CFB transfer portal rumors: Predicting where top 10 spring transfers will land

School is almost out for summer. It is already May, folks. With graduation upon us, other student-athletes are looking for their next place to play. The spring transfer portal window in college football was wild to say the least, but maybe not to the degree we were expecting. Still, with so many head-coaching changes this late into the cycle, we were bound to see guys want to leave after the spring.

So far we have seen promising-to-great college players such as Damien Martinez, Kadyn Proctor and Jaden Rashada leave Oregon State, Iowa and Arizona State respectively for Miami, Alabama (again) and Georgia. While teams like Ole Miss continue to clean up in the portal, Colorado is holding on for dear life, now that the cat may be out of the bag in Boulder when it comes to Coach Prime's program.

So what I am going to do today for y'all is take a look at the 10 best remaining players in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, and find a new place for these college players to play. Some fits may be easier than others to figure out, but I will do my best. These are the type of players who will help a team's depth next season, as it is just too quick of a turnaround for us to expect they will be starters.

I did my homework here so you don't have to. Enjoy living your best life in another year of senior-itis.

10. Michigan Wolverines LB Jeremiah Beasley

This was odd, to say the least. I mean, Jeremiah Beasley just got to Michigan. The Belleville native could not wait to get on campus in Ann Arbor. After only one spring practice, he has opted to hit the transfer portal. Beasley is a four-star linebacker in-state with four years of eligibility remaining. His departure is an atrocious look for the Wolverines under their new head coach in Sherrone Moore.

Beasley had a ton of offers coming out of high school besides Michigan, including Michigan State, Missouri, Penn State and Pitt. While he could flip to in-state rival Michigan State and link up with Jonathan Smith's bunch in East Lansing, I think Beasley is exactly the type of player Eliah Drinkwitz and his Missouri staff will want to poach in the portal. This is how Mizzou stays relevant in the SEC.

Prediction: Missouri Tigers

9. Arizona State Sun Devils WR Elijhah Badger

This has been a brutal year and change for Kenny Dillingham back at his alma mater. The Arizona State Sun Devils were terrible under him, and just lost its two best players to the transfer portal. I touched on Jaden Rashada committing to my alma mater of Georgia earlier in the post, but this is all about the Sun Devils' star wide receiver Elijhah Badger with one year of eligibility left to use in 2024.

I fully expect Badger to go to a team that either has College Football Playoff aspirations, or at least thinks it has them. Teams like Miami and Penn State could be in on the guy. However, I think Texas A&M is the team to beat. He probably knows Mike Elko from his recruitment out of Folsom, California. The Aggies need a weapon or two for Conner Weigman to throw the football to. Gig Em is my pick.

Prediction: Texas A&M Aggies

8. Washington Huskies QB Dermaricus Davis

Four-star quarterback Demaricus Davis decided Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies offense were not for him. Like Jeremiah Beasley transferring from Michigan, Davis has four years of eligibility to burn. He followed Fisch and Jimmie Dougherty from Arizona to Washington, but he just decided Washington was not for him. Where Davis ends up will be both fascinating and hard to figure out...

See, all three places he visited have new head coaches: Arizona, Oregon State and Washington. I doubt he follows Jonathan Smith to Michigan or will even get looked at by Kalen DeBoer at Alabama. While he may want to go Power Four, I think there is a school from his native California that could really use him, one that could be pushing for the playoff in a year or so. What about San Diego State?

Prediction: San Diego State Aztecs

7. Texas Longhorns CB Terrance Brooks

The fact Terrance Brooks entered the portal was shocking to say the least. He had a big roll to play on what should be one of the best seasons of Texas Longhorns football to date. With two years of eligibility left, I would expect for any team worth its weight in salt to try its best to land Brooks in the portal. Yes, I am talking about every national title contender out there wanting to bring him aboard.

The team that I keep going back to is the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was recruited out of high school by the Buckeyes and had initially committed to them before flipping to in-state Texas. While his primary recruiter Kerry Coombs no longer works for Ryan Day, I think what the Buckeyes have in the NIL compensation bucket is too much to pass up. If Georgia does not win it all, I like Ohio State to.

Prediction: Ohio State Buckeyes

6. TCU DL Damonic Williams

Defensive lineman Damonic Williams is leaving TCU after two years. He has been highly sought after since entering the transfer portal. He has visited four SEC programs, including LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. While he could conceivably stay in-state and go to Austin, keep in mind that he is not a Texas native. He hails from California. All I know is it seems as though he is going to the SEC.

