Ranking the Newcomers: Best Freshmen and Transfers in CFB

20. Mikail Kamara - Indiana Hoosiers

Another Indiana Hoosier and another James Madison transfer that followed Curt Cignetti to Bloomington and has helped IU off to a historic 7-0 start. Mikail Kamara has been a terror on the edge with six sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and a strip sack of Dylan Raiola late in the blowout win over Nebraska. Indiana’s defense has surprised everyone and has held opponents to 13.7 points per game and just 2.92 yards per rush. Kamara and the defense must step up and help the Hoosiers while Kurtis Rourke is sidelined with an injured thumb.

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2. Kurtis Rourke - Indiana Hoosiers

New Indiana University head coach Curt Cignetti felt confident he could win with Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke. However, Cignetti and his staff might be the only people who saw the first six games of this season coming. Rourke was expected to be a solid and veteran presence for an improved IU offense but has performed incredibly well, leading the Hoosiers to 6-0 for the first time since 1967. Indiana is averaging 47.5 points per game and more than 7.6 yards per play, and Rourke has completed 73.8 percent of his passes while averaging 11 yards per attempt. He has 14 touchdowns to only two interceptions, plus a pair of rushing touchdowns, and the Hoosiers have won every game by double-digits. Rourke and Indiana get their toughest test this Saturday as they host Nebraska. It’s a long shot, but if Rourke continues to perform at this level, he could also be a Heisman Trophy Finalist.

Week 8: Nebraska at Indiana (-6.5)

3. Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State Buckeyes

College football fans have known about Jeremiah Smith Jr. for a long while. The recruiting battle for his services was well-publicized, and there was a lot of hype about his ability to be a special player in Columbus. Smith Jr. is an outstanding athlete and built like an NFL wideout already at 6’3” and over 215 pounds. Six games into his career, he’s already drawing comparisons to some of the game’s best wide receivers ever and is on pace to shatter Ohio State freshman records. Smith has 553 yards and seven touchdowns, and he averages 17.3 yards per catch. His offensive pass interference against Oregon cost the Buckeyes big-time, but he’s not a “future star”; he’s already one of the country’s best offensive weapons.

4. Ryan Williams - Alabama Crimson Tide

Ryan Williams's age has been a talking point that has been beaten to death. It is hard to turn on a college football broadcast without being reminded that Alabama’s incredible freshman wide receiver is “only 17 years old!”. It gets said so often that the words have lost all meaning, but take a step back and consider how impressive Williams is performing at this level without a physically mature frame. Jeremiah Smith Jr. is a big freshman who looks the part of a star wide receiver. Williams still needs to add strength and size but moves with ease and grace and then explodes with a burst to make a huge play. His incredible touchdown against Georgia won Alabama the game over the Bulldogs, and he already has seven catches of 40 yards or more. Longtime Alabama fans are comparing Williams favorably to guys like Julio Jones and DeVonta Smith.

Week 8: Alabama (-2.5) at Tennessee

5. Nic Scourton - Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M has never had a problem acquiring talent. New head coach Mike Elko quickly put the Aggies’ considerable resources to good use by landing the best pass rusher available in the transfer portal: Nic Scourton from Purdue. The Texas native chose to return “home” and leads all SEC pressures with 20, and he is second in the league in tackles for loss. Texas A&M is 3-0 in the SEC, and Scourton has 6.5 tackles for loss in the past two wins. After leading the Big Ten in sacks in 2023, the edge rusher looked like he might jump to the SEC and do the same thing in College Station.

Week 8: Texas A&M (-16.5) at Mississippi State

6. Kyle Kennard - South Carolina Gamecocks

Another SEC edge rusher has not received the hype Scourton has, but South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard leads the Southeastern Conference with 7.5 sacks. This has been a surprise as Kennard only had 12.5 career sacks at Georgia Tech and was not expected to be a significant contributor to this Gamecocks’ defense. South Carolina has gotten excellent defensive line play this season but has come up short against LSU and Alabama and still has a tough road ahead. They’ll need Kennard to continue producing at a high level to make a bowl game.

