- Carson Beck: The former Georgia quarterback looks to reset his career at Miami.
- Texas Tech’s defensive line: The Red Raiders have one of the best defensive lines in America thanks to the transfer portal.
- Get a head start on the 2026 class: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The transfer portal has completely revolutionized college football, with thousands of players switching schools every offseason. In fact, six of the last eight Heisman Trophy winners won the award at a school they transferred to.
Heisman Winners who were transfers since 2017
| Name | Year | Original School | New School |
| Baker Mayfield | 2017 | Texas Tech | Oklahoma |
| Kyler Murray | 2018 | Texas A&M | Oklahoma |
| Joe Burrow | 2019 | Ohio State | LSU |
| Caleb Williams | 2022 | Oklahoma | USC |
| Jayden Daniels | 2023 | Arizona State | LSU |
| Travis Hunter | 2024 | Jackson State | Colorado |
Here are 10 players who switched schools this offseason that should have a massive impact at their new home.
QB Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
After entering 2024 as PFF's top-ranked quarterback in college football, Beck disappointed in his final year at Georgia before transferring to Miami to replace Cam Ward. The redshirt senior’s 20 turnover-worthy plays this past season were tied for the sixth most in the country. As that number would indicate, Beck often forced throws due to the Bulldogs’ underwhelming receiving corps. Georgia’s 31 drops on the season were tied for the second most in the Power Four.
Beck still performed at a solid level (80.2 PFF passing grade in 2024). His 90.9 PFF overall grade since 2023 is the second-best mark of any returning FBS quarterback. Beck will look to replicate Ward's success in South Beach and reemerge in Heisman and NFL draft conversations.
QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Iamaleava opened his redshirt freshman campaign at Tennessee with five sub-70.0 PFF passing grades in his first six games. He got much better in the second half of the season, posting 75.0-plus marks in four of the final seven contests while leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff.
The former five-star recruit’s 81.7 PFF passing grade on the season was still a top-20 mark in college football. Iamaleava’s 2.5% turnover-worthy play rate ranked in the top 30 even though he placed sixth among Power Four quarterbacks in average depth of target (11.1 yards).
RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon
Following two outstanding years at Tulane, Hughes joined Oregon as one of the offseason's top transfer targets.
He posted 1,982 rushing yards after contact across his first two seasons of college football. Only Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton tallied more in that span, and they’ll likely be the first two running backs selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hughes' 2,776 rushing yards since 2023 are the most of any returning FBS running back by 476 yards. His 92.2 career PFF overall grade ranks second to only Jonah Coleman among returning FBS players at the position. He doesn’t add much as a receiver (247 career receiving yards) and will need to prove he can sustain his dominance in the Big Ten, but there’s no denying Hughes is one of the best tailbacks in college football based on how he’s looked in just his first two years of college football.
WR Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn
Singleton is now with the Tigers after two seasons at Georgia Tech.
His 1,468 receiving yards across his two years with the Yellow Jackets are the second most among returning Power Four wideouts. He also scored above the 99th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. As that figure might suggest, Singleton has track speed with the ability to hit a home run at any point. His 664 receiving yards on deep balls since 2023 lead all returning Power Four receivers.
WR Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M
After a down sophomore season at NC State, Concepcion will start fresh with the Aggies.
He still deserves a place on this list for his two-year production thus far. Since 2023, his 792 yards after the catch are the second most among returning Power Four receivers, and his 16 receiving touchdowns are the most. Concepcion’s 357 rushing yards in that span rank third among all wideouts, too.
He’s an electric player with the ball in his hands who should be utilized much more in Texas A&M’s offense.
TE Jack Endries, Texas
Endries began his career with the California Golden Bears as a walk-on and is now one of the best tight ends in the nation entering his redshirt junior campaign.
His 1,030 receiving yards since 2023 rank sixth at the position and first among returning tight ends who have played for a Power Four school during that span. Endries has strong hands for the position, dropping only one pass in 2024 while catching nine of his 12 contested targets.
Texas Tech’s entire defensive line
The Red Raiders brought in arguably the best transfer portal class this offseason, and their defensive line was the biggest beneficiary. In fact, all four projected starters on Texas Tech’s defensive line played for a different school last year.
Lee Hunter is my No. 5 returning defensive tackle in college football after two dominant years at UCF. Across 2022 and 2023, he led all FBS interior defenders in run-defense stops (59) and tackles for loss or no gain (27). His 49 pressures in that span are second among returning Power Four defensive tackles as well. Stanford’s David Bailey led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush grade (93.2) and was second in pass-rush win rate (27.5%) last season.
The other edge spot will be manned by Georgia Tech-transfer Romello Height, who was 10th among ACC edge rushers with a 78.4 PFF grade in 2024. Skyler Gill-Howard transferred in from Northern Illinois and was a dominant player for the Huskies. Among Group of Five interior defenders last year, he was fifth in PFF grade (83.8) and pressures (29) while placing second in defensive stops (28). The Red Raiders also added Houston defensive tackle Anthony Holmes Jr., who placed fifth in the Big 12 with 23 defensive stops last season.
CB Jeremiah Wilson, Florida State
Wilson’s 86.7 PFF grade while at Houston was ninth among all cornerbacks in the nation as he came down with four interceptions while only allowing a 46.7 passer rating when targeted.
Wilson thrives in off coverage as he’s just 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, but he has the movement skills and instincts to do well in either man or zone coverage.
CB Cam Calhoun, Alabama
Calhoun joins the Crimson Tide after playing for Utah last year. He earned an impressive 82.8 PFF grade as a redshirt freshman, placing 10th among Power Four cornerbacks. Calhoun allowed just 48.8% of his targets to be caught while finishing as one of the 30 most valuable corners in the nation despite only playing the fourth-most snaps among the Utes’ corners.
He needs to add weight as he’s just 6-feet, 177 pounds, but he has excellent make-up speed and should be a major reason why Alabama has one of the best defenses in college football next season.
S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Thieneman's 89.4 PFF overall grade since 2023 ranks fourth among returning FBS safeties, and he boasts 80.0-plus PFF grades in coverage and run defense over that span. The former Purdue Boilermaker is arguably the best center fielder in college football, as well as one of the best overall athletes. Head coach Dan Lanning should have a lot of fun incorporating Thieneman's range into his defense.
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