Arizona State, Indiana and SMU proved it's possible in 2024. If you can make all the right moves in transfer portal recruiting, you can shock the world with a team talented enough to make a run all the way to the College Football Playoff.
Which programs have an opportunity to do the same thing in 2025? Let's dig into the numbers. In this new era of unlimited transfers, the portal is more essential to roster construction than ever before. This offseason, Power 4 programs added more than 13,000 career starts and more than 930,000 career snaps of Division I experience to their rosters via the portal.
As these programs scour the lists of thousands of players who enter the portal in December and April, they're searching for players who bring experience. Curt Cignetti won 11 games in his debut season at Indiana by wisely betting on production over potential with the newcomers he built his program around.
"When you've got a guy who's been a two- or three-year starter and has production numbers for three years, to me, there's an intangible factor there," Cignetti told ESPN last year. "There's something that guy's got that keeps him on the field for 12 games a year for three straight years with good production numbers. I put a premium on those guys that are out there practicing day in and day out, playing game in and game out and producing year in and year out."
Experienced starters are expensive when they hit the open market. There aren't quite as many sixth-year super seniors returning this fall as the COVID-year players graduate and cycle out, but there were still a ton of veteran players who entered the portal for one extra year of college and NIL earnings rather than enter the draft and try to make an NFL roster or practice squad.
We've compiled career start and snap data for every FBS (via ESPN Research) and FCS (via Pro Football Focus) transfer who signed with a Power 4 program this offseason to identify which programs did the most -- or the least -- with their portal shopping. Division II, D-III and junior college experience is not accounted for here, nor were starts by specialists.
Here's who brought in the most Division I experience with their transfer acquisitions, starting with the 10 teams that added the most career snaps.
Most experience added
1. West Virginia Mountaineers
Incoming transfers: 51
Starts added: 462
Snaps added: 32,779
Experienced additions: DB Jordan Walker, Chattanooga (2,067 career snaps); DB Fred Perry, Jacksonville State (1,895); DB Darrian Lewis, Akron (1,740); LB Chase Wilson, Colorado State (1,673); DB Jason Chambers, App State (1,532); WR Justin Smith-Brown, South Carolina State (1,345); DE Jimmori Robinson, UTSA (1,302)
Rich Rodriguez has returned to Morgantown after 17 years away, and the head coach has brought a ton of new faces with him.
The Mountaineers program he's taking over hasn't been awful in recent years, with bowl trips in four of the last five seasons and a 9-4 run in 2023, but a solid roster predictably splintered after former coach Neal Brown's firing with 21 scholarship players exiting via the portal at the end of the season.
Those departures gave Rodriguez and his staff room to build up the roster to their liking - and then they freed up plenty more with another 25 scholarship players hitting the portal in April.
By the time the spring portal window closed and the dust settled, West Virginia's 105-man roster included just 42 returning players from last year's team. This is one of the most ambitious Year 1 roster flips of the portal era. And to his credit, Rich Rod has rapidly surrounded himself with veteran players. No Power 4 program has added more career snaps and starts than West Virginia this offseason. Among the Mountaineers' newcomers are 35 players with starting experience and 16 who've played more than 1,000 snaps at the Division I level. On offense, they're rolling with nine new wide receivers and 10 new offensive linemen. They've totally remade their secondary, too, with 12 DBs added via the portal.
"I've never had this little amount of in-their-own-program experience," Rodriguez told ESPN. "You get some experience out of the portal, guys that have played a little bit -- they just haven't played for West Virginia."
The new staff brought Perry, WR Cam Vaughn, DB Derek Carter and three more transfers with them from Jacksonville State. They landed the AAC's reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Robinson to lead a long list of experienced Group of 5 transfers who they trust can play at a high level in the Big 12. This portal class also has nine transfers coming in from the FCS level and four more from D-II.
Rodriguez noted he went into last season at Jacksonville State with a similar challenge of coaching more than 60 newcomers.
"We started off 0-3 and everybody's panicking," he said. "I'm like, 'This ain't reflecting what I think we have.' I thought we were better, and then we got on a run and won the conference. What I thought we had is what we had, it just took longer. So I'm trying to learn from that."
