Transfers swing the College Football Playoff race every year.
Think about the 2025 season. Where would Ole Miss have been without Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy? Could Miami have reached the CFP without Carson Beck? Is Indiana a national champion if it failed to land Fernando Mendoza?
With that in mind, we’re picking out one swing transfer for each team in the top 25 of CBS Sports’ latest 138 rankings. These aren’t always the top-ranked transfers, though in some cases they will be. Instead, these additions seemingly filled a major need, can spark a unit or represent a departure from what a team has done before.
No. 1 Ohio State
Terry Moore, S, Duke
The Buckeyes return only three starters from the Big Ten’s best defense, and arguably the biggest loss is All-American safety Caleb Downs. Moore is a bit of a question mark as a replacement. He missed the 2025 campaign after suffering a knee injury in Duke’s 2024 bowl game. But before he got hurt, Moore was quietly one of the best safeties in college football. If he can regain his prior form, the Buckeyes will once again have an elite coverage safety who is very capable of making tackles in the box.
No. 2 Texas
Malvin Siani, OT, Wake Forest
You know about Cam Coleman; he’s a ceiling raiser at wide receiver for Texas on offense. But Siani potentially raising the floor of Texas’ offensive line is more important. Texas was No. 109 in pressures allowed last season and struggled to consistently run the ball. That unit must improve for Texas to reach its goals. That’s what makes the addition of Siani so important.
The Longhorns already have an All-American candidate at left tackle in Trevor Goosby. By adding Siani, one of the best OTs in the ACC last season, Texas should have the strongest tackle pairing in the country. And with last year’s starting right tackle Brandon Baker able to slide inside, the Longhorns are employing an o-line interior with more than 3,000 combined career snaps, which should theoretically turn a weakness into a strength.
No. 3 Oregon
Koi Perich, S, Minnesota
If Ohio State had the best safety in college football last season, the Ducks had a close No. 2 in first=round pick Dillon Thieneman. He was a space eraser in coverage and a daring tackler in the open field. That’s a tough player to replace. Perich is the type of talent who can do it. He was more up and down last year than he was as a true freshman, but Perich is among the most talented players at his position in the country. If he can regain his 2024 form, Oregon will have one of the best defensive backs in the FBS. That would be a huge win for a top 10 unit that already returns eight starters.
No. 4 Notre Dame
Spencer Porath, K, Purdue
Yes, a kicker. The Irish made the third-fewest field goals in the country last season (five). It got so bad late in the season that head coach Marcus Freeman basically stopped attempting them. That’s what makes Porath so important. He hit 15 of 17 tries last year, including six from beyond 40 yards. Porath looked great in the spring and adds a needed element to Notre Dame’s offense once it crosses midfield.
No. 5 Georgia
Isiah Canion, WR, Georgia Tech
Georgia lost six of its top seven pass catchers from last season, so Gunner Stockton must identify new top options. Canion is an excellent candidate as an under-the-radar signing from Georgia Tech. His numbers won’t jump out at anyone (33 catches, 480 yards), but personnel staffers across the country viewed the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Canion as one of the biggest upside receivers in the portal. He’s a big body on the outside who fits what Mike Bobo likes in an X-receiver. If he can live up to his potential, Canion can be a No. 1 option for UGA this year.
No. 6 Indiana
Josh Hoover, QB, TCU
Fernando Mendoza and Kurtis Rourke are different quarterbacks with different skill sets, but they had two things in common while helping to turn around Indiana football: supreme accuracy and the ability to avoid turnovers.
Rourke completed 69.4% of his passes and threw five interceptions. Mendoza had a 72% completion rate and threw four picks. Hoover, to this point in his career, is a different passer. He’s combined for 33 interceptions over the last three seasons — the third-most in the FBS over that period — and has never completed better than 66.5% of his attempts in a season.
That’s a negative view of Hoover and not entirely fair. He won a lot of games at TCU, threw for a ton of yards and is undoubtedly talented. But for Indiana to maintain its status as a contender, Hoover must cut down on some of his worst habits. It’s very possible he can in a different context. Indiana’s run game is far more consistent than anything Hoover ever had at TCU, and Curt Cignetti’s system asks far less of the QB from down to down than Kendal Briles’ veer-and-shoot system did. Ultimately, what will swing Indiana’s season one way or another is Hoover’s ability to take care of the football.
