
Laborn, a Florida State transfer, is the third-leading rusher among all FBS backs with 540 yards and is tied for seventh with six rushing touchdowns. Laborn was a crucial piece of Marshall's offense when the Herd beat Notre Dame 26-21 earlier this season, running for 163 yards with a touchdown. Averaging 5.57 yards per carry and 135 yards per game, he followed that up with a 157-yard, two-touchdown effort against Bowling Green.
Other notable running backs: Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama; Christian Beal-Smith, South Carolina; Noah Cain, Penn State; Zach Evans, TCU; Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State; Aidan Robbins, UNLV
WR: Jordan Addison, USC
Addison, last season's Biletnikoff winner at Pitt, has thrived with his new offense. He has 337 receiving yards, six touchdowns (at least one in each game so far) and is averaging 16.05 yards per reception. Still, after a 172-yard, two-touchdown performance against Stanford in Week 2, coach Lincoln Riley was quick to point out that Addison and Caleb Williams have yet to scratch the surface of their capabilities together.
"We're just getting a feel for his skill set -- the way he likes to run routes, what he's good at, certainly try to play to his strengths -- and he has a lot of strengths," Riley told reporters after a Week 2 victory. "So, it's not like it's crazy difficult. But there is, to be in rhythm, you got to have a real unique understanding of a guy, and the quarterback, everybody else has to, too."
Addison was already a household name before he transferred to USC, but he has continued his success with the Trojans, and Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 10 overall in his 2023 NFL draft rankings.
WR: Jacob Cowing, Arizona
Cowing's transfer went a little under the radar, leaving UTEP for a struggling Arizona program. Now he's in the spotlight, as he has hauled in 28 passes for 386 yards and six receiving touchdowns -- one fewer than he had all of last year -- while averaging 13.79 yards per catch.
Arizona coach Jedd Fisch knew he needed playmakers this past offseason, and Cowing has already made a big impact on the Wildcats' offense in a short amount of time.
"Jacob Cowing was the biggest get of the offseason for the football team," Fisch told AZCentral reporter Michael Lev.
WR: Charlie Jones, Purdue
Jones has been one of the most surprising transfer leaders this season in terms of production and impact. After leaving Iowa for Purdue, he ranks third in receiving yards (533) and is tied for first with seven touchdown catches -- more than he had in his previous 25 career games.
He made a big play in Purdue's most recent game against FAU, converting on fourth down with a 14-yard catch to extend the Boilermakers' drive and eventually leading to a go-ahead touchdown.
"We don't get that, we probably don't win the game. It was right in there where you really don't need to punt it, but if you don't get it, they're going to get it in good field position," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. "And [quarterback Austin Burton] did a good job. He hung in there, bought a little time. They played the zone and Charlie found the spot, and then went and got the first down."
Other notable receivers: Tory Horton, Colorado State; Trey Palmer, Nebraska
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Kincaid didn't transfer this offseason, but he joined Utah in 2020 after playing for San Diego to start his career.
In the 2021 season, Kincaid had 510 yards and eight touchdowns, starting in 13 games. This season, he is third among all tight ends with 240 receiving yards, behind only Louisiana Tech's Griffin Hebert (327) and Georgia's Brock Bowers (276).
Kincaid is tied for the most receiving touchdowns by tight ends with four and is averaging 15 yards per reception.
Other notable tight end: Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
OL: O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
Torrence followed coach Billy Napier from Louisiana to Florida and has been the Gators' starter at guard. He has been a welcome addition up front for Florida and has shown why he was a coveted transfer prospect, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of at least 80 in three of four games.
Kiper lists Torrence as the top guard prospect in the upcoming draft, ahead of Notre Dame's Jarrett Patterson and Texas A&M's Layden Robinson. PFF has Torrence with an 87.5 grade overall, just behind Arkansas guard Beaux Limmer.
