The Jan. 16 deadline for the NCAA transfer portal is here – and more than 4,000 players entered the portal in 2025-26.
This is the new college football world. Indiana – which has engineered a remarkable turnaround in just two seasons – is one victory away from the program's first national championship. Second-year coach Curt Cignetti has worked the transfer portal to expedite that process. He is one of the coaches who has an excellent hit rate in the portal.
Name, Image and Likeness also is a factor. The quarterback shuffle was part of this year's portal, and Texas Tech was active again, which was promised by billionaire booster Cody Campbell. Of course, we have to talk about Lane Kiffin. How did the new LSU coach fare in his first portal window after leaving Ole Miss before the College Football Playoff?
That was all part of the story. Here is a closer look at the winners and losers from the transfer portal, which closed Thursday.
MORE CFP CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NEWS:
- Expert prediction of Indiana-Miami final
- Curt Cignetti's past meets his future in semis
- Roster breakdown: Who has more blue-chippers?
- Why Miami gets to keep all CFP revenue
- Is Indiana better than Joe Burrow-led LSU?
- Miami's run has a March Madness feel
2026 Transfer Portal Winners
LSU
Criticize the tactics – and maybe the tact – all you want. Lane Kiffin's reputation as the "Portal King" is not bluster. According to 247Sports.com, LSU has the top transfer portal class. Kiffin reeled in Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who is 16-4 the last two seasons as a starter. Leavitt has 34 TDs and nine interceptions the last two seasons, and he excels in the play-action passing game. That development should continue with Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
The Tigers brought in 28 players from the portal – including an FBS-best eight four-star players. Boise State safety Ty Benefield (107 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss) and Tennessee edge rusher Jordan Ross (3.5 sacks) should help the defense. Old Dominion receiver Tre Brown – who had 38 receptions for 762 yards on 20.1 yards per catch – is a sleeper in this offense. The Tigers can pair that with an elite recruiting class for a quick turnaround at LSU.
MORE: Ranking the QBs who entered the transfer portal
Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
All together now … "Oil Money."
Three Texas schools continue to be major players in this space.
Arch Manning should be happy. The Longhorns added more skill-position talent with Auburn receiver Cam Coleman (708 yards, 5 TDs) and the running back tandem of Arizona State leading rusher Raleek Brown (1,141 yards, 4 TDs) and NC State leading rusher Hollywood Smothers (939 yards, 6 TDs). Texas still needs to make upgrades on the offensive line.
Texas Tech signed Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who had 2,800 yards, 27 TDs and five interceptions for the Bearcats in 2025. The Red Raiders also landed San Diego State edge rusher Trey White – who totaled 19.5 sacks for the Aztecs the last two seasons.
Texas A&M added 18 players, including Alabama receiver Isaiah Horton, Illinois defensive tackle Angelo McCollum and Northwestern edge Anto Saka, who had 12 sacks the last three seasons. The Aggies lost 17 players in the portal.
Oregon QB plan with Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola
In 2024, Oregon coach Dan Lanning convinced Dante Moore to transfer from UCLA after the five-star freshman played in nine games with the Bruins. Moore sat for a year behind Dillon Gabriel. Moore starred for the Ducks this season with 3,565 yards, 30 TDs and 10 interceptions. Moore bypassed the 2026 NFL Draft, and Oregon added Dylan Raiola – a former five-star recruit and two-year starter at Nebraska. If he sits behind Moore this year, he will still have two years of eligibility. Raiola has a 69.1% completion percentage 31 TDs and 17 interceptions the last two seasons. That gives Lanning the most QB depth heading into 2026, and it's not real close. Oregon is presumably set at quarterback for the next two seasons at least.
Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman turned down NFL opportunities to stay at Notre Dame. He continues to pile up elite recruiting classes, and he supplements that with portal talent. The Irish brought in just seven players in the portal – but the quality is high. That includes Alabama edge rusher Keon Keeley and Colorado defensive back D.J. McKinney on defense and two former 5-star Ohio State receivers in Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter. That gives quarterback CJ Carr two more targets to work with next season. The Irish likely will have a top-10 – perhaps top-five ranking – to start 2026.
Indiana
The Hoosiers are not slowing down. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who passed for 3,472 yards, 29 TDs and 13 interceptions this season, is the next QB up. He's an experienced starter who should build off what Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza have accomplished with the Hoosiers the last two seasons. Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh is WR1 material. He totaled 100 catches with Michigan State the last two seasons. Boston College running back Turbo Richard (749 yards, 9 TDs) adds depth at running back. The Hoosiers also got a late addition from Wisconsin guard Joe Brunner – a two-year starter.
Louisville
Jeff Brohm does not get as much attention as other coaches, but he works the portal well, too. Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz should fit in that system, and Vanderbilt receiver Tre Richardson (806 yards, 7 TDs) is a WR1. The Cardinals already have a solid core returning from last season. Louisville added 27 players through the portal and lost 28.
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State finished 1-11 and the Mike Gundy era is over, but we are a believer in the Cowboys under new coach Eric Morris. Oklahoma State added 49 players via the transfer portal, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker – who led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards under Morris at North Texas. Caleb Hawkins (1,434 yards, 25 TDs) – the top running back in the portal – also followed. It is a complete – and perhaps much-needed – new look for the Cowboys, but we trust Morris' track record with QBs.
2026 Transfer Portal Losers
Miami QBs
The Hurricanes hit with portal QBs in Cam Ward and Carson Beck the last two seasons. Miami is 23-5 and one victory away from its first national championship since 2001. The QB plan for 2026 is in flux after the Hurricanes missed out on Leavitt. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson also was a candidate but chose to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Miami could go with Luke Nickel, a four-star recruit who had one passing attempt this season. Emory Williams would be the other option. Options are limited in the portal now. Perhaps Ohio's Parker Navarro could be a late add. What will the Hurricanes do after the CFP championship game? This will be an interesting test for Mario Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.
Alabama
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer still has work to do in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide lost Simpson to the 2026 NFL Draft, and 21 players entered the portal – including receiver Isaiah Horton and edge rushers Keon Keeley and Que Russaw. Alabama also had four offensive linemen enter the portal. DeBoer is 20-8 in two seasons with the Crimson Tide, but since Nick Saban retired the Crimson Tide have added 37 players in the portal and lost 76. That 2:1 ratio is concerning heading into a very telling third year after the 38-3 blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
Colorado
Deion Sanders still has a high-volume transfer-in, transfer-out rate via the portal, but losing tackle Jordan Seaton – one of his highly publicized five-star recruits – hurts. Seaton - a 6-foot-5, 330-pound tackle who likely will be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft – is a huge loss up front. Top receiver Omarion Miller (808 yards, 8 TDs) left for Arizona State. Colorado brought in 34 players via the portal, including Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson, San Jose State receiver Danny Scudero and Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. Coach Prime is coming off a 3-9 season with the Buffaloes. Sustainability was always a question. Will Colorado be able to bounce back?
Iowa State
The Cyclones had a 19-7 record the past two seasons. Matt Campbell took the Penn State job, however, and 23 Iowa State players followed him to Happy Valley. The Cyclones had 53 players enter the transfer portal, and incoming coach Jimmy Rogers brought in 43 players for the portal. This is one of the downsides of the portal era. A program that had to work hard to climb the ladder – which the Cyclones did under Campbell – will now have to work even harder to keep up with its new coach.
West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez is trying to engineer a rebuild in his second act with the program, but West Virginia had 49 players leave and just 27 join the team. In two cycles, the Mountaineers have had 82 players come and 100 players leave. West Virginia finished 4-8 last season and split its last four games. It's just tough to contend with that level of roster turnover.