Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer 268d

Ranking the best players in the college football transfer portal

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

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+)

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