Top CFB Impact Transfers

Since the creation of the transfer portal and the adoption of a one-time free transfer, college sports has seen a meteoric rise in players transferring. It’s not just backups looking for more playing time anymore, it includes superstar QBs and elite PGs just looking for a different home. Here, I rank the top seven transfer acquisitions in college football.

College Football Transfers

1. QB Caleb Williams to USC (from Oklahoma)

After stripping incumbent Spencer Rattler from the starting QB role at Oklahoma, Caleb Williams chose to enter the transfer portal after the season concluded. A former top recruit, Williams flashed Heisman potential as a true freshman. Unsurprisingly, Caleb followed his old coach Lincoln Riley to USC. I see no reason why he won’t be the best QB in the Pac-12 and a legitimate Heisman candidate as a Trojan.

2. QB Jaxson Dart to Ole Miss (from USC)

Caleb Williams is awesome, but it’s not like USC really needed a QB. Another true freshman, Jaxson Dart, was electric once he supplanted Kedon Slovis as the starting QB in LA. He’s a great athlete with pinpoint accuracy, making him a hot commodity once he entered the portal. The eccentric and offensive-minded Lane Kiffin was able to lure Dart to Oxford to be the replacement to the departing Matt Corral. Dart’s development at Ole Miss should be fun to watch and could help Ole Miss become a legit contender in the SEC.

3. CB Eli Ricks to Alabama (from LSU)

Taking a break from QBs, Eli Ricks was off to an impressive start as a starter for LSU before he entered the transfer portal. With CBs Jalyn Armour-Davis and Josh Jobe leaving for the NFL, Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide were in the market for a CB from the transfer portal. You rarely see a high-caliber player like Ricks transfer to a top rival, but Tuscaloosa was too intriguing for him to turn down. He’ll become an instant starter for Alabama and help contribute to likely one of the best defensive units in the country.

4. QB Quinn Ewers to Texas (from Ohio State)

In 2021, Quinn Ewers chose to skip his senior season of high school to enroll early at Ohio State and cash in on a huge NIL deal. It was no big surprise that Ewers didn’t get a ton of playing time as a true freshman that didn’t arrive until fall, but with the emergence of CJ Stroud, Ewers entered the portal to seek greener pastures. With the opportunity to return to his home state, Steve Sarkisian and Texas secured a commitment from the former number one recruit. He has yet to establish himself at the college level, but it's hard not to be excited about Quinn's potential as a Longhorn.

5. RB Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama (from Georgia Tech)

Alabama already had a solid RB room headlined by Trey Sanders, Jase McClellan, and Roydell Williams, but they couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity to land a talent like Jahmyr Gibbs. He didn’t get a ton of national recognition at Georgia Tech, but Gibbs was quietly one of the better backs in the country last year. He might not take on a huge load of touches with a deep RB room and the presence of Heisman QB Bryce Young, but Gibbs takes Alabama’s offense to the next level.

6. QB Spencer Rattler to South Carolina (from Oklahoma)

After being benched midseason at Oklahoma, many folks thought that Spencer Rattler would return to his home state of Arizona and become a Wildcat or Sun Devil. Instead, Rattler took his talents to the deep south and became a Gamecock. This gives Spencer an opportunity to show off his skills against the toughest competition in the country. Rattler was also able to entice Oklahoma TE Austin Stogner to follow him to South Carolina, giving him a reliable and familiar target.

7. S Brandon Joseph to Notre Dame (from Northwestern)

Brandon Joseph was an All-American as a redshirt freshman at Northwestern, but flew under the radar in 2021 as Northwestern fell into irrelevancy. Replacing Kyle Hamilton’s impact on the Notre Dame defense is a nearly impossible task, but Joseph should do an adequate job and become one of Notre Dame’s top defenders.

**note: this list does not include transfers who have yet to commit such as WR Jordan Addison or DT Jermayne Lole

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! What transfer do you think will have the biggest impact? Is the transfer portal good for college sports? Let me know in the comment below!

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