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The college football transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9. Not even 12 hours later, over 500 players had entered their names into the portal, and it is expected to be a hectic time this year.
With NIL changing the way of college sports, players aren't just looking for more opportunities to play, but also more chances to earn some NIL money. As a result, the transfer portal is going to be jam-packed.
With a ton of players entering, we have narrowed down to the best 13 players in this, starting from top to bottom.
Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech started the year with a stunning win over Florida State in Ireland. They ended the year with a stunning 8-overtime loss to Georgia as Brent Key's team was inches away from a massive upset.
Georgia Tech ended with a 7-5 record and a bowl game against Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl. However, they are losing top wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. He is a sophomore who finished the year with 56 catches (2nd on the team) for a team-high 754 yards and three scores.
As a freshman, Singleton had 47 catches for 706 yards and six scores while earning Freshman All-American honors as well as a second-place finish for the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award. Singleton is from Douglasville, Georgia, and also ran track at Georgia Tech.
On Monday, it was reported that he is set to visit Georgia, so things could move quickly for Singleton.
Jackson Arnold, QB, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners ended the year with a 6-6 record, although the stunning 24-3 win over Alabama was a positive note amid a sour season. However, a number of Oklahoma players entered the portal, including quarterback Jackson Arnold and wide receiver Nic Anderson.
Arnold's exit is a big one, and the former five-star recruit ended up getting replaced in the Tennessee game by Michael Hawkins Jr., a true freshman. Arnold wound up getting the job back, but now he is on his way out of Norman.
After the initial news dropped, it was reported that Georgia, Auburn, and Mississippi State were teams to watch for Arnold, and the Jeff Lebby connection at Mississippi State sure makes it seem like the Bulldogs could be a real possibility.
Lebby was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before he went to take the job at Mississippi State in 2024. The Bulldogs went just 2-10 this year, so adding a talent like Arnold could be big.
Darian Mensah, QB, Tulane
Darian Mensah is relatively unknown from the national landscape since he plays college football at Tulane. After Michael Pratt's exit, Tulane had a spot at quarterback, and Mensah wound up winning the job as a redshirt freshman.
Mensah threw for 2,273 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, and Tulane finished with a 9-4 record. Mensah led the AAC in completion percentage (66%). Surprisingly, Mensah only had offers from Idaho State and Tulane out of high school but he has emerged as a legitimate weapon in college football.
ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill even mentioned that he sees some Desmond Ridder in Mensah. On Wednesday, it was reported that Mensah had decided to play for Duke after Maalik Murphy entered the portal.
Maalik Murphy, QB, Duke
Maalik Murphy spent two years at Texas and was the backup to Quinn Ewers. In 2023, Murphy even got two starts for Texas and flashed plenty of potential. However, with Arch Manning also in the QB room, Murphy transferred to Duke.
In his lone season at Duke, he set a school record with 26 touchdown passes while leading the Blue Devils to a 9-3 season. However, in a bit of a surprise, Murphy decided to enter the transfer portal. As a result, he is one of the top signal-callers in the portal, coming in at No. 3 among QBs, per 247Sports.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Cal
On Wednesday, another big name entered the transfer portal: California Golden Bears QB Fernando Mendoza. He started the past two seasons at Cal, and this year he threw for over 3,000 yards while helping Cal finish with a 6-6 record in its first season in the ACC.
Mendoza has a lot of talent and he has flashed NFL upside. On top of that, he has two years of eligibility remaining, so there should be a lot of suitors for Mendoza in the portal.
Miller Moss, QB, USC
The USC Trojans had a disappointing year with a 6-6 record. Amid the rough season, it included a change at starting quarterback. Miller Moss, who stepped in as the Holiday Bowl starter a year ago after Caleb Williams opted out for the NFL Draft, was named the Week 1 starter.
However, Lincoln Riley turned to UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava for the November 16 game against Nebraska, and Maiva started the rest of the year. As such, Moss entered the portal and should be a name to watch. He just finished his junior year and ended with 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in his first run as the starter.
