The 24 ranked ahead of him are all ULL players, too. Many people say they should have been in the playoffs.
Spoiler College football transfer portal top 25 best available: Tracking Caleb Williams and the hottest names on the move By Max Olson Jan 12, 2022 110 More than 1,300 college football players have entered the transfer portal at the FBS level since August, and that number grows every day. The one-time transfer exception has made the choice much easier for players throughout the country, and the unique challenges of roster management right now have made the transfer market far more competitive. To help you keep tabs on who’s going where and which transfer players are the ones everyone wants, The Athletic has created a tracker of the best available players in the portal. Players in the top 25 are ranked based on their experience, production, potential and how much interest they’re generating. This is a very fluid list, though, that we’ll constantly update as top transfers make commitments and new players enter the portal. Many of the most highly touted players in the portal are already off the market, including Eli Ricks (Alabama), Jahmyr Gibbs (also Alabama), Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Kingsley Suamataia (BYU). But this transfer cycle is far from over, and it’s a safe bet more big-name players will make moves in the months ahead. Here are 25 available transfers you need to know. 1. QB Caleb Williams, Oklahoma The original plan for Williams seemed clear: Spend a year learning Lincoln Riley’s system and backing up Spencer Rattler before taking over and breaking out as one of college football’s young superstar quarterbacks. Well, plans change. The five-star freshman got his opportunity against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, led the second-largest comeback in program history and got to lead the Sooners the rest of the way. He was pretty darn fun to watch while throwing for 1,912 yards with a TD-to-INT ratio of 21-4 and rushing for 564 yards (excluding sacks) on 9.2 yards per carry with six more touchdowns. But Riley leaving for USC has Williams rethinking his own plans for his future. Williams is entering the portal to explore his options but says staying at Oklahoma is “definitely” a possibility. It’s a fascinating move for a player who means so much to Brent Venables and this next era of Sooner football. Venables and athletic director Joe Castiglione have made it clear they want Williams to stay, but the Sooners also wisely hedged by flipping UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel away from UCLA. Is staying put and playing for Venables and new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby his best move? Or is there a College Football Playoff contender out there who can provide an opportunity — in terms of development, supporting cast and NIL — that he considers superior? It’s rare that players like Williams ever become available, and he’ll have coaches willing to lose whoever they have in their quarterback rooms in order to land him. Schools that aren’t in the transfer market for a quarterback and have plenty of blue-chip passers in their program are still going to shoot their shot with him. Given the timing, we’ll see if the most coveted player in college football is ready to make a fast decision. 2. QB Jaxson Dart, USC Dart arrived in Los Angeles as one of the most touted recruits in the country. He was the Gatorade National Player of the Year after putting up insane numbers in his senior season at Corner Canyon High in Utah: 5,886 total yards, 67 passing touchdowns, 12 rushing touchdowns and just four interceptions. He rose up to top-100 recruit status and chose the Trojans over UCLA and Arizona State. Dart came off the bench to lead the Trojans to a 45-14 win over Washington State in his first career game and ended up appearing in six games during his true freshman year, starting the final three. He finished with 1,353 passing yards on 62 percent passing with 11 total touchdowns and five interceptions. Dart is heading to the portal in the wake of new USC coach Lincoln Riley’s pursuit of his former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams, and he’s going to have lot of schools fighting over him. Expect UCLA to make a strong push after losing Dillon Gabriel to Oklahoma. BYU was his first offer. West Virginia also needs a starting quarterback and just hired Dart’s former USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. 3. OL O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana Torrence started right away as a true freshman for the Ragin’ Cajuns and was named a Freshman All-American. He’s gotten better ever since. The three-year starter earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors this season and graded out as the fourth-best offensive guard in FBS according to PFF. He was one of the best run blockers in the country, too, and hasn’t surrendered a sack in his career. The easy assumption here is Torrence could follow his former head coach Billy Napier and position coach Darnell Stapleton to Florida. But when a lineman of his caliber and experience goes on the market — and still has two seasons of eligibility — then several Power 5 schools inevitably end up offering, including Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and Michigan State. 4. WR Mario Williams, Oklahoma The 5-foot-9 speedster from Tampa, Fla., came to Oklahoma as a top-50 recruit and did not disappoint, producing more than 500 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns on 42 touches as a true freshman. Williams should command just as much interest now as he did in high school, but he put his name in the portal one day after Caleb Williams did and could choose to follow his quarterback to his next school. 