While the College Football Playoff is still in full swing, we also have to pay attention to the sport's unofficial second season: the transfer portal, which is officially open as of Friday, Jan. 2. As is always the case these days, this year's edition promises to be a mad dash, as some truly huge names have already jumped in looking for greener pastures (and a greener payday). Cam Coleman has All-American potential at wideout. Rasheem Biles is a game-changer at linebacker. And Sam Leavitt and Brendan Sorsby lead what might be the deepest QB class we've seen yet.
Who should your team target? And which players will end up where when the dust settles? To help you sort through the chaos, we've ranked the 25 best players in the transfer portal this year — along with landing spot predictions for each.
1. WR Cam Coleman (previous school: Auburn)
Predicted landing spot: Texas A&M
Texas appears to have momentum here with a visit already on the books, but my gut says the Aggies: Coleman was an A&M commit before flipping to Auburn, and Holmon Wiggins, the man who recruited Coleman while a position coach at Alabama, is now the new offensive coordinator in College Station following the departure of Collin Klein. Plus, it's not like this school is ever hurting for money.
2. EDGE John Henry Daley (previous school: Utah)
Predicted landing spot: Michigan
We can keep this one simple. Daley should follow his former coach, Kyle Whittingham, to Ann Arbor, especially with Michigan losing guys like Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham to the NFL Draft. Daley's 11.5 sacks in 2025 speak to his potential on the edge.
3. RB Isaac Brown (previous school: Louisville)
Predicted landing spot: Texas
Brown is lightning in a bottle with the ball in his hands (7.7 yards per carry in two years at Louisville) — the problem has been staying on the field. Will he head back home and play for Miami? Maybe, but my money's on Texas here: The Horns are in desperate need of help in the backfield after the departures of Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter and could spend big.
4. EDGE Chaz Coleman (previous school: Penn State)
Predicted landing spot: Ohio State
The bidding for Coleman, a four-star recruit who flashed big-time potential as a freshman at Penn State, could get wild given the scarcity of pass rushing available in the portal. In the end, I think Ohio State brings the Warren native home; the Cotton Bowl loss to Miami reiterated the need for more edge talent, and Ryan Day will have money to spend.
5. QB Byrum Brown (previous school: USF)
Predicted landing spot: Auburn
Brown's crazy physical tools and dual-threat potential (he cracked the 3,000/1,000 mark at USF this season) should give him a long list of suitors. But he blossomed in Alex Golesh's offense, and I think he'll follow his head coach to the Plains for a guaranteed starting job in the SEC.
6. RB Caleb Hawkins (previous school: North Texas)
Predicted landing spot: Oklahoma State
Hawkins was a freshman sensation for UNT, rumbling for over 1,400 yards thanks to a big frame that makes him a load to bring down. But he's an Oklahoma native, and his head coach with the Mean Green, Eric Morris, accepted the job at Oklahoma State. This one feels pretty easy.
7. QB Sam Leavitt (previous school: Arizona State)
Predicted landing spot: Oregon
Leavitt could land just about anywhere; he's taking a visit to Kentucky, where former Oregon OC Will Stein is now the head man, and everyone from Miami to Texas Tech to LSU could find themselves in need of a starting quarterback. But Leavitt is an Oregon native, and with Dante Moore moving on, I think he'll be at or near the top of Dan Lanning's (and Phil Knight's) list.
8. QB Drew Mestemaker (previous school: North Texas)
Predicted landing spot: Oklahoma State
I was tempted to project Mestemaker somewhere a bit higher-profile: Yes, he's a former walk-on without any Power 4 experience, but the tape is legit and he could be a real difference-maker. But given how many seasoned QBs have jumped in the portal, I think the safest bet is that he follows Morris to Stillwater (and puts up some downright silly numbers in the Big 12).
9. CB Jontez Williams (previous school: Iowa State)
Predicted landing spot: Iowa State
You better believe Matt Campbell will be motivated to bring arguably his best defensive playmaker with him to Happy Valley.
10. LB Rasheem Biles (previous school: Pittsburgh)
Predicted landing spot: Alabama
Given the lack of linebacker depth in the portal, Biles is No. 1 with a bullet at his position, coming off a season in which he racked up 100 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two picks en route to earning All-ACC honors. The list of suitors will be long. That said, Alabama could be desperate here, with Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson and Nikhai Hill-Green all out of eligibility. I think Kalen DeBoer gets his man.
11. QB Brendan Sorsby (previous school: Cincinnati)
Predicted landing spot: Texas Tech
Don't let Sorsby's up-and-down tenure at Cincy fool you: He comes with a ton of potential, every bit of 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds with over 7,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards over the course of his college career. A DFW native, he makes all the sense in the world for a Red Raiders program that wants to upgrade over the Behren Morton/Will Hammond duo.
12. DL Mateen Ibirogba (previous school: Wake Forest)
Predicted landing spot: Notre Dame
Defensive tackle was already a position of need for Marcus Freeman even before captain Donovan Hinish announced his retirement back in December, and the situation could get dire if the NCAA doesn't approve Jason Onye's waiver for a sixth season of eligibility. The Irish need to add multiple bodies, and Ibirogba might be the best of the bunch, a key part of what was a surprisingly feisty Wake Forest defense this year.
