You’ll find 25 names listed below. Only 3 of them are true freshmen. The rest are transfers.
In this age of college football, hitting the transfer portal isn’t a luxury, it’s a requirement for nearly every team. Even contenders who don’t appear to have any holes on the surface are hitting the portal. Clemson took three!
A year after we saw guys like Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams devastate opposing defenses, and guys like Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel lead Heisman charges with new teams, newcomers will once again be making an impact all over college football next season.
Below, I run through my Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the new year to identify the most important newcomer for each team.
(Note: “Most important” won’t always mean “best.” With some teams, those designations will be mutually exclusive.)
No. 25 Michigan
Player: Bryce Underwood, freshman quarterback
One thing I love: Would it be too cheeky to say the thing I love most about Michigan’s new quarterback is that he can complete a forward pass? The quarterback position was hilariously unsettled last season. Without a clear-cut replacement for JJ McCarthy, Michigan ranked 123rd in EPA per dropback and 105th in passing success rate, per Game on Paper. Underwood will have his growing pains, but he completed nearly 72% of his passes as a high school junior and looks like a franchise kind of player at the position.
No. 24 Texas A&M
Player: Kevin Concepcion, transfer wide receiver
One thing I love: Adding some reliable targets for quarterback Marcel Reed to get the ball to was a clear area of emphasis for Texas A&M this offseason and Concepcion fits exactly what they need. He was a freshman All-American in 2023 when he broke NC State records for receptions (71) and receiving scores (10) by a first-year man. He wasn’t the same player in 2024, but don’t hold that against him.
No. 23 Kansas State
Player: Gunner Maldonado, transfer safety
One thing I love: Maldonado will step into a Kansas State secondary that needs his veteran presence. He only played in 4 games last season for Arizona, but the versatile safety has made starts across each of the last 4 seasons for the Wildcats. As a redshirt freshman, he started 6 times. He started 9 times in 2022, then made 12 starts in 2023, when he recorded 81 tackles, 3 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.
No. 22 Tennessee
Player: Joey Aguilar, transfer quarterback
One thing I love: Aguilar won the Sun Belt’s Newcomer of the Year award in 2023 after spending 2 seasons at the junior college level. He started the final 12 games of the season for App State while breaking single-season program records for touchdown passes, passing yardage, and total offense. He topped 250 yards through the air 9 times and ended the season with 24 big-time throws, per PFF. He is very much a gunslinger, capable of making wild throws but susceptible to putting the ball in danger. Over his 2 years with the Mountaineers, he had 50 big-time throws and 51 turnover-worthy plays. If Aguilar can look more like the player he was in 2023, Tennessee might be fine.
No. 21 Miami
Player: Carson Beck, transfer quarterback
One thing I love: Once Beck found his groove last season and started trusting the offense, the results spoke for themselves. Over the final 3 games of the regular season, Beck averaged 8.2 yards per pass attempt and threw 11 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Over his first 9 games, he had only 3 outings with a QBR of 80 or greater. He cleared 80 in each of the last 3 regular-season contests.
No. 20 Iowa State
Player: Chase Sowell, transfer wide receiver
One thing I love: The East Carolina transfer averaged 19.8 yards per reception for the Pirates last season. Among FBS wideouts with at least 40 targets, that was a top-10 mark. And that’s with an average depth of target that wasn’t even top-50 in the country. He doesn’t have elite speed, but his 6-4 frame makes up for that. Iowa State needed a No. 1 receiver to replace Jayden Higgins and Sowell can be that. Three years after being cut by Deion Sanders at Colorado, Sowell will be starting for the Big 12 runner-up.
No. 19 Texas Tech
Player: David Bailey, transfer edge
One thing I love: Bailey is an NFL talent off the edge. In 3 seasons at Stanford, he totaled 111 career tackles, 91 quarterback pressures, 22.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles. He was one of the most impactful defensive players to hit the transfer portal, and he fills a massive need with the Red Raiders. According to Game on Paper, last season Texas Tech ranked 119th in EPA per dropback allowed and 92nd in havoc rate. Tech averaged only 1.6 sacks per game. Bailey will provide immediate relief in that area.
No. 18 Louisville
Player: Miller Moss, transfer quarterback
One thing I love: In the season-opening win over LSU, Moss was the best player on the field. He threw for 378 yards and a touchdown while completing 75% of his passes in leading USC to a 27-20 win. Things went sideways midway through the year and USC benched Moss for Jayden Maiava. Moss is a seasoned player joining a head coach who knows exactly how to maximize quarterbacks.
