As the college football transfer portal window closes, rosters for the 2026 season have been set. On3 is using the On3 Comprehensive Top 25 Projects to view the top impact transfer portals for each Way-Too-Early Top 25 program.
Here’s a full breakdown of how the addition of the transfer portal will impact each of the preseason top 25 plans:
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1. Ohio: With All-American Kayden McDonald headed to the NFL, the Buckeyes knew they needed to address their defensive tackle situation. They added Alabama transfer defensive lineman James Smith, a former five-star recruit who became the Crimson Tide’s starter in 2025. Smith had 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season while also recording two quarterback rushes and a pass breakup.
2. Indiana: The Indians will no longer have quarterback Fernando Mendoza in 2026, but the Hoosiers are improving their wide receiver room. Curt Cignetti’s program has landed one of its top wide receivers in the portal in Michigan transfer Nick Marsh. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Marsh provides Indiana’s new transfer quarterback Josh Hoover with a big target in the passing game. He has 100 career catches for 1,311 yards, providing the Indians with an ideal replacement in Elijah Sarratt, who is entering the NFL Draft.
3. Texas: The Longhorns are looking to land a game-changing wide receiver in the transfer portal for Archie Manning. The Longhorns accomplished that goal, beating out Alabama, Texas A&M and Texas Tech to land Auburn transfer Cam Coleman. Coleman is ranked No. 1 in the On3 transfer portal with 93 career catches for 1,306 yards. He continues to make jaw-dropping catches for the Tigers. Now, he’s teamed up with Manning to give the Texas a top receiver to pair with Ryan Wingo.
4. Georgia: The Bulldogs view wide receiver as a much-needed position in the portal with speedster Zachariah Branch headed to the NFL. They added Georgia Tech’s Isiah Canion, who is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and will be a key target for Stockton in the passing game. In 2025, he had 33 receptions for 480 yards.
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5. Oregon: The Ducks beat Texas Tech to acquire Minnesota transfer safety Koi Perich, who has emerged as one of the most exciting players in the sport. He had 128 tackles and six interceptions over the past two seasons. He will take over from Dillon Thieneman to lead Oregon’s secondary at safety.
6. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish have arguably added two impactful players to their defensive line: Oregon State’s Tion Gray and Pitt’s Francis Bruw. Both are expected to step up and contribute right away. Gray is 6-foot-6, 336 pounds and has a lot of potential. Blue had 51 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble over the past two seasons with the Panthers.
7. Texas Tech University: The biggest win of the portal cycle Joey McGuire’s Plans to land Cincinnati transfer quarterback Brendan Thorsby. Despite visiting LSU after the trip to Lubbock, Saulsby chose the Red Raiders and gave them a three-year starter to bolster their offense. The Red Raiders have done a lot of work to revamp their defensive line, but hope Sotheby’s performance can help them advance in the CFP.
T8. Texas A&M University: northwest edge Ando Ban Expect to come into a college town and be a difference-maker right away. The Aggies have recruited a lot of talent across the board, including Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, but the belief is that Saka can improve the pass rush. He has 14 career tackles for loss and 12 sacks, including three forced fumbles.
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T8. Miami: As the Hurricanes head toward the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, they’re also working to reload the transfer portal. Miami gets biggest portal win of cycle on Duke quarterback Darian Mensah. This is the third cycle in a row that Mario Cristobal has been out and landed one of the top quarterbacks. The former Tulane transfer has an 18-9 record as a starter.
10. Oklahoma: The Sooners are starting to add wide receiver talent around John Martel. But they also added starting experience to protect him on the offensive line. Arkansas offensive tackle E’Marion Harris will come in and start immediately. Harris was a 24-game starter for the Razorbacks.
11. Brigham Young University: The Cougars selected Cal linebacker Cade Uluave, who earned first-team ACC honors last year with 100 tackles. He’s a junior with one year of eligibility remaining, giving BYU one of the best linebackers in the portal.
12. Louisiana State University: Despite multiple twists and turns, Lane Kiffin has prioritized Sam Leavitt as his top quarterback option in the portal. The Arizona State transfer visited LSU but continued on to Tennessee and Miami. Kiffin continued his full-court press on Leavitt and even flew to Knoxville for a face-to-face meeting with the quarterback before he left for Miami. The hard work paid off as Leavitt is recovering from a season-ending injury. It’s unclear how he will perform in spring practice, but if Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. can develop Leavitt and take him to the next level, it will be a significant improvement for the Tigers. He threw for 4,652 yards in his career, with 46 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff in 2024.