OL: Olu Oluwatimi, Michigan
Oluwatimi was a Rimington Award finalist at center for Virginia last season. Michigan was returning most of its offensive line from 2021, when it won the Joe Moore Award for the country's best offensive line unit, but was looking to replace a hole at center, so it was a perfect match for the two.
Oluwatimi started from day one at center, and his blocking has helped the Wolverines average 234.3 rushing yards per game, second in the Big Ten. Coach Jim Harbaugh saw traits from Oluwatimi early on that led him to believe he found a good replacement at center.
"Olu is a real great example of someone who was really successful at Virginia and came to Michigan midyear. He was all about his business," Harbaugh told reporters this summer. "All about working on the field, in the weight room and he could've been the kind of guy who said I'm the starter, Rimington finalist, etc. He said none of that. He just got to work and he gained the respect of everybody on the football team."
OL: Gerald Mincey, Tennessee
Mincey transferred from Florida to Tennessee and now is a left tackle for a very good Vols offense. While Tennessee quarterbacks were sacked the most (44 times) last year, Mincey is part of a unit that has allowed just eight sacks so far this year.
"Had recruited him previously," coach Josh Heupel said last December. "Knew his background, Coach [Glen] Elarbee did as well. Young man that has great physical attributes and is still growing as a player. Felt like the number of years that he has, he can come in here and make a long-term impact inside of our program."
OL: J.D. DiRenzo, Rutgers
DiRenzo was a third-team FCS All-American at Sacred Heart last season and transferred to Rutgers. Making the FCS-to-FBS transition is no easy task, but DiRenzo has proved himself more than capable.
He has started all four games at left guard and has been a good addition up front, helping the Scarlet Knights' offense in its 3-1 start to the season. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound DiRenzo has yet to allow a sack this season.
OL: Quinn Carroll, Minnesota
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck needed help along the offensive line and brought in Carroll, who transferred from Notre Dame. An ESPN 300 recruit in the 2019 class out of Edina, Minnesota, Carroll didn't play much with the Irish but has helped at right tackle for the Gophers.
"I think for Quinn, it's his maturity level. He's incredibly intelligent, but he hasn't played a ton of football when he came from Notre Dame, but he's experienced," Fleck told reporters in September. "He's had those three years there. He's got a Notre Dame degree. He's practiced for three years there. He's understood what elite competition is. And I think he went and won the job."
The Gophers have had a lot of success up front so far this season, averaging 294.5 rush yards per game, which ranks second to Air Force among all FBS programs.
Other notable offensive linemen: Chuck Filiaga, Minnesota
DL: Chop Robinson, Penn State
Robinson was the No. 38 recruit in the 2021 class and signed with Maryland out of high school. While the Nittany Lions missed out on him as a prospect, coach James Franklin knew he wanted to add Robinson once he entered the portal because of what the coaching staff had already seen.
"Obviously we brought him here for a reason, not only when we recruited him out of high school but then obviously when he entered the transfer portal," Franklin told reporters in early September. "We feel like he can help our defense in a significant way. So, excited about him to continue to grow and continue to grow his role within the scheme."
He transferred to Penn State prior to this season and has helped fill a void up front for the Nittany Lions. He has a 15.4% pressure rate, which is ninth among all FBS defenders.
DL: Jordan Domineck, Arkansas
The Razorbacks were active in the transfer portal, and Domineck was part of their haul on defense. The Georgia Tech transfer ranks sixth in the country with 4.5 sacks and also has 13 total tackles and a fumble recovery for his new team.
A year after surrendering 156.3 rushing yards per game, Domineck is part of a unit that has allowed just 99.3 rushing yards per game in 2022, which ranks fourth in the SEC.
EDGE: Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State
Windmon wasn't a transfer player who was talked about much when he made the decision to leave UNLV for Michigan State. He has been in the headlines ever since, though.
Windmon is tied for first in the country with 5.5 sacks and has a 14% pressure rate. He has been a bright spot on defense for the Spartans and one of the surprise transfer standouts this season.