When you bring in this many players at one time, you're certainly counting on a majority of them to emerge as reliable starters and contributors. If West Virginia can pull that off and find a few standouts and steals along the way, this program should get right back to being a factor in the Big 12.
When asked at Big 12 media day if he was excited to bring in as much experience as he did this offseason, Rodriguez grinned.
"I'd rather have 20 returning starters, are you s---ting me?" he quipped. "I've got two!"
2. Virginia Cavaliers
Incoming transfers: 31
Starts added: 447
Snaps added: 30,320
Experienced additions: OL Makilan Thomas, Arkansas State (2,303 snaps); OL Monroe Mills, Louisville (2,259); OL Tyshawn Wyatt, James Madison (2,136); OL Brady Wilson, UAB (2,080); WR Cam Ross, James Madison (1,765)
If you're looking for this year's Vanderbilt, a team that flips its fortunes and suddenly has the goods to pull big upsets and get everyone's attention, there's a strong case to be made for Virginia. What Tony Elliott and his coaching staff have achieved in portal recruiting this offseason has flown under the national radar, but it's quite impressive on paper.
The Cavaliers were aggressive about chasing proven talent during portal season, and their efforts yielded 11 incoming transfers who've been 20-plus game starters. They pulled off a big-time upgrade at QB after losing Anthony Colandrea, winning the battle for veteran North Texas transfer Chandler Morris, who finished No. 7 nationally in total offense last season. They also landed a potential QB of the future in Nebraska's Daniel Kaelin.
They were willing to spend to overhaul their offensive line and got a lot better with four multiyear starters in Thomas, Mills, Wilson and Wyatt. They've had some rough luck with Thomas and Mills going down with injuries but did manage to add even more help in the spring window with Wallace Unamba (Kentucky) and David Wohlabaugh Jr. (Syracuse).
Their 121st ranked pass defense got plenty of help, too, with nine additions in the secondary who've combined for 100 career starts, including experienced starters Devin Neal (Louisville), Ja'Son Prevard (Morgan State) and Da'Marcus Crosby II (New Mexico State). They're betting on their evaluations with several more FCS standouts in this cycle including DL Cazeem Moore (Elon), DL Daniel Rickert (Tennessee Tech) and LB Maddox Marcellus (Eastern Kentucky).
All three earned all-conference honors in 2024.
Virginia has made a significant investment with this squad, giving a head coach with a 11-23 record over three seasons a chance to make a big move. The Cavaliers haven't pulled off a top-25 finish in the AP poll since 2004. Don't be surprised if they now have what it takes to make some noise in this ACC race.
3. Purdue Boilermakers
Incoming transfers: 52
Starts added: 377
Snaps added: 26,465
Experienced additions: DB Tony Grimes, UNLV (2,356 snaps); DB TD Williams, Central Arkansas (1,700); OL Jalen St. John, UNLV (1,484); DB Tahj Ra-El, Memphis (1,438); OL Jude McCoskey, Tulane (1,280)
Barry Odom inherited a 5-7 team at UNLV and had the Rebels playing for a Mountain West title and finishing 11-3 within just two years. Now he's attempting a far more daunting roster flip at Purdue after the program slid to the bottom of the Big Ten standings with a brutal 1-11 season.
Purdue's two-deep got absolutely shredded during portal season, with 24 scholarship players leaving for other Power 4 programs who combined for more than 250 career starts and more than 17,000 snaps. The Boilermakers had 121 players on their roster going into the 2024 season opener. Among that group, 83 (69%) are gone and 38 were still listed on the spring roster. Last year's team had 20 juniors. Only four are back for their senior season.
Odom and his staff have restocked with 52 incoming transfers (most among the Power 4), including 16 who've started 10 or more games in their careers. Eight UNLV transfers are coming in led by Grimes, St. John, TE Christian Moore and LB Mani Powell. They've had to rebuild their fronts with 18 incoming offensive or defensive linemen and have picked up 11 transfers in the secondary. They've also picked up quite a few former four-star recruits like QB Malachi Singleton (Arkansas), WR Nitro Tuggle (Georgia), TE Rico Walker (Auburn) and OL Marques Easley (Georgia) who'll have several years of eligibility remaining.
