Without the transfer portal, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker doesn't lead the Vols past Alabama this season. In fact, the Vols might not be undefeated without him.
Hooker has worked his way into the Heisman conversation and is joined by USC's Caleb Williams, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and a handful of other quarterbacks making a big splash this season.
It's not just quarterbacks, though, who are among the transfers leading stat sheets. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has been a front-runner on the Cincinnati defense, and running backs such as Marshall's Khalan Laborn and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs are among the top 10 playmakers on offense when it comes to total yards from scrimmage.
Thousands of players entered the transfer portal last cycle, and the number of transfers contributing to their new teams is considerable enough that ESPN has ranked out its top 50 transfers from this season.
1. Hendon Hooker, QB
Transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech
It's hard to argue any transfer player has had more impact on their respective team than Hooker has with Tennessee. Hooker transferred from Virginia Tech before the 2021 season as Joe Milton III's backup. He replaced the injured Milton in the second game of last season and finished with 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, entering this season as the Vols' QB1.
Now, Hooker has taken the Vols to new heights, leading them to a 7-0 record and College Football Playoff hopes, defeating Alabama, LSU and Florida along the way. In those three games, Hooker threw for 973 yards and nine touchdowns, rushing for 224 more as well.
"[Hooker] played at an unbelievable level," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after the Vols upset then-No. 3 Alabama 52-49 on Oct. 15. "He's the key to our ignition."
With Hooker at quarterback, the Vols have scored 351 points through seven games, tied for the third most by an SEC team through seven games of a season in conference history. The three other teams to score as many or more have all gone on to the national championship game, with two winning it all.
Hooker has 2,093 yards, 18 touchdowns and just 1 interception this season, ranking first among all FBS quarterbacks in yards per attempt, fourth in TD-INT ratio, third in catchable pass attempts (84% of his passes are on target) and sixth in touchdowns per pass attempt. In turn, he has shot up NFL draft boards, as he is now the No. 5 quarterback prospect, according to ESPN's Jordan Reid.
2. Caleb Williams, QB
Transferred to USC from Oklahoma
Williams had replaced Spencer Rattler as a freshman with the Sooners in 2021, finishing the season with 1,912 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, as well as 442 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns.
After following coach Lincoln Riley to USC, he has turned around a Trojans team that went 4-8 in 2021 to a team that's in the top 10 this year. He has 1,971 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 1 interception, as well as 235 rush yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. USC ranked 61st with 27.5 points per game last season. Now, the team is ranked 14th (37.4 ppg).
Yet Williams, already a Heisman contender this year, thinks he still has another level to his game.
"I've played all right; I feel like I can play better" Williams said when asked to assess his performance through six games. "I don't feel like I've unlocked everything that I can do. I'm trying to get to that point because this team needs my best."
3. Ivan Pace Jr., LB
Transferred to Cincinnati from Miami (Ohio)
Pace was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2021 for Miami with 125 total tackles. He decided to enter the transfer portal in December 2021, joining younger brother Deshawn Pace.
How has he adjusted? This season, Pace leads all FBS players in tackles for loss (17.5), is tied for third in sacks (seven) and ranks ninth in total tackles (73).
"I'm surprised maybe just in how well he's picked things up." coach Luke 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."
4. Michael Penix Jr., QB
Transferred to Washington from Indiana
Penix put up big numbers at Indiana but was hampered by injuries. In six games in 2019, he had 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. He followed that up with 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games during the 2020 season and 939 yards and four touchdowns in five games last year.
Penix has been able to stay healthy so far this season and leads all FBS quarterbacks with 2,934 yards. He ranks fourth with 22 passing touchdowns and fifth in completions of 20 or more yards with 37.
Last season, Washington's offense ranked 115th out of 130 in total yards per game with an average of 323.4 yards and 73rd in pass yards per game (225). This season, with Penix under center, Washington ranks No. 7 in total yards per game (507.8) and first in pass yards per game (379.3).
5. Bo Nix, QB
Transferred to Oregon from Auburn
Nix reunited with offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham when he transferred from Auburn to Oregon this offseason. Dillingham was Auburn's offensive coordinator when Nix had his best season with 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air as a freshman in 2019.