Week 8: South Carolina (+1.5) at Oklahoma

7. Dillon Gabriel - Oregon Ducks

Dillon Gabriel has to be on this list after his performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Oregon’s huge win on October 12. The former UCF Knight and former Oklahoma Sooner left Norman to make way for Jackson Arnold (whoops!) and chose Oregon so that he could play for offensive coordinator Will Stein. It looked like a great fit on paper, and on the field, it has proven to be true. The offense slumped slightly to begin the season but started to take off against Oregon State and then really took off against the Buckeyes as Gabriel threw for 341 yards with three touchdowns. Oregon is now a favorite to make the Big Ten Championship, and Gabriel has vaulted himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Week 8: Oregon (+27.5) at Purdue

8. Derrick Harmon - Oregon Ducks

To outside observers, it can be difficult for defensive tackles to make a notable impact, but Oregon’s Derrick Harmon made a couple of splashy plays against Ohio State. Harmon transferred from Michigan State, landed in Eugene, and has been a force on the defensive line each game. Harmon has 22 tackles with three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, plus two forced fumbles. One of those fumbles was huge as he took the ball from Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins. The play led to Oregon’s first touchdown and helped set the tone for the Ducks.

Week 8: Oregon (+27.5) at Purdue

9. Diego Pavia - Vanderbilt Commodores

Much like Kurtis Rourke at Indiana, Diego Pavia has changed the tenor of a whole program. The former New Mexico State quarterback does not have amazing numbers, but he was massive against Alabama and gave Vanderbilt fans a night they will never forget. Pavia is completing 69 percent of his passes and has only thrown one interception. He continues to take care of the ball and put his team in a position to succeed. His real value has come in his toughness and leadership, as he has shouldered the load for 105 carries for a team-high 388 yards. Vanderbilt is now 4-2 and has a real chance at a solid bowl game.

10. Walter Nolen - Ole Miss Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels invested heavily in the transfer portal and have to be crushed to be sitting with two losses and their College Football Playoff hopes on life support. Defensive tackle Walter Nolen is not at fault for the two defeats. Nolen, a Texas A&M transfer and a former five-star recruit, was a top target for many teams but settled in Oxford and has been excellent. He has six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, but his most significant impact is as a run defender. He anchors the Ole Miss run defense, currently No. 1 in the country at 66.6 yards per game allowed.

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11. Kyle McCord - Syracuse Orange

Kyle McCord did not meet the incredibly high standards at Ohio State but was a perfectly competent quarterback. He has taken a step forward as the starter at Syracuse. He became the first Syracuse quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in six consecutive games, and he averages 360 yards per game while leading the Orange to a 5-1 start in Fran Brown’s first season. Things get more tricky starting on Thursday night with a trip to unbeaten Pittsburgh and then a game at home against Virginia Tech on November 2. The Orange close the regular season with a matchup against Miami on the JMA Wireless Dome on November 30.

Week 9: Syracuse at Pitt (-5.5)

12. Seth McLaughlin - Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State’s offensive line was not physical enough in 2023, so Ryan Day brought in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Kelly is known for an innovative rushing attack, so they dipped into the transfer portal and grabbed former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin. After struggling with inaccurate snaps last season, McLaughlin has played more than any other Ohio State offensive lineman. The Buckeyes are averaging 5.9 yards per carry through six games, with McLaughlin a favorite to land on the All-Big Ten team.

Week 9: Nebraska at Ohio State (-25.5)

13. Isaiah Bond - Texas Longhorns

Texas replenished their wide receiver corps through the transfer portal. Freshman Ryan Wingo and Isaiah Bond from Alabama represent the best of the group. Bond was injured during the game against Georgia, and the Longhorns missed him dearly. The junior averages only 3.3 receptions per game but leads the team with 380 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. That includes 51 yards against Michigan, two touchdowns against UTSA, and a touchdown in his brief appearance against the Georgia Bulldogs. Texas needs him to get healthy and be a significant impact piece down the stretch.

