In the age of fast rebuilds in college football, it’s never been more important to work the transfer portal. And with program expenditures through the roof, it’s never been more essential that heavy investments made in the transfer portal begin to bear fruit early on.
So, with a few weeks of game action under our belt, let’s take a look around the country and see which transfer portal players have made the biggest impacts for their respective new teams thus far.
25. Lamont Lester Jr., DL, Colorado Buffaloes (from Monmouth)
After tallying nine sacks for Monmouth last season, there were questions as to how Lester’s game would translate against Power 4 competition. He answered those questions resoundingly in Colorado’s season-opening victory over Georgia Tech, wrecking the game to the tune of 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
He also has more than held his own against the run game from the edge position, giving coach Deion Sanders a disruptive presence in the trenches.
24. Jordan Church, OG, Texas Tech Red Raiders (from Louisville)
Sometimes the best litmus test for a lineman is not hearing their name mentioned. Church hasn’t often this season, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been impressive thus far.
The Louisville transfer has held his own on the interior, both against the run and the pass, for a Texas Tech offense that may slowly be rounding into form.
23. Shadre Hurst, OG, Houston Cougars (from Tulane)
Houston’s run game has been a force to be reckoned with so far this year, and Hurst is a big reason why. The athletic Hurst thrives in space and on the move paving lanes for Houston’s running backs. And while he’s taken his lumps as a pass protector, he’s been one of the better overall guards in the country to start the year after coming over from Tulane.
22. Hunter Tipton, TE, Memphis Tigers (from Middle Tennessee)
Tipton has had a nose for the end zone, with three touchdowns in four games played. He also entered the conversation for best tight end in the country with a monster performance against Boise State in Week 2, in which he tallied the third-most receiving yards (229) by a tight end in FBS history.
MOSSED 'EM🤯
— The American (@American_Conf) September 12, 2026
📺 | @usasports #BuiltToRise x @MemphisFB pic.twitter.com/cGtidTUyJP
Tipton moves like a wide receiver in a tight end’s body and, along with QB Marcus Stokes, is a big reason why the Tigers’ passing offense has looked more explosive in the early parts of the year.
Next: Group of 6 Power Rankings—Four Teams Separating Themselves As Playoff Push Heats Up
21. Tre Richardson, WR, Louisville Cardinals (from Vanderbilt)
Big plays were difficult to come by for the Cardinals passing offense this past season, but that hasn’t been the case in 2026, thanks to quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (more on him later) and wideouts Richardson and Lawayne McCoy.
Richardson in particular has stood out for both his explosiveness and his versatility in the Cardinals offense. He has tallied eight receptions, 145 receiving yards and a touchdown, as well as 44 rushing yards and a score on the ground in two games against ranked Power 4 opponents this year.
20. Turbo Richard, RB, Indiana Hoosiers (from Boston College)
What happens when you put an explosive runner behind one of the best offensive lines in the country? Richard ran for 749 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per tote for Boston College last year. Fine numbers.
He’s already almost halfway to last year’s rushing total in just three games while averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Yes, the Hoosiers’ opponents haven’t been worth writing home about, but it’s clear that Richard is in the right place at the right time to put up career-best numbers.
19. DJ McKinney, CB, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (from Colorado)
Among the many reasons to like this Notre Dame defense is due to its talent-laden secondary, which features perhaps the best cornerback duo in the country. Leonard Moore, a potential top-10 NFL draft pick in 2027, and DJ McKinney, who has wasted no time in making an impact on the back end for the Fighting Irish.
Opposing quarterbacks rarely test Moore, but McKinney is no slouch either. He’s already racked up a pair of passes defended and an interception, which he returned 55 yards to help spark a somewhat-stagnant Notre Dame offense in the season-opening win over Wisconsin.
18. Melvin Siani, OT, Texas Longhorns (from Wake Forest)
Siani was brought in to do one thing and one thing only: Keep Arch Manning upright in the pocket after a 2025 season in which the Heisman hopeful was running for his life. So far, so good for Siani, who was at his best in Texas’s biggest win of the season, a thrilling come-from-behind win over Ohio State.
Siani and fellow tackle Trevor Goosby surrendered just two combined pressures between them in the victory over the Buckeyes. That he’s also impressed as a run blocker is just gravy for the Longhorns.
