The NCAA transfer portal has changed the way that head coaches recruit and prepare for the season. This is true for all sports, not just at the collegiate football level.
Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned the 2024-25 College Football Playoff national champions. They were led by quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins. Neither player was on the Ohio State roster the season prior, transferring in from Kansas State and Ole Miss, respectively. The quarterback on the opposite side, Riley Leonard, also transferred from his initial school, leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the title game.
Simply put, transfers are helping teams reload for the college football season. No longer do you have to rebuild through one to three recruiting classes; it has become free agency at the collegiate level. As the 2025 college football season approaches, we ranked the 25 players who transferred to new programs and can impact the College Football Playoffs in a major way.
No. 1: John Mateer, Quarterback, Oklahoma Sooners
Looking back at the Oklahoma Sooners, who were 6-7 in 2024, one area that severely lacked was the quarterback play. The team moved on from Seth Littrell as playcaller and brought in Ben Arbuckle to run the offense. Arbuckle is from the Air Raid coaching tree. He served under Zach Kittley at both Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky, now he brings his quarterback John Mateer from Washington State.
Mateer finished the 2024 season, playing in 12 games with a 64.6 completion percentage and 9.0 yards per attempt for the Cougars. Those numbers should only improve with the quality of weapons that will surround him in Norman. The only question will be does his game translate well enough in the SEC? Either he will bring Oklahoma back to the CFP discussion or this will be the nail in the Brent Venables’ coffin after finishing under .500 in two of his three seasons in Norman.
No. 2: Nic Anderson, Wide Receiver, LSU Tigers
Speaking of Oklahoma, we turn our sights to a former Sooners wide receiver who opted to join a different SEC program in 2025. Over the years, wideouts down on the Bayou have made waves, from Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. The next two could be a pair of transfers who land next on our list.
Anderson was a promising player heading into the 2024 season but would only appear in one game due to injury. He was coming off a stellar redshirt freshman season where he averaged 21 yards per reception and scored 10 touchdowns on just 38 receptions. With Garrett Nussmeier dialing it up from the pocket, he could put up some big numbers once again.
No. 3: Barion Brown, Wide Receiver, LSU Tigers
Brown could be the other half of the big-play equation for the Bayou Bengals. He comes from a fellow SEC team, much like Anderson. The Tennessee native is more than just a dynamic weapon as a receiver, but he brings the return game. He has returned five kickoffs for scores over the last three seasons, with three coming in 2023 alone.
Get your popcorn ready, Tigers Stadium, he could provide the juice to get that venue rocking all season long.
No. 4: Carson Beck, Quarterback, Miami Hurricanes
From the SEC to the ACC, a former Georgia quarterback is going to call South Beach his home during the 2025-26 season. Many believed that Beck would go to the NFL, but perhaps he is going to pull a Cam Ward and have a full season showcase for the following year’s draft. Carson Beck has the size and talent to be an NFL quarterback; now, he just needs to put it all together.
After watching Stetson Bennett IV lead UGA to a national title, Beck failed to lead the Dawgs back to the promised land with a loss to Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship game and his injury sustained in last year’s conference title game against Texas. Beck can now bring Miami into the title picture after the Canes just missed out in 2024.
No. 5: Zachariah Branch, Wide Receiver, UGA Bulldogs
A lot was expected out of the No. 7 overall player from the 2023 recruiting cycle. He is a dynamic weapon with the ball in his hands, but the production wasn’t there. That is quite shocking when you consider how star receivers usually perform in a Lincoln Riley system. He gets a reset with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Georgia is looking to return to the top of the SEC. Bringing in Branch to team up with former Texas A&M wide receiver Noah Thomas is one way to do it. Perhaps Gunner Stockton and the Bulldogs can get the most out of Branch after racking up just 910 yards from scrimmage in two seasons. Where he will win for head coach Kirby Smart is on special teams, where he accounted for 953 return yards and a pair of touchdowns scored on returns.
No. 6: Isaiah World, Offensive Tackle, Oregon Ducks
Let’s give some love to the big guys in the trenches. Oregon added a major part of their team in the post-Dillon Gabriel era. The team is set to turn to former five-star UCLA signee Dante Moore. Moore originally committed to Oregon before flipping to UCLA, but transferred to Eugene before last season.