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13.Old lady: With Lane Kiffin leaving Mississippi State before the first round of the College Football Playoff, new head coach Pete Golding There is time to prepare a plan for transferring the portal. Golding and the Rebels are excited about the upgrades they’ve made, but the most impactful might be wide receiver Darrell Gill. The Syracuse wide receiver’s experience will be key in filling the void left by Caiden Lee.
14. Michigan: Michigan lost sacks leader Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham to the NFL Draft, leaving a huge hole at pass rusher. Kyle Whittingham immediately addressed a need in the portal, finding an immediate impact player in Utah’s John Henry Daley. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound EDGE totaled 48 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2025. The All-American has two seasons of eligibility remaining and is fully recovered from his foot injury in the spring of 2026.
15. University of Southern California: With Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane headed to the NFL, USC needs to add starting experience. The Trojans added Cam Coleman before pulling out and going all-in on NC State transfer Terrell Anderson. He has 53 career catches and is averaging over 16 yards per catch in 2025.
16. Alabama: With James Smith transferring out and needing to replace centers LT Overton and Tim Keenan on the defensive line, the Tide selected Oregon’s Terrance Green and USC’s Devan Thompkins. Green is a rotation piece for the Ducks, while Tompkins has 6.5 tackles and three sacks in 2025.
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17. Pennsylvania State University: With James Franklin fired, multiple Penn State players followed him to Virginia Tech, Matt Campbell The Nittany Lions must rebuild their roster for the 2026 season. He achieved this goal, bringing in 37 new players. Campbell brings in a familiar name at quarterback at Iowa State Rocco Becht. He was a 39-game starter who was able to handle the transition between coaches and get Penn State into the Big Ten.
T18. Utah: With JJ Buchanan following Kyle Whittingham to Michigan State, Utah State wide receiver Braden Pegan has emerged as a key player for Utah State. He finished the 2025 season with 60 catches for 926 yards and five touchdowns. He will be quarterback Devin Dampier’s top target.
T18. Washington: Aside from retaining quarterback Demond Williams, the Huskies’ best option in the portal is Virginia starting cornerback Emmanuel Carnley. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound cornerback had eight pass breakups and one interception in 2025. He is a former starter at the University of Arizona.
T18. Louisville: With Miller Moss headed to the NFL, Jeff Broohm returns to the quarterback position. The Cardinals signed Ohio State’s Lincoln Kienholz, who will compete for the starting job in 2025, and backed up Julian Sayin. He was a former four-star recruit who was highly sought after by multiple programs in the portal. Now Brohm will have a chance to develop him.
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21.Singapore Management University: Rhett Lashlee added a piece in the portal passing game for Kevin Jennings to team up with ECU wide receiver Yannick Smith. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound transfer caught 44 passes for 583 yards in 2025, giving Jennings a physical receiver to work with.
22. Iowa: FCS All-American running back and South Dakota State transfer LJ Phillips Giving Iowa State another option in the running game. He rushed for 1,921 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, choosing the Hawkeyes over interest from Penn State and Rutgers. With the return of leading edge rusher Kamari Moulton, he will give Iowa another option in the running game.
23. Missouri: Beau Pribula left the Tigers after just one season, Eli Drinkwitz was out and Mississippi State quarterback Austin Simmons was acquired. He gives Missouri a quarterback with SEC starting experience and years of eligibility remaining. Simmons opened the 2025 season for Mississippi State before he was lost due to injury and Trinidad Chambliss took over as the starter.
24. Houston: Houston signed Oregon State transfer Markie Hughes as it searched for a potential starting running back. The former Tulane transfer redshirted with the Ducks in 2025. But in two seasons at Tulane, he rushed for 2,779 yards and 24 total touchdowns. He’s expected to return to that level in 2026 when he joins the Big 12 with Houston.
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25. Vanderbilt: Offensive linemen Jordan White, Chase Mitchell, Isaiah Glass, Bryce Henderson and Sterling Porcher are all ineligible. Pitt’s Lyndon Cooper and North Dakota State’s Beau Johnson highlighted the Commodores’ efforts to fill these holes in the portal. Cooper will likely start at center, while Johnson, an FCS All-American offensive tackle, will protect five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis.
