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In the past, I waited until after spring practice to update my initial Top 25, and even then, there would often be minimal changes. But with immediate eligibility for transfers, many teams’ personnel have changed significantly just in the last month — so much so that this edition includes one team jumping from unranked to top 12.
Note: Much like in recruiting, the SEC has cleaned up in the portal, with four schools (Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina) ranked among the top seven in 247Sports’ team transfer rankings.
1. Alabama (previous: No. 1)
Alabama is losing its top three receivers, most notably Jameson Williams, but landed Georgia’s Jermaine Burton, who averaged 19.1 yards per catch last season. Bryce Young should have another great set of targets in Burton, Ja’Corey Brooks and Agiye Hall, who replaced Williams in the national title game and caught a 28-yard pass.
2. Ohio State (previous: No. 2)
There were no real surprises for the Buckeyes come NFL draft deadline, save perhaps for second team All-Big Ten defensive end Zach Harrison opting to return. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will count on the veteran up front while bringing along 2021 five-stars Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.
3. Georgia (previous: No. 3)
Quarterback Stetson Bennett is back for a sixth season, but quarterback JT Daniels and Burton hit the portal. As expected, the Dawgs saw most of their starting defense turn pro except for stud linebacker Nolan Smith. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, safeties Dan Jackson and Christopher Smith and cornerback/national title game hero Kelee Ringo return as well.
4. Clemson (previous: No. 8)
Clemson always seems to fare well come the NFL early entry deadline. This year saw cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich move on, but All-ACC defensive linemen Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas opted to come back, joining Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee in what should be a dominant front four.
5. Utah (previous: No. 4)
The Utes bring back the bulk of their Rose Bowl team, but had a potentially big void at linebacker without All-American Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell. They’re hoping for help from Florida’s Mohamoud Diabate, a two-year starter with 176 career tackles. Expect Kyle Whittingham to dip back into the portal now that Signing Day has passed.
6. Texas A&M (previous: No. 6)
Outside of ex-LSU quarterback Max Johnson, Jimbo Fisher has not tapped into the portal, instead loading up on high-school blue-chippers. On Wednesday he added a seventh five-star signee in defensive lineman Shemar Stewart to the nation’s No. 1 class. It’s inevitable that several of those guys will start as freshmen.
7 . Notre Dame (previous: No. 5)
Notre Dame should field another strong roster, but Marcus Freeman’s first staff now includes just three holdover Brian Kelly assistants. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees stayed and then brought back revered offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. The Irish have added one big transfer, All-American Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph.
8. Michigan State (previous: No. 10)
A year after plucking star running back Kenneth Walker from Wake Forest, Mel Tucker landed Colorado’s Jarek Broussard, the Pac-12’s 2020 Offensive Player of the Year who ran for 301 yards in a game against Arizona. Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger, Georgia cornerback Ameer Speed and Illinois tight end Daniel Barker could all be key additions as well.
9. Michigan (previous: No. 7)
Michigan has not added a new player since December, but at least its head coach is coming back after all. Jim Harbaugh is now in the market for another defensive coordinator after Mike Macdonald left to become the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Michigan’s defense improved from No. 54 to No. 14 during Macdonald’s one season in Ann Arbor.
10. NC State (previous: No. 9)
NC State has such a veteran roster returning that it signed only 12 high-school recruits and has added just one transfer, Maryland receiver Darryl Jones. Devin Leary should be one of the top quarterbacks in the country this fall, and the ACC’s No. 2 defense brings back 10 starters plus injured standout linebacker Payton Wilson.
11. Baylor (previous: No. 12)
The defending Big 12 champs lost starting wide receiver R.J. Sneed to the portal but picked up Tulsa defensive tackle Jaxon Player, a Waco native who The Athletic’s Max Olson ranked as the nation’s No. 6 available transfer at the time. He joins an already stout defensive line led by All-Big 12 DT Siaki Ika.
12. Ole Miss (previous: NR)
Faced with significant losses from his 2021 team that finished 10-3, Lane Kiffin, the self-proclaimed “Portal King,” has loaded up on replacements, most notably USC quarterback Jaxson Dart (Matt Corral’s likely successor) and star TCU running back Zach Evans. Other potential Day 1 starters include Iowa State safety Isheem Young, Georgia Tech defensive end Jared Ivey and USC tight end Michael Trigg.
