College football rankings: 10 most impactful transfers going into 2026

The transfer portal is going to provide teams with a second chance at either replenishing losses to the portal itself, NFL Draftees or graduating seniors. Not all transfers are created equally, though. Guys like DJ Lagway don’t quite have that same emphasis behind their names like they did coming out of high school and are simply looking for a shot at redeeming their image. Other guys, well, we know what they’re going to bring and how important they are to their new team’s success. 

Here’s a look at the top 10 transfer portal players that will have the most impact on their respective teams in the 2026. 

1. QB Sam Leavitt, LSU Tigers

This shouldn’t be a surprise. He was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal after Brendan Sorsby lost his eligibility over gambling on his team's games. Sam Leavitt comes to Baton Rouge by way of Arizona State and brings a whole lot of hype with him. It’s almost like after everything that’s gone done this year in the transfer portal, he has his perfect match with Lane Kiffin and LSU. The Tigers had mediocre quarterback play at best last year from Garrett Nussmeier. Offense is Kiffin’s strength. He can’t afford to have any mishaps on that side of the ball which means this offense will go as Leavitt does. 

2. QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State Cowboys

When Eric Morris leapfrogged from North Texas and the American Conference to the Big 12, he brought with him nearly every impactful player from the Mean Green to Stillwater. One of those players being quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He has the most pressure probably of anybody on this list for one reason: He has to prove he can dominate on the Power 4 level. He was college football’s best passer numbers-wise a year ago, but he did it against more inferior opponents than he’ll be facing this year. He’ll have to replicate that success and be the catalyst for the Cowboys’ turnaround after Mike Gundy’s luck finally ran out in 2025.

3. QB Byrum Brown, Auburn Tigers

This is unintentionally becoming a quarterback list. Byrum Brown shocked the college football world after he helped USF beat Florida in an early season upset last year. Like Mestemaker, he’s making the leap from Group of 6 stardom to the Power 4 stage. The Auburn Tigers are desperate to finally be relevant again in the SEC conversation. Their success this season will be exclusively on Brown and this new coaching staff. They don’t have to immediately contend for an SEC championship, but they do have to look a lot better than when Hugh Freeze was in charge. 

4. EDGE Princewill Umanmielen, LSU Tigers

Lane Kiffin did everything he could to make sure LSU will be competitive in 2026, including poaching Princewill Umanmielen from his former team, Ole Miss, out of the transfer portal. Umanmielen was one of the many stars on that Ole Miss defense from a year ago and now the Tigers have a cornerstone to build around in 2026. When you have a solid quarterback and an elite pass rusher, you’re typically in a good position in college.

5. WR Nick Marsh, Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana had to overhaul its roster after the national championship run last year and in true Curt Cignetti fashion, he turned to the transfer portal to replenish what he lost. To replace at least half of the production from Elijah Surratt and Omar Cooper Jr., who both got drafted in April, he chose Nick Marsh. Marsh kind of fell into the background being at Michigan State. Now at Indiana, not only will he have the stage to shine on, but he’ll have a much bigger role with the losses the Hoosiers faced.

6. S Koi Perich, Oregon Ducks

Dillon Thieneman is off to the NFL and the Oregon Ducks couldn't have landed a better replacement than Koi Perich, who they poached from Minnesota in the transfer portal. Perich is simply a player that is all over the field and makes a play anytime the ball is near him. He had six interceptions, defended four passes and had two forced fumbles. If there was ever a player that could seamlessly get added into a defense, Perich is certainly one of them.

7. RB Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Much like Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins will have to prove his worth in the Big 12. He was one of the best running backs in college football, but he was doing it in the American conference. He’ll have to show he’s ready to go up against some of the best defensive players each week in the Big 12. I think he’ll be just fine, but in college when you have impact players, they have to show up every week. Hawkins is good enough to take this Cowboys offense to the next level, but he has to show that the difference in skill won’t affect him. 

8. S Terry Moore, Ohio State Buckeyes

Remember all the hype Caleb Downs got when he transferred from Alabama to Ohio State? Well, Terry Moore doesn’t quite have that much hype around him, but the significance of his acquisition is just as prevalent. The Buckeyes needed the perfect replacement for Downs, who was drafted No. 11 overall to the Dallas Cowboys in April, and Moore is that. He had 45 solo tackles last year with four interceptions, five passes defended and two forced fumbles. 

9. RB Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Justice Haynes is on his third school in as many years and maybe he can carve out the role he wants with Georgia Tech because they’re going to need a major contributor in the run game. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes carried the running game the last few years, but that era is over. Haynes was an impact player for Michigan when he got there last season and will have to have the same impact with the Yellow Jackets. 

10. WR Chase Hendricks, Cal Bears

You might be wondering why Chase Hendricks, a former Ohio Bobcat is on this list. Well, Jaron Keawe-Sagapotoule got a massive upgrade to his arsenal of weapons with Hendricks being one of those players. He was a four-star transfer prospect and had a really good 2025 season in Athens. He finished with over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his college career and added seven receiving touchdowns. If Keawe-Sagapotoule is as good as he’s hyped up to be, he and Hendricks will carry this California offense far in 2026.

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