5. LB Drew Sanders, Alabama Sanders was a fascinating prospect coming out of high school, a five-star athlete who played quarterback, receiver and linebacker and who initially committed to play tight end at Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide developed him into a 6-foot-5, 244-pound edge defender who performed well on special teams, and Sanders moved into a starting role for three games this season after Christopher Allen’s season-ending injury. But a hand injury forced him to sit out three games and led to freshman Dallas Turner taking over his spot. Sanders knows he’s ready to start and can do so at many other programs. He’ll have plenty of options to choose from, both back home in Texas and among national contenders. 6. DE Ochaun Mathis, TCU Mathis has developed into one of the Big 12’s best pass rushers as a three-year starter for the Horned Frogs, earning second-team all-conference honors in back-to-back years. He has recorded a total of 96 pressures, 30 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over these three seasons, according to PFF. Mathis, a former three-star recruit from Manor, Texas, is exploring his transfer options following TCU’s coaching change and will have two more seasons of eligibility. There’s always going to be serious demand for transfer linemen like him who are proven difference-makers. 7. TE Jahleel Billingsley, Alabama Billingsley looked poised to break out as one of the best tight ends in college football entering 2021 after catching 18 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns last season. While his stats this year ended up being rather similar, it was undeniably a disappointing season for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior. Billingsley appeared to fall out of favor with Nick Saban, had an inconsistent season and played poorly in the national title game loss. He’s still a high-upside talent — one who ranked No. 5 among tight ends on Dane Brugler’s initial draft rankings — who can be a matchup problem and seems likely to benefit from a fresh start elsewhere. There’s a real scarcity of quality tight ends in the portal, too, which should impact demand. 8. OL Mason Brooks, Western Kentucky Plug-and-play starting offensive linemen are always seriously coveted on the transfer market, and Brooks has generated a lot of Power 5 interest since putting his name in the portal. The two-year starter at right tackle earned first-team All-Conference USA this fall for his work protecting Bailey Zappe and the No. 2 scoring offense in college football, playing more than 1,000 snaps with zero sacks allowed in 12 of 14 games. Texas Tech, Baylor, Ole Miss and Auburn are competing for his commitment. 9. OL Hunter Nourzad, Cornell Who wouldn’t want an experienced Ivy League lineman on their team? Nourzad is a two-time All-Ivy League selection and was a second-team All-American in 2021. He has made 20 consecutive starts at right tackle and helped the Big Red finish with just nine sacks allowed in 10 games this season. Nourzad was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy as one of the nation’s top scholar-athletes. It’s no surprise, then, that he has more than a dozen Power 5 offers, including half of the schools in the Big Ten. He’s planning to visit Auburn, Iowa, Illinois, Penn State and Virginia Tech. 10. DT Jaxon Player, Tulsa Player got labeled as undersized as a three-star recruit out of Waco, Texas, but proved he can be a serious difference-maker at Tulsa. The 6-foot, 294-pound big man developed into a three-year starter and two-time All-AAC selection who recorded 50 tackles, 36 pressures, 15 tackles for loss and five sacks in his senior season. Player, a grad transfer with one season remaining, graded out as the fourth-best interior defensive lineman in FBS this season, according to PFF. He has Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU and Arkansas in his top five. 11. WR Deion Smith, LSU Smith, a top-100 recruit in the 2021 class, impressed in limited action with the Tigers as a true freshman. He evoked Justin Jefferson comps from Ed Orgeron and looked like the next great LSU wideout against Central Michigan, with five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. But Smith caught only four more passes the rest of the season while dealing with an injury. The Mississippi native has an incredibly bright future. 12. WR Taj Harris, Syracuse Harris produced 151 catches for more than 2,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in four seasons with the Orange and is one of the best playmakers on the market. He got an early start on his recruitment by entering the portal in October and made a commitment to Kentucky in November, then had to back out of that pledge a month later due to an issue with his transfer credits. Several coaching staffs are trying to figure out whether they can get him in right now. (Mark Konezny / USA Today) 13. DT Mekhi Wingo, Missouri Wingo came in as a three-star recruit from St. Louis and excelled in his true freshman season, making the SEC’s All-Freshman Team after recording 27 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a 40-yard interception for a touchdown. Wingo picked up an impressive list of offers upon entering the portal and has a top four of LSU, Oklahoma, USC and Arkansas. 14. WR Kyren Lacy, Louisiana Lacy caught 50 passes for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons at Louisiana. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound wideout from Thibodaux, La., immediately became one of the most coveted playmakers on the market with offers from LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Auburn, UCF and Houston. 15. TE Michael Trigg, USC Trigg is a freaky 6-foot-4, 245-pound athlete and was the fourth-ranked tight end recruit in the Class of 2021. He caught seven passes for 109 yards and one touchdown before missing the final six games of his freshman season with a knee injury. Trigg is looking for an offense where he can expect more targets and usage. Ole Miss is one school to watch here, but many more will make a push. 16. LB Kris Moll, UAB Moll will be a one-year rental as a sixth-year super senior, but he sure is an overqualified one. He’s a two-time first-team All-Conference USA performer with more than 50 games of playing experience who has recorded 234 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions during his career. Moll’s final season with the Blazers was cut short after four games due to a wrist injury, but the versatile defender is a difference-maker. 