Whether it is players joining rosters or new entries into the portal seeking fresh opportunities, player movement was a key storyline of the 2023 season. The portal continues to affect the landscape as the 2024 recruiting cycle winds down.
The rankings for the top recruiting classes across the country have taken shape, but quantifying the portal's impact on various programs can be difficult. Schools take different approaches to building their rosters, with some leaning more heavily on the portal than others, so portal rankings alone often don't tell the whole story.
Even with the initial portal window closed, the transfer portal is back in play for players seeking new homes following multiple high-profile coaching changes. Here's an updated look at the 10 classes that made the biggest impact with transfers.
More coverage:
Top QBs in the portal | Top 75 portal players
1. Ole Miss Rebels
Despite the portal's brief existence, Lane Kiffin has made a mark with the additions of QB Jaxson Dart, WR Tre Harris and LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste. His moves this year are creating 2024 College Football Playoff buzz for the Rebels. The excitement stems from potential impact additions on defense. Ole Miss pulled from within the SEC to land former Texas A&M DT Walter Nolen -- an explosive interior defender who was previously ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. The Rebels also added Princely Umanmielen after he notched seven sacks as a junior with Florida. Already an early round NFL draft candidate, Umanmielen immediately gives Ole Miss one of the top edge defenders in the conference as he works to further raise his profile. The Rebels added additional SEC experience to their front seven in Tennessee DL Tyler Baron and Arkansas LB Chris Paul Jr., who was among the Razorbacks' leading tacklers. The Rebels are also poised to add multiple experienced and productive players to their secondary. There are some notable offensive performers arriving as well, headlined by receiver Antwane Wells Jr., who was South Carolina's primary target in 2022 with 68 catches for 926 yards and six touchdowns.
2. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks ranked ninth in our previous update. They have since dipped back into the portal to rise in these rankings. With Heisman finalist quarterback Bo Nix moving on, Oregon went back to the portal and landed two more quarterbacks. Dillon Gabriel has been productive at previous stops with Oklahoma and UCF and brings a wealth of experience. He can act as a bridge as they develop 2023 five-star Dante Moore, who is transferring from UCLA. Moore was a one-time Oregon commit but flipped to UCLA late in the 2023 cycle. He still possesses elite skills and has eligibility, making him an ideal candidate to be the Ducks' future QB.
Whoever wins the quarterback job will have a new five-star receiver at his disposal. Oregon landed Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart, the No. 13 high school prospect in the Class of 2022. He was of the Aggies' top performers over the last two years and hauled in nearly 100 receptions. Offensive linemen are always at a premium and Matthew Bedford is a strong pickup. He has limited eligibility but brings starting experience and valuable versatility from his time with Indiana, having logged starts at four of the five spots on the offensive line. He should immediately improve depth.
The Ducks will beef up their interior defense in 2024 with DL Jamaree Caldwell. He was a second-team All-Big 12 performer at Houston with 6.5 sacks last season. Oregon can rely on him to both provide pressure and stout run support against Big Ten offenses. Oregon also brought in CB Jabbar Muhammad from rival Washington. He started for the Huskies in 2023 and should step into the same role for the Ducks in 2024.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes haven't made many portal moves, but their few additions grab your attention. Ohio State used all tools available to infuse their QB room with talent after Kyle McCord's surprising decision to transfer. The Buckeyes landed Kansas State transfer Will Howard, who departed as one of the program's most accomplished passers. Howard provides experience, proven production and running ability. His one drawback is limited eligibility as a fifth-year senior, but he can serve as a talented bridge to one of their younger quarterbacks.
Ohio State also added five-star quarterback Julian Sayin via the portal. Sayin signed with Alabama in December but changed course following Nick Saban's retirement. He's one of the most talented and promising passers entering college football in 2024. Sayin joins a Buckeyes 2024 class that also includes four-star ESPN 300 QB Air Noland, who reminds us in ways of former Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Ohio State also returns Lincoln Kienholz and Devin Brown.
The Buckeyes landed a plug-and-play impact addition in safety Caleb Downs. The Alabama transfer was arguably the best player available in the portal and led the team tackles (107) as a freshman en route to a first-team All-SEC selection. And while Ole Miss ranks No. 1 on this list, they did lose running back Quinshon Judkins to the Buckeyes. Judkins was the Rebels' leading rusher and ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.
