The college football landscape looks almost unrecognizable these days, thanks to the transfer portal. It’s basically turned the offseason into a wild free agency period.
This year’s spring transfer window opened April 16 and lasted just 10 days. Teams scrambled to make last-minute moves before the 2025 season.
Now that spring football practice is in the rearview mirror, which schools made the most noise in the portal? Let’s run through the top 10 programs that loaded up on talent and reshaped their rosters for the season ahead.
Texas A&M: A Balanced Approach
Texas A&M didn’t mess around on either side of the ball. They landed wide receiver KC Concepcion, who racked up nearly 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns in two years at NC State.
That helps soften the blow of losing Noah Thomas, who had 8 touchdowns on 34 catches in 2024. On defense, the Aggies grabbed Georgia transfer cornerback Julian Humphrey, a tough coverage guy who started 10 games for the Bulldogs.
Florida State: Offensive Firepower
Florida State lost edge rusher Patrick Payton, but they went all-in on offense. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who flashed real promise at Boston College, steps in to run the show.
He’ll have some serious weapons, too. Wideouts Duce Robinson (USC) and Squirrel White (Tennessee) join the mix—both are expected to make life easier for Castellanos and light up the scoreboard.
Key Acquisitions
- Thomas Castellanos – Quarterback from Boston College
- Duce Robinson – Wide Receiver from USC
- Squirrel White – Wide Receiver from Tennessee
Nebraska: Building a Strong Offense
Nebraska’s focus this cycle was pretty clear: offense, offense, offense. They brought in Dane Key from Kentucky and Nyziah Hunter from Cal to boost their receiving corps.
Hunter nearly hit 600 yards in his first season, which adds a nice spark. The Huskers also landed defensive end Williams Nwaneri, a top recruit from Missouri, plus experienced linemen Elijah Pritchett (Alabama) and Rocco Spindler (Notre Dame).
Auburn: A Dynamic Duo
Auburn scored big with Eric Singleton, the No. 1 wide receiver in the portal. Singleton put up over 700 yards and 4 all-purpose touchdowns at Georgia Tech last year.
He’ll team up with Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit. Both get protection from left tackle Xavier Chaplin, who started for two years.
Key Acquisitions
- Eric Singleton – Wide Receiver from Georgia Tech
- Jackson Arnold – Quarterback from Oklahoma
- Xavier Chaplin – Left Tackle
Missouri: Rebuilding with Potential
Missouri had to reload after some tough departures. They picked up edge rusher Damon Wilson, a former five-star, and wide receiver Kevin Coleman, Jr., who posted 932 yards and 9 touchdowns last season.
Beau Pribula, who backed up at Penn State, gets his shot at quarterback. He’ll be handing off to Ahmad Hardy, a tailback who found the end zone 13 times last year.
Miami: A Bombshell Acquisition
Miami pulled off a stunner by landing former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Word is, that move cost about $4 million in NIL money—yikes.
Beck threw for more than 7,400 yards and 52 touchdowns over the past two years. The Hurricanes also shored up their secondary with cornerback Xavier Lucas, and added defensive tackle David Blay, who notched 6 sacks last fall.
Key Acquisitions
- Carson Beck – Quarterback from Georgia
- Xavier Lucas – Cornerback
- David Blay – Defensive Tackle
Ole Miss: Defensive Strength
Lane Kiffin keeps stacking talent for Ole Miss, especially on defense. They snagged edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen from Nebraska—he’s a real problem for opposing offenses.
Tight end Luke Hasz, who transferred from Arkansas, brings 7 career touchdowns. Damien Taylor, a former Troy tailback, might just carve out a starting role this fall.
Oregon: Protecting the Quarterback
Oregon knows they need to keep quarterback Dante Moore upright. So, they went out and got former five-star tackle Isaiah World and USC guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
They didn’t stop there. Running back Makhi Hughes, who piled up nearly 2,800 yards at Tulane, joins the Ducks as a tough, downhill runner.
Key Acquisitions
- Isaiah World – Offensive Tackle
- Emmanuel Pregnon – Guard from USC
- Makhi Hughes – Running Back from Tulane
LSU: Offensive and Defensive Talent
LSU landed Patrick Payton, easily the top edge rusher in this year’s transfer class. Payton passed on the NFL Draft to return to college after stacking up 80 tackles and 16 sacks.
The Tigers also reloaded at receiver, adding Nic Anderson and Barion Brown—both know their way around the SEC.
Texas Tech: Resurrecting Pass Rushing
Texas Tech went all-in on fixing their pass rush. They added defensive end David Bailey, who totaled 14.5 sacks at Stanford.
Romello Height, heading into his sixth college season, brings 73 stops and 16 tackles for loss. Wide receiver Micah Hudson returns to Tech, and while he’s still a bit of an unknown, he’s got a ton of upside.
Key Acquisitions
- David Bailey – Defensive End from Stanford
- Romello Height – Defensive Player
- Micah Hudson – Wide Receiver
With the 2025 season inching closer, these transfers could shake things up for their new teams. Each move has the potential to make a real difference on the field.
If you want to see how the top teams stack up, check out Sports Illustrated’s comprehensive rankings. There’s a lot to dig into there, honestly.
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