The next year, Nix threw for 2,415 yards and 12 touchdowns in 11 games and then had 2,294 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021.
Since a 49-3 Week 1 loss to defending national champion Georgia, Oregon has won six in a row, including wins over a ranked BYU team and previously unbeaten UCLA, a game in which Nix completed 22 of 28 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
"You can't watch a football game right now and tell us that guy is not elite," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said about Nix after the game.
He ranks sixth in completion percentage (71.5%) and has thrown a career-high 17 touchdown passes thus far. Nix has looked more and more comfortable in the offense, getting back to the success he and Dillingham had at Auburn.
6. Khalan Laborn, RB
Transferred to Marshall from Florida State
Laborn was the No. 36 recruit in the 2017 class out of Virginia and signed with Florida State. He was highly sought after and didn't lack in confidence as he committed to the Seminoles by stepping out of a Lamborghini waving a Florida State flag.
He had 297 rush yards and four touchdowns in the 2019 season and was dismissed from the team in 2020 for violating team rules.
He then transferred to Marshall to play for Charles Huff, who had been a running backs coach most of his career. The move paid off, as Laborn is second in the country in rushing yards (1,002) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (12).
"When we hit the transfer portal this offseason, we were getting some guys that played considerable snaps in places," Huff said in September. "We weren't just getting a guy that went to some SEC school and never played. We were getting and recruiting guys that were either rotational guys or starters and had lost their jobs or whatever it was"
7. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech
Gibbs was an ESPN 300 recruit who signed with Georgia Tech in the 2020 class. He had 460 rush yards and four touchdowns on the ground, as well as 303 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in seven games during his freshman season. He followed that up with 746 rush yards and four touchdowns along with 470 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
He has made a large impact since transferring to Alabama, totaling 973 yards from scrimmage (plus 164 return yards) and nine rushing and receiving touchdowns. Gibbs evades tackles 21.9% of the time, which ranks sixth among all running backs, and averages 6.86 yards per rush.
"As soon as Jahmyr hits the second level, I just know he's gone," linebacker Dallas Turner said of his teammate. "As soon as he gets that little crease, all that little space he needs, I just know he's going to hit the hole as hard as he can and he's going to take it all the way just like he does."
8. Drew Sanders, LB
Transferred to Arkansas from Alabama
Sanders was the No. 36 prospect in the 2020 class, originally committed to Oklahoma, but then flipped and signed with Alabama. He dealt with an injury in the 2021 season, finishing with 24 total tackles and one sack for the Crimson Tide.
He has been a main part of Arkansas' defense through the first seven games, ranking second on the team with 63 total tackles and third among all FBS linebackers with 6.5 sacks. Sanders, considered a top-three inside linebacker prospect by all four ESPN NFL draft analysts, also has 7.5 tackles for loss.
"He can do everything," coach Sam Pittman told ESPN in September. "He can run. Very strong. He's a remarkable athlete for any size. But for what he is" -- 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds -- "he's great. And honestly, it's his heart, it's his makeup that makes him a great player. He has that desire to be great."
9. Jordan Addison, WR
Transferred to USC from Pitt
Addison made a splash when he announced he would be transferring from Pitt. He had just won the Biletnikoff Award the previous season for the nation's best receiver, but his quarterback, Kenny Pickett, left for the NFL.
Along with Caleb Williams, Addison has helped transform USC's offense. He has 585 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season. He is the No. 8 overall prospect and the top receiver on ESPN's NFL draft position rankings.
10. Charlie Jones, WR
Transferred to Purdue from Iowa
Before the season, there were questions about how Purdue would replace star receiver David Bell, who is now in the NFL. Jones has been a pleasant surprise in filling the role and becoming a playmaker on offense.
He had 323 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 21 receptions last season for Iowa and wasn't in the national spotlight for his play.
This season, however, he is second in receiving yards (840) among all receivers and third in receiving touchdowns with nine. Jones is averaging 11.67 yards per reception and earlier this season became the eighth Boilermaker receiver to record three straight games with at least 100 receiving yards.
