Sometimes momentous anniversaries somehow pass without much attention. Five years ago, the concept of roster building in college football was flipped on its head because of two words: transfer portal. Transfers became easier and more player-friendly, later rules adjustments (namely, first-time transfers no longer having to sit for a year) made that even friendlier, and college football was permanently changed.
A five-year anniversary is as good an excuse as any to look back. Below are the top 50 transfers of the portal era. (We'll loosely define that as anyone who transferred between 2018 and 2023, even though technically the portal itself didn't become a thing until October of the 2018 season.) Some trends have developed. In 2021, we saw an epic run of skill corps talent -- the Kenneth Walkers and Jameson Williamses and Zach Charbonnets of the world (plus the whole Houston Christian transplant experience) -- making massive differences for their new schools. In 2022 came a class of transfer quarterbacks who produced a shift in the sport's overall balance of power and created a Pac-12 resurgence.
In 2023 ... we haven't seen much impact yet. Perhaps if I were to remake this list a year from now, more 2023 transfers would show up after longer opportunities to make an impact, but for now only three made the list, two from Deion Sanders' Colorado makeover. Was it a one-year blip? A sign of future dilution? We'll find out. But there's no questioning the impact the portal had in the first five years of its existence.
Here are the best of the 50 best of the era:
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Top 10 players
50. Michael Turk, P, Oklahoma Sooners
Transferred from: Arizona State and Lafayette
Years at new school: 2021-22
Relevant stats: 48.4-yard punting average, 44.1 net average over two years
We start with some special teams love. When you dip into the portal for a punter, "NFL special teams lineage and a 48-yard average" is pretty much exactly what you're looking for.
49. Ricky White, WR, UNLV Rebels
Transferred from: Michigan State
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 137 catches, 2,150 yards and 12 touchdowns in 24 games (and 53, 989 and seven, respectively, in his last seven games)
Brought to Vegas by former coach Marcus Arroyo, White ended up a heck of a gift for Barry Odom and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Since October 1, he leads the nation in receiving, and UNLV is in its first MWC Championship.
48. Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU Tigers
Transferred from: Missouri
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 68 tackles, 9 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and four breakups in 21 games
After a standout true freshman campaign at Mizzou, Wingo headed south and immediately put together a third-team All-American campaign in Baton Rouge. He was the anchor of this year's LSU line, too, before an October injury.
47. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Bruins
Transferred from: Michigan
Years at new school: 2021-22
Relevant stats: 3,014 scrimmage yards and 27 touchdowns in 22 games
Program changer: In the three years prior to Charbonnet's arrival out West, Chip Kelly's Bruins went a combined 10-21. In two years with Charbonnet and Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the backfield, they went 17-8.
46. Anthony Johnson Jr., CB, Virginia Cavaliers
Transferred from: Louisville
Years at new school: 2021-22
Relevant stats: 95 tackles, five TFLs, five interceptions and 18 breakups over two years
From a depth piece at Louisville, Johnson landed in Charlottesville and turned into an all-ACC performer and, at the moment, Green Bay Packer.
45. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Buffaloes
Transferred from: Jackson State
Years at new school: 2023
Relevant stats: 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 11 games
Granted, the product trailed off over time and injuries took their toll on him, but Sanders still finished his first season in Boulder with a 69% completion rate and a 27-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio, and Colorado still improved from 1-11 to 4-8.
44. Malik Washington, WR, Virginia Cavaliers
Transferred from: Northwestern
Years at new school: 2023
Relevant stats: 1,426 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in one season
After catching 109 passes in two years in Evanston, Washington caught 110 in 2023 alone, hitting 97 or more yards in the last 11 games of the season. Wow.
43. Mike Novitsky, C, Kansas Jayhawks
Transferred from: Buffalo
Years at new school: 2021-23
Relevant stats: Five sacks allowed in 34 starts
An all-conference performer at Buffalo, Novitsky followed Lance Leipold to Lawrence and immediately became one of KU's best players. In Year 3, he still is.
42. Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue Boilermakers
Transferred from: Buffalo and Iowa
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: 1,361 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in one season
Used primarily as a return man at Iowa, Jones moved to a Big Ten West rival and proved his receiving prowess, helping to drive Purdue's first division title with seven 100-yard games, then logging 162 in an otherwise futile Big Ten Championship.
41. Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Nittany Lions
Transferred from: Temple
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 18 TFLs and 9.5 sacks in one season
Ebiketie drew major-college attention after recording six sacks in 16 games in Philly. He topped that in his first nine games in State College and ended up a second-round draft pick.
40. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Wildcats
Transferred from: Penn State
Years at new school: 2021-22
Relevant stats: 5,232 passing yards and 43 touchdowns (plus 11 rushing touchdowns) in 24 games
His final season was beset by injury and a younger supporting cast, but Levis was a revelation in 2021, leading the Wildcats to 10 wins and giving them occasional track-meet potential (case in point: 372 yards and 42 points against Tennessee).
39. Cole Tracy, K, LSU Tigers
Transferred from: Assumption College
Years at new school: 2018
Relevant stats: 29-for-33 on FGs, led SEC in scoring in 2018
How do you make an impression in one season after transferring from D2? How about by making a walk-off field goal against Auburn, hitting four field goals in four different games (including a win over Georgia) and finishing as a Lou Groza Award finalist?
38. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Transferred from: Georgia Tech
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: 1,370 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games
Easily Georgia Tech's most dangerous player for two years, Gibbs bet on himself and moved to T-Town. He immediately became one of Bama's most dangerous players too and became a top-15 pick because of it.
37. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas Longhorns
Transferred from: Ohio State
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 4,886 passing yards and 32 touchdowns in 20 games
Ewers' story is not yet finished, and he could rise quite a bit depending on how the next few weeks go (and if he returns to Austin next season). But beating Bama in Tuscaloosa is certainly one step toward a great legacy.
36. Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati Bearcats
Transferred from: Alabama
Years at new school: 2020-21
Relevant stats: 1,539 scrimmage yards and 20 TDs in 2021
As a backup in 2020, Ford rushed for 97 yards in a near-defeat of Georgia. Then he sustained that energy into most of Cincinnati's dynamite College Football Playoff campaign.
35. Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Razorbacks
Transferred from: Alabama
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: 103 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and 9.5 sacks in one season
A former top-40 recruit, Sanders left Tuscaloosa in search of playing time and potential stardom. He got both in Fayetteville and ended up a third-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos.
34. D'Eriq King, QB, Miami Hurricanes
Transferred from: Houston
Years at new school: 2020-21
Relevant stats: 3,453 passing yards, 634 rushing yards and 30 total TDs in 14 games
His career ended earlier than it was supposed to -- he managed just three games in 2021 because of injury -- but he was one of the stars of the 2020 season and engineered a brief breakthrough for Manny Diaz with the Hurricanes.
33. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Red Raiders
Transferred from: Texas A&M
Years at new school: 2020-22
Relevant stats: 99 tackles, 27.5 TFLs, 14 sacks in 2021-22
Wilson left College Station when Kevin Sumlin did and, after two standout seasons in Lubbock, became Texas Tech's highest draft pick since Donny Anderson in 1965.
32. O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Gators
Transferred from: Louisiana
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: Consensus All-American in 2022, seven blown blocks in 11 games
It's been a struggle for Billy Napier in Gainesville, but you can't blame Torrence, who followed Napier from Louisiana, immediately thrived, sucked up loads of All-American votes and became a second-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.
31. Jerreth Sterns, WR, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Transferred from: Houston Christian
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 1,902 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in one season
We'll get to the legend of Bailey Zappe soon enough, but Zappe's go-to guy was ridiculous in his own right: In one FBS season, he posted six games with multiple TDs (max: 3), nine games with double-digit catches (max: 17) and 10 games with triple-digit yardage (max: 221).
30. Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Buckeyes
Transferred from: Oklahoma
Years at new school: 2020
Relevant stats: 636 rushing yards in three games late in 2020
The ultimate lightning-in-a-bottle transfer. Sermon lost his starting job at OU, moved to Columbus, spent most of the short season as a backup, then exploded for 331 rushing yards in the Big Ten Championship and another 193 in a CFP semifinal blowout of Clemson. (Then he got hurt after one carry in the national title game.)
29. Patrick Nelson, S, SMU Mustangs
Transferred from: Illinois
Years at new school: 2018-19
Relevant stats: 146 tackles, 23.5 TFLs, 14 sacks and three INTs in 22 games
A safety/nickelback/outside linebacker/edge rusher/whatever SMU needed him to be, Nelson was a spectacular hybrid for Sonny Dykes' Mustangs and finished his senior season with 12.5 sacks. At 216 pounds!
