NCAAF · 2 hours ago

College Football Transfer Portal: Ranking the 10 Best Players Right Now

Danny Mogollon

Host · Writer

10. Drew Mestemaker: The Nation's Best Secret
Drew Mestemaker (Quarterback)
- Former Team: North Texas
- New Team: Oklahoma State
- Height/Weight: 6-4, 210
- Class: RS FR
- Eligibility: 3 Years
To call Drew Mestemaker an under-the-radar prospect as a recruit would be an understatement. He landed at North Texas, where he broke out this past season, his second on campus. With 4,379 yards (9.5 YPA), the Austin product led the nation in passing, adding 34 touchdown passes while leading the top scoring offense and the Mean Green to 12 wins. From unknown to prolific, Mestemaker is high on everyone’s list and nearly unanimous as the top player in the transfer portal from the Group of Five. A backup quarterback for most of his high school career, Mestemaker impressed with his command of the offense, quick release, decision-making, and ability to read a defense. It will be interesting to see how it translates to the Power 4 level.
1. Jordan Seaton: The $3 Million Prize
Jordan Seaton (Offensive Tackle)
- Former Team: Colorado
- New Team: TBD
- Height/Weight: 6-5, 330
- Class: SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
You don’t often see left tackles with high ceilings like Jordan Seaton enter the transfer portal. Many project the former five-star recruit as a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He has lived up to his recruiting billing and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a true sophomore in 2025 when Seaton didn’t give up any sacks. While his technique still needs development, the two-year starter in Boulder has traits that can’t be coached up. He’s blessed with elite size, mobility, foot quickness, agility, and athleticism. Seaton is also nasty, and when he gets his mitts on a defender, it’s game over. High ceiling as both a run blocker and in pass pro.
2. Cam Coleman: Texas Lands a Unicorn
Cam Coleman (Wide Receiver)
- Former Team: Auburn
- New Team: Texas
- Height/Weight: 6-3, 201
- Class: SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
Another five-star recruit from the class of 2024, Cam Coleman, is a true No. 1 receiver with the NFL in his near future. Coleman built upon his special freshman campaign (16.2 YPC, 8 TDs) by setting career highs in receptions (56) and receiving yards (708) this past season. If you’re thinking those are modest numbers, consider the inconsistent play Auburn has had from its quarterbacks the past two seasons. It’s no surprise Coleman was looking for a more stable situation to finish his college career. He has excellent size, body control, open-field ability, and long speed. One of the most dynamic weapons in college football, Coleman is a difference maker who will keep opposing coaches up at night and make fans jump out of their seats with his spectacular grabs.
3. Sam Leavitt: Lane Kiffin’s New Weapon
Sam Leavitt (Quarterback)
- Former Team: Arizona State
- New Team: LSU
- Height/Weight: 6-2, 205
- Class: RS SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
After starting his career at Michigan State, Sam Leavitt had a breakout season with Arizona State in 2024 when he averaged 8.2 yards per pass with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions (first-team All-Big 12) while leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoffs, where they nearly upset Texas. A foot injury cut his second year in Tempe short, but not before he led ASU to a win over eventual Big 12 winner Texas Tech (319 passing yards), the only regular-season defeat suffered by the Red Raiders. Not the most physically gifted signal caller, Leavitt is tough, mobile, and a playmaker. He likes to push the ball downfield and make things happen when they break down.
4. Chaz Coleman: The SEC’s Scariest Addition
Chaz Coleman (EDGE)
- Former Team: Penn State
- New Team: Tennessee
- Height/Weight: 6-4, 250
- Class: FR
- Eligibility: 3 Years
In his final recruiting class at Penn State, James Franklin dipped into Ohio to nab Chaz Coleman, a four-star prospect, who quickly exceeded his recruiting rankings, creating buzz as soon as he arrived on campus. His true freshman stats don’t jump off the page, but consider he was playing behind a veteran defensive line at PSU and how rare it is for any true freshman to make an immediate impact along the line of scrimmage. In limited action, Coleman did produce a sack among his three tackles for loss and 12 pressures. A potential impact pass-rusher, Coleman has an impressive first step and quickness, with the speed to blow by blockers. Not just a one-trick pony, he can also use power and adjust inside when need be. He won’t be draft eligible until after the 2027 regular season.
5. Damon Wilson II: The 'Big Bag' Return
Damon Wilson II (EDGE)
- Former Team: Missouri
- New Team: TBD
- Height/Weight: 6-4, 250
- Class: JR
- Eligibility: 1 Year
One of the top defenders in the transfer portal last offseason, Damon Wilson II, made the move from Georgia to Missouri for his junior season, and the Tigers were rewarded for their efforts (and big bag they dropped). Wilson emerged as one of the SEC’s top edge rushers as he produced nine sacks and 40 pressures to earn second-team All-SEC honors in 2025. Certainly a candidate for the NFL Draft, Wilson instead is coming back to college for a final season. He has excellent length and a decisive, explosive first step off the snap. A strong upper body and hands allow him to bully his way through gaps and shed blocks on his way into the backfield.
6. John Henry Daley: Michigan’s Sack Machine
