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Several college football programs have hit the ground running in the transfer portal this cycle, specifically upgrading at positions of major interest coming out of the 2025 season. Some, by the way, still have a national championship to try and win in the College Football Playoff this month.

No programs nationally have landed more portal commits than Penn State (21) and Oklahoma State (19) as of Tuesday, not all that surprising considering many of the top players Matt Campbell and Eric Morris developed at Iowa State and North Texas, respectively, have followed their coaches to new programs.

This cycle's transfer portal window closes on Jan. 16, which is the last day players can enter. Spring enrollment dates at various universities does hasten the process of decision-making, however.

Individual transfer portal player rankings mentioned in this article come via 247Sports' Top Prospects ratings. An early glance at which teams are leading in portal talent accumulation can also be monitored.

Alabama

Prized portal signing: Hollywood Smothers, RB, NC State

In need of a playmaker in the backfield, the Crimson Tide went after one of the top ballcarriers available this cycle and got their man in Smothers. The ACC's top rusher with 85.4 yards per game, Smothers galloped his way to 939 yards and six touchdowns over 11 games with the Wolfpack during the 2025 season and should be the most impactful addition in the Alabama backfield since Jahmyr Gibbs transferred from Georgia Tech ahead of the 2022 campaign. Like Gibbs, Smothers is a dynamo in the open field and has elite skills as a pass-catch threat. Given where Alabama's run game has been under Kalen DeBoer, upgrades here were much-needed.

Arizona State

Prized portal signing: Omarion Miller, WR, Colorado

The highest-rated transfer to ever sign with Arizona State, Miller is a major loss for Deion Sanders and comes to the Sun Devils after notching 45 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games as a sophomore, doing so despite inconsistent quarterback play for the Buffaloes. He'll likely assume the WR1 role for Kenny Dillingham, replacing Jordyn Tyson. Sun Devils hope they've solved quarterback Sam Leavitt's portal entry with the addition of Kentucky's Cutter Boley, a 6-foot-5 pocket passer who threw 15 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as a freshman this season in the SEC.

Auburn

Prized portal signing: Byrum Brown, QB, South Florida

Brown's being labeled a "foundational piece" on The Plains ahead of Alex Golesh's first season with the Tigers. It took time to finalize his deal, but Brown made it official with his former coach at USF this week and gives Auburn a difference-maker at the quarterback position for the first time in several years after up-and-down play from Jackson Arnold and others. Brown accumulated 4,166 yards of total offense as a junior for the Bulls and was responsible for 42 touchdowns. Golesh now knows the signal caller he'll build around ahead of his first season, which makes Auburn an attractive destination for more talent over the next week and change in the portal.

Florida State

Prized portal signing: Quintrevion Wisner, RB, Texas

New Seminoles running backs coach Kam Martin, who watched several ballcarriers leave the program this cycle, honed in on Wisner as soon as he entered the portal. Wisner noted OC Gus Malzahn's success with RJ Harvey at UCF for one of the reasons FSU was appealing to him and he's a player that the Seminoles will be able to move around a bit given his versatility. Wisner rushed for 1,064 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 44 receptions for 311 yards and a receiving score in 2024 before his usage went down this season. Pairing him with Ousmane Kromah and Sam Singleton should provide FSU with one of the ACC's top backfields. There's more work to be done for Mike Norvell ahead of a tenure-defining season, but Wisner is a good start.

Indiana

Prized portal signings: Nick Marsh, WR, Michigan State; Tobi Osunsanmi, EDGE, Kansas State

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers' not-so-subtle "rebuild" coming out of this storybook 2025 season starts with three top 50-rated transfer additions with more coming. By the end of this transfer cycle, Indiana could very well have the top-ranked haul. With Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, star wideout Omar Cooper and others expected to declare for the draft after the playoff, the Hoosiers had to plug those holes with impactful players and they've done it with TCU's Josh Hoover at quarterback, Marsh on the outside and Osunsanmi as a headliner on defense.

Louisville

Prized portal signing: Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Ohio State

For the first time in his college career, Kienholz is going to get an opportunity as QB1 for Jeff Brohm with the Cardinals after spending the last three seasons behind Julian Sayin and Will Howard with the Buckeyes. A former four-star recruit from Pierre, South Dakota, Kienholz was all-state in three different sports as a multi-tier athlete, but only appeared in 10 games at Ohio State. Kienholz believes he can be developed into a future NFL player at Louisville, a program that's been accommodating to a bevy of talented transfers in the portal era.

Minnesota

Prized portal signing: Perry Thompson, WR, Auburn

Give P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers credit for taking a shot on a player with limitless potential if they can tap into it. Thompson arrived at Auburn in the 2024 recruiting cycle as a top-10 wideout in his class, but never found his footing in Hugh Freeze's offense alongside Cam Coleman -- another portal exit on The Plains. Minnesota sorely missed Daniel Jackson's production at wideout in 2025 and needed a big-play option on the outside. The Foley, Alabama, native provides that and fits what Fleck is looking for within his "developmental program" in the Big Ten.

Oklahoma

Prized portal signing: Trell Harris, WR, Virginia

If the Sooners are able to retain quarterback John Mateer and wideout Isaiah Sategna III, the ceiling raises for this Oklahoma offense and Ben Arbuckle with the addition of Harris. After playing two seasons at Kent State, Harris emerged as a certified baller in the ACC with the Cavaliers after tallying 59 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns. More than a third of his yardage total came after the catch, vital in Oklahoma's quick-decision, tempo-based attack.

Oklahoma State

Prized portal signings: Drew Mestemaker, QB, North Texas; Caleb Hawkins, RB, North Texas

On the first day of hosting transfer portal prospects for new Cowboys coach Eric Morris over the weekend, he secured commitments from his two best players formerly of North Texas. Mestemaker is the No. 3 overall player in the portal, while Hawkins comes in at No. 17. The offensive fireworks package deal for Oklahoma State means Morris retains a pair of superstars who combined for 61 touchdowns this season for the 12-win Mean Green. Mestemaker to Oklahoma State was the expectation, but he was courted by several other programs, along with Hawkins. As a freshman at North Texas, Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 scores.

Texas Tech

Prized portal signing: Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati

Joey McGuire has already found his replacement for Behren Morton under center coming off the Red Raiders' Big 12 Championship and first playoff appearance. With LSU and others in pursuit, Texas Tech swooped in with a lucrative offer to land Sorsby, who threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Bearcats this season. Sorsby had a seven-game stretch this fall in which he accounted for 25 total touchdowns without a turnover before Cincinnati dropped its last four contests.