No. 17 BYU
Player: Kyle Sfarcioc, transfer offensive lineman
One thing I love: In 3 seasons at Southern Utah, the 6-4, 295-pound Sfarcioc played nearly 700 snaps as a pass-blocker and never gave up a sack. He has the versatility to move all over the interior of the BYU offensive line, which is a huge plus because that group is entirely up in the air heading into the 2025 season. Sfarcioc has played right guard each of the last 2 seasons, but it sounds like he might be trending toward center with the Cougars.
No. 16 Indiana
Player: Fernando Mendoza, transfer quarterback
One thing I love: Per Game on Paper, Mendoza was top-30 in EPA per dropback last season for Cal. He threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns while improving his completion percentage and cutting his interceptions from the previous season. I like the fit with Curt Cignetti. Mendoza gives Indiana another big-bodied, tough-minded quarterback who can attack all levels of the field.
No. 15 SMU
Player: TJ Harden and Chris Johnson Jr., transfer running backs
One thing I love: SMU needed to find a replacement for Brashard Smith, who ran for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns last season while also providing a lift in the passing game. Johnson Jr. was an elite sprinter in high school before signing with Miami and playing a very limited role. Harden had 1,333 rushing yards across the last 2 seasons with UCLA.
No. 14 Ole Miss
Player: Patrick Kutas, transfer offensive lineman
One thing I love: The Arkansas transfer was viewed by several outlets as one of the top offensive line transfers to hit the portal this offseason. And when a contending team in the SEC can add a plug-and-play guy on the offensive line with SEC experience, it’s a major win. Kutas can play tackle or guard. Last season was shortened by a back injury, but in the 4 starts Kutas made, he didn’t give up a single sack.
No. 13 Illinois
Player: James Thompson Jr., transfer defensive lineman
One thing I love: A 6-5 defensive lineman, Thompson spent 5 seasons at Wisconsin. He redshirted in 2020 and then made 39 appearances with 18 starts for the Badgers from 2021-23. Illinois is said to view Thompson as a future NFL guy, and he’s expected to start up front for an Illini defense that will have an entirely new look. I think Thompson will make the biggest impact of any of the Illini newcomers.
No. 12 South Carolina
Player: Boaz Stanley, transfer offensive lineman
One thing I love: The Troy transfer held the center spot with South Carolina’s first team throughout the spring. Keeping LaNorris Sellers free and clear to make plays down the field with his arm has to be priority No. 1 for the South Carolina offense this season, so shoring up the offensive line is a must. Sellers had to run for his life too much last year and took 33 sacks. While he’s a dangerous threat with his legs, South Carolina needs to be able to provide more consistent protection. Stanley had a 54.8 grade as a pass-blocker last year with Troy, per PFF. If he’s holding down the center spot, South Carolina needs him to be a rock.
No. 11 Florida
Player: Dallas Wilson, freshman wide receiver
One thing I love: The potential in a DJ Lagway-to-Dallas Wilson connection is just so tantalizing. The former 4-star receiver flipped from Oregon to Florida late in the 2025 cycle and gave Gators coach Billy Napier a massive recruiting win. Even though Florida has a couple of solid options at receiver, Wilson is expected to fill an immediate role this fall. After catching 10 balls for 195 yards and 2 scores in the Florida spring game, Wilson is looking like the next great freshman receiver in college football.
No. 10 Arizona State
Player: Kanye Udoh, transfer running back
One thing I love: How do you replace Cam Skattebo? In truth, you can’t. The NFL-bound running back was a heart-and-soul kind of player for Arizona State, doing absolutely everything for an injury-ravaged team in 2023 and then rushing for 1,711 yards and 21 scores in 2024. But Arizona State has to try, and Udoh is a great get. He ran for 1,117 yards and 10 scores last season in an Army offense that also produced a 1,659-yard, 32-touchdown runner. He’s sturdy, and capable of keeping Kenny Dillingham’s ground-and-pound offense rolling post-Skattebo. Last season, Udoh averaged 6.2 yards per carry while forcing 32 missed tackles.
No. 9 Notre Dame
Player: Malachi Fields, transfer wide receiver
One thing I love: Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison are promising receivers, but getting a guy like Fields from Virginia was huge for Notre Dame. The 6-4 pass-catcher is a great athlete with some NFL tools. Fields caught 55 balls for 808 yards last year, and he had 58 catches for 811 yards the year prior. He’s a red zone threat, with 23 contested catches over the last 2 seasons, and can be a No. 1 in the Notre Dame offense.