EDGE: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Latu started his career at Washington before a neck injury kept him off the field. He transferred to UCLA and is having a breakout season for the Bruins. He has five sacks, tied for third most among all FBS defenders.
He also has 10 total tackles, a pass breakup and two forced fumbles so far for a Bruins defense that ranks second in the Pac-12 in total yards allowed per game, trailing only Utah.
Other notable defensive linemen: Jared Verse, Florida State; Levi Bell, Texas State; Lonnie Phelps, Kansas
LB: Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
Pace, who transferred from Miami (Ohio), leads Cincinnati in total tackles with 46. He has 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Beyond the numbers, he has become a leader for the Bearcats. Coach Luke Fickell said he didn't expect Pace to adapt to a new system as quickly as Pace has, which has excited the staff.
"I'm surprised maybe just in how well he's picked things up." Fickell told reporters in September. "He's had to work on his attention to detail, I think that's where he's done a really good job. And last week was a challenge just because we play things a little bit different and we're very disciplined in how we play some of the triple option."
LB: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
As the No. 36 prospect in the 2020 class, Sanders decommitted from Oklahoma and signed with Alabama. After two years in Tuscaloosa, he transferred to Arkansas, where he is tied with Windmon for the most sacks in the country with 5.5. Sanders is second on the team in total tackles with 31 and also has 6.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
His success has put him on many scouts' radars this season. He is currently ranked No. 14 overall and the top inside linebacker on Kiper's best prospects board for the 2023 NFL draft.
LB: Daiyan Henley, Washington State
Henley transferred from Nevada to Washington State and is already among the league leaders in a few categories. He has four sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and 38 total tackles. He also has one interception and two forced fumbles in what is a great start to the season for the 3-1 Cougars.
Henley wasn't on many big boards for the NFL draft when he was at Nevada, but his performance this season has moved him up significantly. Kiper currently has him ranked No. 24 overall on his NFL prospect list.
Other notable linebackers: Henry To'oTo'o, Alabama; Eric Gentry, USC
DB: Kobe Hylton, UTEP
Hylton has had a winding road to get to UTEP throughout his college career. He started at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college, then transferred to Louisiana and is now playing for the Miners at safety.
Hylton is third among all FBS defensive backs in total tackles with 37. He also has six tackles for loss, a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble for a defensive unit that leads Conference USA with 156.8 passing yards allowed per game.
DB: Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas
McGlothern is yet another transfer impacting Arkansas' defense, as the LSU transfer has allowed just 10% of passes completed against him when he is the primary target, which ranks second among all FBS defensive backs. He also has intercepted two passes this season.
It doesn't surprise coach Sam Pittman, who said he has been impressed with McGlothern's preparation and instincts.
"He's really confident," Pittman told reporters. "I think that's the first thing a corner has to be, but he sees routes well. He obviously does a lot of film study before each game, he understands who his opponent is, who he's playing against. He gets some tips off that and things of that nature."
DB: Mekhi Garner, LSU
A year after LSU allowed 234.9 passing yards per game, 10th in the SEC, the Tigers' secondary has allowed just 146.5 passing yards per game in 2022, trailing only Alabama in the conference.
Garner has been a big reason why. Coming off a season in which he had 31 total tackles (2.5 for loss) and eight pass breakups, Garner left Louisiana for the Tigers, and his success is translating over into the SEC. Through the first four games, he has 10 total tackles and five pass breakups with the Tigers.
DB: Mekhi Blackmon, USC
Blackmon transferred to USC from Colorado and has been a presence in the secondary from the start. He ranks third on the team in total tackles (15), leads the team in interceptions (two) and also has a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble.
Riley praised Blackmon after the Trojans' win over Stanford, saying they trust Blackmon in one-on-one situations in games because of his skill level.
"We like him matched up against anybody," Riley said. "The way he's playing and competing, the guys he goes against here in practice are good players, and it's a battle every single day."
Other notable defensive backs: Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame; Ryan Watts, Texas