17. Sammy Omosigho, LB, UCLA Bruins (from Oklahoma)
Omosigho has simply been everywhere for the Bruins defense so far this year, becoming the first UCLA player since at least 2000 to force a fumble in three straight games. Even more impressive, is that Omosigho, a tackling machine, has been doing it against Power 4 competition.
Sammy Omosigho punches it out 👊@UCLAFootball's ball 👀
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 20, 2026
Watch on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/qaOvscHRwg
In two games against Cal and Purdue, he racked up 18 solo tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles, creating short fields for the Bruins offense, which scored touchdowns off of two of those takeaways.
16. Xavier Gilliam, DT, Tennessee Volunteers (from Penn State)
Gilliam is making plays that that don’t show up on the state sheet, and ones that do. He’s consistently provided pressure and collapsed the pocket from the interior while also holding his own against the run.
In doing so, he’s also put up numbers. He’s already racked up 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Gilliam will certainly be a player to watch in Tennessee’s Week 4 showdown with SEC rival Texas.
15. Luke Reynolds, TE, Virginia Tech Hokies (from Penn State)
Reynolds followed James Franklin to the Hokies and has been the team’s most reliable pass-catcher, leading the program in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions through three weeks of play.
Reynolds can hang as a blocker at the line of scrimmage, but it’s his work as a receiver, from his trustworthy hands to his ability to make plays after the catch, that really stands out.
14. Wayne Knight, RB, UCLA Bruins (from James Madison)
Knight broke out in a big way for Bob Chesney’s Dukes last year en route to a 1,373-yard season on the ground, and, after following Chesney to Los Angeles, has proven it was no fluke at the Power 4 level. Call him Jayden Knight, Wayne Knight or The Dark Knight, but by any name, he’s been arguably Chesney’s most important transfer.
Knight is an explosive, tackle-breaking machine who has helped the Bruins field the most-improved rushing offense in the country while becoming the first UCLA player since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2005 to score two or more non-passing touchdowns in three straight games.
13. Reed Harris, WR, Arizona State Sun Devils (from Boston College)
Entering the season, one of the biggest questions facing Arizona State was how the offense would replace Jordyn Tyson and his downfield receiving abilities. Harris, a Boston College transfer, has been up to the task. Harris, sneakily fast and a physical receiver at 6'5" and 220 pounds, has been a big play waiting to happen while averaging nearly 20 yards per reception.
CUTTER HITS REED FOR THE TUDDY AND WE ARE TIED IN COLLEGE STATION 😈
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 12, 2026
📺 ABC#ForksUp /// @reedharris05 pic.twitter.com/MhvxKMNhdZ
The Sun Devils have moved him out wide or in the slot and he’s proven to be nearly an impossible cover for opposing defensive backs, boasting two games with 130-plus yards and two scores already.
12. Lance Heard, OT, Kentucky Wildcats (from Tennessee)
Heard might as well be working at IHOP, because he’s been serving up pancakes to opposing defensive linemen this year as an anchor on what’s been a much-improved Kentucky offensive line. Heard is not just a stout pass protector but a force as a run-blocker.
Lance Heard🤯 pic.twitter.com/CK9jziL5I0
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) September 7, 2026
When the 6'6", 325-pound Heard is on the move in the running game or on a screen pass, it’s a genuinely scary sight for the second level of the defense.
11. Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Louisville Cardinals (from Ohio State)
What a gamer Kienholz has been. He went shot-for-shot with one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Trinidad Chambliss in a narrow, season-opening defeat to Ole Miss, then helped lead the Cardinals to a thrilling, 41–31 win over ACC rival SMU in Week 3.
In his first season as a starter, Kienholz has been equally dangerous with his arm and his legs, and has Louisville positioned to challenge Miami for the ACC crown.
Next: Heisman Rankings After Week 3—A Clear Favorite Emerges for College Football’s Top Honor
10. Jaylin Carter, RB, Memphis Tigers (from Southern Miss)
One can’t talk about the improvements the Tigers offense has made without mentioning Carter. He’s helped take an already strong Memphis running game to the next level in 2026.
Carter has the patience to let blocks develop—which has earned him a comparison to former All-Pro halfback Le’Veon Bell—and the burst to jet through the lanes his offensive line paves. Carter has three games with 90-plus rushing yards and has found the end zone seven times already.
