Transfer portal season is upon us, and already things are moving at a dizzying pace. Tons of players have jumped into the fray hoping for greener pastures (or greener wallets), including some of the biggest names in the country, with official visits set up and commitments starting to roll in. If your team isn't acting fast, they risk getting left behind in 2026.
That's especially true of the SEC, where several coaching changes (and several more desperate programs) have created absolute chaos. The conferences biggest brands all face pressing questions this offseason, questions that will have to be answered in the portal. Where should teams like Alabama, Georgia and more turn first?
Alabama
Dream transfer portal target: OL Carius Curne, LSU
Even for somebody who thought Indiana would win by multiple scores, it was downright alarming to see just how physically outmanned Alabama was in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Then again, that was the theme all year for Kalen DeBoer's team — especially on offense, where the Tide's offensive line just could not get this running game out of second gear. (Final line against the Hoosiers: 16 carries for 36 yards.)
If DeBoer's going to right the ship moving forward, it needs to start up front, where left tackle Kadyn Proctor is off to the NFL and center Parker Brailsford may well follow him. A blue-chip prospect out of high school, Curne stepped in and started five games for LSU as a true freshman this past season, with the size, strength and athleticism to play pretty much anywhere on the line. Alabama needs proven, SEC bodies in the trenches, and Curne would be a big step in that direction.
Georgia
Dream transfer portal target: WR Nick Marsh, Michigan State
If you wanted to focus on the defensive side of the ball after that debacle in the Sugar Bowl, I wouldn't blame you; it's clear help is needed, particularly up front. But the most pressing need would appear to be at wideout, where Kirby Smart has tried to solve problems in the portal year after year to inconsistent effect. With Zachariah Branch, Noah Thomas, Colbie Young and Dillon Bell all potentially moving on, it's time to go back to the well once again — and this time, half-measures won't cut it.
Marsh is quite possibly the most obvious buy-low candidate in the portal this year. His numbers at Michigan State don't leap off the page, but he was an underclassman surrounded by dysfunction in East Lansing, so try not to hold it against him. Turn on the tape, and you'll see why he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, someone that Georgia nearly flipped from the Spartans late in the 2024 cycle. He has all the physical tools you could possibly want; now all he needs is better infrastructure and a better QB.
LSU
Dream transfer portal target: OL Xavier Chaplin, Auburn
We're going to set the QB question off to one side for the moment, as it seems pretty clear that Lane Kiffin would love to lure Trinidad Chambliss to Baton Rouge after Ole Miss' Playoff run is all said and done. (You know, assuming Chambliss can finagle an extra year of eligibility and decides against testing the NFL Draft.)
From there, it would be easier to identify a position group that didn't need to be addressed in the transfer portal; that's what happens when you storm into town the way Kiffin has. But any good build, especially in this conference, needs to start up front, and it just so happens that LSU might only hang on to one offensive lineman with starting experience (Weston Davis, who had a bumpy freshman season). Chaplin got his first taste of the SEC at Auburn this past season and more than held his own, establishing himself as a genuine anchor on the blind side. Whoever winds up under center for Kiffin next year, he'll need to be protected.
Oklahoma
Dream transfer portal target: TE Brody Foley, Tulsa
Oklahoma finds itself in a bit of an odd position entering this portal season, with plenty of continuity on the offensive side as John Mateer and four of five starting linemen are set to return to Norman in 2026. (As for the defense, well ... let's just say it's hard to worry too much about a Brent Venables defense.)
But it was increasingly clear as the season went on (and the offense got stuck in the mud) that the Sooners simply didn't have enough firepower around Mateer, a problem that will only be exacerbated by the departures of receivers Deion Burks and Isaiah Sategna and tight end Jaren Kanak. So why not look in state? A four-star recruit out of high school, Foley washed out at Indiana before winding up at Tulsa and taking off for 528 yards and 14.3 yards per catch this season. He's a legitimate weapon in the passing game at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, and OU needs as many of those as they can get.
Ole Miss
Dream transfer portal target: QB Deuce Knight, Auburn
Pete Golding has done an admirable job not just guiding this Ole Miss team to the CFP semifinals but also trying to keep this roster together for 2026, with several notable names already committing to returning to Oxford next season. But Chambliss hasn't been among them, and as noted above, it's just hard to see him sticking around for another year — whether he's off to the pros, to Baton Rouge or elsewhere.
Which puts the Rebels in need of a quarterback or two, with even backup Austin Simmons hitting the portal. Ole Miss was heavily involved with Knight as a five-star recruit in high school, and while that was with Kiffin still in town, he could look back that way this time around if LSU opts to go elsewhere at the position. Knight showcased his dual-threat upside with a monster performance in a start against Mercer back in November. The sky's the limit if he can continue developing, and he could walk into the QB1 job.
Texas
Dream transfer portal target: WR Cam Coleman, Texas
Few teams have been as aggressive to start the portal window than Texas, which seems to be taking visits from just about every top target at every position. But one name in particular looms above all the rest: Coleman, a five-star recruit out of high school who flashed massive potential amid an offensive mess at Auburn.
Wide receiver might not be the most pressing need, strictly speaking; the Horns just had several running backs jump into the portal, and could always use more help along both lines of scrimmage and at linebacker. Still, there is a need for another big weapon opposite Ryan Wingo, especially with DeAndre Moore Jr. and Parker Livingstone both moving on. With Coleman in tow, Arch Manning would have one of the very best receiver duos in the country to throw to.
Texas A&M
Dream transfer portal target: DL Xavier Gilliam, Penn State
A&M also has its sights set on Coleman, and for good reason: He's a game-changing player, and the Aggies are saying goodbye to top wideout KC Concepcion. The problem there is that Mike Elko's team has needs just about everywhere, including three starters on each line, multiple starting corners and their starting running back. It's an offseason of change in College Station.
But anyone who watched the first-round CFP loss to Miami knows where Elko should start. For as fast and dynamic as this defense was, all that havoc came at a steep cost: A&M's run defense simply wasn't good enough, giving up explosive plays all too consistently against the better offenses they faced. That needs to get corrected if the Aggies want to contend for a conference title in 2026, and it starts with adding some beef to an undersized front.
If Gilliam isn't the best defensive lineman in the portal this cycle, he's pretty darn close. He earned a prominent role for Penn State as a redshirt freshman this year, tallying 15 tackles, two tackles for loss and a half-sack in 30 or so snaps per game. The sky sure seems to be the limit here, and he's the sort of body type this defense needs more of.