No. 7 Miami
Damon Wilson, DE, Missouri
Miami succeeded for many reasons during its playoff run, but arguably the biggest was the edge-rusher tandem of Akeem Mesidor and Rueben Bain. They were menaces and emerged as first-round picks for a reason. So, while Miami returns seven starters on defense, the big question is: who can fill the massive hole on the edge?
That’s why Wilson is so important. Miami is high on young edges like Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount, but Wilson is a proven veteran who just posted nine sacks in the SEC. If Wilson can carry that production over to Coral Gables, Miami should once again have an elite defense. If he can’t … that unit loses its true superpower: the ability to create pressure after pressure.
No. 8 Texas A&M
Tyree Adams, OT, LSU
That reads Adams, but it could just as easily say, Wilkin Formby. The Aggies offense took a leap last season to a top 25 unit, and one of the biggest reasons why was the offensive line. But Mark Nabou is the only returning starter from that group as A&M looks to replace both tackles.
The Aggies went to the portal to address those needs. Both players have SEC experience, but both were up and down at times in 2025. Adams recorded only a 55.5 PFF grade, and Formby got kicked inside to guard late in the season for Alabama. Texas A&M needs both players to emerge as above-average SEC starters if it hopes to maintain its 2025 offensive momentum.
No. 9 Texas Tech
Trey White, EDGE, San Diego State
Most of the attention in Lubbock this offseason has been centered around the quarterback — I wonder why? — but it’s worth remembering that the strength of Texas Tech last year was the nation’s best defensive line. Only one starter from that group remains (and AJ Holmes wasn’t even a starter to begin the year), so that group more than any other needs a talent infusion.
That’s what makes White so intriguing. He’s been one of the most productive EDGE defenders in the country the last two seasons, totaling 29 tackles for loss in that stretch. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, White lacks the elite physical tools that made David Bailey a top-five draft pick. But his explosiveness off the edge and positive qualities in the run game can translate to the Big 12; he’s the type of difference maker who can once again elevate Texas Tech’s defense.
No. 10 Oklahoma
Hayden Hansen, TE, Florida
Expect more 12-personnel looks from Oklahoma this season as the Sooners aim to find more balance offensively, particularly in the run game. A big part of that is a revamped tight end room that includes three transfers and the addition of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten as the room’s coach. Hansen was the Sooners’ biggest transfer pickup of the group, and he’ll be counted on for a big role. If Hansen and the rest of the tight ends can be effective, the Sooners’ offense has a chance to be much better in 2026 than the 2025 version that ranked No. 97 in the country in yards per play.
No. 11 Alabama
Jayvin James, OT, Mississippi State
This could easily also include Nick Brooks, a Texas transfer who is also in the mix to start at tackle for Alabama. Either way, the o-line needs to improve for Alabama to reach its offensive potential. Alabama surrendered more pressures than any team in the SEC last season and ranked 126th nationally in yards per carry. That was with a first-round pick at left tackle, by the way.
With only one o-line starter returning, the new-look unit, which could include as many as three transfers, needs to be better. James could be the swing player for the o-line. He has starting left tackle experience in the SEC, having played 855 snaps for Mississippi State last year. But he was just solid with a 58.2 PFF grade. James, along with Alabama’s other o-line transfers, needs to help the offense instead of putting so much on inexperienced quarterbacks.
No. 12 Ole Miss
Jehiem Oatis, DT, Colorado
Oatis looked like the next great Crimson Tide defensive tackle as a 10-game starter under then-defensive coordinator Pete Golding in 2022. But Oatis never regained that form. Golding left for Ole Miss that offseason, and a combination of injuries and inconsistent play has turned Oatis into a journeyman.
Reunited with Golding in Oxford, Oatis could be the missing piece for a Rebels’ defense that struggled against the run last season, allowing 4.15 yards per carry. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound DT is a classic space eater with the explosiveness to push the pocket. If Oatis can look anything like the 2022 version of himself, he’ll emerge as a draft pick and Ole Miss’ already talented front seven could blossom into one of the nation’s best.
No. 13 LSU
Is one offensive lineman going to swing LSU’s playoff chances? No. But consider Bah a proxy for the entire unit. LSU’s 2025 offensive line greatly struggled to establish the run. The Tigers ranked 114th nationally in yards per carry and No. 110 in yards created before contact. It led to an imbalanced offense and a passing attack that had to get the ball out quickly (the fastest time to throw in the SEC) just to survive.
