College football’s transfer portal reopens this week for the 10-day spring window. Marquee talent stands among the 10 best available prospects coming out of spring practice. Cal running Jaydn Ott and Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava are on the market looking for new programs.
For the most the part, the spring window is an opportunity for programs to add necessary pieces to their roster ahead of the 2025 season and fill gaps in the two-deeps due to injuries or personnel-related issues. Most of the portal’s premium talent signed in December, but there are others expected to make the jump this week who are unhappy with their current NIL contracts or respective spots on the depth chart.
Programs in need of wide receivers, offensive or defensive linemen and edge rushers are expected to pay a premium at those positions given the lack of quality options available.
RELATED: College football’s most active teams in spring portal window
As of Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET, these are the 10 highest-rated prospects available in the transfer portal:
1. Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee
Overall ranking: No. 1
Nico Iamaleava is the top-rated player available in the transfer portal, but his options are limited considering his reported asking price of $4 million. The former five-star earned the QB1 as a sophomore last season at Tennessee, leading the Vols to a playoff berth after finishing with 2,616 yards passing and 19 touchdowns. He added 358 rushing yards with three more scores on the ground.
2. Jaydn Ott, RB, Cal
Overall ranking: No. 50
Another splash was news of Jaydn Ott entering the portal Monday night. Ott ran for 1,305 yards as a sophomore in 2023 and was named an All-American. That came after running for 897 yards in 2022 while garnering Freshman All-American recognition. Ott battled injuries throughout last season and finished with just 385 rushing yards and an average of 3.3 yards per carry. He is the top running back available.
3. Julian Neal, CB, Stanford
Overall ranking: No. 72
Julian Neal spent the 2024 season at Fresno State and transferred to Stanford in December. He projects to re-enter, reports Chris Hummer. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound California native posted 35 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups last season. He received a 92 transfer rating during the winter window, ranking him as the No. 69 overall player and No. 4 cornerback of the 2024-25 transfer portal cycle.
7. Jaden Rashada, QB, Georgia
Overall ranking: No. 193
Former Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada, who previously got out of his NLI with Florida and spent time at Arizona State, visited Western Kentucky earlier this month. Rashada, a former four-star 2023 recruit out of Pittsburg (Calif.), entered the transfer portal in January. He would have battled Gunner Stockton and freshman Ryan Puglisi for 2025 playing time. Rashada did not see game action for the Bulldogs last season and following an injury to Carson Beck in the SEC Championship Game, Stockton was the first player off the bench for Mike Bobo’s offense.
8. Johntay Cook II, WR, Washington
Overall ranking: No. 225
The 6-foot, 185-pound receiver initially announced in November his intentions to enter the transfer portal after a mutual decision to part ways with Texas. Police arrested Cook twice since then. Cook had a limited role in a crowded receiver room with only eight catches for 137 yards in 2024. The former Top247 wide receiver was looked at as a potential building block for the Longhorns in the future, but he found himself out of the playing rotation as he battled injuries. In two seasons with the Longhorns, Cook caught 16 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
9. Wendell Gregory, Edge, South Carolina
Overall ranking: No. 227
Via The Big Spur, Wendell Gregory played in two games in 2024 and recorded one tackle as he redshirted in his true freshman season after moving to the edge room from linebacker in preseason camp last year. Gregory signed with South Carolina out of Marietta (Ga.) Walton High School. Gregory ranked as the No. 179 overall player in the country and the No. 16 Edge in the 247Sports Composite.
10. JB Nelson, IOL, Penn State
Overall ranking: No. 262
Sixth-year senior JB Nelson is no longer on the Penn State roster, Lions247 reported last week, with the expectation that he enters the transfer portal. Lions247’s Daniel Gallen reports Nelson was in the mix to earn the starting guard job opposite redshirt junior Vega Ioane. And according to offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, Nelson got getting first-team opportunities during spring practice.
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