The transfer portal window closed at midnight on Jan. 2, which marked the final date that undergrads could enter their name in the database. Since then, more and more top transfers have made their commitment to new schools.
Ole Miss, Louisville and Colorado sit atop ESPN's best portal classes, but there has been more movement since those rankings came out. There have been important quarterback commitments, one of the nation's top running backs found a new home and an SEC team restocked its roster over the last week.
Not everyone has filled their needs, though, and some schools still have questions going forward. Here are some recent winners and what questions still remain from the transfer portal cycle.
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Latest winners
Who's still available
More questions
Latest winners
The Buckeyes had an uncharacteristic season in regard to the run game in 2023, finishing 88th among all FBS teams in rush yards per game, No. 79 in yards per rush and No. 60 in rushing touchdowns.
The team dealt with injuries throughout the depth chart, which factored in, especially with starter TreVeyon Henderson, who had 926 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games.
The coaches added needed help in Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, who was the SEC freshman of the year and a first-team All-SEC player in the 2022 season. He ran for 1,158 yards in the 2023 season, 25th most among all FBS backs, and 15 touchdowns, which was tied for 11th-most in the country.
It's not known if Henderson will return for the 2024 season and try his hand at the NFL draft, but adding in Judkins is a win either way. If Henderson does leave, the staff has a clear top option in Judkins and is also returning Dallan Hayden, who played in just three games this past season because of injury. Hayden had 553 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, and has shown the ability to make big plays.
If Henderson stays, then Ohio State has one of the best running back tandems in the country and immediately helps the run game. That would help the offense in general, but it would also help new quarterback transfer Will Howard transition and give him a crutch to lean on while he's getting acclimated.
Backup Chip Trayanum transferred to Kentucky this offseason, as well, making the addition of Judkins that much more important.
The transfer portal has allowed teams that normally wouldn't have the opportunity to add five-star players to add them. That is the case with Boise State, which added USC quarterback transfer Malachi Nelson, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class.
Just one year removed from being one of the most highly sought-after high school recruits, Nelson will now play for Boise State and coach Spencer Danielson.
Nelson entered the transfer portal on Dec. 18, as it looked as though USC was pursuing transfer quarterbacks. He stayed relatively quiet with his transfer process before committing to the Broncos with little fanfare.
Boise State had Taylen Green enter the transfer portal this offseason. Green appeared in 13 games this season, throwing for 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Maddux Madsen, who played in nine games in 2023, is returning, but dealt with injuries.
With Madsen returning, Nelson will be able to compete for the starting job, but there won't be a ton of pressure on him to lead the team right away. He should be able to ease into learning the offense and do it with much less attention on him than there was as the heir apparent to Caleb Williams.
Coach Lincoln Riley was in a peculiar situation at quarterback with starter Caleb Williams leaving for the NFL and Nelson transferring to Boise State.
Riley typically recruits a high school quarterback every other year, so he didn't sign one in the 2024 class, and with Nelson leaving, it essentially meant he didn't have one in the 2023 cycle, either. The staff went after a few quarterbacks in the portal, including Will Howard, who committed to Ohio State.
That left depth sparse with Miller Moss as the only option as the starter for next season. Riley then targeted UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava, but Maiava committed to transfer to Georgia. However, Riley didn't give up and just one day after announcing he would transfer to play for Georgia, Maiava flipped to USC.
Maiava threw for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season for the Rebels and now gives the Trojans needed depth. There might still be an opportunity to add another quarterback during the spring transfer window if Riley thinks it's necessary, but this addition at least gives him the option to hold tight with what he has.
Mike Elko and his staff had a difficult task of rebuilding the roster after Jimbo Fisher and his staff were fired. The Aggies saw 19 scholarship players enter the portal since November, which is a staggering number for a new staff to try to build on.
Elko has had a busy few weeks, though, and has been able to add 21 transfers back to the program.
That includes Purdue linebacker Nic Scourton, who had 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and a conference-leading 10 sacks this past season, and Bowling Green edge Cashius Howell, who had 10.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this past season.
Elko added to the secondary with Kansas State defensive back Will Lee, who had 42 total tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups this past season, and Cal Poly corner Donovan Saunders, who had three interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
On offense, Elko added in Stanford running back E.J. Smith, the son of Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith, Purdue tight end Garrett Miller, Troy wide receiver Jabre Barber and a few offensive linemen.
Overall, considering what he inherited, Elko acted quickly to back fill the roster and add in some players who should be able to make an immediate impact as he looks to build this team into what he wants it to be.