28. Jonah Jackson, G, Ohio State Buckeyes
Transferred from: Rutgers
Years at new school: 2019
Relevant stats: one sack allowed, first-team All-Big Ten
After a solid stint at Rutgers, Jackson moved to Columbus and became a key player and one of Ohio State's best (and, with a CFP loss to Clemson, least fortunate) recent teams. Two years later, he was a Pro Bowler with the Detroit Lions, too.
27. Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Ducks
Transferred from: Colorado
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: 50 tackles, four INTs and seven breakups in 12 games
He was immediately one of Colorado's best players as a true freshman in 2020, and after things took a downturn in Boulder he ended up with Dan Lanning, Bo Nix and company in Eugene. Good choice. He landed all-Pac-12 honors, then landed in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
26. Scott Patchan, DE, Colorado State Rams
Transferred from: Miami
Years at new school: 2020-21
Relevant stats: 90 tackles, 27 TFLs, 17 sacks, three forced fumbles in 16 games
Patchan spent seven years in college -- five in Coral Gables and, thanks to the bonus COVID year of eligibility, two in Fort Collins. The brief 2020 season was his breakout (7.5 TFLs in four games), and he sustained a similar pace in 2021. It felt like he was 30-years-old when he left, but he made the most of his college years. An inspiration, really.
25. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Flames
Transferred from: Auburn
Years at new school: 2020-21
Relevant stats: 5,117 passing yards, 1822 rushing yards and 74 total touchdowns in 23 games
Seen primarily as a runner at Auburn -- he had 28 rush attempts to 14 pass attempts in two years -- Willis was the perfect prospect for a Hugh Freeze offense. At Liberty, he won 18 games and nearly averaged a 2,500/1,000 season and became a third-round NFL draft pick.
24. Jared Verse, DE, Florida State Seminoles
Transferred from: Albany
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 83 tackles, 26.5 TFLs and 16 sacks (and counting) in 24 games
After a 9.5-sack debut at Albany, Verse was enough of an athletic specimen to have his choice of major colleges. He chose well. He exploded for 17 TFLs in his 2022 debut and should hit double-digits for a second straight season soon.
23. Marcus Jones, CB, Houston Cougars
Transferred from: Troy
Years at new school: 2020-21
Relevant stats: 71 tackles, six interceptions and 17 breakups (plus a receiving touchdown and five return scores) in 20 games
A Sun Belt standout, Jones moved to Houston and pretty much did everything. He was one of the nation's better cornerbacks and by far its best return man. He even caught 10 passes, too. "Dynamic" doesn't even begin to describe it. Just ask SMU.
22. Laiatu Latu, OLB, UCLA Bruins
Transferred from: Washington
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 85 tackles, 34 TFLs, 23.5 sacks, two INTs and five forced fumbles in 25 games
Once a four-star prospect, Latu did very little at Washington before having to retire with a neck injury. After time away, he landed in L.A. and quickly became one of the nation's leading edge rushers. He leads FBS in TFLs this season.
21. Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati Bearcats
Transferred from: Miami (Ohio)
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: 137 tackles, 21.5 TFLs and 10 sacks in one season
It's one thing to rank sixth nationally in tackles. It's another to do it while also ranking third in TFLs and tied for 10th in sacks. Pace was both a tackling supernova and one of the nation's best disruptors for Luke Fickell's last Cincy team.
20. Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado Buffaloes
Transferred from: Jackson State
Years at new school: 2023
Relevant stats: 721 receiving yards and five touchdowns on offense, 31 tackles and three INTs on defense in nine games
As with Shedeur Sanders, don't let Colorado's late-season fade diminish the fact that Hunter pulled off some of the most incredible two-way play we've seen in quite a while. He combined three 100-yard receiving games with three interceptions -- including two of the most acrobatic grabs of the year against TCU and UCLA -- and 31 tackles (two for loss). And he's still got one more year of eligibility.
19. Cameron Rising, QB, Utah Utes
Transferred from: Texas
Years at new school: 2021-23
Relevant stats: 5,572 passing yards, 953 rushing yards and 58 total touchdowns in two seasons
With flowing locks and fearlessness, Rising assured that Utah had a better QB than anyone throwing for Texas in 2021-22. He piloted the Utes to a pair of Pac-12 titles, and after missing with 2023, he will evidently give his college story one final chapter, ushering Utah to the Big 12 in 2024.
18. Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland Terrapins
Transferred from: Alabama
Years at new school: 2020-23
Relevant stats: 11,256 passing yards and 76 touchdowns in 41 games, Big Ten's all-time passing leader
It's rare that a transfer is around long enough to set career records in a major conference (especially with a shortened 2020 involved), but Tagovailoa came to College Park after a redshirt season at Bama, quickly landed in the lineup and ripped off three 3,000-yard bowl seasons for a team that had bowled just three times in the previous 10 seasons.
17. Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Transferred from: Houston Christian
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns in one season
It remains maybe the greatest offensive transplant we've seen. Needing a scoring boost, WKU's Tyson Helton imported Houston Christian's offensive coordinator, QB and primary receivers and suddenly set records at WKU. Zappe set the FBS single-season yardage record, averaging 426 yards per game, and the Hilltoppers went 9-5.
16. Olu Oluwatimi, C, Michigan Wolverines
Transferred from: Virginia
Years at new school: 2022
Relevant stats: seven blown blocks in 14 games, Rimington Trophy winner
Needing a replacement for all-conference center Andrew Vastardis, Jim Harbaugh reached into the portal and pulled out the best center in college football. The portal can be very easy sometimes.
15. Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Crimson Tide
Transferred from: Florida State
Years at new school: 2019-20
Relevant stats: Four blown blocks in 12 games, Rimington Trophy winner and unanimous All-American in 2020
After a series of season-ending injuries at FSU, Dickerson elected for a change of scenery as a graduate transfer. It worked out beautifully. Dickerson was the anchor of an untouchable Tide line in 2020 before suffering one last season-ending injury in the SEC Championship. It didn't stop him from raking in the awards, though.
14. Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Hurricanes
Transferred from: UCLA
Years at new school: 2020
Relevant stats: 45 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, eight sacks and three breakups in 10 games
A cavalcade of injuries led to Phillips' medical retirement in 2018, and he moved to Miami to study music production ... then decided to play football again and put together one of the best one-year transfer performances you'll ever see. With D'Eriq King on offense and Phillips on defense, Miami's 2020 team became one of the models for how to turn your program around through the portal (even if the turnaround wasn't permanent).
13. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State Spartans
Transferred from: Wake Forest
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in one season
Walker was so good that he earned Mel Tucker a $95 million contract. A solid rusher at Wake, he became the best in the country in East Lansing, topping 200 yards in his first game and scoring five touchdowns in an upset of Michigan -- that's right, Walker's Spartans were the last Big Ten team to beat the Wolverines.
12. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Crimson Tide
Transferred from: Ohio State
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns (plus two kick return TDs) in one season
Lost in the shuffle a bit at Ohio State, Williams stepped into the void left by DeVonta Smith at Bama and exploded. As Bryce Young's main man, Williams topped 100 yards seven times. Who knows what happens in the 2021 national title game if, after catching four early passes for 65 yards, he doesn't tear his ACL in the second quarter ...
11. Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Seminoles
Transferred from: Georgia
Years at new school: 2021
Relevant stats: 70 tackles, 17.5 TFLs, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in one season
I called Jaelan Phillips' 2020 season one of the best single-year transfers you'll ever see -- for a defender, at least, Johnson's was the best. He began 2021 with six sacks in two games, he had five against Miami later in the year, and he went from lost in the shuffle at Georgia to All-American and first-round pick at FSU.
10. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Volunteers
Transferred from: Virginia Tech
Years at new school: 2021-22
Relevant stats: 6,080 passing yards, 1,050 rushing yards and 68 total touchdowns in 24 games
After flashing major dual-threat potential but falling out of favor in Blacksburg, Hooker came to Knoxville to play in Josh Heupel's explosive system. Good call. He was good in 2021, then great in 2022, leading the Vols to an 8-0 start, an epic win over Alabama, and a brief No. 1 ranking and, despite a season-ending November injury, finishing fifth in the Heisman voting.
9. Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
Transferred from: UCF
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 6,828 passing yards, 688 rushing yards and 73 total touchdowns (and counting) in 24 games
He began his career in 2019, winning 10 games at UCF. Four years later, he won 10 games at OU. He's seventh in all-time passing yards and eighth in touchdowns ... and he still has a year of eligibility left.
8. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
Transferred from: Alabama
Years at new school: 2019
Relevant stats: 3,851 passing yards, 1,298 rushing yards and 52 total touchdowns in one season
He came within three seconds of leading Alabama to a national title as a true freshman, lost his job to Tua Tagovailoa and moved to Norman to completely rehabilitate his reputation under the most QB-friendly coach in the country. It took Joe Burrow and LSU to outscore the Sooners in the CFP.
7. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State Seminoles
Transferred from: Louisville
Years at new school: 2019-23
Relevant stats: 8,644 passing yards, 1,910 rushing yards and 96 total touchdowns in 46 games
When Jordan Travis first took the field for FSU in 2019, the Seminoles were on the way to a second of four straight losing seasons. When his career ended with a leg injury against North Alabama, FSU had won his last 17 starts. Travis was the face of FSU's turnaround, a gaudy scrambler who also became one of the steadiest passers in the game.
6. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes
Transferred from: Georgia
Years at new school: 2019-20
Relevant stats: 5,373 passing yards, 867 rushing yards and 78 total touchdowns in 22 games
He first committed to Penn State. He spent a year at Georgia, where Kirby Smart didn't really seem to know what to do with him. (Remember when Georgia had QB issues?) Then he landed at his third choice ... and played almost perfect ball for two years. Ohio State went 20-2 with Fields behind center, falling only to Trevor Lawrence's Clemson and Nick Saban's best Alabama team.
5. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington Huskies
Transferred from: Indiana
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 8,540 passing yards and 63 touchdowns (plus seven rushing TDs) in 25 games
It was easy to almost see Penix's move to Washington as a sentimental one -- he would finish his career with Kalen DeBoer, his former Indiana offensive coordinator, but little was expected after multiple serious knee injuries and poor play in 2021.
Penix is 23-2 at Washington. He will almost assuredly finish with back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons and is an almost surefire Heisman finalist. He has been unreal out West.
4. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU Tigers
Transferred from: Arizona State
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 6,725 passing yards, 2,019 rushing yards and 78 total touchdowns (and counting) in 26 games
He was a scramble-first, scramble-second quarterback at ASU. He flashed similar tendencies at LSU in 2022 but had enough upside to beat Bama and win the SEC West. Then, in 2023, he basically became Kyler Murray. He's thrown for 3,812 yards and rushed for 1,134 (both career highs), playing the most magnetic ball in the country, and if he doesn't win the Heisman this year, it's because of a stinky Tigers defense. What a transformation.
3. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon Ducks
Transferred from: Auburn
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 7,499 passing yards, 669 rushing yards and 86 total touchdowns (and counting) in 25 games
Beat 'em, then join 'em. Nix began his Auburn career by beating Oregon to start the 2019 season. And after three decent seasons on the Plains, he moved to Eugene to enjoy two spectacular ones. He raised his completion rate from 59% to 75% and his Total QBR from 69.1 to 88.2, and he's 21-4, with 12 wins in his past 13 games, as a Ducks starter. He approaches the Pac-12 Championship with a major shot at a Heisman, too. At Auburn, he was a legacy. At Oregon, he created one.
2. Caleb Williams, QB, USC Trojans
Transferred from: Oklahoma
Years at new school: 2022-23
Relevant stats: 8,170 passing yards, 524 rushing yards and 93 total touchdowns (and counting) in 26 games, 2022 Heisman winner
Safe to say, following Lincoln Riley from Norman to L.A. worked out pretty well for the Washington, DC, native. Williams looked like Patrick Mahomes incarnate in the cardinal and gold, scrambling around, completing 66% of his passes and going for 42 touchdowns and only five picks during a 2022 Heisman run. And here's what disappointing looks like: In 12 games in 2023, he threw only for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns while raising his completion rate to 69%. He was a star meant for the NIL era, and now he departs to potentially become the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
1. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU Tigers
Transferred from: Ohio State
Years at new school: 2018-19
Relevant stats: 8,565 passing yards, 767 rushing yards and 88 total touchdowns in 28 games, 2019 Heisman winner
Burrow enjoyed the most perfect career arc imaginable for a transfer. After throwing 39 passes in two years for Ohio State, Burrow departed for Baton Rouge, where he enjoyed a thoroughly decent, but unspectacular, first season as a starter. But he was great for the last three games of a 10-3 season, then carried that over into just about the best season a quarterback has ever seen: 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and only six interceptions piloting an offense that averaged 48 points per game and seemingly got better in the bigger games. They averaged 46 points-per-game against top-10 teams, and Burrow threw for 956 yards, 12 touchdowns and no INTs in two CFP games. LSU rolled to 15-0, Burrow won the Heisman and became the No. 1 pick in the draft. Good luck to any future transfers trying to top this resume.