13. Pitt (previous: No. 11)
Pat Narduzzi landed his most important transfer back on Dec. 21: USC quarterback Kedon Slovis. Former Akron wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, who had 63 catches for 751 yards as a freshman, could become a nice target. Notre Dame linebacker Shayne Simon struggled to find a fit with the Irish (and missed most of last season) but could vie for a starting job.
14. Tennessee (previous: No. 13)
Josh Heupel has indicated his roster numbers are tight, which might explain why the Vols have lost 11 scholarship players but so far brought in just one transfer, Florida backup tackle Gerald Mincey. Coveted Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor committed to Tennessee at one point but flipped to Texas.
15. Oklahoma State (previous: No. 14)
The Cowboys have not yet added a transfer but recently lost All-Big 12 cornerback and four-year starter Jarrick Bernard-Converse to LSU. Another defensive starter, safety Tanner McCalister, followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Ohio State. On the bright side, highly respected defensive coordinator Derek Mason left Auburn to replace Knowles in Stillwater.
16. Arkansas (previous: No. 17)
The portal has been very active in Fayetteville, with the Razorbacks losing running back Trelon Smith, cornerback Greg Brooks Jr. and safety Joe Foucha, but picking up Oklahoma wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, LSU cornerback Dwight McGlothern, Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders and Georgia safety Latavious Brini, all of whom ranked among Olson’s top available transfers.
17. Oregon (previous: No. 16)
Oregon’s running back room took some severe hits with CJ Verdell turning pro and Travis Dye (USC) and Trey Benson (Florida State) transferring, but first-year coach Dan Lanning got a big win on signing day, flipping four-star running back Jordan Jamesfrom Georgia. Ex-Colorado starter Christian Gonzalez fills a need at cornerback.
18. Wake Forest (Previous: No. 15)
Wake Forest’s academic profile means it will generally lose more guys to the portal than it can take most years. Christian Beal-Smith, the Deacons’ leading rusher the past two seasons, transferred to South Carolina. Meanwhile, coach Dave Clawson hired a new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, former Wake assistant and Charlotte head coach.
19. Kentucky (previous: No. 21)
Mark Stoops’ top portal priority was receiver and he got two big gets in Virginia Tech’s Tayvion Robinson (113 career catches) and Alabama’s Javon Baker, who spent two seasons lost in the Tide’s loaded receivers’ room. Auburn senior Tashawn Manning should vie for a starting job on the offensive line.
20. USC (previous: NR)
Former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is the headliner, but his supporting cast also got a lot better with the additions of Oregon running back Travis Dye, wide receivers Mario Williams (Oklahoma), Brenden Rice (Colorado) and Terrell Bynum(Washington). USC’s defense needs more help, though Colorado cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and Alabama linebacker Shane Lee could help.
21. Minnesota (previous: No. 18)
The Gophers have a lot of big names back on offense, but they lost four starters up front. To that end, P.J. Fleck added Michigan veteran Chuck Filiaga, who has 11 career starts, and Notre Dame transfer Quinn Carroll, a Minneapolis native who couldn’t crack the Irish lineup. Former Western Kentucky cornerback Beanie Bishop will vie for a starting job.
22. Cincinnati (previous: No. 20)
Luke Fickell has added no new players since early signing day, but he’s been busy filling out his staff. He promoted quarterback coach Gino Guidugli to offensive coordinator and hired former Cincinnati assistant and, more recently, Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs as special teams coordinator.
23. Houston (previous: No. 22)
Dana Holgorsen already had the makings of a special offense, but he added more potential contributors in West Virginia wide receiver Sam Brown and USC’s Joseph Manjack.
24. Wisconsin (previous: No. 19)
Paul Chryst reportedly came in runner-up in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. But having lost its starting secondary, Wisconsin grabbed a pair of experienced Power 5 cornerbacks, Kentucky’s Cedrick Dort (25 career starts) and UCLA’s Jay Shaw (23 career starts).
25. LSU (previous: NR)
Brian Kelly shored up the roster considerably by adding Oklahoma State cornerback Bernard-Converse, Arkansas defensive backs Brooks Jr. and Foucha, Missouri defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, Penn State running back Noah Cain, Louisiana wide receiver Kyren Lacy and offensive linemen Miles Frazier (FIU) and Tre’mond Shorts (East Tennessee State).