11. Daiyan Henley, LB
Transferred to Washington State from Nevada
Henley was a second team All-Mountain West Conference player at Nevada in 2021. He had 103 tackles in 12 games with three tackles for loss.
He was a good player for Nevada but wasn't nationally talked about. Now, he is ranked as Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 4 outside linebacker for this upcoming NFL draft.
He has 68 total tackles, is ranked No. 5 among all FBS linebackers in tackles for loss (11), and has four sacks and one interception. With Henley on the team, Washington State ranks No. 9 among all 131 FBS teams in tackles for loss with 55.
12. Trey Palmer, WR
Transferred to Nebraska from LSU
Nebraska is struggling at 3-4 and having fired coach Scott Frost, but Palmer has been a bright spot on offense. The 6-1, 190-pound player has broken out this year. He ranks No. 6 among all FBS receivers with 781 receiving yards. He has five receiving touchdowns and is averaging 16.62 yards per reception.
13. Jacob Cowing, WR
Transferred to Arizona from UTEP
Arizona needed playmakers at receiver after finishing last season ranked No. 69 among all FBS teams in pass yards per game with 226.3. Cowing has helped in a big way, combining with transfer quarterback Jayden de Laura to put Arizona at No. 5 in pass yards per game this season with 334.4. Cowing has 737 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the season and is averaging 13.91 yards per reception.
14. O'Cyrus Torrence, G
Transferred to Florida from Louisiana
Torrence has started for Florida all season and is now listed as the top guard prospect in this year's NFL draft for both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. He has been an anchor for the Gators and was part of the push up front that gained 594 total yards and five touchdowns against Tennessee this season.
15. Olusegun Oluwatimi, G
Transferred to Michigan from Virginia
Michigan's offensive line won the Joe Moore Award last season for the best offensive line unit but was in need of a center for this season. Oluwatimi, a Rimington Award finalist last season as the nation's best center, has fit right in at Michigan. He has started every game for a Michigan team averaging 241.7 rush yards per game this season.
16. Mekhi Garner, DB
Transferred to LSU from Louisiana
The Tigers needed help in the secondary, and Garner has been a consistent defender so far this season. He ranks No. 8 among all FBS defenders in opponent completion percentage when he is targeted, allowing only 28.6% of passes to be completed.
17. Henry To'oTo'o, LB
Transferred to Alabama from Tennessee
To'oTo'o transferred to Alabama before the 2021 season and immediately became a team leader on defense. He had the opportunity to leave for the NFL but decided to come back for another season in 2022. He leads the team in total tackles with 60 and has 4.5 tackles for loss.
18. Eric Gentry, LB
Transferred to USC from Arizona State
Gentry was a true freshman All-American at Arizona State in 2021, finishing the season with 45 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 2 pass breakups. The Trojans needed help on defense, and Gentry now leads the team in total tackles with 52 through seven games. Gentry also has an interception, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble this season.
19. Laiatu Latu, LB
Transferred to UCLA from Washington
Latu has been a big presence off the edge for the Bruins with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss this season. He has 25 total tackles, 2 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles in seven games for a UCLA team that is 6-1.
20. Jayden Daniels, QB
Transferred to LSU from Arizona State
Daniels got off to a slow start at LSU but lately has been very good for the Tigers, who have won six of their past seven games. He has 1,812 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and 1 interception, and he leads the team in rush yards (524) and rushing touchdowns (nine) as well. Daniels helped his team come from behind to beat Ole Miss 45-20 with two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns on the day.
21. Jacoby Windmon, LB
Transferred to Michigan State from UNLV
Not much has gone right for the Spartans this season, as they are 3-4 a year after finishing 11-2, but Windmon has been a bright spot. At one point, he was leading all FBS players in sacks, and he has 5.5 through seven games. He has 37 total tackles, 1 interception and 2 pass breakups, as well.
22. Jordan Domineck, DL
Transferred to Arkansas from Georgia Tech
Domineck has 22 total tackles and 4.5 sacks on the season. He has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for the Arkansas defense. He has combined with Drew Sanders to give the Hogs 11 combined sacks and has formed a formidable pass-rush duo.
