While the college football transfer portal will see plenty of Power 4 talent on the move, it will also propel many smaller-division prospects to impact roles at the FBS level.
Not every prospect in this portal cycle is as heralded as former five-star Williams Nwaneri, but we have seen enough cases of smaller-college talent impacting blue-chip programs. Just look at Cam Ward, who went from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Heisman finalist at Miami.
Here are 10 smaller-college prospects in the transfer portal who could become household names at the Power 4 level in 2025:
Malachi Hosley, RB
Transferring from: Penn
Hosley, the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, has a great combination of speed and power. With excellent lateral feet and jump-cut skills, he is elusive in traffic but will also lower the pads and bounce off contact. He's got an explosive second gear when he finds daylight and really checks the boxes on critical traits.
Hosley doesn't leave many yards on the field. The trend for Ivy league portal prospects is taking the grad transfer route but Hosley has been outstanding in his first two seasons for the Quakers and this move is not surprising. He finished his sophomore season with 1,192 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. As a freshman he gained 723 yards on the ground and added 246 receiving yards in just nine games.
Georgia Tech and UNC have shown early interest. New Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick developed a lot of promising FCS and Division II prospects during his time in New England.
Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Malachi Hosley is TOUGH‼️ @hosley_malachi
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) December 17, 2024
A sleeper to watch in the transfer portal with his combination of speed, power, and proven production 👀
pic.twitter.com/e30gHr2AiB
Chancellor Owens, DE
Transferring from: Northwestern State | Transferring to: Arizona
One of the few bright spots for Northwestern State this past season, Owens was productive and active along the defensive front. He posted 70 tackles including 10.5 for loss and four sacks. He was an overpowering edge in high school (Eaton, Texas) who collapsed the pocket with pure power, and he continued to bully his way to the quarterback in college.
He wins with strength, leverage and deceptive closing quickness at 260 pounds. He's active down the line of scrimmage versus the run and can also hold his point and be a really stout edge setter.
Owens has added upside with his ability to slide inside. He will split double-teams and disrupt at the interior.
Javin Whatley, WR
Transferring from: Chattanooga
While his production dipped this past season, Whatley has close to 2,000 receiving yards over three seasons and close to 700 more as a returner. He was dual-threat QB and multipurpose weapon in high school but with limited recruitment.
He's 5-foot-10 and 167 pounds, so he might have slipped through the cracks due to his lack of ideal measurables. But he plays bigger and more explosively. Whatley shows a terrific burst and a strong, balanced, lower body. He is also quicker than fast but is rarely caught from behind and is very elusive in space. He had 697 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.
Sanders Ellis, LB
Transferring from: Tennessee State
Sanders was a finalist for the 2024 Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the national freshman of the year in FCS. His numbers are off the charts despite it being his first season for the Tigers. He recorded 81 total tackles (59 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups and 3 fumble recoveries. He's big, fast and explosive, especially for his size (6-2, 225 pounds).
In high school, he played everywhere, including running back, while being the most dominant player on the field. However, he still fell under the FBS radar.
As a true freshman, he has been an offensive disrupter who lived in opponents' backfields and was near impossible to cut off and block. Ellis will win with speed but also overpower smaller blockers and is a simple menace around the football. He will be highly sought-after given his three-down FBS transferable tools.
Sanders Ellis with the fumble recovery thanks to a Chris Walker strip puts the ball inside the redzone.
— Tennessee State Football (@TSUTigersFB) December 1, 2024
4Q | 14:47
TSU - 13
MT - 27 pic.twitter.com/0iri5HOsqO
Derek Simmons, OL
Transferring from: Western Carolina
Originally from the Class of 2020, Simmons played only 16 career games at Western Carolina after bouncing around Division II Tusculum University and FCS Abilene Christian. However, he made the most of his snaps.
He has an FBS frame (6-6, 325 pounds) and footwork to plug in at either of the tackle positions. Simmons is a good seal and cutoff blocker in the run game but will be coveted for his efficient pass protection in an offense that likes to air it out. Texas Tech, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and Kentucky are early leaders.
Brayden Manley, DE
Transferring from: Mercer
The Southern Conference Player of the Year, Manley posted 38 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. An underrecruited high school linebacker, he shows flashes of that range and athleticism when positioned at end.
At 6-2 and 245 pounds, he lacks ideal length as an edge rusher but he's quick to get upfield and turn the corner and is explosive beating tackles off the snap. He often wins with leverage as well as an impressive inside burst of power. He can also effectively redirect and chase down evading quarterbacks outside the pocket. Manley plays fast and with a motor while being disruptive on perimeter runs.
Rushawn Lawrence, DE
Transferring from: Stony Brook
Lawrence was an active defensive lineman in high school in Philadelphia before originally signing with Albany. He played a COVID year in junior college before landing at Stony Brook.
This season, he broke out with 42 tackles including 11.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and had an interception from the interior of the defensive line. He overpowers single blocks in the run game and is too quick and explosive for interior linemen to mirror in pass protection. It's quite a jump from Stony Brook to the Power 4 level but Lawrence should produce with his scheme flexibility.
Cole Wisniewski, S
Transferring from: North Dakota State | Transferring to: Texas Tech
Wisniewski might be making a big jump, but he has played in a lot of big games and in arguably the toughest conference in FCS. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2023 after leading all FCS defenders with eight interceptions (including one pick-six) over 14 games to go along with a team-high 92 tackles. That's after making the move back to the secondary from linebacker. He can line up anywhere and remain quick to read, react and attack. Wisniewski pursues with purpose and direct angles against the run and utilizes his strong range and ball skills when deployed as a half-field safety.
The Red Raiders have a scheme-versatile defender who fills some voids in the back-seven.
Jordan Dwyer, WR
Transferring from: Idaho
Dwyer fell under the radar out of Puyallup High School in Washington despite a polished receiving skill set. Idaho signed him and he broke out this year as a junior with 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching the ball from three different quarterbacks.
He's an explosive receiver with refined pass-catching skills and his separation speed as a route runner transfers to the P4 level. However, he is more effective climbing the ladder for big grabs than winning with speed. He consistently wins the jump-ball matchup on the outside, timing his leap and working his body to outleverage smaller defenders. Dwyer has excellent hands and concentration to go along with consistent production at a high level.
While he went unnoticed at the FBS level out of high school, schools such as Iowa have already offered since he entered the portal and SEC blue chips such as Georgia are active in his recruitment.
Hunter Zambrano, OL
Transferring from: Illinois State | Transferring to: Texas Tech
Zambrano developed into a three-year starter at left tackle for the Redbirds after going under the radar as a high school prospect due to injuries. The late bloomer signed with Illinois State and has been dominant when healthy. Once enrolled, he transformed his body and gained more functional strength and athleticism.
Zambrano has started at left tackle, but his agility is more suited for right tackle at the FBS level. He could also develop on the interior at guard given his power and leverage. That versatility makes him even more valuable. Zambrano demonstrates good feet and hands in pass protection and is technically sound overall. Given the lack of depth in Lubbock, he should be an immediate starter for the Red Raiders.