Week 9: Texas (-18.5) at Vanderbilt

14. Caleb Downs - Ohio State Buckeyes

Quantifying everything Caleb Downs does for the Ohio State defense is somewhat difficult. He covers a ton of ground in coverage and is a sure tackler. Downs, the top defensive target from the portal a season ago, arrived at Ohio State after an outstanding freshman campaign at Alabama. He has 26 tackles, including a dozen solo stops, and he is second on the team in tackles for loss with 4.5. The defense has only given up 11 points per game, and Downs is a big part of that.

Week 9: Nebraska at Ohio State (-25.5)

15. A.J. Harris - Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State had to replenish its secondary after departures to the NFL. The Nittany Lions landed A.J. Harris after he spent one season at Georgia. The former Bulldog cornerback has 19 tackles through half of the season, and Harris has one interception. Plus, according to Pro Football Focus, he leads the Big Ten in opposing completion percentages of passes targeted toward him while in coverage. Penn State will need Harris on his game next week as the Nittany Lions host Ohio State in a massive game to begin November.

Week 9: Penn State (-6.5) at Wisconsin

16. Elijah Sarratt - Indiana Hoosiers

Curt Cignetti flipped the Indiana University roster with a large group of incoming transfers, several of them from his previous stop: James Madison. Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt considered turning pro or returning to JMU before ultimately following Cignetti to Bloomington. He has the moniker of “Waffle House” because he’s open 24/7, and a nickname like that screams bravado, but he’s earned it with his play. Sarratt leads the Hoosiers with 578 receiving yards and is second in the Big Ten behind only Tai Felton. The junior has been at 65 yards or more in each of his past three games and will look to continue the production with backup quarterback Tayven Jackson taking over the offense for at least the next game.

17. Chris Paul - Ole Miss Rebels

Chris Paul transferred to Ole Miss from Arkansas and has used his SEC experience to put up big-time numbers for the Rebels. He has 48 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and three pass breakups, and he has been a leader in the middle of the defense. The Rebels allow only 10.6 points per game so that unit has not been the reason Ole Miss has lost two games already.

Week 9: Oklahoma at Ole Miss (-20.5)

18. Eli Holstein - Pitt Panthers

The Alabama coaches thought they had whiffed on their evaluation when they got Eli Holstein on campus. He redshirted the 2023 season and bolted for a new system at Pittsburgh, beating out Nate Yarnell for the starting job. Holstein has been much better than expected, leading the Pitt Panthers to an unbeaten first half of the season, throwing for 15 touchdowns and 1700 yards and running for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Pitt has a more challenging back half of the schedule with games against SMU and Clemson on deck. If Holstein continues to play at this level, Pitt can challenge for a spot in the ACC Championship Game.

Week 9: Syracuse at Pitt (-5.5)

19. Quinshon Judkins - Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State surprised many when they landed Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. Most assumed Judkins wanted to be a feature back, but he was content to pair with TreVeyon Henderson and form the nation’s best one-two punch at running back. Judkins does not have huge numbers, and his totals won’t blow anyone away, but he has been a good fit as a hammer back in the Big Ten. Keeping him and Henderson fresh should pay major dividends at the end of the season and in the College Football Playoff.

20. Mikail Kamara - Indiana Hoosiers

Another Indiana Hoosier and another James Madison transfer that followed Curt Cignetti to Bloomington and has helped IU off to a historic 7-0 start. Mikail Kamara has been a terror on the edge with six sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and a strip sack of Dylan Raiola late in the blowout win over Nebraska. Indiana’s defense has surprised everyone and has held opponents to 13.7 points per game and just 2.92 yards per rush. Kamara and the defense must step up and help the Hoosiers while Kurtis Rourke is sidelined with an injured thumb.

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