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Tom Luginbill
The transfer portal is now college football’s most immediate roster-shaping tool, capable of changing a program’s trajectory in a single offseason.
Not every high-profile move works, but when scheme and opportunity align, the fit can do wonders. We know it’s a challenge to keep up with all the player movement in early January. So, with that in mind, we ranked the 15 best portal additions based on providing the greatest fit and value to their new programs.
Behren Morton in 2026, and the Denton, Texas, native has the luxury of joining an offense that returns most of its proven skill players next season. He has Big 12 experience and adds a dynamic dual-threat skill set that Texas Tech’s offense lacked in 2025. Sorsby is well-versed in the Red Raiders’ spread elements and he’s effective as a designated runner who creates with his legs when plays break down. Sorsby’s ability to operate the run-pass option game efficiently will make Texas Tech harder to defend.
Arizona State to LSU
Leavitt is Lane Kiffin’s most high-profile portal addition, and the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year will immediately invite comparisons to Trinidad Chambliss and Jaxson Dart, who thrived as dual threats under Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. Leavitt is not as natural of a passer as either Chambliss or Dart. Instead, he’s more of a sandlot-style quarterback with incredible instincts and dynamic running ability in an open spread scheme who is among the best in college football at keeping plays alive. With a live arm and plenty of athleticism, look for LSU to deploy Leavitt much like Ole Miss did with Chambliss once he took over in 2025.
Parker Livingstone, DeAndre Moore Jr. and Jaime Ffrench Jr. to the portal, Coleman is a premier addition opposite current Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo. Both the 6-foot-3 Coleman and 6-2 Wingo have excellent size, ball skills and body control. Coleman specializes as an acrobatic playmaker. He arrives in Austin with a highlight reel of spectacular plays on the ball when contested or tracking the deep ball. His wide catch radius and flexible body control make him a distinct threat in the vertical passing game for Arch Manning.
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Rocco Becht finds Dominic Overby for Cyclones TD
Rocco Becht airs one out to Dominic Overby to put the Cyclones up 7-0.
Iowa State to Penn State
Like Brown and Auburn, Becht’s familiarity with coach Matt Campbell is a boon for Penn State as it installs a new system and tries to hit the ground running. Adding Becht’s lengthy track record of production was a no-brainer. The Nittany Lions’ overhauled roster includes plenty of familiar faces from Iowa State, including almost its entire supporting cast from 2025, headlined by running back Carson Hansen and wide receiver Chase Sowell. A 39-game starter, Becht can set the culture early and lead the rest of the newcomers.
TCU to Indiana
Can Indiana hit the quarterback lottery three years in a row? If Hoover’s large sample size of production is any indication, the answer is yes. He threw for over 9,000 yards and 71 touchdowns as a three-year starter for TCU. The 6-2, 200-pound redshirt junior doesn’t have the physical stature of Kurtis Rourke or Fernando Mendoza, but he brings moxie and a gunslinger’s play style to Bloomington. Indiana doesn’t beat itself with turnovers, so Hoover will have to become more risk-averse and minimize mistakes to live up to this ranking after throwing 13 interceptions in 2025.
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NC State to South Carolina
With so few premier offensive tackles available in any given portal cycle, landing one is a big deal. For South Carolina, Peak’s arrival comes at a position where it needs better production. He has 33 career starts with experience at both tackle spots after flipping to left tackle in 2025. The Gamecocks surrendered 43 sacks in 2025 and will likely have five new starters up front in 2026 under new offensive line coach Randy Clements. Expect Peak to be the upperclassman leader of this group.
Florida State to Ohio State
Caleb Downs thrived in Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme and now ranks as one of the top overall 2026 NFL draft prospects. Little, who played a similar rover role at Florida State, arrives with a lot of the same physical attributes. He’s a versatile, physical safety who thrives as an enforcer in the box and led Florida State with 76 tackles. He also has enough range and coverage skills to make plays on the ball, picking off a team-high four passes this season. Patricia’s disruptive and complex scheme can be demanding, but Little’s experience and skill set will help fill the void of Downs’ departure.
North Texas to Oklahoma State
Like Brown and Becht above, Mestemaker’s familiarity with Eric Morris’ offense is an immediate advantage. But Mestemaker has far less experience with just one prolific year as an FBS starter under his belt. Still, Morris is diving into a difficult rebuild in Stillwater and has already secured commitments from upward of 50 incoming freshmen and transfers, so the stability at quarterback is important. Mestemaker will need some time to adjust to better Big 12 defenses, and he isn’t a hidden gem any longer. He’s a prototypical pocket-style Air Raid quarterback reminiscent of those from Mike Leach’s offenses from the mid-2000s, and he’ll have former North Texas teammate running back Caleb Hawkins joining him at Oklahoma State.
Michigan State to Indiana
Marsh is a carbon copy of outgoing Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt, who has 12 receiving touchdowns entering the national championship, and arrives at the perfect time. He’s an ideal plug-and-play addition as an outside receiving threat. Marsh should work well with Hoover because he is a security blanket on the deep ball who makes huge plays even when he’s covered. Marsh caught 100 passes for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns over two years at Michigan State. Expect his targets to only increase now that he’s on a better roster with improved quarterback play.
Wake Forest to Texas Tech
After spending his first two seasons with FCS Georgetown, Ibirogba broke out in 2025 for Wake Forest. He can play all four spots along the front. Ibirogba produced 19 pressures and 3.5 tackles for loss along with two sacks in 2025. Texas Tech is again loading up along the defensive front and will lose two of its interior defensive linemen in Lee Hunter and Skyler Gill-Howard to graduation. Ibirogba fills a need and his versatility will fit in. Listed at 6-3, 296 pounds, Ibirogba has gained weight and is much better at the point of attack compared to when he arrived at Wake Forest.
Utah to Michigan
Like the quarterbacks listed above, Daley is a proven scheme fit after following Kyle Whittingham from Utah to Ann Arbor. The redshirt sophomore earned All-Big 12 and All-America honors in 2025 for the Utes. With Michigan defensive end Derrick Moore moving on, Daley can fill the void as a proven edge defender who is stout at the point of attack against the run. His rugged, tough style fits the Michigan mentality. His position coach, Lewis Powell, also comes over from Utah, so Whittingham, Daley and Powell are all on the same page.
Hollywood Smothers, the Longhorns added a pair of backs who can hit a home run at any moment.
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SMU evades many Stanford tacklers before scoring a 42-yard TD
SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Chris Johnson Jr. pull off a slick play, capping it with Johnson flipping into the end zone for the touchdown against Stanford.
SMU to Clemson
Johnson is a home run threat and one of the fastest players in college football. Clemson’s offense lacked a dynamic speedster at running back and struggled to run the ball consistently in 2025, with Adam Randall developing into more of a power runner. Johnson was part of a running back rotation at SMU where he was also a staple in the passing game. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and 10.6 yards per reception. His explosive play rate was among the best in college football. New offensive coordinator Chad Morris will highlight Johnson’s versatility, speed and ball skills.
Boston College to Indiana
Richard perfectly fits Indiana’s identity. The 5-8 running back didn’t have many Power 4 offers out of high school, but one of the first programs to offer him was James Madison when Curt Cignetti was at the helm. Richard ultimately made it to Boston College, where he ran for 749 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. The Hoosiers have been quite successful targeting proven performers in the portal to step into vacancies, and Richard will have plenty of opportunity with both Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black moving on. Richard has a sturdy, compact build similar to Black with great initial quickness and surprising strength for his size, and his impact as a pass catcher adds a different flavor than most running back recruits under Cignetti.