17. DT Jeffery Johnson, Tulane Teams in need of a one-year grad transfer to bolster the interior of their D-line lucked out when Johnson put his name in the portal. He’s been a four-year starter for the Green Wave at nose tackle and has recorded 136 tackles, 45 pressures, 14 TFLs and eight sacks during his 49 career games. Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida, LSU and Missouri are reportedly the early frontrunners in his recruitment. 18. OL Tre’mond Shorts, East Tennessee State The 6-foot-4, 326-pound left tackle is looking to move up a level for his super senior season after a decorated career at the FCS level. He was an All-American once again this fall with more than 70 knockdown blocks, according to his O-line coach Matt McCutchan, and the team captain finished with 40 consecutive starts for the Bucs. He’s claimed offers from LSU, Nebraska, North Carolina, Virginia, Purdue and Rutgers, among others. 19. DB DJ James, Oregon James started 11 games this season as the Ducks’ boundary corner and produced 46 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups as a sophomore. According to PFF, he allowed just one touchdown on 57 targets and had the third-lowest passer rating against (64.9) among Pac-12 starting corners. James still has two more seasons of eligibility. 20. RB Noah Cain, Penn State Cain was a top-100 recruit in the 2019 class coming out of IMG Academy and flashed big-time potential as a freshman before injuries slowed him down, including a season-ending injury on the opening drive of his 2020 season. He rushed for 350 yards on 3.3 yards per carry with four scores, with Keyvone Lee emerging ahead of him as the leading rusher of a run game that struggled. Cain is now looking for a fresh start and could be a terrific pickup if he can find the right situation and stay healthy. 21. WR Brenden Rice, Colorado Rice, a former four-star recruit from Arizona and the son of the legendary Jerry Rice, caught 27 passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns in his 17 games with the Buffaloes and emerged as a promising all-purpose threat. He also ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in kickoff return average this season and had an 81-yard punt return touchdown last season. He still has three years of eligibility. 22. LB West Weeks, Virginia Weeks had a promising freshman season at Virginia, playing 252 snaps at inside linebacker according to PFF and recording 31 tackles, one sack and five pass breakups. Following the coaching change there, he entered the portal and picked up USC, LSU and South Carolina offers. 23. CB Ameer Speed, Georgia Speed, a fifth-year senior, opened the season as a starting cornerback on the best defense in college football and made three starts while splitting snaps with redshirt freshman Kelee Ringo. The staff eventually went with Ringo as their starter, and Speed had to miss time with an ankle injury. He played limited snaps on defense the rest of the year but was an impactful performer on special teams. Now the 6-foot-3, 211-pound defender will look to finish out with a super senior season at another school. 24. OL Michael Shanahan, UT Martin Shanahan was a first-team All-OVC selection after starting all 13 games at left tackle and recording 95 knockdown blocks and allowing just one sack. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound FCS transfer played every snap this fall and started all seven games in the spring, too. Shanahan has taken visits to Texas Tech and FIU and has also been offered by Oklahoma State, Kansas and several Group of 5 programs. His younger brother, TJ, is a top-150 offensive line recruit in the 2023 class. 25. RB Montrell Johnson, Louisiana Johnson was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year after running for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns. The true freshman, a three-star signee from New Orleans, finished with 513 rushing yards after contact and forced 24 missed tackles according to PFF. He also hit a 99-yard touchdown run against Arkansas State. Players previously ranked (Ranking at time of commitment) 2. QB Cameron Ward (Incarnate Word to Washington State) 2. DB Brandon Joseph (Northwestern to Notre Dame) 2. DL Jared Verse (Albany to Florida State) 2. OL Olu Oluwatimi (Virginia to Michigan) 4. WR Isaiah Neyor (Wyoming to Tennessee) 4. RB Zach Evans (TCU to Ole Miss) 4. WR Jacob Cowing (UTEP to Arizona) 7. WR Konata Mumpfield (Akron to Pitt) 7. LB Mohamoud Diabate (Florida to Utah) 10. DB Isheem Young (Iowa State to Ole Miss) 10. QB Casey Thompson (Texas to Nebraska) 11. OL J.D. DiRenzo (Sacred Heart to Rutgers) 14. DE Jonah Laulu (Hawaii to Oklahoma) 15. LB Branden Jennings (Maryland to Kansas State) 15. RB Xazavian Valladay (Wyoming to Arizona State) 17. DB Devonni Reed (Central Michigan to South Carolina) 19. WR Antwane Wells Jr. (James Madison to South Carolina) 19. OL Curtis Dunlap Jr. (Minnesota to Rutgers) 20. WR Nick Mardner (Hawaii to Cincinnati) 21. LB Troy Brown (Central Michigan to Ole Miss) 21. OL Ryan Swoboda (Virginia to UCF) 21. LB Ivan Pace Jr. (Miami-Ohio to Cincinnati) 22. QB Jayden de Laura (Washington State to Arizona) 25. OL Alan Ali (SMU to TCU) QB Connor Bazelak (Missouri to Indiana) QB Zach Calzada (Texas A&M to Auburn)
I have no idea what our scholarship numbers are currently but I think more will enter the portal and I won’t be too beaten up over it
Nah, he lost his job. And only had a job to start the season b/c of injuries/portal. Serviceable/decent player.
Welp the UCF SI guy on Twitter just suggested Gamble will commit to UCF, so maybe let’s soften up those stone hands please. Guy hasn’t been wrong yet this portal season when he makes a call like that.