Odom pulled off a turnaround in Las Vegas with portal additions such as Ricky White III, Jackson Woodard and Jalen Catalon who developed into all-conference performers. He's bringing that same blueprint to a program with greater resources, but the name of the game is still collecting lots of undervalued talent like he did at his previous stop.
4. Arizona Wildcats
Incoming transfers: 27
Starts added: 403
Snaps added: 25,467
Experienced additions: WR Kris Hutson, Washington State (1,905 snaps); WR Javin Whatley, Chattanooga (1,623); DB Ayden Garnes, West Virginia (1,571); LB Blake Gotcher, Northwestern State (1,565); OL Ka'ena Decambra, Hawaii (1,506)
Brent Brennan and his coaching staff attacked portal recruiting with urgency after a disappointing 4-8 debut season. They re-signed starting QB Noah Fifita but had to add a lot more talent around him for 2025 with 35 scholarship players departing via the portal this offseason. The experience level of the Wildcats' portal haul really stands out, with a dozen players coming in who've played more than 1,000 D-I snaps.
Hutson was the third-most experienced FBS receiver available in the portal in starts (32) and snaps (1,905) and should see plenty of targets in an offense that must replace first-round pick Tetairoa McMillian's prolific production. Texas State transfer RB Ismail Mahdi has put up the fourth-most all-purpose yards (3,593) in FBS over the past two seasons. If the Wildcats can solidify their offensive line with their six portal additions and find a few gems among their 10 FCS transfers, they could have the right ingredients for a nice bounce-back season.
5. Louisville Cardinals
Incoming transfers: 30
Starts added: 364
Snaps added: 24,126
Experienced additions: OL Mahamane Moussa, Purdue (2,080 snaps); DB Rodney Johnson, Southern (1,779); DB JoJo Evans, Florida International (1,587); DL Denzel Lowry, Old Dominion (1,574); OL Makylan Pounders, Mississippi State (1,430)
Loading up on experienced transfers has helped coach Jeff Brohm win 19 games over two seasons at his alma mater. Louisville clearly knows what they're doing when it comes to evaluating and prioritizing quality players on the open market. USC transfer QB Miller Moss was a big get for Year 3, and he'll get to work with lots of proven newcomers this fall.
The Cardinals picked up seven offensive linemen who've combined for 120 career starts and also landed five multiyear starters on defense led by Evans, a first-team All-CUSA selection at FIU last season, and Rutgers transfer DE Wesley Bailey. If you can keep stacking quality portal classes like Louisville has while also steadily developing young talent, you can build up a roster with genuine competitive depth and become an annual ACC contender. Brohm and his staff continue to do a really good job on that front.
6. Houston Cougars
Incoming transfers: 28
Starts added: 357
Snaps added: 23,423
Experienced additions: DB Wrook Brown, Wyoming (1,872 snaps); TE Tanner Koziol, Wisconsin (1,587); OL Matthew Wykoff, Cal (1,578); OL McKenzie Agnello, New Mexico (1,548); DB Marc Stampley, Georgia Southern (1,353)
Coach Willie Fritz has built winning programs everywhere he's been. At Houston, he's in Year 2 of a portal-heavy rebuild at a school that's trying to catch up to the rest of its Big 12 peers. The latest haul features 19 signees who've started 10-plus games at the D-I level.
Fritz and his staff have picked up exciting players to build around on offense in QB Conner Weigman (Texas A&M) and Koziol, two of ESPN's top 100 transfers for 2025, and have complemented those additions with Wykoff and three more experienced new starters on the offensive line. The Cougars lost several key contributors on defense to the portal but managed to land some promising replacements including DE Eddie Walls III (Florida International), LB Sione Fotu (Utah) and CB Will James (Southern Miss). Brown, a 29-game starter at Wyoming, was one of the most experienced defensive backs available in the spring portal.
7. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Incoming transfers: 34
Starts added: 321
Snaps added: 22,420
Experienced additions: DB Karon Prunty, North Carolina A&T (2,487); OL Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Washington State (1,700); WR Karate Brenson, Tennessee State (1,407); OL Jacob Dennison, Ohio (1,133); DL Jayden Loving, Western Kentucky (1,056)
When coach Jake Dickert accepted the Wake Forest job in mid-December, he took on the tall task of trying to hold the Demon Deacons' roster together. The program lost six offensive starters who transferred to other Power 4 programs and a total of 16 scholarship transfers in December, but Dickert and his new staff moved quickly to recruit lots of newcomers.
Fa'amoe, the No. 5 offensive tackle in ESPN's portal top 100, was one of seven Washington State transfers who followed their coaches to Winston-Salem. The staff loaded up with transfers at wide receiver, along both lines and in the secondary to fill out their two-deep and have brought in 10 transfers from the FCS ranks. They're betting on veteran transfer QB Robby Ashford, who's started 11 games over stops at Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina, to lead their offense. They've got a ton of teaching and development to do in Year 1 of this rebuild, but Dickert and his coaches have done a nice job of addressing their needs.
8. Colorado Buffaloes
Incoming transfers: 33
Starts added: 339
Snaps added: 22,209
Experienced additions: OL Xavier Hill, Memphis (1,987 snaps); QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty (1,961); OL Zy Crisler, Illinois (1,893); OL Zarian McGill, Louisiana Tech (1,861); DL Tavian Coleman, Texas State (1,241)
The Buffaloes had plenty of work to do in the transfer windows, and it wouldn't be surprising if they end up rolling with as many as a dozen newcomers in starting roles this fall. No one player can replace the importance or production of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, but Coach Prime and his staff capitalized on their momentum from their breakthrough season and achieved a lot with their latest portal haul.
The Buffs reloaded on the offensive line yet again around Jordan Seaton with nine incoming transfers who've combined for 110 career starts led by Hill, a versatile 28-game starter and one of the top linemen on the market this spring. Salter was the second-most experienced FBS QB available in the portal and got more help with the post-spring additions of RB Dekalon Taylor (Incarnate Word) and WR Sincere Brown (Campbell) from the FCS ranks. Colorado DC Robert Livingston also got 14 new transfers to work with, including needed additions at linebacker and safety and Alabama transfer Jehiem Oatis, the No. 2 DT in ESPN's portal top 100.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies
Incoming transfers: 30
Starts added: 287
Snaps added: 21,944
Experienced additions: DB Isaiah Cash, Sam Houston (2,848 snaps); OL Tomas Rimac, West Virginia (1,932); DB Christian Ellis, New Mexico (1,527); WR Donavon Greene, Wake Forest (1,513); OL Jaden Muskrat, Auburn (1,259)
Brent Pry has made big changes going into what feels like a make-or-break season in Blacksburg with two new coordinators and lots of new contributors arriving via the portal. The Hokies have brought in several proven Power 4 starters like Rimac and Greene, but it's clear the success of this portal class will depend on whether their G5 transfers are ready to play at a high level.
Bowling Green transfer RB Terion Stewart, a first-team All-MAC performer with 2,367 career rushing yards, was limited by injury in fall camp but could be a terrific replacement for fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten, and Ben Bell (Texas State) and James Djonkam (Eastern Michigan) should lead the way for their pass rush. The Hokies are also counting on Isaiah Brown-Murray (ECU) and Tyson Flowers (Rice) to make an immediate impact in the secondary, and Cash was the most experienced defensive back available in the portal as a 38-game starter who has played 2,848 career snaps.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels
Incoming transfers: 39
Starts added: 308
Snaps added: 21,528
Experienced additions: OL Will O'Steen, Jacksonville State (2,625 snaps); OL Daniel King, Troy (2,541); OL Jakai Moore, South Carolina (1,691); OL Christo Kelly, Holy Cross (1,548); LB Andrew Simpson, Boise State (1,432)
Legendary coach Bill Belichick and his general manager Mike Lombardi have put in a lot of work to replenish North Carolina's roster with players who fit their blueprint. Their first portal class in Chapel Hill should yield a bunch of plug-and-play starters. Their rebuilt offensive line certainly stands out on paper. The Tar Heels have three returning starters but clearly viewed this position as a priority. O'Steen and King were two of the three most experienced offensive linemen available in the portal in terms of career snaps. Moore sat out last season due to shoulder surgery but earned 27 starts at South Carolina, and Kelly was a first-team All-Patriot League pick in 2024.
