Day 2 of the transfer portal didn’t explode right out of the gate, but it definitely brought more clarity than Day 1. The opening day was mostly about intel, potential suitors, rumored visits, and a wave of new names entering the portal. Day 2, though, is when things started to get a little spicy. A few major commitments dropped, and quarterback dominoes began to fall, with some programs clearly separating themselves through decisive moves.
Let’s take a look at the biggest winners, losers, and one surprise from Day 2 of the portal being open.
Winner: Oklahoma State & Eric Morris’ Early Rebuild
Oklahoma State wasted no time making a statement in Eric Morris’ rebuild. On Day 2, the Cowboys landed their first major cornerstone: the nation’s leader in passing yards and former North Texas quarterback, who followed Morris to Stillwater after the head coach made the jump from Denton.
This move made almost too much sense. Morris recruited and developed Mestemaker at North Texas, turning a player who never started a high school game into one of the premier quarterbacks in college football. That story alone speaks volumes about Morris’s ability to identify and develop talent. While Mestemaker deserves immense credit for the work he’s put in, he’d likely be the first to tell you that he wouldn’t be where he is today without Morris believing in him early. Morris and Mestemaker together formed one of college football’s most lethal offenses in 2025 with a PFSN CFB offensive impact grade of 84.0.
From a football perspective, this is a perfect fit for all parties involved. Mestemaker gains continuity, trust, and a system tailored to his strengths, while Oklahoma State secures an instant-impact quarterback to stabilize the offense during a transitional year. His 86.2 PFSN QB Impact Grade could climb even higher as he moves from the AAC to the Big 12 and onto a bigger national stage.
For a program trying to quickly reset its identity, this is exactly the type of move that accelerates a rebuild.
Winner: Florida State
Despite another down season and growing noise around Mike Norvell’s job security, Florida State quietly had one of the more productive Day 2s in terms of quarterback momentum.
The Seminoles have visits lined up with Anthony Colandrea, Ashton Daniels, and DJ Lagway, three very different but very intriguing options for a team searching for stability at quarterback after Thomas Castellanos dropped his appeal for an extra year of eligibility.
Colandrea, in particular, feels like an underrated potential win. He ranks as PFSN’s 14th-best quarterback by impact score and carries an impressive 86.7 grade. He’s one of the best dual-threat QBs available on the market and fits the mold they had with Castellanos last year. Landing a player of that caliber would be a huge boost for an offense that desperately needs consistency.
Lagway remains the high-ceiling option. His 2025 grade dropped to 71.2 from 75.6 the previous year, but the tools are undeniable. He has a cannon arm, strong pocket awareness, and the kind of raw ability that can change games. The key will be limiting turnovers and refining decision-making, something Florida State could afford to bet on given the program’s current situation.
Considering how negatively the program has been perceived nationally, the Seminoles positioning themselves to potentially land a quarterback of this caliber feels like a quiet but significant win.
Loser: College Football
At some point, the broader context needs to be addressed, and Day 2 of the portal reinforced that point.
The transfer portal has turned college football completely upside down. The number of players entering continues to grow, and the chaos feels worse than it did even a year ago. Roster turnover at this level is unprecedented in any sport. There’s no real structure, no guardrails, and very little long-term stability.
While the portal can absolutely be a positive, it’s increasingly exposing its darker side. Players chase money, leave programs that invested in them, and mid-major Group of Five schools are stuck doing the heavy lifting of development, only to watch their rosters get poached by Power Four programs. Those schools are then forced to rebuild entire teams from scratch each year.
Right now, college football feels like annual free agency with no contracts, no salary cap, and no balance. Entire rosters can flip in one offseason, and success often comes down to which schools have the most money rather than the best development plans.
Something has to change. Whether it’s contracts, a salary cap, or stricter portal windows, the current model doesn’t feel sustainable for players, coaches, or programs.
Surprise: Sam Leavitt and Kentucky
If you had said a few weeks ago that Sam Leavitt’s first portal visit would be to Kentucky, most people would’ve laughed. When he entered the portal looking to leave Arizona State and Kenny Dillingham, the assumption was that bigger brands, such as Oregon, LSU, or even Indiana, would be the most logical fits.
Instead, Leavitt’s trip to Lexington may have changed everything.
By all accounts, the visit went extremely well. Reports indicate Leavitt spent late hours studying film with new head coach Will Stein, and that detail tells you a lot about what’s driving this decision. The draw doesn’t appear to be uniforms, NIL numbers, or brand power — it’s development.
Few coaches in college football have done more for quarterback development in recent years than Will Stein. At Oregon, his offensive guidance helped propel Bo Nix to first-round NFL Draft status in 2024, guided Dillon Gabriel to a third-round selection in 2025, and positioned Dante Moore as a likely future first-round pick in 2026 or 2027. That track record has turned Stein into a go-to coach for quarterbacks focused on long-term NFL success.
Leavitt’s metrics support the intrigue. His PFSN QB Impact Grade dipped from 82.0 in 2024 to 79.2 in 2025, but that regression came during an injury-plagued season with significant talent loss around him at Arizona State. The lack of stability made it difficult for him to fully showcase his ability.
With the right system and a coach proven to elevate quarterbacks, Kentucky suddenly looks like a very real and smart landing spot for Leavitt to return to his 2024 form.
