The college football transfer portal’s back in the spotlight, with a bunch of in-state players making big moves. It’s wild how these transfers might shake up college football in Indiana and honestly, maybe even further.
The portal closed this past Friday, and several eye-catching transfers have fans and analysts buzzing. We’re talking about players with serious upside, all looking for a fresh start to show what they’ve got.
This blog dives into the top 10 most intriguing in-state college football transfer portal moves. Let’s check out who’s going where and what it might mean.
Top 10 Most Intriguing In-State College Football Transfers
With the transfer portal slammed shut, there was a last-minute rush of in-state talent heading to new teams. Here are the 10 moves that really stand out:
1. Graham Joins the Irish
Graham, at 6-1 and 195 pounds, was a five-star prospect out of New Haven in the 2024 class. His senior year? He caught 39 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns, and as a junior, he had 48 catches for 1,149 yards and 13 TDs.
In his first college season in 2025, Graham caught six passes for 93 yards. Now, he’s reuniting with his longtime friend Tae Johnson on the Irish roster. Johnson, from Fort Wayne North Side, started eight games at safety as a redshirt freshman and made 48 tackles.
2. Schott Heads to Indiana State
Schott’s a 6-3, 245-pound tight end who was a pretty big deal coming out of Leo. He racked up 28 catches for 462 yards and five TDs, snagging the Mr. Football award at his spot.
He was also solid on defense and, as a junior, caught 35 passes for 743 yards and six TDs. Schott first committed to Miami (Fla.), played two games there with two catches for 12 yards, and now he’s off to Indiana State for a fresh shot.
3. Allen’s Journey to Indiana State
Allen, a four-star from Gibson Southern, threw for an eye-popping 11,918 yards and 149 TDs in high school. He led the Titans to a Class 3A state title before heading to Purdue under Jeff Brohm.
He played one game at Purdue, then followed Brohm to Louisville. So far, he’s completed 10 of 16 passes for 90 yards and a TD in college. With two years left, Allen’s moving on to Indiana State.
4. Mickens Transfers to UConn
Mickens, 6-3 and 250 pounds, was Indiana’s top prospect in the 2023 class. He first committed to LSU, but ended up signing with Ohio State in late 2022.
At Ohio State, he didn’t see much field time—just six tackles and a sack in 12 games across two seasons. Now, he’s headed to UConn to play for Jason Candle, with two years of eligibility to make an impact.
5. Tuggle’s Third School in Three Seasons
Tuggle, who starred at NorthWood, had a monster senior year in high school with 86 catches for 1,456 yards and 19 touchdowns. As a freshman at Georgia, he caught three passes for 34 yards, then transferred to Purdue and put up 34 catches for 500 yards and four TDs last season.
Now, Tuggle’s on the move again—this time to South Carolina. That’s three schools in three years. Guess he’s not afraid of a new challenge.
6. Jackson’s Move to North Texas
Jackson, from Center Grove, was a two-time state champ QB in high school, throwing for 1,842 yards and 21 TDs as a senior. He played three games as a Tennessee freshman in 2022, then transferred to Indiana in 2023.
At IU, Jackson started six games and played in 13 over two seasons, completing 61% of his passes for 1,263 yards and six TDs. He also rushed for 52 yards and four scores. Last season at Central Florida, he completed 64% of his passes for 2,151 yards and 10 TDs, with 85 rushing yards and three more TDs. Next up: North Texas, whose first game next year is against IU. That’ll be interesting.
7. Terrill to Houston
Terrill stands 6-6 and weighs in at 290 pounds. He was all-state at Lebanon and redshirted his first season at Miami (Ohio) before switching from defensive end to offensive tackle.
In 2025, Terrill started 12 games at right tackle and earned second-team All-MAC honors. He played 27 games at Miami and now heads to Houston for his final season.
8. Brown’s Journey from Kent State to ???
Brown, 5-11 and 235 pounds, was a standout linebacker at Ben Davis. He played 22 games over two seasons at Kent State, making 38 tackles as a sophomore.
In high school, Brown posted back-to-back 100-tackle seasons and helped his team win a state title. Where he’ll land next is still up in the air.
9. Carroll’s Move to Central Michigan
Carroll, from Center Grove, started at Cincinnati and made four starts as a redshirt freshman in 2023, plus 10 more in 2024, totaling 31 tackles. After transferring to Central Michigan, he started 13 games and earned first-team All-MAC honors last year.
He recorded 31 tackles and two picks, including one in the bowl game against Northwestern. Not a bad season at all.
10. Lawrence to San Diego State
Lawrence, a 6-6, 305-pound former Danville standout, played 69 snaps as a redshirt freshman this year and appeared in seven games. He was a three-star recruit and also played basketball and track in high school.
Now, Lawrence will try to carve out a role at San Diego State. We’ll see how that goes.
Other Notable Transfers
- Anthony Boswell: The former Ben Davis standout is headed to Houston. Last year, he was one of the highest-rated centers in the country at Toledo and had previously played at Purdue in 2024.
- Keylen Davis: Davis, a former Ben Davis offensive lineman, started 23 games at Akron. He earned All-MAC honors last season and now he’s off to Pitt for his final year.
- Jayon Harvey: The former Franklin Central star was second-team all-conference at Findlay (Ohio) for two years. He finished last season with 51 tackles and three interceptions, and is transferring from Division II Findlay to James Madison.
- Hudson Miller: The former Cathedral standout is returning to Purdue after spending his 2025 season at Toledo. Miller started five games for Purdue in 2024 and made 42 tackles in 12 games.
- Jaron Thomas: Concord graduate and 2024 Mr. Football at running back, Thomas ran for 2,867 yards and 40 touchdowns in two seasons. He had just two carries as a freshman at Purdue and is now transferring to Minnesota.
For more details on these moves and a deeper look at the stories behind them, check out the original article on IndyStar.
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