John Henry Daley (EDGE)
- Former Team: Utah
- New Team: Michigan
- Height/Weight: 6-4, 255
- Class: RS SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
After being used sparingly in his first two seasons in Salt Lake City, John Henry Daley broke out as a redshirt sophomore when he was as productive as any defender in the transfer portal. On his way to All-American accolades, Henry Daly recorded 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 11 games. Coming off the edge, he produced pressure at an elite rate and is a proven commodity with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Not just a pass rusher, he’s a physical at the line of scrimmage, defends the run very well, and does the dirty work that’s needed in the trenches. A strong upper body combined with non-stop effort, Henry Daley wills himself into the backfield. A lower-body injury cut his 2025 season short, but he says he’ll be ready in the spring.
7. Brendan Sorsby: The $5 Million Man
Brendan Sorsby (Quarterback)
- Former Team: Cincinnati
- New Team: Texas Tech
- Height/Weight: 6-3, 235
- Class: RS JR
- Eligibility: 1 Year
Considered by many to be the top player and quarterback in the 2026 Transfer Portal, Brendan Sorsby is a true dual-threat with excellent size. He started his career in Bloomington before Indiana became a powerhouse under Curt Cignetti, and not many thought that highly of the three-star recruit. Fast forward to now, and after two seasons with Cincinnati, Sorsby has shown significant growth over the past three seasons. He’s seen his yards per pass (8.3 in 2025) and touchdowns increase each year at the college level, and if he can continue to improve, he will be worth every penny. In addition to the 27 touchdowns Sorsby threw in 2025, he rushed for an additional nine (580 rushing yards, 5.8 YPC). The Texas native has a good arm to go along with his mobility, with the reps to be an RPO demon in 2026.
8. Koi Perich: The Swiss Army Knife
Koi Perich (Safety)
- Former Team: Minnesota
- New Team: Oregon
- Height/Weight: 6-1, 200
- Class: SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
One of my favorite players over the past season, Koi Perich, starred for his hometown Golden Gophers from Day 1. With five interceptions, the safety was a Freshman All-American and, even more impressively, a first-team All-Big Ten performer. Pursued by bigger programs coming out of high school, Perich is a top-notch athlete who is among the most versatile players in all of college football. He’s an excellent tackler who can play in the box and is just as comfortable roaming centerfield as the last line of defense. Perich has impressive range and ball skills to the point that he became a three-way player for the Gophers last season. Already a productive return man, he joined the offense in 2025 with 12 touches (five rushes, seven receptions). He’s that dynamic.
9. Mateen Ibirogba: The Rare 300lb Diamond
Mateen Ibirogba (Defensive Tackle)
- Former Team: Wake Forest
- New Team: Texas Tech
- Height/Weight: 6-3, 296
- Class: RS JR
- Eligibility: 1 Year
Maybe even rarer than a high-end left tackle, there are very few impact defensive tackles in the transfer portal, and Mateen Ibirogba is high on most lists. He’s an example of how the portal giveth and taketh. A diamond in the rough, Ibirogba began his career with Georgetown of the FCS, yes, that Georgetown. In his first season at Wake Forest, the former Hoya sat out as he transitioned from a 250-pound edge defender into an interior lineman who tips the scales at nearly 300 pounds. It’s that quickness and closing speed from his days as an EDGE that allowed Ibirogba to be an impact defensive tackle with the ability to avoid blocks and penetrate gaps. With good hands and a high motor, many believe the one-time small school product is just scratching the surface.
10. Drew Mestemaker: The Nation's Best Secret
Drew Mestemaker (Quarterback)
- Former Team: North Texas
- New Team: Oklahoma State
- Height/Weight: 6-4, 210
- Class: RS FR
- Eligibility: 3 Years
To call Drew Mestemaker an under-the-radar prospect as a recruit would be an understatement. He landed at North Texas, where he broke out this past season, his second on campus. With 4,379 yards (9.5 YPA), the Austin product led the nation in passing, adding 34 touchdown passes while leading the top scoring offense and the Mean Green to 12 wins. From unknown to prolific, Mestemaker is high on everyone’s list and nearly unanimous as the top player in the transfer portal from the Group of Five. A backup quarterback for most of his high school career, Mestemaker impressed with his command of the offense, quick release, decision-making, and ability to read a defense. It will be interesting to see how it translates to the Power 4 level.
1. Jordan Seaton: The $3 Million Prize
Jordan Seaton (Offensive Tackle)
- Former Team: Colorado
- New Team: TBD
- Height/Weight: 6-5, 330
- Class: SO
- Eligibility: 2 Years
You don’t often see left tackles with high ceilings like Jordan Seaton enter the transfer portal. Many project the former five-star recruit as a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He has lived up to his recruiting billing and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a true sophomore in 2025 when Seaton didn’t give up any sacks. While his technique still needs development, the two-year starter in Boulder has traits that can’t be coached up. He’s blessed with elite size, mobility, foot quickness, agility, and athleticism. Seaton is also nasty, and when he gets his mitts on a defender, it’s game over. High ceiling as both a run blocker and in pass pro.