23. Gerald Mincey, OT
Transferred to Tennessee from Florida
Tennessee surrendered the most sacks in the SEC last year with 44. Mincey, the Vols' starting left tackle this year, hasn't allowed a single sack on 271 snaps so far this season. He's only a redshirt sophomore, so Tennessee will likely have its left tackle for a few more seasons.
24. Jayden de Laura, QB
Transferred to Arizona from Washington State
De Laura has helped elevated the Arizona offense, which was near the bottom of the league in pass yards last year. He is the No. 9 quarterback in total pass yards with 2,274. He has 19 touchdowns and is averaging 8.27 yards per attempt. The Wildcats' offense has been on a different level with de Laura at the helm.
25. Greg Brooks Jr., S
Transferred to LSU from Arkansas
Brooks has been all over the field for the Tigers' defense and is fifth on the team in total tackles with 35. He also has 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception and 3 pass breakups so far this season.
26. Tommy DeVito, QB
Transferred to Illinois from Syracuse
Illinois is off to an incredible start to the season at 6-1, and DeVito has been a big part of the success. He has 1,415 yards, 10 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions on the season. He has completed 70.4% of his passes and has four rushing touchdowns through seven games.
27. Dalton Kincaid, TE
Transferred to Utah from San Diego
Kincaid leads all tight ends in receiving yards this season with 558 yards and is tied for the most touchdown receptions among tight ends with six. He has averaged 14.31 yards per reception and was instrumental in Utah's 43-42 win over USC, with 16 receptions for 234 yards and 1 touchdown.
28. Dwight McGlothern, DB
Transferred to Arkansas from LSU
Arkansas lost a few defensive backs to the transfer portal last year, and McGlothern has helped fill those voids. He has 20 total tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 pass breakups on the season.
29. Cam Rising, QB
Transferred from Texas to Utah
Rising has helped elevate Utah to a conference contender in the Pac-12 and has been one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. He has 1,855 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. He also has 308 yards rushing and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns.
30. Kobe Hylton, DB
Transferred to UTEP from Louisiana
Hylton took a winding road to get to UTEP through Northeastern Oklahoma Community College and then Louisiana. He is now UTEP's leading tackler with 63 total tackles. He has 1 pass breakup, 5 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles for the Miners, who rank second in Conference USA in passing yards allowed per game (195.1).
31. Dillon Gabriel, QB
Transferred to Oklahoma from UCF
At 1-3 in Big 12 play, Oklahoma hasn't had the season it hoped for, but Gabriel has had success reuniting with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who coached Gabriel at UCF. Through six games, Gabriel has 1,618 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also has three rushing touchdowns and has helped Oklahoma's offense gain 451 yards per game, which is good for No. 18 among all FBS teams.
32. Mekhi Blackmon, DB
Transferred to USC from Colorado
Blackmon is fourth on the team in total tackles (32) and has two interceptions and five pass breakups along with a forced fumble through seven games. He has been a consistent contributor to a USC defense that ranks second in the Pac-12 this season.
33. Will Levis, QB
Transferred to Kentucky from Penn State
Levis transferred before the 2021 season, but he has been a big part of Kentucky's recent success on offense. A consensus top-10 NFL draft prospect overall, he has thrown for 1,635 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and has two rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats.
34. Ryan Watts, DB
Transferred to Texas from Ohio State
Watts has been one of the best defensive backs for a Longhorns defense that is allowing 10 fewer points per game this season. He has 31 total tackles, 1 interception and 3 pass breakups.
35. Travis Dye, RB
Transferred to USC from Oregon
Dye is averaging 6.4 yards per carry for the Trojans this season and 92.43 yards per game. He has 647 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while also catching 16 passes for 157 yards. He has complemented the Caleb Williams-led offense well and has fit right in after his transfer from Oregon.
36. Zach Evans, RB
Transferred to Ole Miss from TCU
Ole Miss lost its top four rushers from last season yet is still ranked No. 12 in rush yards per game this season. Freshman Quinshon Judkins leads the team in rush yards and touchdowns with 831 yards and 12 touchdowns, but Evans isn't far behind. Evans has 605 yards and seven touchdowns, giving Ole Miss a good combo at running back this season.