Just missed: BYU, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas State, South Carolina
In the past, I waited until after spring practice to update my initial Top 25, and even then, there would often be minimal changes. But with immediate eligibility for transfers, many teams’ personnel have changed significantly just in the last month — so much so that this edition includes one team jumping from unranked to top 12.
Note: Much like in recruiting, the SEC has cleaned up in the portal, with four schools (Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina) ranked among the top seven in 247Sports’ team transfer rankings.
1. Alabama (previous: No. 1)
Alabama is losing its top three receivers, most notably Jameson Williams, but landed Georgia’s Jermaine Burton, who averaged 19.1 yards per catch last season. Bryce Young should have another great set of targets in Burton, Ja’Corey Brooks and Agiye Hall, who replaced Williams in the national title game and caught a 28-yard pass.
2. Ohio State (previous: No. 2)
There were no real surprises for the Buckeyes come NFL draft deadline, save perhaps for second team All-Big Ten defensive end Zach Harrison opting to return. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will count on the veteran up front while bringing along 2021 five-stars Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.
3. Georgia (previous: No. 3)
Quarterback Stetson Bennett is back for a sixth season, but quarterback JT Daniels and Burton hit the portal. As expected, the Dawgs saw most of their starting defense turn pro except for stud linebacker Nolan Smith. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, safeties Dan Jackson and Christopher Smith and cornerback/national title game hero Kelee Ringo return as well.
4. Clemson (previous: No. 8)
Clemson always seems to fare well come the NFL early entry deadline. This year saw cornerbacks Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich move on, but All-ACC defensive linemen Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas opted to come back, joining Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee in what should be a dominant front four.
5. Utah (previous: No. 4)
The Utes bring back the bulk of their Rose Bowl team, but had a potentially big void at linebacker without All-American Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell. They’re hoping for help from Florida’s Mohamoud Diabate, a two-year starter with 176 career tackles. Expect Kyle Whittingham to dip back into the portal now that Signing Day has passed.
6. Texas A&M (previous: No. 6)
Outside of ex-LSU quarterback Max Johnson, Jimbo Fisher has not tapped into the portal, instead loading up on high-school blue-chippers. On Wednesday he added a seventh five-star signee in defensive lineman Shemar Stewart to the nation’s No. 1 class. It’s inevitable that several of those guys will start as freshmen.
7 . Notre Dame (previous: No. 5)
Notre Dame should field another strong roster, but Marcus Freeman’s first staff now includes just three holdover Brian Kelly assistants. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees stayed and then brought back revered offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. The Irish have added one big transfer, All-American Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph.
8. Michigan State (previous: No. 10)
A year after plucking star running back Kenneth Walker from Wake Forest, Mel Tucker landed Colorado’s Jarek Broussard, the Pac-12’s 2020 Offensive Player of the Year who ran for 301 yards in a game against Arizona. Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger, Georgia cornerback Ameer Speed and Illinois tight end Daniel Barker could all be key additions as well.
9. Michigan (previous: No. 7)
Michigan has not added a new player since December, but at least its head coach is coming back after all. Jim Harbaugh is now in the market for another defensive coordinator after Mike Macdonald left to become the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Michigan’s defense improved from No. 54 to No. 14 during Macdonald’s one season in Ann Arbor.
10. NC State (previous: No. 9)
NC State has such a veteran roster returning that it signed only 12 high-school recruits and has added just one transfer, Maryland receiver Darryl Jones. Devin Leary should be one of the top quarterbacks in the country this fall, and the ACC’s No. 2 defense brings back 10 starters plus injured standout linebacker Payton Wilson.
11. Baylor (previous: No. 12)
The defending Big 12 champs lost starting wide receiver R.J. Sneed to the portal but picked up Tulsa defensive tackle Jaxon Player, a Waco native who The Athletic’s Max Olson ranked as the nation’s No. 6 available transfer at the time. He joins an already stout defensive line led by All-Big 12 DT Siaki Ika.
12. Ole Miss (previous: NR)
Faced with significant losses from his 2021 team that finished 10-3, Lane Kiffin, the self-proclaimed “Portal King,” has loaded up on replacements, most notably USC quarterback Jaxson Dart (Matt Corral’s likely successor) and star TCU running back Zach Evans. Other potential Day 1 starters include Iowa State safety Isheem Young, Georgia Tech defensive end Jared Ivey and USC tight end Michael Trigg.