The Tar Heels pulled off quite a few post-spring additions who should make an impact including Simpson, LB Mikai Gbayor (Missouri) and QB Gio Lopez (South Alabama). They've also inked quite a few developmental reserves with 15 transfers coming in who've made zero career starts. The hit rate on this portal class should be fascinating to follow over the next few years, but they're hoping they've added enough to see immediate results in Year 1.
Quality over quantity
12. Florida State Seminoles
Incoming transfers: 23
Starts added: 289
Snaps added: 20,755
Experienced additions: OL Micah Pettus, Ole Miss (2,056 snaps); OL Gunnar Hansen, Vanderbilt (2,043); LB Stefon Thompson, Nebraska (1,598); OL Luke Petitbon, Wake Forest (1,593); QB Tommy Castellanos, Boston College (1,351)
After an unbelievably disappointing 2024 campaign, coach Mike Norvell made lots of changes and is hoping for much better luck with his latest transfer class. The Seminoles had 19 scholarship players move on this offseason and did a solid job of addressing their needs throughout their two-deep. Eleven of their portal pickups have played more than 1,000 career snaps. The veteran experience of Pettus, Hansen, Petitbon and Adrian Medley (UCF) was a must for overhauling Florida State's offensive line, and new DC Tony White has four multiyear starters and several more promising newcomers he can plug into the lineup.
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Incoming transfers: 22
Starts added: 284
Snaps added: 20,074
Experienced additions: OL Will Jados, Miami (Ohio) (2,150 snaps); WR Roy Alexander, Incarnate Word (2,039); OL Hunter Zambrano, Illinois State (1,637); DB Cole Wisniewski, North Dakota State (1,479); DB Dontae Balfour, Charlotte (1,477)
We've already written plenty about Texas Tech's remarkable transfer class and its all-in shove for 2025. Joey McGuire and GM James Blanchard put a lot of value in veteran experience as they built out their board for portal season. They believe they've assembled one of the best defensive lines in the country led by Lee Hunter (UCF), David Bailey (Stanford), Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and Skyler Gill-Howard (Northern Illinois). They also weren't afraid to bet on players such as North Carolina OT Howard Sampson and Miami (Ohio) WR Reggie Virgil who've been one-year starters but flashed big-time potential. Twelve members of this much-hyped portal class are listed as starters on Texas Tech's season-opening depth chart.
16. Miami Hurricanes
Incoming transfers: 18
Starts added: 256
Snaps added: 18,200
Experienced additions: WR CJ Daniels, LSU (2,134 snaps); QB Carson Beck, Georgia (1,810); TE Alex Bauman, Tulane (1,512); WR Keelan Marion, BYU (1,465); WR Tony Johnson, Cincinnati (1,461)
Miami ranks right behind Oregon in terms of snaps per player (1,011) added this offseason with a long list of starter-caliber pickups. Mario Cristobal and his staff are reloading around Beck, a 27-game starter and the No. 2 player in ESPN's transfer rankings, and got him plenty of help on offense with a trio of wideouts, top FCS freshman RB CharMar Brown (North Dakota State) and a veteran center in James Brockermeyer (TCU). The Hurricanes also did an impressive job of rebuilding their secondary with six newcomers, and Rutgers transfer LB Mohamed Toure could end up being an invaluable post-spring addition.
28. LSU Tigers
Incoming transfers: 18
Starts added: 259
Snaps added: 15,147
Experienced additions: DB A.J. Haulcy, Houston (2,070 snaps); CB Mansoor Delane, Virginia Tech (1,769); DE Patrick Payton, Florida State (1,497); OL Josh Thompson, Northwestern (1,364); OL Braelin Moore, Virginia Tech (1,346)
We've already given LSU the title belt as the offseason national champs. The Tigers are rolling with a CFP-caliber roster between the players they've retained and the huge investment they've made in talent acquisition. Eleven of the players they've brought in via the portal are seniors or redshirt juniors. Coach Brian Kelly and his GM Austin Thomas pulled off an impressive haul of multiyear starters. They got off to a hot start in December and finished strong in the spring with Haulcy, one of the most experienced safeties available as a 32-game starter. If they can bring out the best in the veteran players like Payton and WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) who are determined to boost their draft stock, this team will be hard to stop.
