PFSN’s all-new college football transfer portal tracker features over 1,400 athletes (and counting) with the official portal opening on Jan. 2, 2026. Here’s a look at 25 FCS athletes currently in the portal that deserve a shot at an FBS starting lineup next season.
FCS Transfer Standouts Poised To Shine on the FBS Stage
Taron Dickens, QB, Western Carolina
Miami-Dade County’s all-time leading passer in high school, Taron Dickens brought that prolific production to the Catamounts, where he threw for over 3,500 yards and 38 touchdowns while setting an NCAA record for most consecutive passes completed in a game (46). His shorter stature (5’11” and 180 pounds) limits his ceiling, but that matters far less on the collegiate field than in the pros.
Braden Atkinson, QB, Mercer
All Braden Atkinson needed was one season to show just how bright his star could shine, throwing for school records in yards (3,600) and TDs (34) en route to the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS national freshman of the year. It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise, considering he logged more than 8,700 passing yards and 110 TDs across his high school career.
Jaden Craig, QB, Harvard
Across two seasons at Harvard, Jaden Craig has amassed 5,299 yards, 48 TDs, and just 10 INTs, highlighting his ability to stretch the field while still taking care of the football. Not only is Craig the most prolific quarterback the Crimson have ever had, but he also led the program to back-to-back 8-2 campaigns.
L.J. Phillips Jr., RB, South Dakota
L.J. Phillips Jr. turned a depth-chart role into one of the most prolific seasons in program history. After limited action in his first two years, he exploded for 1,920 rushing yards, nine 100-yard games, and 20 total touchdowns once injuries elevated him into the feature role. While Phillips will be a huge loss for South Dakota, he’ll be a huge boon for whichever FBS team lands him.
Rodney Nelson, RB, Monmouth
Monmouth’s Rodney Nelson emerged as the CAA Offensive Player of the Year after a dominant season as the Hawks’ workhorse back. He rushed for 1,805 yards, the second-highest single-season total in Monmouth history and fifth-most in CAA history, while also leading the entire FCS in all-purpose yards with 2,031, adding 30 catches for 229 yards and a score.
Joshua Dye, RB, Southern Utah
Joshua Dye put up video game numbers in 2025. No, really: 295 carries, 1,831 yards, and 28 touchdowns.
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The 5’11”, 205-pound back isn’t the biggest, but he routinely forces missed tackles with his short-area quickness and is one of the premier long-run breakers at the FCS level.
Ahmad Miller, RB, Jackson State
After two years as a slight rotation piece in Jackson State’s RB room, Ahmad Miller took the reins and never looked back. He consistently squeezed everything out of what the offensive line gave him … and then some. Miller “only” generated 1,035 yards and five TDs, but he averaged a whopping 4.49 yards after contact per carry, highlighting his physical nature.
Jalen Jones, WR, Alabama State
Speaking about an HBCU star … Jalen Jones finished the 2025 season as PFSN’s No. 3 rated FCS WR with a 91.7 impact grade. Based on his receiving numbers (51-1,167-9), you’d expect him to be a skywalking deep threat, but Jones stands just 5’9″ and 175 pounds. Nevertheless, his brutal start/stop ability and raw speed tormented defenses downfield all season long. Oh, and he’s only a freshman.
Josh Derry, WR, Monmouth
Josh Derry may not be a freshman, but he’s the same size as Jones. That said, he plays a tad larger, receiving 10% more snaps out wide and seeing a slightly lower average depth of target. Derry posted 2,000 yards and 18 TDs across the last two years and is the first of several Monmouth star players hitting the portal and making this list.
Nico Brown, WR, Yale
Nico Brown blossomed into one of the most productive pass catchers in Ivy League history in 2025. He appeared in 10 games and led Yale with 71 receptions for 1,085 yards (third all-time in program history) and 11 TDs. Don’t let his No. 23 jersey turn you away; Brown is the real deal and has fresh legs, given that 2025 was his first year with any statistics to his name after enrolling at Yale in 2022.
Chris Corbo, TE, Dartmouth
Chris Corbo, AKA the No. 1 rated PFSN FCS TE, proved to be a complete weapon on offense this year, showing up as both a receiver and run blocker for Dartmouth. His 45-516-4 receiving line isn’t nearly as impressive as the recent numbers discussed, but his sought-after size (6’5″, 345) and smooth movement skills should make him a hot commodity.
Tolu Olajide, OT, New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s Tolu Olajide has been a mainstay at left tackle for the last two years, but he made a massive leap in performance from 2024 to 2025. He’s still prone to penalties (5+ in both years), yet Olajide allowed just a third of the pressures (10) that he did the year prior (33).
Shalik Hubbard and Chris Moreno, OL, Monmouth
Let’s dip back into the Monmouth well, and I’m going to cheat a little here by listing two players. The Wildcats trotted out arguably the best guard duo in the nation in Shalik Hubbard and Chris Moreno.
