The college football transfer portal window is officially open. After weeks of statements of intent, student-athletes can enter their name, arrange visits with prospective new teams, and ultimately commit to a new destination ahead of the 2026 season. Among thousands of players looking for a new home, these are the very best available after the first day of action.
Our top 25 remaining players in the college football transfer portal are compiled using PFSN College Impact Metrics, with analysis from Josh Weil, Terrance Biggs, and Oliver Hodgkinson.
25) Katin Houser, QB
Katin Houser was recruited to attend Michigan State and played sparingly over his two seasons. He then transferred to East Carolina, where he became a starter relatively quickly.
His first season was solid, but it was clear that he had made improvements, as evidenced by an increase in his completion percentage and a decrease in interceptions, despite having over 160 more pass attempts than the previous year.
He has also added an element of short-yardage rushing success to his resume. It comes as no surprise that schools like Arkansas are showing interest in his services for next season.
24) Wendell Gregory, EDGE
Wendell Gregory didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself at South Carolina, as he just recorded a single tackle in 2024. For the Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has 27 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble after a season, and looks poised to grow on that at his next stop.
The former South Carolina recruit could very well find himself back in the SEC, but in any case, he should make a significant impact next season.
23) Qua Moss, DB
At his next school, Moss will serve as a jack-of-all-trades. In Manhattan, he played the STAR position, which combines the qualities of a corner, a safety, and even a linebacker who must blitz. Moss will stay on the field in all situations, as he can cover running backs, receivers, and tight ends equally well. While the portal teems with talent, diversified talents will prove helpful.
22) Mister Clark, DB
Mister Clark is an aggressive cover corner with superior ball skills (three interceptions) and 13 pass breakups, which led the CUSA. He has a solid build and vertical ability, and while he could add strength, he already competes well on contested catches. Furthermore, he has positional versatility, having played at multiple spots across the Florida International secondary.
21) Colton Joseph, QB
After a rough start against eventual top-ranked Indiana to start the year, Colton Joseph was stellar for the rest of the season. He had 21 touchdowns through the air and 13 on the ground and is a legitimate dual-threat at the position. He improved modestly over his two seasons at Old Dominion.
Still, I need to see more completed passes to think that he can excel against superior competition than he has been facing so far. Overall, I think he could have a significant impact if he attends a program that can effectively utilize both his legs and his arms.
20) Shadre Hurst, iOL
Tulane guard Shadre Hurst is currently the top-ranked offensive lineman in the college football transfer portal after recording an 84.3 PFSN College OL Impact score in 2025. Hurst played over 800 snaps on the American Conference-winning line, allowing zero sacks and just two pressures on true dropbacks.
In addition to being a stout pass protector, Hurst is a terrifying prospect to face if you’re trying to defend the run, helping contribute to a ground game that averaged 4.52 yards per carry this fall.
19) Christian Harrison, Cincinnati
A late bloomer who benefited from a change of scenery at Cincinnati, he plays with physicality and has solid shadowing technique, following wideouts at all three levels. He has proven he can handle Power Four receivers, setting him up to continue progressing.
18) Jontez Williams, DB
A stocky corner who can also play free safety, Jontez Williams doesn’t rely on just his eyes. Instead, his instincts and ability to read the route break put him in a prime position to make plays.
17) Justin Eaglin, DB
Justin Eaglin is a productive corner who excelled in the Dukes’ 4-2-5 scheme. He could be the latest James Madison player to leave campus, jump into the portal, and succeed at a bigger program. His ball skills and timing will translate.
16) Rasheem Biles, LB
Rasheem Biles has been the epitome of a do-it-all linebacker for the Pittsburgh Panthers over the past two seasons, emerging as one of the best in the nation and immediately becoming the crown jewel of the position in the transfer portal.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Tracker
Biles is looking for a new team, fresh off a season where he tallied over 100 tackles, led the ACC with 17.0 tackles for loss, and accounted for four turnovers (two interceptions, two forced fumbles).
15) Ja’Son Prevard, CB
Ja’Son Prevard fits best in a Cover 3 or press-man system. With long arms, he maintains inside contact on receivers, avoiding pass interference calls that other defenders might draw. However, quick, twitchy receivers could give him trouble.
14) Santana Hooper, DL
By nature, Santana Hopper is an interior lineman who chooses to attack downhill toward the ball. However, he will use lateral movement to funnel down the line and string out runners on boundary plays. Tulane won the American Conference, led by Hopper’s influence on defense.