That’s what makes Bah and LSU’s four other o-line transfers so critical. Not all of them will start, but at least Bah and Jordan Seaton are locks for the starting lineup. Seaton is an elite prospect. Bah, and the rest of the o-line? It has some questions to answer. Bah, for example, recorded a 54.7 PFF run block grade last season.
LSU put a ton of money into its offensive line this offseason. If it hopes to reach its playoff goals, that unit needs to take a huge leap.
No. 14 USC
Alex VanSumeren, DT, Michigan State
It’ll be interesting to see how Gary Patterson’s traditional 4-2-5 defense holds up in the Big Ten. But one thing is necessary in any defense: big defensive tackles who can hold up against the run. USC didn’t really have those last year. The Trojans really played a pair of 5-techs at DT and didn’t have a single player in their starting rotation at 300 pounds. VanSumeren, who checked in at 6-foot-3, 295 pounds last season, solves that issue on paper.
He’s a big, mean run defender who finishes tackles and can eat blockers inside. The Trojans ranked just 81st nationally last season in yards allowed per carry. If VanSumeren can live up to his potential, USC should be much better against the run.
No. 15 BYU
Roger Saleapaga, TE, Oregon
This selection could also include USC transfer Walker Lyons, but if you read our Big 12 intel piece from last week, you’d know Saleapaga had a huge spring. That’s critical for BYU, which is loaded on defense but really doesn’t return much pass-catching production around sophomore QB Bear Bachmeier. Saleapaga, a former four-star recruit, could emerge as a go-to target for Bachmeier and a BYU team that only has a few question marks heading into the year.
No. 16 Michigan
JJ Buchannan, WR, Utah
Michigan‘s wide receiver production the last two seasons has been horrendous. Andrew Marsh was a bright spot as a true freshman last year with 651 yards, but otherwise, the Wolverines have struggled to find any sort of consistent production at that position. If Bryce Underwood is going to take the next step, someone other than Marsh needs to step up.
That’s what makes Buchannan so intriguing. A 6-foot-4, 208-pound converted tight end who came with the new staff over from Utah, Buchannan excelled in his 2025 debut with 26 catches for 427 yards and five scores. He’s got the speed and body control to excel at wide receiver. If his transition to the position is smooth, Underwood will have a pair of second-year wide receivers to grow with.
No. 17 Tennessee
Chaz Coleman, DE, Penn State
Tennessee might have the most obvious pick on the list. The Vols are the only team uncertain whether or not their high-profile transfer will actually play in 2026. Coleman has been away from the Tennessee program for much of the offseason, dealing with what sources have described as a combination of a physical ailment, mental health strain and the pressure that comes with emerging as a highly paid, in-demand transfer. As of now, there’s no telling if Coleman will play for Tennessee this year. If he does, the Vols will have one of the highest-ceiling edge rushers in the Big Ten. If he doesn’t — a big chunk of Tennessee’s offseason spending will be sitting on the sideline.
No. 18 Penn State
Rocco Becht, QB, Iowa State
We’re likely to see an adjustment period for Matt Campbell in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions return only four starters from last year’s roster, and the majority of the starters will be Iowa State expats. That creates a difficult road to contention. But you know what can make up for a talent deficiency — elite quarterback play.
Becht is capable. He’s thrown for 9,274 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career, consistently performing like one of the best QBs in the Big 12. For Penn State to have any chance at a playoff run this year, Becht needs to play at an All-Big Ten level.
No. 19 Washington Huskies
Christian Moss, WR, Kennesaw State
Five of Washington‘s top seven pass catchers from last season moved on this offseason. While sophomore WR Dezmen Roebuck figures to be the Huskies’ top target, they could use a pass catcher on the outside to emerge in a Denzel Boston-like role. That’s where Moss enters the picture. Moss began his career at Virginia Tech but didn’t really break out until last year with 45 catches for 689 yards at Kennesaw State. Moss was a needed late addition for the Huskies, who were aggressively pursuing an X-receiver in the portal. Moss, at 6-foot-3, 199 pounds, brings that size and production on the outside. Can he translate that from C-USA to the Big Ten? If he can, the Huskies will be very dangerous on offense once again.