33. Oregon Ducks
Incoming transfers: 11
Starts added: 216
Snaps added: 13,498
Experienced additions: OL Isaiah World, Nevada (2,226 snaps); OL Emmanuel Pregnon, USC (2,210); DB Jadon Canady, Ole Miss (1,773); DB Dillon Thieneman, Purdue (1,550); DB Theran Johnson, Northwestern (1,526)
The Ducks did not need much this offseason, but the few transfers they did bring in are extremely qualified and ready to play right away. Their incoming transfers have played an average of 1,227 career snaps, by far the best among the Power 4. World, a 35-game starter at Nevada, is already garnering first-round hype this offseason. Thieneman was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year in 2023 and the No. 1 safety available in the portal. Tulane transfer RB Makhi Hughes is ESPN's No. 4-ranked returning running back for 2025. Seven of their 11 additions are seniors, a serious luxury for a program that's already recruiting at a top-five level. This is what it takes to keep winning Big Ten titles and competing for national championships, and Dan Lanning and his staff clearly get that.
35. Northwestern Wildcats
Incoming transfers: 15
Starts added: 215
Snaps added: 12,901
Experienced additions: OL Evan Beerntsen, South Dakota State (2,528 snaps); OL Xavior Gray, Liberty (2,234); WR Griffin Wilde, South Dakota State (999); QB Preston Stone, SMU (951); DB Fred Davis, Jacksonville State (949)
This transfer class isn't getting any national attention but could end up being sneaky good. The Wildcats have never taken this many transfers before but were determined to be much more competitive in portal recruiting and NIL. Stone coming in to be QB1 is obviously the headliner here, but David Braun and his staff pulled off several more key additions. Beerntsen has the most career starts (42) among offensive lineman on the move this offseason, and Gray has started 38 games. Wilde finished No.7 in FCS in receiving yards (1,147) last season and earned All-America recognition. These guys might not be big names, but Northwestern had the third-most starts added per player among the Power 4. They're going to make an impact for a squad working to bounce back from a 4-8 season.
More major hauls
11. Indiana Hoosiers
Incoming transfers: 23
Starts added: 346
Snaps added: 21,326
Experienced additions: OL Kahlil Benson, Colorado (1,754 snaps); RB Roman Hemby, Maryland (1,630); OL Pat Coogan, Notre Dame (1,529); WR Jonathan Brady, Cal (1,339); DB Devan Boykin, NC State (1,329)
Cignetti and his staff made all the right moves for their Year 1 roster flip, but they knew they'd have to do it all over again with so many seniors moving on. Transfer recruits certainly took this program a lot more seriously in December after the Hoosiers earned their CFP berth, and Cignetti achieved a high hit rate on converting official visits into signings. But can Indiana recapture the magic in 2025?
It's hard not to love what they've put together. This is a top-five portal class in terms of experience on a per-player basis with a whopping 346 career starts added. Fernando Mendoza, a 19-game starter at Cal, was ESPN's No. 4 ranked transfer QB. Hemby, Coogan, Benson, OL Zen Michalski (Ohio State) and TE Holden Staes (Tennessee) are veteran answers for each of their offensive needs. The Hoosiers also brought in five multiyear starters to reload on defense. If these guys play up to expectations, Cignetti should have what he needs to win big yet again.