13) Josh Hoover, QB
One of the more battle-tested options in the portal, Josh Hoover led TCU to 17 wins over the last two seasons and has all of the upside in the world. This past season, he threw for 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Hoover kept the Horned Frogs competitive in one of the nation’s toughest conferences, and he played well. Bringing him into a situation like that in Indiana could foster the development to take his talents to the College Football Playoff and eventually the NFL. Look for Hoover to be among the biggest splashes of the transfer portal season and have an impact on next year’s Playoff.
12) Drew Mestemaker, QB
Drew Mestemaker is my favorite quarterback prospect changing schools. While there will be many teams interested, coach Eric Morris knows how to get the most out of him. He has moved on to Oklahoma State and will make it very hard for Mestemaker not to follow him.
In his first season as a starter, Mestemaker led the nation in passing yards (4,379) and touchdowns (34), and looked the part of a future star.
11) DJ Barksdale, CB
Nickelbacks are rarely targeted, yet DJ Barksdale regularly faced teams that moved their No. 1 wideout into the slot against him. His lack of height (5’9″) could limit him outside, but with the popularity of spread formations, he’ll constantly be battling inside. The James Madison standout is one of the toughest players in the portal.
10) Anthony Colandrea, QB
Just two weeks after saying, “my future is here with (offensive coordinator Corey) Dennis and coach Mullen.”, Anthony Colandrea returned to the transfer portal for a second straight season. Perhaps he wasn’t being honest, or maybe he looked at the landscape and saw how well he had performed that season, and reconsidered his decision.
In any case, Colandrea was the third-best quarterback in the nation last year, and many schools will be excited to hear this news. Colandrea was everything UNLV could’ve asked for, accounting for 33 total touchdowns and leading them to the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl.
9) Kalen Carrol, CB
Kalen Carroll’s transition to upper-echelon football was difficult at first, but after a year in Mount Pleasant, he established himself as a lead corner capable of shutting down receivers. He also surprises with his reliability as a tackler.
8) Ezra Christensen, DL
Ezra Christensen, a PFSN All-American out of New Mexico State, may be the best pass-rushing defensive tackle available. He can win with power on the outside and uses a quick first step on the inside. He picks a shoulder and attacks that side. Against the run, the former Fresno State rusher anchors well and fights through blocks.
7) Wyatt Young, WR
It appears that the new Oklahoma State squad under Eric Morris can attract some highly productive and reliable transfers from North Texas via the transfer portal. Wyatt Young was third in the nation in yards with 1,264 on 70 catches, and he also caught ten touchdowns.
MORE: Transfer Portal QB Rankings: Byrum Brown Emerges as the No. 1 Option
Being the top target for QB Drew Mestemaker could prompt schools to try to bring the pair in together, which would likely make the adjustment period shorter for both.
6) Tyler Brown, SAF
With 27 games played in his first two years, Tyler Brown has experience against various teams at different levels. For example, his last game was against Oregon. That experience may give him greater confidence when facing strong offenses. Brown ranked No. 21 in PFSN’s Safety Impact metric.
5) Brendan Sorsby, QB
Brendan Sorsby was absolutely stellar this whole season. Still, his performance in Cincinnati’s 38-30 upset win over 14th-ranked Iowa State stands out most as an example of what putting him in the right situation could potentially be capable of regularly.
He threw for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Look for Sorsby to be rumored to go to just about every big school and make a significant impact wherever he chooses to go.
4) Byrum Brown, QB
Coming off a broken leg that cost him his whole 2024 season, Byrum Brown balled out to remind everyone why he was getting a ton of transfer interest at the end of 2023-24. Now, with his head coach, who he has stood by, headed to Auburn of the SEC, it seems all the likely that they are the favorites to land Brown.
Brown started the year off with wins against ranked Boise State and Florida, shocking a lot of people around the college football world. Brown threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns, and ran for 14 touchdowns. He has shown the ability to take over games completely, and if that can translate to the SEC, a very high draft pick is in his future.
3) JoJo Johnson, DL
With two years of eligibility remaining, JoJo Johnson will likely find a role on a Power Four team as a nose tackle. Nothing he does is flashy, but he commands double teams and finds openings to make plays in the backfield. If he doesn’t, the havoc he creates redirects the ball carrier toward his teammates.
2) John Henry Daley, EDGE
Putting up numbers like 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss in the Big 12 are impressive enough.
Now, it is rumored that John Henry Daley may follow his coach, Kyle Whittingham, to Michigan, which would project him into the top few rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft if he can deliver again for his coach or at another big-time program.
1) Caleb Hawkins, RB
Caleb Hawkins was impressive last season for the Mean Green and has legitimate NFL upside. Following his coach to Oklahoma State would be a great way to square off with the best to show just how good he really can be.
He had one of the best seasons of anyone in the country, with the most rushing touchdowns in the FBS (25) and the fifth-most rushing yards (1,434). This player is one to watch wherever he lands next.