13. Pitt (previous: No. 11)
Pat Narduzzi landed his most important transfer back on Dec. 21: USC quarterback Kedon Slovis. Former Akron wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, who had 63 catches for 751 yards as a freshman, could become a nice target. Notre Dame linebacker Shayne Simon struggled to find a fit with the Irish (and missed most of last season) but could vie for a starting job.
14. Tennessee (previous: No. 13)
Josh Heupel has indicated his roster numbers are tight, which might explain why the Vols have lost 11 scholarship players but so far brought in just one transfer, Florida backup tackle Gerald Mincey. Coveted Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor committed to Tennessee at one point but flipped to Texas.
15. Oklahoma State (previous: No. 14)
The Cowboys have not yet added a transfer but recently lost All-Big 12 cornerback and four-year starter Jarrick Bernard-Converse to LSU. Another defensive starter, safety Tanner McCalister, followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Ohio State. On the bright side, highly respected defensive coordinator Derek Mason left Auburn to replace Knowles in Stillwater.
16. Arkansas (previous: No. 17)
The portal has been very active in Fayetteville, with the Razorbacks losing running back Trelon Smith, cornerback Greg Brooks Jr. and safety Joe Foucha, but picking up Oklahoma wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, LSU cornerback Dwight McGlothern, Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders and Georgia safety Latavious Brini, all of whom ranked among Olson’s top available transfers.
17. Oregon (previous: No. 16)
Oregon’s running back room took some severe hits with CJ Verdell turning pro and Travis Dye (USC) and Trey Benson (Florida State) transferring, but first-year coach Dan Lanning got a big win on signing day, flipping four-star running back Jordan Jamesfrom Georgia. Ex-Colorado starter Christian Gonzalez fills a need at cornerback.
18. Wake Forest (Previous: No. 15)
Wake Forest’s academic profile means it will generally lose more guys to the portal than it can take most years. Christian Beal-Smith, the Deacons’ leading rusher the past two seasons, transferred to South Carolina. Meanwhile, coach Dave Clawson hired a new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, former Wake assistant and Charlotte head coach.
19. Kentucky (previous: No. 21)
Mark Stoops’ top portal priority was receiver and he got two big gets in Virginia Tech’s Tayvion Robinson (113 career catches) and Alabama’s Javon Baker, who spent two seasons lost in the Tide’s loaded receivers’ room. Auburn senior Tashawn Manning should vie for a starting job on the offensive line.
20. USC (previous: NR)
Former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is the headliner, but his supporting cast also got a lot better with the additions of Oregon running back Travis Dye, wide receivers Mario Williams (Oklahoma), Brenden Rice (Colorado) and Terrell Bynum(Washington). USC’s defense needs more help, though Colorado cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and Alabama linebacker Shane Lee could help.
21. Minnesota (previous: No. 18)
The Gophers have a lot of big names back on offense, but they lost four starters up front. To that end, P.J. Fleck added Michigan veteran Chuck Filiaga, who has 11 career starts, and Notre Dame transfer Quinn Carroll, a Minneapolis native who couldn’t crack the Irish lineup. Former Western Kentucky cornerback Beanie Bishop will vie for a starting job.
22. Cincinnati (previous: No. 20)
Luke Fickell has added no new players since early signing day, but he’s been busy filling out his staff. He promoted quarterback coach Gino Guidugli to offensive coordinator and hired former Cincinnati assistant and, more recently, Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs as special teams coordinator.
23. Houston (previous: No. 22)
Dana Holgorsen already had the makings of a special offense, but he added more potential contributors in West Virginia wide receiver Sam Brown and USC’s Joseph Manjack.
24. Wisconsin (previous: No. 19)
Paul Chryst reportedly came in runner-up in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. But having lost its starting secondary, Wisconsin grabbed a pair of experienced Power 5 cornerbacks, Kentucky’s Cedrick Dort (25 career starts) and UCLA’s Jay Shaw (23 career starts).
25. LSU (previous: NR)
Brian Kelly shored up the roster considerably by adding Oklahoma State cornerback Bernard-Converse, Arkansas defensive backs Brooks Jr. and Foucha, Missouri defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, Penn State running back Noah Cain, Louisiana wide receiver Kyren Lacy and offensive linemen Miles Frazier (FIU) and Tre’mond Shorts (East Tennessee State).
Just missed: BYU, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas State, South Carolina