No. 8 Alabama
Player: Nikhai Hill-Green, transfer linebacker
One thing I love: Hill-Green is a great candidate to replace Jihaad Campbell at Alabama. With Colorado last season, Hill-Green had 82 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. The 6-2 linebacker has bounced around throughout his career, but now he has a chance to be a major contributor for a title push.
No. 7 Oregon
Player: Isaiah World, transfer offensive lineman
One thing I love: The Ducks turn the page to a young quarterback in 2025 after 3 consecutive seasons being quarterbacked by some of the most experienced players in FBS history. Losing both tackles from last year’s Big Ten title squad made the transition from Dillon Gabriel to Dante Moore that much tougher. But grabbing World out of the transfer portal should immediately erase any concerns on one side of the line. The 6-8 Nevada transfer was an All-Mountain West performer and is viewed by many as a future first-round talent at tackle. As a blindside protector for Moore, World is one of the most important transfer additions any team made all offseason.
No. 6 LSU
Player: Jack Pyburn and Patrick Payton, transfer defensive ends
One thing I love: Pyburn is a vet who can stop the run and Payton is a high-potential player who can rush the passer. LSU remade its defensive end group this offseason — a major priority — and the combination of Pyburn and Payton from the 2 Florida schools could be one of the better defensive end duos in the conference next season. Payton looked like a breakout candidate heading into the 2024 season but just didn’t take that step. In a new environment, with some help around him, maybe he thrives.
No. 5 Texas
Player: Maraad Watson, transfer defensive lineman
One thing I love: If you want to know where Texas felt its most pressing need was, look no further than the middle of the defensive line. The Longhorns signed 5 transfers at defensive tackle. Watson, a 6-3, 313-pound sophomore from Syracuse, is the most recent and he looks like an instant-impact starter. Last season, Watson was a Freshman All-American performer while making 11 starts. He had 31 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup. PFF credited him with 15 stops, defined as tackles that resulted in a “failure” for the offense. Watson was a disruptive nose tackle for a power conference team as a first-year player. He’s a massive get for the Longhorns.
No. 4 Georgia
Player: Zachariah Branch, transfer wide receiver
One thing I love: The former USC receiver can impact the game as a kickoff return man, as a punt returner, or as an underneath receiver. As a true freshman in 2023, Branch had a kickoff return for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and 2 receiving touchdowns. He was one of the most explosive playmakers in college football before an injury slowed him down later in the year. He didn’t take a jump in 2024, but he addresses the biggest area of need for Georgia this offseason. Branch gives coordinator Mike Bobo a guy who can move all over the formation and punish defenses with crossers and runs after the catch. That’ll help everyone else in the Georgia offense.
No. 3 Clemson
Player: Gideon Davidson, freshman running back
One thing I love: Clemson has to replace Phil Mafah in the backfield, and Davidson doesn’t seem to have much competition to early playing time. A top-100 recruit in the 2025 class, Davidson arrived in the spring and immediately went to work. Over his final 2 seasons of high school ball, Davidson ran for 5,057 yards and 80 touchdowns. So long as he isn’t swimming in the playbook, there are very few reasons why Clemson shouldn’t let him learn on the job.
No. 2 Penn State
Player: Trebor Pena, transfer wide receiver
One thing I love: Pena was the top option in a prolific Syracuse passing attack last season, leading the ACC with 84 receptions for 941 yards and 9 scores. He was a second-team All-ACC selection who entered the transfer portal this offseason seeking a platform to showcase his NFL potential. That is exactly the kind of player Penn State needed to add. The Nittany Lions grabbed Devonte Ross from Troy and Kyron Hudson from USC earlier in the offseason, but they fit better as complementary weapons around Pena. Drew Allar lost tight end Tyler Warren and his top 2 receivers from last year’s team. It remains to be seen how Warren will be replaced in the aggregate, but this new receiver trio is better. Pena, a savvy slot weapon, makes me feel much better about this passing attack.
No. 1 Ohio State
Player: Max Klare, transfer tight end
One thing I love: The 6-4 Klare had 51 receptions for 685 yards and 4 scores in a putrid Purdue offense last season. He checks every box for a starting tight end on a contending team. I’d argue Ohio State upgraded at the position. Klare might not have the same kind of productivity he had last season — Ohio State’s receivers are pretty good — but he should have a massive impact as a matchup problem in the middle of the field.
Way-Too-Early Top 25: The most important newcomer for every team Saturday Down South.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Way-Too-Early Top 25: The most important newcomer for every team )
Also on site :