No. 20 SMU
Kendrick Raphael, RB, Cal
This could easily be a tight end — SMU added several impact players at that position — but the buzz around Raphael has been so strong this offseason, he has to be the answer. The Mustangs lost both of their top backs this offseason, and Raphael steps in as the unquestioned RB1. He ran for 943 yards last season at Cal and also had 34 catches. The Mustangs hope he can combine the power of TJ Harden with the explosiveness of Chris Johnson. Those in SMU’s building view Raphael as a potential draft pick. If he has that type of year, he’ll help the Mustangs have one of the best offenses in the country.
No. 21 Missouri
Austin Simmons, QB, Ole Miss
You could argue that one of Missouri’s many defensive transfers is the most important on the roster, especially with just one defensive starter returning. But for a team like Missouri, reaching the CFP is all about hitting your ceiling, and Simmons is the player who will determine if the Tigers can break through after three straight seasons of eight wins or more.
Simmons is a bit of a risk. He opened last season as Ole Miss’ starter but was ultimately replaced by Trinidad Chambliss. Simmons lost his job to injury. But there’s no question Chambliss played better than Simmons, who was inconsistent with 744 yards, four touchdowns against five interceptions and a 60% completion rate.
There’s no doubt Simmons is talented and whip-smart — you don’t earn a bachelor’s degree at 19 by accident — but it remains to be seen if he can emerge as an above-average SEC starter, which is what’s needed, especially with star running back Ahmad Hardy‘s 2026 status in question.
No. 22 Utah
Braden Pegan, WR, Utah State
The Utes’ big transfer splash of the offseason, Pegan fills an obvious position of need with their three top pass catchers from last season moving on from the program. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Pegan can step in right away and provide some size on the outside. He had a breakout 2025 season with the Aggies, totaling 926 yards and five touchdowns a season ago. The core of Utah’s offense will be fine with its o-line development and the return of QB Devin Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker. What’s missing, or at least in question, is exterior playmakers. If Pegan can live up to his billing, he can fill that roster hole.
No. 23 Iowa
Fun fact: Iowa hasn’t had a wide receiver clear the 500-yard barrier since Ihmir Smith-Marsette in 2019.
That’s seven years!
Am I betting Diaz will end that streak? No. But it shows just how much of a non-factor receivers have been for the Hawkeyes recently. Diaz, along with returner Reece Vander Zee, could change that. Diaz arrives at the Power Four level pretty far under the radar. He was a freshman at a first-year FCS program in 2025, totaling 67 catches for 881 yards and 11 scores. He’s not big at 5-foot-11, 178 pounds. What he is, though, is dynamic with the ball in his hands and someone with the feel and speed as a route runner to separate.
He’s exactly what Iowa has needed. If Iowa hopes to push past the six-to-10-win plateau it has been stuck at since the turn of the decade, it needs a receiver like Diaz to emerge as a legitimate difference maker.
No. 24 Louisville
Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Ohio State
One of the easiest inclusions on this list, Louisville is betting an ACC-contending roster on a fourth-year quarterback who’s thrown 36 passes in his career. Louisville didn’t make a small investment, by the way — Kienholz was expensive.
But if you talked to college front office staffers who scouted Kienholz this offseason, there’s a lot to like. He excelled in short bursts last season with 139 yards and a 78.6 completion rate, and he’s known as a toolsy, hard-working QB who has come a long way as a quarterback since playing high school football in small-town South Dakota — he showed enough flashes to rank as a four-star recruit.
Jeff Brohm has had great success with transfer quarterbacks in recent years. Whether Kienholz can continue that trend will determine whether Louisville contends in the ACC.
No. 25 Florida
Aaron Philo, QB, Georgia Tech
Florida quietly has one of the best offensive foundations around a QB in the Power Four. The Gators have a first-round talent at running back in Jadan Baugh, three excellent receivers (Dallas Wilson, Vernell Brown, Eric Singleton) and a talented offensive line. The question mark is an unproven quarterback room.
Philo is competing with Tramell Jones for that starting job, but Philo gets the nod here because sources have indicated he’s ahead in the competition after spring practice.
The redshirt sophomore played well in flashes at Georgia Tech the last two seasons, and he is very familiar with OC Buster Faulkner’s offense, having played for him in Atlanta. Florida believes it got a steal with Philo in the portal. If he emerges as an above-average triggerman for the Gators, they could end up in the mix for a playoff spot.