As the Ducks begin their big to repeat as Big Ten champs, World figures to be a major contributor. He will be tasked with protecting Moore’s blindside in 2025 and giving him time to find Evan Stewart and others.
No. 7: Damon Wilson II, Edge, Missouri Tigers
Damon Wilson II is on the verge of making a name for himself with the Missouri Tigers, who have been more known for the offensive side of the ball with players like Luther Burden III. He heads to Columbia after two seasons with the UGA Bulldogs, appearing in 26 total games.
Wilson joins seven other transfers for Mizzou on the defensive side of the ball. Look for Wilson to wreak some havoc on the SEC as he gets the opportunity to start for the Tigers.
No. 8: Duce Robinson, Wide Receiver, Florida State Seminoles
There wasn’t a more tragic dropoff for any program than the Florida State football team. After missing out on the College Football Playoffs in 2023 due to the injury of quarterback Jordan Travis, it was a forgettable year for the Noles, who finished 2-10. The good news is that it can’t get much worse in 2025.
Duce Robinson, who grew up an FSU fan, is hoping to turn the fortunes of the program around. He was part of the mass exodus from the USC Trojans program after what transpired in 2024. He has tremendous upside after racking up 39 receptions for 747 yards and 7 touchdowns over his first two seasons of college football. His size makes him an ideal weapon when the field shortens in the red zone. It will be up to new quarterback Tommy Caastellanos to get him the ball.
No. 9: Max Klare, Tight End, Ohio State Buckeyes
The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes have no shortage of weapons, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Brandon Inniss, Carnell Tate, and Jeremiah Smith will be a problem for just about every defense in 2025. Tight end transfer Max Klare can only heighten those issues for opposing defensive coordinators.
Last season, Klare averaged 13.4 yards per reception with four touchdowns for Purdue. His numbers should be better in this offense and provide a security blanket for first-year starter Julian Sayin. The tight end was lost a bit last season with Emeka Egbuka, Smith, and Tate getting a lion’s share of the passes. The losses of Egbuka and both running backs could be a reason why you should buy stock in Klare.
No. 10: Princewill Umanmielen, Edge, Ole Miss Rebels
If his name looks familiar, Princewill Umanmielen is the younger brother of Princely. Much like his older brother, he transferred to Ole Miss to play football in the ‘Sip. The younger Umanmielen didn’t have much production in his first two seasons with Nebraska. His role should grow for the Rebels.
Princewill appeared in 23 games over two seasons with the Huskers. During that time, he tallied 35 total tackles, 8.0 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. If he has the same production as his older brother, expect him to record double-digit sacks for the Ole Miss defense.
No. 11: Jackson Arnold, Quarterback, Auburn Tigers
An ongoing discourse from the 2023 recruiting class revolved around who was the better quarterback prospect, Jackson Arnold or Arch Manning. That same class has produced fellow SEC quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Arnold’s performance since he signed with Oklahoma has ended any conversation about him unseating Manning as the top quarterback from that class, as of right now.
For Arnold, it will be about a fresh start and reviving an Auburn program from the doldrums of the SEC, where they have pretty much resided since they fired Gus Malzahn. The Brian Harsin experience would be ranked zero stars, do not recommend at this point. Not that life under Hugh Freeze has been much better. Should War Eagle be a contender this year, it likely comes from the play on offense of Jackson Arnold.
If he plays poorly again, they might as well start calling him Arnold Jackson.
No. 12: Texas Tech Red Raiders transfer portal class
It could be cheap to list the entire transfer portal class for the Red Raiders here, but it is an interesting case study for the 2025 season. The administration stepped up with some major acquisitions for a team that hasn’t won double-digit games since Mike Leach roamed the sideline, and that only happened once.
Tech recently moved up to No. 1 in the 2025 transfer portal rankings after landing the No. 10 player in the portal, David Bailey. His presence has to help a unit that finished in the bottom of almost every major defensive category in FBS. Can going all-in change the course of a program in a single off-season? That remains to be seen, but it is a storyline worth monitoring this year.
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