37. Quinn Ewers, QB
Transferred to Texas from Ohio State
Ewers has had an up-and-down season so far, being sidelined for a month after leaving the Alabama game with a shoulder injury. Including one quarter against Alabama, Ewers has 1,139 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in five games. He provided a big spark for the Longhorns upon his return, throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a historic 49-0 rout over rival Oklahoma.
38. Jackson Sirmon, LB
Transferred to Cal from Washington
Sirmon has been a bright spot for the Cal defense this season, racking up 63 total tackles to lead the team. He has 4 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception and 2 pass breakups as well. Cal ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (22.6 ppg).
39. Akheem Mesidor, DL
Transferred to Miami from West Virginia
Mesidor is tied for third on the team in total tackles (25) so far this season. The Hurricanes are tied for the ACC lead in team sacks (24), and Mesidor leads the way with five. He is second on the team in tackles for loss (eight) and has three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.
40. Isaiah Winstead, WR
Transferred to East Carolina from Toledo
Winstead leads East Carolina in receiving yards with 808 and is averaging 13.69 yards per reception. The 6-4, 213-pound wideout has three receiving touchdowns so far through eight games and has been a big part of the Pirates' high-powered offense.
41. Mario Williams, WR
Transferred to USC from Oklahoma
Williams played for Lincoln Riley as a freshman last season at Oklahoma and also transferred to USC. A familiar target of Caleb Williams, Mario Williams is second on the team in receiving yards (493) and second on the team with four receiving touchdowns as well.
42. Johnny Wilson, WR
Transferred to Florida State from Arizona State
Wilson, a big target at 6-7, 235 pounds, leads the Seminoles with 492 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He is averaging 18.2 yards per catch and 70.3 receiving yards per game.
43. Cameron Ward, QB
Transferred to Washington State from Incarnate Word
Ward, who transferred from the FCS level in the offseason, has filled the void left by Jayden de Laura a season ago. He has done a good job for 4-3 Washington State, as his 1,962 passing yards put him 25th among all FBS quarterbacks and fourth in the Pac-12. He also has 16 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions.
44. Raiqwon O'Neal, OT
Transferred to UCLA from Rutgers
O'Neal started nine games, playing in 11 total, for Rutgers during the 2021 season. He is now part of an offensive line at UCLA that has allowed only six sacks so far this season.
45. Kobie Turner, DL
Transferred to Wake Forest from Richmond
Wake Forest is having an outstanding season, starting out 6-1, and Turner has been a force for the Deacons' strong defensive line. Turner currently has 23 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 quarterback hurries and 2 forced fumbles.
46. Tyler Steen, OT
Transferred to Alabama from Vanderbilt
Steen has started every game at left tackle for Alabama this season and has been a consistent contributor so far. He has been a welcome addition to a normally stout offensive line that has needed his help this season.
47. John Rhys Plumlee, QB
Transferred to UCF from Ole Miss
The Knights are 5-2 this season, and Plumlee has been an important piece of the success. He has thrown for 1,812 yards and 11 touchdowns through the first seven games. He leads the team with 506 rushing yards, and his seven rushing touchdowns trails only running back Isaiah Bowser (10) on the team.
48. Tanner McLachlan, TE
Transferred to Arizona from Southern Utah
The Wildcats have a handful of new pass-catchers this season with Jacob Cowing, freshman Tetairoa McMillan and McLachlin. He's fourth on the team in receiving yards with 309 and has two touchdowns. He's averaging 13.43 yards per reception and has been a dependable target for de Laura.
49. Josh Newton, DB
Transferred to TCU from UL Monroe
Newton doesn't have a ton of tackles, with just 17 on the season, but he is active in the pass game and a big contributor for a defense that is allowing eight fewer points per game than last season. He has two interceptions this season for the Horned Frogs and four pass breakups and has also recorded two tackles for loss.
50. Adrian Martinez, QB
Transferred to Kansas State from Nebraska
Martinez has rejuvenated his career at Kansas State this season after a rocky few years at Nebraska. He has 907 yards passing and four touchdowns this season with no interceptions on 140 pass attempts. He also has 565 rush yards and leads the team with nine rushing touchdowns, as the Wildcats are 5-2 and ranked 22nd in the country.