Chaotic. Hectic. Lucrative. Dramatic. All words to describe what has become more of a free agency in college football than a way for players to find a new school after things fell apart with their old one. The transfer portal opened just after the new year and it’s been a wild week of players moving all over and it’s just begun. With all the wild moves that have already taken place, here’s a look at some of the moves and how good they are.
With all the moves that have already been made, let’s grade some of the biggest moves. We’re not just looking at names. How does said player fit with their new team, what do they add that they didn’t have before? And then a look into the possible success they could have or struggles they’ll have with a transition.
Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech, QB
Grade: B+
This could either be one of the biggest transfer moves or it could be one of the biggest busts. And after watching Cincinnati football for the last two seasons under Brendan Sorsby, I don’t know if he’s going to fill Texas Tech’s massive hole at quarterback. Sorsby is talented, but Texas Tech needs a quarterback that’s going to win when they need it. If I’m not mistaken, the Bearcats lost four-straight games after starting 7-1. He could elevate his play with a bigger school, but I’m not completely sold on him.
Nonetheless, Sorsby is still an upgrade from Behren Morton, I just don’t know if Sorsby delivers in a way the Red Raiders desperately need after laying a goose egg.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State, QB
Grade: B
Oklahoma State was miserable this year so naturally when Eric Morris took the job from North Texas, he was going to bring some of his biggest playmakers with him, Drew Mestemaker being one of them. This should work out well. The Big 12 isn’t the most elite of the Power 4 conferences so it will be a nice transition. Oklahoma State will be as good as Mestemaker is and if he’s anything like last year, the Cowboys will be back.
Nick Marsh, Indiana Hoosiers, WR
Grade: A
This is a big win for the Hoosiers, who will lose Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. Nick Marsh was in wide receiver hell at Michigan State but will not get a chance to make a big impact on a team that actually needs him. He has 1,311 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons. He’ll instantly be a player that has a big role with new quarterback Josh Hoover. Indiana might be building a powerhouse centered around the transfer portal.
Josh Hoover, Indiana Hoosiers, QB
Grade: A-
Indiana knew they needed to replace Fernando Mendoza, with him most likely headed to the NFL after the Hoosiers’ season is over. It’s worked twice before so Curt Cignetti turned to the transfer portal and landed on TCU transfer Josh Hoover, which again looks like a fantastic move. Not only is Cignetti 2-for-2 with portal quarterbacks, but both have led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. If Hoover works out, Cignetti might just be a transfer portal whisperer.
Bo Mascoe, Texas Longhorns, DB
Grade: A-
Adding Bo Mascoe to that secondary in Austin just takes them to a new level that’s arguably unnecessary. Texas already had one of the top defenses and adding Mascoe just gives them more depth. They were already young and with Graceson Littleton anchoring the secondary as a true freshman, bringing Mascoe in just makes this defense even better.
Makhi Hughes, Houston Cougars, RB
Grade: B-
As long as Makhi Hughes isn’t in the same situation as he was in Oregon, this could be the best move for him. The Cougars had an up-and-down year, but they lost their top rusher from this past season in Dean Conners. Hughes was one of the most explosive running backs in the 2024 season. He was supposed to be a feature option at Oregon, but a deep running back room forced him to redshirt. Hughes could return to prominence in 2026.
Kenny Minchey, Kentucky Wildcats, QB
Grade: B+
At one point Kenny Minchey was headed to Nebraska and now he’s headed to Lexington to link up with a prominent quarterback whisperer in Will Stein. The three seasons he was an offensive coordinator at Oregon, he coached Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel into the NFL. Dante Moore could be his next success story, meaning Minchey is getting with a coach that will develop him into an NFL prospect. It might just be a new era in Wildcat football.
Rocco Becht, Penn State Nittany Lions, QB
Grade: A
Penn State is going to look vastly different than it did this past season and in fact, might look eerily similar to what Iowa State looked like this past season. That’s because Matt Campbell is the new guy in Happy Valley, and one of the biggest moves he did was bring Rocco Becht with him. This gets a high grade simply because having a quarterback-coach relationship already built makes things work so much smoother. Penn State might not immediately become contenders, but they’re going to look a whole lot better than last season.
Austin Simmons, Missouri Tigers, QB
Grade: C+
This isn’t a bad move for Missouri, I’m just not sure this is the upgrade they think they got in Simmons. After all, Simmons got bench after he got healthy and never returned as the starter. Beau Pribula is gone but I don’t know if I believe that Simmons is better than Matt Zollers. We’ll see how this shakes out, but Missouri could be in a similar situation as last year.
Byrum Brown, Auburn Tigers, QB
Grade: B
I’m not saying Byrum Brown is going to come out and start torching SEC defenses, but landing with his coach at Auburn might just make the Tigers relevant again. After a big season at South Florida, he was destined to hit the transfer portal, and now he’ll get a chance to play in one of the toughest conferences in college football. Alex Golesh should be fine, rebuilding Auburn, and doing it with a familiar quarterback should work just fine for them.