14. UCF Knights
Incoming transfers: 39
Starts added: 255
Snaps added: 19,632
Experienced additions: DB Isaiah Reed, Brown (1,887 snaps); QB Cam Fancher, FAU (1,777); OL Carter Miller, UL Monroe (1,342); WR Chris Domercant, Chattanooga (1,285); LB Cole Kozlowski, Colgate (1,200)
The Knights lost a dozen players with starting experience to the portal during the coaching transition from Gus Malzahn to Scott Frost and had a ton of work to do with just 48 scholarship players on the roster when Frost arrived in Orlando. But the new head coach saw a clear positive in those chaotic first few months of recruiting: Flipping a roster no longer takes three long years of recruiting and developing. The Knights needed help and new depth at almost every position with 17 portal pickups on offense and 18 on defense. They're hoping they'll have a difference-maker at QB with Fancher, a 26-game starter over his time at FAU and Marshall, beating out fellow newcomers Tayven Jackson (Indiana) and Davi Belfort (Virginia Tech) and ex-Miami transfer Jacurri Brown for the starting job. A total of 17 transfers are projected starters entering Week 1 for the Knights.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks
Incoming transfers: 31
Starts added: 253
Snaps added: 18,356
Experienced additions: DB Quentavius Scandrett, Eastern Michigan (1,658 snaps); OL Corey Robinson II, Georgia Tech (1,616); DB Shakur Smalls, Maine (1,526); DB Jordan Young, Cincinnati (1,325); DL David Oke, Abilene Christian (1,249)
Sam Pittman and his coaches have lots of success stories they can point to among the transfers they've brought into the program, and they're expecting plenty more with this group. Robinson brings good experience as a 24-game starter at Georgia Tech and will start at left tackle. The Razorbacks are going through a major reload at wide receiver with O'Mega Blake, Jalen Brown, Raylen Sharpe, Andy Jean, Kam Shanks and Courtney Crutchfield all earning spots on the two-deep to open the season, and their secondary could feature as many as four new transfer starters. Keep an eye on running back Mike Washington Jr., too. The New Mexico State transfer was the breakout star of fall camp and could put together a huge season.
17. Ole Miss Rebels
Incoming transfers: 29
Starts added: 263
Snaps added: 17,910
Experienced additions: WR De'Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State (2,166 snaps); DB Sage Ryan, LSU (1,622); WR Harrison Wallace III, Penn State (1,334); TE Trace Bruckler, New Mexico (1,239); DB Kapena Gushiken, Washington State (1,189)
All eight of Ole Miss' NFL draft picks this past spring joined the program via the transfer portal. This year's portal haul brings a nice blend of experience, potential and depth to the table. Stribling, a 40-game starter at Oklahoma State and Washington State, and Wallace bring extensive experience among the seven new receivers and tight ends who'll complement first-year starting QB Austin Simmons. The Rebels had a lot of work to do in the secondary with seven transfer newcomers, and they also brought in five offensive linemen with starting experience. Transfer RB Kewan Lacy played just 39 snaps as a freshman at Missouri last season but looks ready to break out as the home run threat in the run game.
18. Cal Bears
Incoming transfers: 35
Starts added: 252
Snaps added: 17,890
Experienced additions: DB Hezekiah Masses, Florida International (1,906 snaps); DL Zae Smith, Houston Christian (1,712); LB TJ Bush Jr., Liberty (1,236); DB Dru Polidore, Montana State (1,168); DB Brent Austin, USF (996)
The Bears did an impressive job of finding under-the-radar transfer additions who blossomed into starters and steals in 2024. There should be several more gems in this year's haul, which features 13 players who came in with double-digit career starts elsewhere. Bush, a 26-game starter and All-CUSA standout at Liberty, was a big get as one of the top edge rushers available in the spring portal. The Bears needed to add a lot of help at running back, wide receiver, defensive back and along both lines as they continued their transition into the ACC. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is the least experienced member of this portal class and joined after a short stint at Oregon, but he'll be as valuable as it gets for this program as their true freshman starting QB.
20. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Incoming transfers: 38
Starts added: 229
Snaps added: 17,056
Experienced additions: CB Jaylin Davies, UCLA (1,503 snaps); OL Markell Samuel, App State (1,339); LB Bryan McCoy, Akron (1,289); OL Bob Schick, Virginia Tech (1,248); OL Louie Canepa, New Mexico State (1,212)
This could end up being one of the more fascinating rebuilds to follow during the 2025 season. After an awful 3-9 season, Mike Gundy brought in 11 new assistant coaches and went all-in on the portal with a rapid roster overhaul resulting in 62 newcomers joining the program. The Cowboys are rolling with at least 12 new starters who transferred in this offseason, plus a dozen more portal pickups who made the two-deep for Week 1. Samuel, Schick and Kasen Carpenter provided needed starting experience on the offensive line. There's a trio of new senior wide receivers in Christian Fitzpatrick, Terrill Davis and Sam Jackson V, and they're heavily relying on transfers to step up at linebacker as well.