No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies
What a difference two years makes. The Aggies were the talk of college football recruiting when they signed the No. 1 class in 2022. But they are starting over after making little progress from that point on. Mike Elko will preside over the rebuild after returning as head coach in November. He's been very active in the portal to make up for limited time on the recruiting trail and multiple defections following the coaching change.
Elko was Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021 and has done a nice job restocking the secondary. That includes adding 2023 five-star Dezz Ricks. He redshirted at Alabama this year -- he wasn't expected to play a big role considering his age after reclassifying into the class of 2023 -- and arrives in College Station with four years of eligibility. Ricks has the coveted length and speed desired in corners. Texas A&M's first portal addition was Kansas State transfer Will Lee III. He also has excellent height, strong coverage skills and should solve a need at starting cornerback. Donovan Saunders is another name to watch. The jump from FCS isn't easy, but he was a steal for Cal Poly in 2022 and gives A&M another corner with good size and time to develop.
The Aggies' work addressing the defensive line likely isn't done, but landing Purdue transfer Nic Scourton is a big step for a group dealing with several notable departures. He notched 10 sacks last season and has the versatility to immediately help replace lost production along Texas A&M's defensive line. The Aggies also added edge defender Cashius Howell, who developed into a starter with Bowling Green. He provides proven pass rushing presence and logged a team-high 9.5 sacks last year.
On offense, Texas A&M added Stanford's E.J. Smith to a running back group that already returns most of its production. Smith provides depth and could be a versatile pass-catching option -- he displayed very good ball skills in high school and caught 59 passes at Stanford.
No. 5 Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles are ascending after a 13-1 season under Mike Norvell and now blend a strong prep class with a good deal of portal activity with the goal of taking the next step. They replaced quarterback and team leader Jordan Travis with DJ Uiagalelei, who is coming off his best season at Oregon State and also has experience in the ACC from an inconsistent stint at Clemson. Uiagalelei was a touted 2020 prospect and gives Florida State time to identify and develop a younger quarterback for the future.
Florida State added several transfers from Alabama, including productive running back Roydell Williams. He brings depth to a Seminoles backfield losing two of their three top rushers. Wide receiver Malik Benson had minimal production with the Crimson Tide, but he was the No. 1 junior college prospect last cycle and has elite game speed, clocking in at nearly 22 mph on film. Jalen Brown, an ESPN 300 receiver in the 2023 class, arrives after one year at LSU and gives Florida State another young player to develop at the position.
Marvin Jones Jr., the son of Seminoles legend Marvin Jones Sr., stands out among several transfer portal additions to Florida State's defensive front. He was a 2022 ESPN 300 prospect but never quite met expectations at Georgia. Still, he's a lengthy and agile player with time on his side. Don't rule out Jones becoming the next Seminoles breakout defender via the portal following Jermaine Johnson and Jared Verse.
6. Louisville Cardinals
After contending for the ACC title in 2023, the Cardinals hit the portal to reload and make another run in 2024. They're hoping to replicate their success in the portal at quarterback after bringing in Jack Plummer in 2023. Louisville added QB Tyler Shough, who brings starting experience with stops at Texas Tech and Oregon. The Cardinals have several offensive additions, including two productive tight ends in Mark Redman, a two-time second-team All-Mountain West selection at San Diego State, and Tanner Koziol, who at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds can contribute in the run game and as a receiver after making 34 catches this season with Ball State. Ja'Corey Brooks, a 2021 ESPN 300 WR, saw limited action this year with Alabama but flashed in 2022, catching 39 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns. South Alabama transfer receiver Caullin Lacy had far less fanfare entering college, but he arrives in Louisville coming off a big 2023 campaign when he caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns. Lacy was a first-team all-conference selection. Toledo transfer Peny Boone arrives after rushing for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns as the bell cow back for one of the top Group of 5 programs in the country.
7. Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes took college football by storm with their fast start, but Deion Sanders is looking to rebuild and cultivate more consistency within his program as he heads back to the transfer portal. The offensive line was a glaring need. Colorado won a big battle on the high school recruiting trail, landing five-star OL Jordan Seaton. The No. 1 offensive lineman will likely experience some growing pains but could be a plug-and-play addition, much like 2023 five-star Kadyn Proctor at Alabama this season. While that signing creates great promise, transfers are needed to revamp Colorado's line. It already has several on board. Houston transfer Tyler Johnson was an all-conference performer who allowed just one sack in 2022 and should immediately upgrade the interior line. Grad transfer Justin Mayers is another band-aid after starting every game the last two seasons at guard for UTEP and surrendering just one sack in 2023. The Buffaloes fielded some explosive playmakers in 2023 but are losing receiver Xavier Weaver. Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard, who has more than 2,000 career yards and caught 47 passes for 684 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, is a top option. Colorado also adds needed depth at tight end with Cincinnati transfer Chamon Metayer.
8. NC State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack signed one of the more underrated recruiting classes and just missed the top 25. In addition to a strong group of high school prospects, they've made notable additions via the portal. They had a collection of young quarterbacks behind grad transfer Brennan Armstrong in 2023. NC State returned to the portal and landed Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall. He battled injuries in 2023 but was productive overall, throwing for more than 10,000 yards and rushing for more than 1,000 in four full seasons. The Wolfpack then landed Duke's leading rusher, Jordan Waters, who ran for 123 yards against NC State. He can be a nice complement to emerging young offensive players Kendrick Raphael and the versatile Kevin Concepcion. Further adding to its offense, NC State obtained one of the top offensive linemen in the portal in Zeke Correll, who brings valuable experience with over 30 starts while at Notre Dame.
The Wolfpack have done a nice job using the portal to bring talented in-state prospects with multiple years of eligibility back home. Running back Daylan Smothers, a 2023 four-star who signed with Oklahoma, is an example. He'll need to knock off some rust after playing sparingly as a freshman and missing his high school senior season with an injury. Still, he ran for more than 1,200 yards as both a sophomore and junior at Chambers High School in Charlotte. Noah Rogers, a 2023 ESPN 300 wide receiver and Raleigh native, also fits the mold after first signing with Ohio State. NC State also obtained one of the top offensive linemen in the portal in Zeke Correll, who brings valuable experience with over 30 starts while at Notre Dame.
9. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns are setting their sights on a national title after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023. They return key pieces like quarterback Quinn Ewers, signed a top-five recruiting class and dipped into the portal to supplement their roster. They added key pieces at multiple spots, but their work addressing needs in the passing game stands out. The Longhorns are set to lose their four leading receivers from 2023. One-time Alabama assistant coach Steve Sarkisian has benefitted from the coaching change in Tuscaloosa. Texas landed receiver Isaiah Bond, who led Alabama with 48 catches, and tight end Amari Niblack, who was among the Tide's team leaders in receptions and touchdowns. Niblack fills a need with the departure of Ja'Tavion Sanders. Texas further bolstered its receiving corps by landing in-state Houston transfer Matthew Golden. A four-star in 2022, he immediately contributed for the Cougars and should replace lost production in both the passing and return games. Oregon State transfer receiver Silas Bolden is coming off his most productive season with 54 catches in 2023, doubling his output from the first three years of his career.
10. Missouri Tigers
Coming off an 11-2 season, the Tigers signed a top-25 recruiting class and strong portal additions are fueling optimism for 2024. With running back Cody Schrader moving on, Missouri is bringing in Marcus Carroll to help replace some of the ground production. Carroll was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection at Georgia State and rushed for 1,350 yards this past season. Transfer running back Nate Noel also arrives after rushing for over 3,000 career yards at Appalachian State. The Tigers claimed a key in-state victory on the recruiting trail this cycle when they landed five-star DL Williams Nwaneri. After losing the state's No. 2-ranked player Cayden Green to Oklahoma last year, Mizzou brought him home via the portal. After a short stay with the Sooners, the lengthy interior offensive lineman gives the Tigers one of the top big men from the 2023 class with several years of eligibility left to further develop and help power their run game. Toriano Pride Jr., a four-star out of East St. Louis who signed with Clemson in the 2022 class, returns closer to home as well and is a good addition to the secondary.