Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer 79d

Ranking the best players in the college football transfer portal

College Football, Football Recruiting, NC State Wolfpack, Kentucky Wildcats, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Oklahoma Sooners, Purdue Boilermakers, Ball State Cardinals, UL Monroe Warhawks, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Florida International Panthers, Rice Owls, South Alabama Jaguars, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Texas Longhorns, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Arkansas Razorbacks, Illinois State Redbirds, Washington State Cougars, Missouri Tigers, Miami (OH) RedHawks, Texas State Bobcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Georgia Bulldogs, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Texas A&M Aggies, New Mexico Lobos, Duke Blue Devils, East Carolina Pirates, North Carolina Tar Heels, North Dakota State Bison, Auburn Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Iowa Hawkeyes, Miami Hurricanes

The 2024-25 transfer portal cycle is off to a record-setting start with more than 2,000 FBS scholarship players already in the portal after the December transfer window.

As college football moves into the revenue-sharing era in 2025, we saw more big-name players make themselves available during the winter transfer window from Dec. 9 to Dec. 28. Teams with College Football Playoff ambitions are spending big for next season.

Who are the top players you need to know? In an effort to keep track of the most coveted players on the move, ESPN is ranking the best players who entered the transfer portal. The following players have entered the portal or have announced their intentions to transfer and were among the most highly recruited players. We're also adding scouting reports from ESPN analysts Tom Luginbill and Billy Tucker on the top 50, and we have expanded the ranking to 75 overall. 

Transfers are ranked based on their production, experience, potential and demand, as well as feedback from coaches throughout the sport. This is a fluid list we'll update frequently as more players enter the portal and make commitments.

More portal coverage:
Ranking the best portal classes (ESPN+)
Ranking the top transfer QBs (ESPN+)

^ Back to Top ^