13. EDGE Jayden Woods (previous school: Florida)
Predicted landing spot: Texas
Steve Sarkisian just watched Woods and this Florida pass rush terrorize Arch Manning for 60 minutes in a loss in the Swamp just a couple of months ago. Texas needs some pass rushers to help out Colin Simmons, and Woods just tallied 3.5 sacks with a forced fumble and an INT as a freshman in the SEC.
14. QB DJ Lagway (previous school: Florida)
Predicted landing spot: Baylor
Lagway's star has dimmed a bit after he once again struggled (and struggled to stay healthy) as a sophomore under Billy Napier. A step down within the P4 might be in the cards, and Baylor could make a lot of sense: Lagway grew up outside Houston in Willis, Tex., just a two- or three-hour drive from Waco, and his father, Derek, played football for the school. OC Jake Spavital has engineered some awfully explosive offenses in the past, and Lagway still has all the potential in the world.
15. OL Carius Curne (previous school: LSU)
Predicted landing spot: Arkansas
Arkansas wasn't able to keep Curne home the first time around, but they're about to get a second chance after Lane Kiffin blew into Baton Rouge. A big-time recruit out of high school just a year or so ago, he still has rare movement skills and can play pretty much anywhere but center. Ryan Silverfield needs to make this one a priority as he looks to rebuild the Razorbacks.
16. S Koi Perich (previous school: Minnesota)
Predicted landing spot: Miami
Perich first rose to stardom back in 2024, when Minnesota's defense happened to be run by DC Corey Hetherman. Hetherman parlayed that performance into the Miami job, where he just helped the Hurricanes upset No. 2 seed Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs. It doesn't take a detective to connect the dots here.
17. QB Deuce Knight (previous school: Auburn)
Predicted landing spot: Ole Miss
We got a small glimpse of Knight's potential when he went ballistic on the ground in a start against Mercer in late November. Yes, it was Mercer, and yes, he's still a bit raw in the pocket, but Knight was a five-star recruit for a reason. His arm strength and athleticism are both rare, and some Power 4 team figures to bet on his development. If Trinidad Chambliss remains eligible and heads off to join Kiffin at LSU, that school could be Ole Miss.
18. EDGE Amaris Williams (previous school: Auburn)
Predicted landing spot: Florida
Buried on the Tigers depth chart for the last two years by a truly dizzying array of edge talent (exhibit A: future 2026 first-rounder Keldric Faulk), Williams opted to transfer rather than step into what was likely to be a starting role under new head coach Alex Golesh next season. He was committed to Florida once upon a time, and new Gators coach Jon Sumrall knows a thing or two about building a defense.
19. DL Ian Geffrard (previous school: Arkansas)
Predicted landing spot: Auburn
Williams' transfer is just the tip of the iceberg that might sink Golesh's Auburn debut before it even gets underway, as he's been unable to keep Hugh Freeze's roster together since taking the job a couple of weeks ago. He desperately needs to rebuild the front seven, and nabbing a seasoned SEC run defender in Geffrard would be a great start.
20. WR Nick Marsh (previous school: Michigan State)
Predicted landing spot: LSU
Marsh's raw numbers might not jump off the page, but that has more to do with the dysfunction around him at Michigan State than anything else. He looks the part of a future pro at 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, with a rare combination of deep speed and physicality. Kiffin should know what to do with a toolkit like that, and his track record at the receiver position speaks for itself.
21. QB Dylan Raiola (previous school: Nebraska)
Predicted landing spot: Louisville
It's tough to figure out just where exactly Raiola's going to wind up. He reportedly has his sights set on Oregon, but I have a hard time believing the feeling is mutual: Five-star pedigree or not, Raiola still has plenty to prove at the Power 4 level after two inconsistent seasons at Nebraska, and he doesn't really stand out in this portal class. If he misses out on the top suitors, Louisville could make a lot of sense, as Jeff Brohm has gotten great production out of much less during his coaching career.
22. RB Hollywood Smothers (previous school: NC State)
Predicted landing spot: Florida State
I could also see Clemson as a fit here, but who knows how Dabo Swinney feels about the portal these days? Florida State was a finalist in Smothers' recruitment out of high school, one of three official visits he took along with Oklahoma and NC State. He's already played for those latter schools; why not make it three for three, as the Seminoles could use all the skill-position help they can get?
23. QB Josh Hoover (previous school: TCU)
Predicted landing spot: Indiana
Hoover was a maddening watch at times at TCU. Catch him on the right day, he looked like a future first rounder; catch him on the wrong day, and you'd see multiple of the most baffling interceptions of your life. But the arm talent is not in question, and he makes all the sense in the world as the next in line at Curt Cignetti's QB factory. If Indiana doesn't want to pay huge money for one of the top choices, Hoover is more than good enough for Coach Cig to win with.
24. LB Austin Romaine (previous school: Kansas State)
Predicted landing spot: Texas Tech
The Red Raiders need to find a way to replace All-American Jacob Rodriguez in the middle of their defense. Romaine has a similar blend of toughness (he played with a club on his hand in his final game at K-State this season) and playmaking chops, with two passes defensed, a pick and half a sack to go with his 66 tackles.
25. WR Omarion Miller (previous school: Colorado)
Predicted landing spot: Arizona State
Miller is a physical freak, with long speed and crazy ball skills at the catch point. Finding consistency has been a bit of an issue so far in his college career, but he put up at least one 100-yard game in each of his first three seasons at Colorado. Kenny Dillingham needs to find a big body to replace future top-10 pick Jordyn Tyson, and Miller has similar upside if it all clicks.