After the news came, it was reported that Moss would visit Louisville and Missouri, and Michigan was another team linked to Moss. The former Trojans signal-caller flashed plenty of potential at times, so maybe a change of scenery would do well for Moss.
Hunter Zambrano, OL, Illinois State
While quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers are going to be popular options, the offensive line is a piece for plenty of schools. Enter Hunter Zambrano, the Illinois State star who has a ton of NFL buzz around him.
Right now, Zambrano ranks as the top guard, per 247Sports, and his versatility is going to be a big plus for teams searching for offensive line help.
On Wednesday, Zambrano committed to Texas Tech.
Micah Hudson, WR, Texas Tech
Micah Hudson had just eight catches for 123 yards and no scores for Texas Tech this season. However, the freshman was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024, so there is a ton of talent that Hudson brings to the table.
Michigan and Texas are a few programs that make a lot of sense for Hudson, and given his eligibility and talent, there could be plenty of big schools tossing their name into Hudson's portal decision hat.
Dane Key, WR, Kentucky
Dane Key led Kentucky in receiving with 715 yards and 47 catches. However, he had just two touchdowns for the 4-win Wildcats team. In his three-year run at Kentucky, Key totaled 116 catches for 1,740 yards and 13 scores, and the 6-foot-3 wide receiver is going to be a big weapon for wherever he lands next.
Jehiem Oatis, DL, Alabama
Jehiem Oatis is one of a flurry of Alabama players to enter the transfer portal after the first season with Kalen DeBoer as the head coach. Oatis was a two-year starter at Alabama before redshirting after just four games this season, which means he has two years of eligibility remaining.
Oatis is from Columbia, Mississippi, which screams Ole Miss as a landing spot for the talented defensive lineman. Oatis was a four-star recruit, and he currently has a Crystal Ball prediction to go to Ole Miss.
Nic Anderson, WR, Oklahoma
Nic Anderson missed the entire 2024 season with an injury, but don't forget about him. As a freshman in 2023, Anderson exploded with 31 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns. He was fifth in the country with an eye-popping 21 yards per catch, and his 1o touchdowns set an Oklahoma freshman record.
Unfortunately, the biggest question is how electric Anderson will be after recovering from the injury, but if his freshman year is any indication, he should be a top option for programs searching for WR help.
Barion Brown, WR/KR, Kentucky
Barion Brown is a big name that entered the portal. Kentucky was not very good this year, as the Wildcats won just four games. However, Brown was explosive in a number of ways and is a huge name to watch for essentially every big program.
Brown finished 2024 with 29 catches for 361 yards and three scores, but he compiled a total of 114 catches for 1,406 yards and 10 scores during his three-year run in Lexington. He was also used a bit in the rushing game, but his ability as a receiver is enticing given his speed.
However, Brown's best asset is as a kick returner. In three years, he has a total of 51 returns for 1,465 yards and five touchdowns. He is the only player currently the FBS leader in kickoff returns.
Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M
Conner Weigman is a very interesting case study. As a prospect, he was a five-star recruit who had offers from plenty of top programs, including Texas, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Colorado.
He ended up at Texas A&M and began the year in 2024 as the Aggies starter. However, Weigman finished with just 819 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions in a disappointing campaign.
In his three-year career in College Station, he has a total of 2,694 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but he has never been able to stay consistent as the QB1. A big part is because of injuries, and Weigman suffered a season-ending injury in 2023.
However, he feels his best football is ahead of him, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.
“I feel like my best football is ahead of me,” Weigman told ESPN. “I wasn't able to reach my full potential where I was at. I know what I'm capable of and what I can bring to a team and program.”
There is a reason Weigman was a former five-star prospect, so maybe he can turn things around with a different program.
Honorable Mention:
KC Concepcion, WR, NC State
Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Wisconsin
