NCAA Football Transfer Portal Update: Where Are They Now?
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Fri Jan 09, 2026, 6:52 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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As the NCAA Football season comes to a close, it's never too early to start planning for next year, especially with the nature of the game. Thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, kids are jumping ship and changing teams nearly every single season. It's rare to sign a player out of high school and have him stay all four years, but are we really going to blame the kids for chasing life changing money? Regardless of your opinion on the matter, it's happening. So all we can do as sports bettors is try our best to keep up with all the moves. Let's look at some of the biggest names in the transfer portal and see where they will be playing college football next season.
NCAA Football Transfer Portal Update
Sam Leavitt is the No. 1 player in the NCAA Football transfer portal this offseason
I could spend all night writing about the 4,000 college athletes in the transfer portal this offseason, but all we really care about are the big names, right? Let's start with the most prominent position in all of sports, the quarterbacks. While several top quarterbacks have already signed on, the No. 1 overall player and QB in the portal, Sam Leavitt, has left Arizona State but has yet to sign elsewhere. Although it is heavily rumored that he will be joining Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge as an LSU Tigers.
But what about some of the other quarterbacks?
Top Quarterbacks in Transfer Portal
- Brendan Sorsby (CIN): Texas Tech
- Drew Mestemaker (UNT): Oklahoma State
- DJ Lagway (FLA): Baylor
- Byrum Brown (USF): Auburn
- Rocco Becht (ISU): Penn State
- Josh Hoover (TCU): Indiana
- Austin Simmons (Ole Miss): Mizzou
- Ethan Grunkemeyer (PSU): Virginia Tech
- Kenny Minchey (ND): Kentucky
- Aidan Chiles (MSU): Northwestern
- Katin Houser (ECU): Illinois
- Colton Joseph (ODU): Wisconsin
- Anthony Colandrea (UNLV): Nebraska
- Ashton Daniels (AUB): Florida State
- Alonza Barnett (JMU): UCF
- Jackson Arnold (AUB): UNLV
Dylan Raiola has entered the transfer portal and is being linked to the Oregon Ducks
There are still several names awaiting destinations, most notably Leavitt and Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola. The former Cornhusker is being linked to the Oregon Ducks, which could be a favorable spot based on Dan Lanning's track record with quarterbacks. Washington quarterback, Demond Williams resigned with the Huskies, but then hit the portal unexpectedly four days later. However, the school kindly let him know that wouldn't be allowed thanks to the piece of paper he signed just days prior, so he decided to return, but it did give us sports media people plenty to talk about.
Kenny Minchey actually committed to the Cornhuskers initially while Kentucky was trying to lock down Leavitt. When the Wildcats learned that wasn't happening, I imagine they wrote Minchey a blank check, which he gladly accepted, flipping his commitment to Kentucky. I thought only high school recruits could flip but now we've got transfer portal kids doing the same.
Welcome to the wild world of NIL in college sports.
The three best running backs in the portal have all signed as well.
Hollywood Smothers will be running over linebackers in the SEC next year for the Crimson Tide
Top Running Backs in Transfer Portal
- Caleb Hawkins (UNT): Oklahoma State
- Hollywood Smothers (NCST): Alabama
- Quintrevion Wisner (TEX): Florida State
You're going to see a lot of North Texas players following their coach to Oklahoma State, as well as Iowa State Cyclones following Matt Campbell to Penn State. It's just the nature of the beast nowadays. The best running back still available is Justice Haynes of Michigan, who ran for 857 yards on 121 carries and 10 touchdowns in just seven games this season before being injured. He will have an immediate impact where ever he ends up.
Other Notable Players in Transfer Portal
What about the other guys? They need love too. The four highest non-QB players in the portal have all not yet signed to a new school.
- WR Cam Coleman (AUB): 56 catches, 708 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns
- EDGE Chaz Coleman (PSU): 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
- EDGE Damon Wilson (MIZ): 23 tackles, 9 sacks, 1 interception
- DL: James Smith (BAMA): 16 tackles, 2.5 sacks
It will be very interesting seeing where these guys (and so many others) end up playing football next year. This is the world of NCAA Football we currently live in, get used to it, because it's not going away.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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