Who is still available?
Most of the top available players have made commitments because they have to get admitted into their new school, go through the admissions process and enroll for the new semester.
That has left just a handful of top players who are uncommitted.
Transferring from: Maryland
Tagovailoa is one the more interesting transfers that is still technically available. He is out of eligibility, but is petitioning for a waiver from the NCAA to get a sixth year.
It's not yet known if he will get the waiver, but if he does, a source told ESPN that Miami could be an eventual landing spot. That would put him close to where his brother, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, is and would give him a chance to play one more season at a high level.
If he doesn't get the waiver, then he will try his hand at the NFL draft.
Lance Heard, OL
Transferring from: LSU
Heard entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2. He was an ESPN 300 recruit out of high school, ranked No. 51 overall in the 2023 class. He played in 12 games as a true freshman this season and given his experience and multiple years of eligibility, he will be highly sought.
Tennessee and Ole Miss have both been in contact with the 6-6, 340-pound lineman.
Other big questions
What happens to Alabama's 2024 recruits who signed?
Of Alabama's 27 high school commitments, only two did not sign a national letter of intent in the early signing period - five-star receiver Ryan Williams and three-star linebacker Quinton Reese.
With Nick Saban retiring and leaving questions about what's next in Tuscaloosa, those two recruits are free to do as they please and Williams has already decommitted from Alabama, and is now looking at Texas, Auburn, Texas A&M and keeping an eye on the coaching hire at Alabama.
Those that signed letters of intent would be bound to the school. However, national letter of intent rules allow players who sign to be released from their commitment if the coach they signed with leaves.
It is a bit more complicated though because Alabama's academic term started on Jan. 10. Those commitments who enrolled early and attended class are now allowed out of their letters of intent. They are allowed to transfer under an NCAA rule that opens a 30-day window for transfers when a coach leaves a school. That would require these players to use their one transfer without penalty.
All but four of Alabama's signees enrolled early and are already on campus. ESPN 300 receiver Amari Jefferson, running back Kevin Riley, receiver Jay Scott and three-star tight end Jay Lindsey are the only commits who haven't enrolled. They are free to open their recruitments and commit elsewhere before signing day on Feb. 7. The rest will have to wait on Alabama's eventual coaching hire and then decide whether they want to transfer.
Are Michigan and Washington players stuck now that the portal window is closed?
The transfer window for undergrads technically closed at midnight on Jan. 2, but that doesn't mean that the players in the national championship game are stuck. The NCAA implemented a rule that there would be a five-day window after the postseason game played for players to enter their name in the portal.
That means, anyone from Michigan or Washington who wants to transfer would have until Jan. 15 to do so.
The problem with that, however, is that it doesn't leave much time to get enrolled at a school for the new semester depending on the timing and the school. The admissions process doesn't happen overnight, so it would complicate things given the timing.
There is also a spring transfer window that takes place April 16 to April 30.
What about grad transfers?
Grad transfers have already graduated and are able to transfer outside the transfer window without penalty. They do have to enter the transfer portal by May 1, though, which is the cutoff date.
It's likely we will see a few more grad transfers enter the portal over the next few weeks and then slow down until the spring.
Can Clemson's portal strategy work?
Clemson signed nine ESPN 300 recruits in the 2024 class in the early signing period and has 22 total commitments. None of those commitments have come from transfer players.
As it stands right now, Stanford, Northwestern, Iowa and Clemson are the only Power 5 teams without an incoming transfer this cycle. That could still change, but that is a stark contrast to ACC opponents like Louisville, which is taking in over 20 transfers; NC State, which is taking 11; and Florida State, which has nine.
The Tigers also had 10 scholarship players transfer out, including defensive backs Andrew Mukuba and Toriano Pride Jr., wide receiver Beaux Collins and offensive lineman Mitchell Mayes. Losing productive players who have made an impact the past few seasons and not replacing them with transfers is a risk.
That's not even considering that the team is losing running back Will Shipley, leading tackler Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Tyler Davis and a few others to the NFL.
It's especially a risk considering that Clemson finished 9-4. The four losses came to NC State, which just added Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall and a handful of other transfers, Miami, which signed the ACC's top recruiting class, Florida State, which has picked up big transfers, including former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
Dabo Swinney has made his stance on the transfer portal clear: Clemson will use it sparingly and only for players who are great fits culturally and academically. But the portal has become so popular that teams around him are getting better every offseason. If Clemson has a good season in 2024, Swinney can laugh at the critics. But if they aren't fighting for a conference championship, then it might be time to reconsider the strategy.