With the transfer portal playing an increasingly larger role in college football, here is a look at some of the top transfers to start the season:
WR Isaiah Bond
New School: Texas
Old School: Alabama
Alabama’s second-best receiver bolsters Texas’s strong air attack. The speedy Bond, who caught 48 passes for 688 yards and four touchdowns last year, could become a target for quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has lost his top receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell to the pros.
S. Caleb Downs
New school: Ohio State
Old School: Alabama
Downs was the first freshman to lead Alabama in tackles. He made 107 tackles last fall and added two interceptions and 3.5 tackles for loss. Downs was the overall best defensive player to enter the transfer portal last offseason and will give the Ohio State secondary a game changer in their defensive backfield.
QB Dillon Gabriel
New School: Oregon
Old School: Oklahoma
The veteran signal caller had the best season of his college career for Oklahoma last fall – throwing for 3,660 yards, completing 69.3 percent of his passes and scoring 42 total touchdowns – and now Gabriel will be surrounded by even more talent at Oregon. Bookmakers have him as a slight favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in the preseason.
RB Quinshon Judkins
New school: Ohio State
Old School: Ole Miss
There won’t be a better running back duo nationally than Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins has two straight 1,000-yard seasons at Ole Miss, and Henderson has already established himself as one of the best all-around backs with 32 rushing touchdowns and an average of 6.2 yards per carry in three seasons.
Quarterback Riley Leonard
New School: Notre Dame
Old School: Duke
Ankle injuries limited Leonard to seven games a year ago, but now he’s healthy again and remains the same talented player who scored 31 touchdowns, threw for 2,794 yards and rushed for another 636 yards in 2022. Notre Dame’s playoff hopes likely rest on Leonard returning to the form he had two years ago.
DL Walter Nolen
New School: Ole Miss
Old School: Texas A&M
The Rebels are considered a surprise contender for the title, in part because of their offensive advancements on both sides of the ball. The 305-pound Nolen has been a big part of that. He is a disruptor and was named to the All-SEC first team last season.
EN Nic Scourton
New school: Texas A&M
Old School: Purdue
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound junior is a real liability and will be a key part of the Aggies defense. As a sophomore, he had 10 sacks and 42 quarterback pressures for Purdue, leading the Big Ten. Texas A&M hopes that success continues in College Station.
WR Evan Stewart
New School: Oregon
Old School: Texas A&M
Stewart gives the Ducks a dynamic pass-receiving duo along with returning star Tez Johnson. Despite shaky quarterback play at A&M, Stewart caught 38 passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns in eight games last year. Now he’ll be playing with a Heisman Trophy contender.
OT Kadyn Proctor
New School: Alabama
Old School: Iowa
Technically, Proctor didn’t switch teams, as he shined for Alabama last year, playing 13 games as a starter at left tackle and being named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. It’s been an eventful offseason for the massive 6-foot-4, 350-pound sophomore. He transferred to his home school in Iowa in January – he had initially committed to the Hawkeyes as a five-star high school recruit before transferring to Alabama – and then returned to Alabama a few months later.
QB Cam Ward
New School: Miami
Old School: Washington State
Ward is part of an offensive reshuffle through the transfer portal – coach Mario Cristobal also brought in running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State) and wide receiver Sam Brown (Houston) – that Miami hopes will lead to a comeback season. Ward brings 95 career touchdown passes with him to Coral Gables.