Early signs suggest that Oklahoma is the team to beat to get his commitment. They have been recruiting his brother Joshua quite hard as well. Given how well Brent Venables has done historically at developing defensive linemen dating back to his time at Clemson as the Tigers' defensive coordinator, I certainly wouldn't hate that move for Williams. He could go elsewhere, but I like OU here.

Prediction: Oklahoma Sooners

5. Michigan State DL Derrick Harmon

Former four-star defensive lineman Derrick Harmon is leaving his home state's Michigan State Spartans for the transfer portal. The coaching change from Mel Tucker to Jonathan Smith was not enough to keep him in East Lansing. I think there are great opportunities for him to stay in the Big Ten, but that may probably require him going to a school that is coming over from the Pac-12 conference.

Right now, the two leaders in the clubhouse to land Harmon are Colorado and USC. With how badly the Buffaloes are getting their ass handed to them on the recruiting trails, I think USC has to be the better and far safer option. The Trojans need a guy who knows what playing in the Big Ten is all about. Adding a bit of a blue-collar ethos in the trenches could serve the Trojans in the short and long-term.

Prediction: USC Trojans

4. Louisville EDGE Tyler Baron

Tyler Baron is on the move once again. The former Tennessee defensive lineman has become very familiar with the transfer portal over the last two years. He entered it after the 2022 season, only to go back to Knoxville. He then re-entered it in December, opting to commit to Ole Miss. That commitment lasted a month, as he then committed to Louisville, only to re-enter the transfer portal in the spring.

Exhausted, too? Yeah, tell me about it... I think what will probably happen for Baron is that he end up going to Ole Miss like he probably should have in the first place. The Rebels are slated to not only make the College Football Playoff for the first time ever this season, but go on a deep run as well. Louisville and Tennessee should be top-25-caliber teams, but they aren't on Ole Miss' level in 2024.

Prediction: Ole Miss Rebels

3. Texas A&M S Jacoby Mathews

Jacoby Mathews is back in the transfer portal. He was in the portal very late into the process last go-around. He re-entered it officially after spring practice concluded in College Station. Despite Mike Elko returning to lead the team, Mathews is on his way out of Texas A&M. The Aggies have lost so many players to the transfer portal in the wake of the unmitigated disaster that was Jimbo Fisher.

Given that he already plays in-conference, I think Mathews would be a fantastic fit for his home state's LSU Tigers. The Ponchatoula, Louisiana native would look really good player for DBU in Baton Rouge. Since this position group often defines the Bayou Bengals, as well as being a blind spot in Brian Kelly's overall recruiting tactics, I say find a way to make it work and have Mathews flip over to a rival.

Prediction: LSU Tigers

2. Colorado CB Cormani McClain

The Cormani McClain tenure at Colorado ended disastrously. The former five-star from Lakeland, Florida decided to go play for Deion Sanders in Boulder rather than for one of the many powers in-state. Whether it was a lack of playing time, not jiving with Coach Prime, or whatever, it didn't work out for him during his lone year playing for the Buffs in Boulder. It also did a number to his recruiting stock.

Of the handful of teams he was supposed tied to, apparently, the USC Trojans are out on him. While I think a team like the South Carolina Gamecocks could be interested, I sense McClain is coming back home to the Sunshine State. Between I-4 rivals UCF and USF, I think Alex Golesh's South Florida Bulls have the upper hand. Gus Malzahn may be leading Arkansas this time next year, so keep that in mind.

Prediction: South Florida Bulls

1. USC IOL Jason Zandamela

Four-star interior offensive lineman Jason Zandamela signed with the USC Trojans out of high school during the early national signing period. He re-entered the transfer portal after spring practice, probably with an eye on playing for a team from his adopted home state. He may originally hail from Mozambique, but he calls Florida home. The big question is what Power Four school is he going to.

Right now, Zandamela is the only player inside the top 10 uncommitted players in the transfer portal with a crystal ball prediction. All three of them have the pride of Clearwater heading to Gainesville to go play for the Gators. While Billy Napier could be done as the head coach there within the year, this is a long-term play for Zandamela. Hopefully, he is ready to endure what Jedd Fisch is all about in 2025.

Prediction: Florida Gators