They helped pave the way for Nelson’s 1,800-plus rushing yards and produced one of the top offenses at any level. Both are obviously strong run defenders, but they are arguably even better in pass pro, allowing a combined eight pressures in 2025.
DeSean Watts, DT, Sacramento State
DeSean Watts brought size and disruption to the interior of the Hornets’ defensive front. He largely played in the B Gap, where his 6’2″, 318-pound frame could clog rushing lanes. Although his pass-rush numbers were rather uninspiring (two sacks), an FBS team will bring him on to anchor the D-line’s run-stop ability.
Lamont Lester Jr., EDGE, Monmouth
Lamont Lester Jr. may be the big fish in the FCS defensive transfer portal. Only a freshman, Lester wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, slashing through for nine sacks and 50 total pressures. His play against the run is a tier or two behind his pass-rush prowess, but that won’t lower his NIL earnings whatsoever in 2026 and beyond.
Thomas Johnson, EDGE, North Carolina Central
Thomas Johnson has been a disruptive presence off the edge in the MEAC, providing steady pressure. It was his fourth year with the Eagles, and despite playing significant snaps over the first three (250+ each), 2025 was his coming-out party.
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Johnson racked up a mind-numbing 15 sacks and 59 pressures, terrorizing opposing QBs while also being a force in run defense. Of course, don’t expect him to maintain that level of play in the FBS, but his disruptability will have no shortage of suitors.
Andrew Zock, EDGE, Mercer
Mercer edge rusher Andrew Zock, a 6’2”, 250-pound defensive lineman from Florida, has rapidly emerged as one of the most dominant defenders in the FCS. As a freshman in 2024, he started all 14 games, finishing fourth in Jerry Rice Award voting, earning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after posting 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and a school-record 15 QB hurries.
In 2025, he elevated his game even further, becoming SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and a Buck Buchanan Award finalist by obliterating Mercer single-season records with 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 23 QB hurries, 46 total tackles, four PBUs, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. It’s safe to say Zock’s phone will be blowing up.
Peyton Seelmann, LB, Richmond
Peyton Seelmann is a rocked-up 6’1″ and 225 pounds and he flys around the field. His movement skills allow him to flow from gap to gap in the box and even slide out to the slot on occasion. In just his first year starting, Seelmann sealed his area of the defense, totaling 120 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two INTs, and four QB hurries while conceding zero TDs through the air.
John Lista, LB, Penn
Three years, three seasons of 300+ snaps for John Lista at Penn. But he isn’t just a body on defense, generating 183 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs, seven sacks, one INT, eight PBUs, two forced fumbles, two forced fumbles, and two second-team All-Ivy League honors. He moves well at 6’2″ and 225, allowing the Quakers to deploy him as a blitzer and slot defender on occasion.
Tyran Chappell, CB, Houston Christian
Standing 6’3″, Tyran Chappell’s size at outside corner will earn him looks on its own. Add in his actual cover ability? He’ll have no issue finding a new home. Chappell snatched four picks while conceding 11.4 yards per reception on a 57.7% catch rate allowed.
Cam Jones, CB, Holy Cross
Two years at the FCS level were enough for Cam Jones, as his tape is indicative of an FBS-level starter. His size won’t attract onlookers (5’11”, 190), but his smoothness and ability to stay on top of routes result in low catch rates (44%) and missed tackle rates (6.6%).
Jeremiah Bernard, DB, Cal Poly
If you discount Jeremiah Bernard’s occasional missed tackles, you have one of the best safeties in the game. He’s versatile, with 100+ snaps in the box, deep safety, and slot this season. But more impressively, he’s good while being adaptable, crashing down to stop the run and dropping into coverage (four INTs) from each alignment.
Jalen B. Lee, DB, South Dakota State
Jalen B. Lee didn’t play much his first three years at South Dakota State, but the redshirt junior broke out in a major way in 2025. He primarily split his time between the box and deep third, laying the boom downhill and nabbing three INTs in coverage.
Josiah Harris, DB, Gardner-Webb
Following a couple of seasons at the NAIA level, Josiah Harris made a splash at Gardner-Webb, one they’ll miss and an FBS team will love next season. At 6’2″ and 194 pounds, Harris unsurprisingly spent the majority of his reps in the box, but that didn’t stop him from tallying a conference-best five INTs (second in the nation) and three more PBUs.
Ty Bartrum, DB, Harvard
175 74.2
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Harvard safety Ty Bartrum, a hard-hitting senior from Pomeroy, Ohio, has become one of the most accomplished defenders in Ivy League football. He was an All-Ivy League first-team selection, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as national defensive player of the year, a Bulger Lowe Award winner as New England’s top defensive player, and earned multiple All-America honors after finishing second on Harvard with 83 tackles, adding an interception, pass breakups, and forced fumbles while posting three straight double-digit tackle games to end the season. His reputation as a physical, highly productive safety in one of the nation’s best pass defenses makes him one of the most proven FCS defensive backs in the portal.