9. John Henry Daley, DL, Michigan Wolverines (from Utah)
Pull up the tape of Michigan’s Week 2 upset win over Oklahoma and you’ll see why Daley, or The Vanilla Gorilla as coach Kyle Whittingham has called him, is on this list. Daley lived in the Oklahoma backfield, racking up three tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a tipped pass.
He earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, and he followed it up with three more total tackles and a sack vs. UTEP in Week 3.
8. Rasheem Biles, LB, Texas Longhorns (from Pitt)
Biles has taken his fair share of lumps in coverage to start the season, an area he had previously excelled at during his tenure with Pittsburgh. But Biles has still found ways to make plays all over the field, recording a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and 11 solo tackles.
He’s been the chess piece that defensive coordinator Will Muschamp envisioned, as the Texas ‘backer has been utilized as both a blitzer and run stuffer in addition to his coverage duties over the middle of the field.
7. Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State (from North Texas)
Mestemaker’s got some gunslinger in him, hence the four interceptions in three games played. But the risk has been worth the reward for the Cowboys, for the North Texas transfer has come up with some big plays in huge moments, none more impactful than his spectacular, airborne touchdown run late in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma State’s upset win over Oregon in Week 2.
DREW MESTEMAKER, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2026
Oklahoma State is back in front! pic.twitter.com/pZFt3elz3c
He then set the Oklahoma State single-game completion percentage record against Murray State, connecting on 20 of 22 pass attempts for 324 yards and five scores.
6. Kingston Lopa, S, California Golden Bears (from Oregon)
At 6'5" and 210 pounds, Lopa might resemble an undersized linebacker or big physical receiver more than a defensive back. But his instincts and fluidity on the back end have been second-to-none this season, as he has racked up five interceptions, including three in Week 2 against Syracuse, while showing impressive range as a tackler.
5. Devan Thompkins, DT, Alabama Crimson Tide (from USC)
The Alabama defense has been downright dominant at times this year, like the second half against Kentucky in Week 2, and Thompkins is a huge reason why. Thompkins, at 300 pounds, has the strength to rush from the interior, as well as the speed and athleticism to pressure from the edge. A disruptive presence, the Crimson Tide lineman has racked up three tackles for loss and as many sacks this season.
4. Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia Mountaineers (from Oklaoma)
After flying under the radar as a backup at Oklahoma, Hawkins isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. He’s been one of the best dual great quarterbacks in the country thus far, completing 68.4% of his passes for 477 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions while adding another 322 yards and six scores on the ground.
Hawkins in Week 3 got his signature win: a 38–27 defeat of No. 25 Virginia in which he accounted for five touchdowns, including the dagger with under six minutes to go and the Mountaineers leading by just a touchdown.
3. Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana Hoosiers (from TCU)
While you’ll have to adjust Hoover’s grade for the degree of difficulty, or lack thereof, in the defending champion’s schedule to begin the year, there’s no doubt that he’s exceeded expectations thus far.
Josh Hoover with some efficient football against Howard 🎯 pic.twitter.com/h8FDen3khI
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 12, 2026
Hoover has fired 10 touchdown passes in just three games and has already endeared himself to the fanbase with his show of toughness in his debut (the bloody schnozz game). The best part? No interceptions for the supposedly turnover-prone Hoover. Maybe TCU was the problem?
2. Princewill Umanmielen, DE, LSU Tigers (from Ole Miss)
As Umanmielen’s Ole Miss lawsuit rages on in the background, the Rebels transfer has been laying down the law for the LSU defense. He’s among the nation’s leaders in pressures and sacks (six) and his combination of speed and athleticism has been a load for opposing pass protectors to handle.
Umanmielen is a big reason why the Tigers’ improved defense is already halfway to last year’s total of 27 sacks as a team.
1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami Hurricanes (from Duke)
To say that Mensah has been a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s offense would be the understatement of the season thus far. The Duke transfer has more touchdown passes than incompletions and is averaging a ridiculous 13.8 yards per attempt.
Yes, the impressive numbers have come against competition the Hurricanes should—and have—beaten decisively. But with a stellar group of weapons led by Malachi Toney, there’s nothing to suggest that Mensah won’t keep this up against the best of the Power 4.
Honorable mentions
- Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia Mountaineers (from Jacksonville State)
- Aidan Chiles, QB Northwestern Wildcats (from Michigan State)
- Cam Coleman, WR, Texas Longhorns (from Auburn)
- Aaron Philo, QB, Florida Gators (from Georgia Tech)
- Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU Tigers (from Colorado)
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