The college football offseason rivals that of any other sport, but especially in the collegiate athletics realm. The new rules that allow players to transfer one time without penalty has seen the transfer portal only ramp up the college football offseason period. As such, it’s time to take to the transfer portal for some rankings.
But before we hit any rankings, it’s important to take a position-by-position look at the transfer portal athletes.
College football quarterbacks in the 2021 transfer portal
The transfer portal rankings are certainly quarterback-heavy this time around. With over 30 quarterbacks in the portal at any given time this offseason, it has been a good year for QB-needy teams.
Sure, Spencer Rattler entered the transfer portal, but headlining that group is a lesser-known commodity by the name of Cameron Ward. Hailing from Incarnate Word, the blueprint for Ward to have success at the FBS level is that of Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe.
Except Ward may be even better. He threw for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns this past season for Incarnate Word against just 10 interceptions.
Ward was the FCS Jerry Rice Award winner and set single-game and single-season records at UIW. He’s merely scratching the surface of what he can do with the football and look for him to have a big year statistically at an FBS school in 2022. He may even rise on NFL Draft boards in the process.
The rest of the pack at QB
Quinn Ewers leads the rest of the quarterbacks in the portal. Ewers is tied for the highest-rated recruit on the 247 Sports scale in history at a perfect 1.0000. He spurned Texas for Ohio State when he reclassified his grade a year back, joining OSU this past fall when he should have been a senior in high school. Ewers has committed to return to Texas to play under Steve Sarkisian next season.
Then there’s Rattler.
The former Heisman frontrunner fell into obscurity at Oklahoma and lost his job to Caleb Williams. Rattler has transferred to South Carolina where he’ll open up the Gamecocks’ playbook and give head coach Shane Beamer his first real quarterback after they had to experiment with a variety of players a year ago. Rattler may have fallen off this year, but he can revitalize his career in Columbia.
Other QBs of note: Dillon Gabriel (from UCF, destination to be determined), Kedon Slovis (from USC, destination TBD), Max Johnson (from LSU, destination TBD), Zach Calzada (from Texas A&M, destination TBD), Zach Gibson (from Akron, destination TBD), and Bo Nix (from Auburn, destination TBD).
Skill players in the transfer portal
The skill players are led by a talented trio of running backs. There’s former Georgia Tech RB Jahmyr Gibbs, who just needs a home to showcase his elite-level skills. He’s been predicted to land at Alabama, which would certainly open doors for him to the NFL. Then, there’s Tiyon Evans from Tennessee, who is headed to Louisville. And former five-star RB Zach Evans, who transferred to TCU last year but is now leaving for a school to be determined.
The receivers of note include Jadon Haselwood, who was the No. 1 wide receiver of his recruiting class. He’s agreed to replace Treylon Burks as Arkansas’ No. 1 WR next year after leaving Oklahoma. Tayvion Robinson, meanwhile, could be the next Wan’Dale Robinson. He’s a versatile athlete and has transferred to Kentucky as well.
A receiver to watch of this group is fabulous true freshman WR Konata Mumpfield. He was dominant at Akron, but he’s lesser known due to his play on one of the lower-profile teams in the MAC.
Other skill players of note: RB DeaMonte Trayanum (from Arizona State, destination TBD), RB Jalen Berger (from Wisconsin, destination Michigan State), WR Mitchell Tinsley (from WKU, destination TBD), and WR Taj Harris (from Syracuse, destination TBD).
College football linemen in the transfer portal
The offensive and defensive linemen in the transfer portal are a talented, yet unpolished group. They’re headlined by players who haven’t quite made an impact yet, save for Olusegun Oluwatimi.
One of our first-team All-ACC performers, Oluwatimi is a dominant center. He blocks well in all facets and should be considered the top lineman in the portal.
Only two defensive linemen enter the fold in our top 50 rankings, and both rush from the edge. Landon Jackson from LSU has committed to Arkansas while Albany’s Jared Verse is a four-star caliber player looking for a home still.
Other linemen of note: Kingsley Suamataia (from Oregon, destination BYU), OT Miles Frazier (from FIU, destination FSU), and OT Paul Tchio (from Clemson, destination TBD).