Least experience added
64. Tennessee Volunteers
Incoming transfers: 7
Starts added: 72
Snaps added: 5,480
Experienced additions: QB Joey Aguilar, UCLA (1,729); OL Wendell Moe Jr., Arizona (1,682); RB Star Thomas, Duke (1,235)
The Vols are counting on five offensive transfers to come in and make an impact this fall. Aguilar started 24 games over his two seasons at App State and earned Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors in 2023. He has plenty to live up to as Nico Iamaleava's replacement and must take better care of the ball in Josh Heupel's offense after putting up 31 career turnovers, tied for most in FBS since 2023 per ESPN Research. Moe, a 26-game starter at Arizona, and Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton should help fortify the offensive line, and Thomas comes in with more than 2,000 career rushing yards on his résumé from his stints at Duke and New Mexico State.
65. Arizona State Sun Devils
Incoming transfers: 17
Starts added: 79
Snaps added: 5,285
Experienced additions: WR Jalen Moss, Fresno State (1,203); OL Jimeto Obigbo, Texas State (930), RB Kanye Udoh, Army (757)
Going into a season with 17 returning starters is a serious luxury for Kenny Dillingham and his coaching staff, so it's no surprise the reigning Big 12 champs had only a couple of needs to address during portal season. Moss, a 26-game starter and All-Mountain West performer at Fresno State, was a key addition who'll bring exciting playmaking ability. Purdue transfers Kyndrich Breedlove and Nyland Green will provide more experience in the secondary. Udoh, an 1,100-yard rusher for Army last season, should help form an excellent trio with Kyson Brown and Raleek Brown as the Sun Devils work to replace Cam Skattebo's production.
66. Penn State Nittany Lions
Incoming transfers: 8
Starts added: 61
Snaps added: 4,960
Experienced additions: WR Devonte Ross, Troy (1,395 snaps); WR Kyron Hudson, USC (1,097); WR Trebor Pena, Syracuse (1,044)
The preseason No. 2 Nittany Lions did not have many needs during portal season beyond wide receiver, and they addressed it with a trio that has big-time upside. Ross led the Sun Belt with 1,445 all-purpose yards last season as a receiver and kick returner and Pena led the ACC with 84 receptions in a breakthrough season with the Orange. Hudson has played behind a bunch of talented wideouts at USC and is finally getting a shot to enjoy a major role. Penn State also brought in quality additions on defense with North Carolina transfer LB Amare Campbell and Alabama transfer safety King Mack, who rejoined the program after one season in Tuscaloosa.
67. Florida Gators
Incoming transfers: 6
Starts added: 54
Snaps added: 3,868
Experienced additions: WR J. Michael Sturdivant, UCLA (1,740 snaps); DB Micheal Caraway Jr., Southern Miss (962); QB Harrison Bailey, Louisville (403)
If you look at the bottom 10 teams on our list of most snaps added, all of them were CFP contenders or top-20 teams last season except for Florida. Should the Gators have gone out and made more moves during the portal windows? Billy Napier has a lot of talented young players in his program who needed to be retained, and the Gators also invested in a top-10 recruiting class for 2025. Wide receiver was one clear need in December and Florida landed a proven veteran in Sturdivant who has 123 career catches for 1,667 yards and 13 TDs between his time at Cal and UCLA.
68. Clemson Tigers
Incoming transfers: 3
Starts added: 22
Snaps added: 1,607
Experienced additions: DL Will Heldt, Purdue (825 snaps); WR Tristan Smith, Southeast Missouri State (726); LB Jeremiah Alexander, Alabama (56 snaps)
Dabo Swinney has an extremely high standard when it comes to transfer players who might fit into his Clemson program. He and his staff found three quality players in the December portal window who cleared that bar, and it looks like all three are primed to contribute this season. Heldt, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound pass rusher, started all 12 games at Purdue last season and comes in with two more seasons of eligibility and exciting upside. Smith was a 900-yard receiver last season at the FCS level, and Alexander brings plenty of talent to the table as a former five-star recruit.