The transfer portal has quickly evolved into a second – and perhaps the primary – way of building a team’s roster in the span of one off-season. Teams such as Colorado, Oregon and Mississippi have invested vast capital into the portal in hopes of landing some of college football’s most sought-after stars on temporary contracts.
Unsurprisingly, a handful of players on this list are from the NIL stables of Dan Lanning and Lane Kiffin, who spent well north of five million dollars each to re-tool their rosters after massive turnover at the end of last season.
Below is my list of the best transfers from the 2024 season at each respective position.
Quarterback: Cam Ward (Miami) – SR
Ward’s 4,313 passing yards were second in the country in 2024, as the Washington State transfer compiled numerous single season records in his lone year as a Hurricane.
Ward led the country in passing touchdowns (39), was fourth in passer rating (172.2) and led Miami to the program’s most wins since 2017 (10). The Heisman finalist will most likely be a top five pick this spring.
Honorable Mention: Will Howard, Riley Leonard, Dillon Gabriel, Kyle McCord
Running back: Damien Martinez (Miami) – JR
Ward’s Hurricane teammate and fellow PAC-12 transfer, Martinez swiftly unlocked another dimension of his game in 2024 after moving from Corvallis in the spring.
Martinez rumbled for 1,206 scrimmage yards and notched a career high in receiving yards (204) and touchdowns (10) in his first year as a Hurricane. The third year back averaged over six yards per attempt en-route to an eighth-place finish in the ACC.
Honorable Mention: Anthony Tyus III, Star Thomas, Desmond Reid, Anthony Hankerson, Jonah Coleman, Woody Marks, Quinshon Judkins
Wide Receiver: Matthew Golden (Texas) – JR
The in-state transfer recorded career highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (987) and touchdowns (9) in 2024 and was a vital part of the Longhorn’s Playoff run.
Golden’s shot play ability and large catch radius made him a go-to target for Quinn Ewers, who found the third year wideout seven times for 149 yards and a touchdown in a Playoff win over Arizona State.
Wide Receiver: Ja’Corey Brooks (Louisville) – SR
Brooks evolved into a true No. 1 wide receiver after transferring out of Alabama for his senior season. The 6-foot-2 Brooks reeled in 61 passes for 1,013 yards and nine scores in 2024, leading Louisville in all three categories.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Coleman Jr., LaJohntay Webster, Eric McAlister, Mario Williams
Tight End: Justin Joly (NC State) – JR
The Connecticut transfer gets the nod over Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers due to his athleticism and problems caused in coverage. Joly scored four times on 43 catches and was a stable presence on an otherwise chaotic Wolfpack offense.
Honorable Mention: Eli Stowers
Offensive Tackle: JC Davis (Illinois) – SR
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Davis allowed a handful of pressures (16) but limited his allowed sacks to just one in his first season at the Power Four level.
Offensive Tackle: Nolan Rucci (Penn State) – JR
Rucci stepped into a starting role for the Nittany Lions in 2024 after spending two seasons in Madison with the Badgers, allowing 13 pressures, eight hurries and one sack against some of the most vaunted pass rushing units in the nation.
Honorable Mention: Monroe Mills
Interior Offensive Line: Ar’Maj Reed-Adams (Texas A&M) – JR
The brutishly physical Reed-Adams allowed just one quarterback hit in his first season as in College Station, anchoring the Aggie offensive line from the interior. Reed-Adams’ heavy hands and awareness will be sought after this April.
Interior Offensive Line: Cayden Green (Missouri) – SO
The highly sought after Green slid inside for the Tigers in 2024 and produced at an arguably higher level, allowing just one sack, one quarterback hit and nine hurries. Green will return in 2025 for his junior season as one of the best IOL in America.
Interior Offensive Line: Parker Brailsford (Alabama) – SO
Brailsford chose to head east with Kalen DeBoer last Spring, sliding into the center role for a retooled Tide offense. Brailsford was outstanding in pass protection, allowing just one quarterback hit and zero sacks.
Honorable Mention: Seth McLaughlin, Nate Kalepo, Zeke Correll
Interior Defensive Line: Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) – JR
Nolen solidified himself as a day one selection in the NFL Draft with an outstanding – yet inconsistent – junior season. The former No. 1 overall recruit flexed the pedigree with a six-sack season for the Rebels.
Interior Defensive Line: Derrick Harmon (Oregon) – SR
Harmon’s emergence as a true pass rushing threat from the interior may very well play him into a first-round selection come April. The tough-nosed senior produced 55 pressures and five sacks on 346 pass rush snaps.
Honorable Mention: Jamaree Caldwell, LT Overton, Aeneas Peebles
Edge Rusher: Mikail Kamara (Indiana) — JR
Kamara was part of the convoy brought over by Curt Cignetti from James Madison, and quickly asserted himself a game-changer off the edge for the Hoosiers. Kamara spearheaded the Indiana pass rush with 15 TFL, 10 sacks and three FR, leading the defense to its best output since 2020.
Edge Rusher: Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) – SR
The fifth-year senior used his final year of eligibility in Oxford after spending the previous four in Gainesville. Umanmielen evolved into a true sack artist as a Rebel, recording 10.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 55 pressures across 474 snaps.
Honorable Mention: Nic Scourton, Trey Moore, Caiden Woullard, Tyler Barron
Off-Ball Linebacker: Chris Paul Jr. (Ole Miss) – JR
Paul recorded 88 tackles, 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks and four passes defended in a swiss-army knife (or STAR) role for the Rebel defense in 2024. Paul, who spent three years in Fayetteville with the Razorbacks, boosted his NFL Draft stock by evolving into a positionless wonder under Pete Golding in Oxford.
Off-Ball Linebacker: Demetrius Knight Jr. (South Carolina) – SR
Using his sixth year of eligibility as a Gamecock after stops at Charlotte and Georgia Tech, Knight served as a leader on one of the SEC’s saltiest defenses. Logging 82 tackles and eight TFL, Knight earned a sterling 85.8 PFF run defense grade in 2024.
Honorable Mention: Scooby Williams, Teddye Buchanan
Cornerback: Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) – SO
McCoy’s physical pass coverage anchored a volunteer secondary that established itself as one of the stingiest in the SEC. The Oregon State transfer defended nine passes – picking off four – in his sophomore season, earning an 89.6 PFF coverage grade.
Cornerback: Jabbar Muhammad (Oregon) – SR
Muhammad’s transition from Washington to Oregon proved significant, bolstering the Duck run defense en route to an undefeated regular season. The fifth-year senior defended 12 passes and combined for 41 tackles.
Honorable Mention: AJ Harris, Domani Jackson, Trey Amos, Toriano Pride Jr., Will Lee III
Safety: Caleb Downs (Ohio State) – SO
Downs further proved why he is considered among the nation’s best at the position, rallying the Buckeye defense on crucial stops against Texas in the CFP Semifinal as a part of his Conensus All-American sophomore season.
Safety: Andrew Mukuba (Texas) – SR
Mukuba’s game-sealing interception against Arizona State was a snippet of a spectacular senior season which included five interceptions, 69 tackles and four TFL. Mukuba combined with Michael Taaffe and Jahdae Barron to form one of the country’s best secondaries in 2024.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Catalon