College football back-seven players in the transfer portal
There is a ton of talent to be had in the back-seven of the defensive side of the ball. With former five-star CB Eli Ricks still in the market, the cornerback group is rich. Cameron Lockridge is a ball hawk hailing from Hawaii, while Marcus Banks is a former four-star cornerback who had offers from every major SEC school before choosing Alabama.
James Madison, who will be playing at the FBS level as a member of the Sun Belt in 2022, has received a big boost thanks to the transfer portal. They’ve received commitments from four-star safety Deon Jones out of Boston College (our No. 1 safety transfer). Another huge get was that of former Arkansas State CB Jarius Reimonenq. He adds a physical cornerback presence with skills in both man and zone coverage.
Arkansas State offers up a few more defensive backs of note as Antonio Fletcher and Anthony Switzer also hit the transfer portal. Both have yet to determine their next stop.
Other back-seven players of note: CB Jeremy Lucien (from UConn, destination TBD), S Gurvan Hall (from Miami (FL), destination TBD), S Craig Young (from Ohio State, destination Kansas), and CB Josh Newton (from UL-Monroe, destination TBD).
Top 50 college football players in the transfer portal
Headlined by a bevy of quarterbacks, the transfer portal is the new recruiting task for college coaches year-round. Here are the top 50 college football players who have hit the transfer portal ahead of the 2022 season.
1-25
1. Cameron Ward, QB (Incarnate Word to TBD)
2. Casey Thompson, QB (Texas to TBD)
3. Quinn Ewers, QB (Ohio State to Texas)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Georgia Tech to TBD)
5. Jadon Haselwood, WR (Oklahoma to Arkansas)
6. Olusegun Oluwatimi, C (Virginia to TBD)
7. Spencer Rattler, QB (Oklahoma to South Carolina)
8. Kingsley Suamataia, OT (Oregon to BYU)
9. Tiyon Evans, RB (Tennessee to Louisville)
10. Zach Evans, RB (TCU to TBD)
11. Dillon Gabriel, QB (UCF to UCLA)
12. Eli Ricks, CB (LSU to Alabama)
13. Daiyan Henley, LB (Nevada to TBD)
14. Jacoby Windmon, LB (UNLV to Michigan State)
15. Aaron Brule, LB (Mississippi State to Michigan State)
16. Landon Jackson, EDGE (LSU to Arkansas)
17. Jared Verse, EDGE (Albany to TBD)
18. Kedon Slovis, QB (USC to TBD)
19. Tayvion Robinson, WR (Virginia Tech to Kentucky)
20. Max Johnson, QB (LSU to Texas A&M)
21. Austin Stogner, TE (Oklahoma to South Carolina)
22. Mitchell Tinsley, WR (WKU to TBD)
23. Cameron Lockridge, CB (Hawaii to South Alabama)
24. DeaMonte Trayanum, RB (Arizona State to TBD)
25. Zach Calzada, QB (Texas A&M to TBD)
26-50
26. Zach Gibson, QB (Akron to TBD)
27. Marcus Banks, CB (Alabama to TBD)
28. Jalen Berger, RB (Wisconsin to Michigan State)
29. Lyn-J Dixon, RB (Clemson to West Virginia)
30. Konata Mumpfield, WR (Akron to TBD)
31. Taj Harris, WR (Syracuse to TBD)
32. Deon Jones, S (Boston College to James Madison)
33. Shaun Shivers, RB/WR (Auburn to TBD)
34. Teon Dollard, RB (Akron to TBD)
35. Tommy DeVito, QB (from Syracuse to Illinois)
36. Bo Nix, QB (Auburn to Oregon)
37. Gurvan Hall, S (Miami (FL) to TBD)
38. Jadan Blue, WR (Temple to TBD)
39. Jacob Sirmon, QB (Central Michigan to TBD)
40. Jarius Reimonenq, CB (Arkansas State to JMU)
41. Jack Plummer, QB (Purdue to TBD)
42. Theo Wease, WR (Oklahoma to TBD)
43. Miles Frazier, OT (Florida International to Florida State)
44. Antonio Fletcher, S (Arkansas State to TBD)
45. Mycah Pittman, WR (Oregon to TBD)
46. Anthony Switzer, S (Arkansas State to TBD)
47. Brock Sturges, RB (Texas State to TBD)
48. Frank Ladson, WR (Clemson to TBD)
49. Mohamed Sanogo, LB (Ole Miss to TBD)
50. Linwood Crump, CB (Colorado State to TBD)