College football transfer portal needs: 16 teams, 16 perfect fits
The transfer portal has arguably become the most important team-building tool in college football.
Recruiting blue chip prospects out of high school still matters, but teams these days are much more eager to go out and look for quick fixes in the portal.
Deion Sanders embodies that philosophy at Colorado, where he seeks to have a 40-40-20 balance of incomxing players. This means 40% grad transfers, 40% undergrad transfers and only 20% high school signees.
"I want y’all to get ready, to go ahead and jump in that portal, and do whatever you’re gonna get, because the more of you jump in, the more room we make, because we’re bringing in kids who are smart, say that, tough," Sanders famously said after being hired to lead the Buffs a year ago.
And Sanders is hardly alone, as it's a growing trend across the country. This makes sense, as the more players who enter the portal, the more players who need to be replaced.
With that in mind, FOX Sports college football experts Bryan Fischer, Michael Cohen, Laken Litman and RJ Young examined 16 teams that will be fascinating to watch in the portal, outlining each team's biggest needs and suggesting a potential match for each.
Here is a look at 16 key teams that everyone will have their eyes on this winter, listed in alphabetical order.
Biggest offseason need: Defensive line
Best fit: Former Houston defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo
In the portal? Yes, he entered after defensive line coach Brian Early left the program.
Why it works: Nwankwo is a two-time state champion wrestler and was a starter for the Cougars this year. He may be an undersized nose tackle at 5-foot-11, 295 pounds, but Nwankwo has been described as being able to punch above his weight and is a challenge to block. While he’s a well-rounded talent, it’s tougher for teams playing in the College Football Playoff to assess their immediate needs when most players have yet to decide whether they are staying at Alabama, going to the NFL or entering the transfer portal. What we do know is the Crimson Tide will lose senior defensive linemen Justin Eboigbe and Tim Smith and will look to strengthen the trenches, ideally with veteran players.
— Laken Litman
Biggest offseason need: Running back
Best fit: Florida RB Trevor Etienne
In the portal? Yes.
Why it works: Etienne has been just short of a feature back in Florida's offense for two years. With more than 700 rushing yards on no more than 131 carries each of those campaigns, including 925 yards from scrimmage in 2023, he could strengthen a Wildcat offense that averaged just under 5 yards per carry (4.8) and managed 1,994 rushing yards in a loaded Pac-12. Adding Etienne to a battery that includes sophomore Jonah Coleman, who put out 851 rushing yards — and 179 total yards in a 34-31 win against Colorado — could help the Wildcats contend for a Big 12 title in their first season in the conference in 2024.
— RJ Young
Biggest offseason need: Offensive line
Best fit: Texas A&M OT Chase Bisontis
In the portal? Yes.
Why it works: More than two dozen programs have reached out to the 2023 freshman after he started all 12 games for A&M at right tackle. With the addition of 2024 five-star Jordan Seaton, the Buffaloes would have bookends who are both talented and young. The Buffaloes have received seven commitments in seven days from high school and transfer portal recruits. However, the addition of a bona fide first-round selection on the offensive line would not only help keep Shedeur Sanders upright but provide a leader in a room full of players who will need leadership on the field from within their unit.
— RJ Young
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Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor
In the portal? No.
Why it works: After putting together perhaps the best single game of the season by a wideout — 13 catches for 294 receiving yards and three TDs against Colorado — Ayomanor finished with 62 catches for 1,013 yards. The Dawgs have seen wideout defections in the past, and others might do what Jermaine Burton did in transferring from UGA to a power like Alabama. Ayomanor would provide a 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver who has already shown he can beat an All-American in 1-on-1s when he whooped Travis Hunter and the CU secondary for nearly 300 yards in four quarters of football.
— RJ Young
Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: TBD — without a new offensive coordinator in place yet, it’s impossible to know what kind of player the next coach will want. And consequently, no receiver will choose Iowa until they know who the next OC will be.
Why it works: Iowa certainly could have used more talented receivers this season. Of course, maybe we wouldn’t be saying that had tight ends Luke Lachey and Erick All been healthy — and there’s a chance both will return to Iowa City next year depending on their respective injuries and NFL draft decisions. With WR Diante Vines entering the portal, the Hawkeyes are down to Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown. Both have potential, but Iowa needs a veteran who can make an impact now and play alongside proven quarterback Cade McNamara, who will return in 2024 after tearing his ACL in September. However, as mentioned above, things hinge on the next offensive coordinator.
— Laken Litman
Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Former Indiana wideout Donaven McCulley
In the portal? Yes. McCulley entered the portal two days after head coach Tom Allen was fired in late November. Though he committed to Indiana as a four-star quarterback in the 2021 recruiting cycle, McCulley eventually changed positions and blossomed into the Hoosiers' top receiver. He caught 48 passes for 644 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Why it works: An interesting subplot during Michigan’s run of three straight Big Ten titles and three straight trips to the College Football Playoff is the program’s ability to continuously overcome modest talent in the receiving corps. The Wolverines haven’t had a wide receiver selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since Braylon Edwards was chosen No. 3 overall in 2005, and the recent resurgence under head coach Jim Harbaugh leans far more heavily on the running game than any kind of downfield attack. In fact, the only Michigan wideout drafted in the last two seasons was Ronnie Bell, a seventh-round selection earlier this year. At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, McCulley would give the Wolverines a body type and aerial skill set their perimeter receivers have lacked in recent years. McCulley’s total of 10 contested catches this season nearly matches the combined total of Michigan receivers Cornelius Johnson (8) and Roman Wilson (3), according to Pro Football Focus, and his ability to stretch the field is reflected by an impressive conversion rate of 36 first downs on 48 total receptions (75%). McCulley would be a nice addition for a room that is expected to lose both Wilson and Johnson.
— Michael Cohen
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Biggest offseason need: Quarterback
Best fit: Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord
In the portal: Yes. The early frontrunner for the biggest surprise of this year's portal cycle was McCord's decision to leave Ohio State after one season as the Buckeyes' starter. McCord spent two years behind veteran C.J. Stroud before finally earning his shot in 2023, beating teammate Devin Brown for the job. The former five-star prospect guided Ohio State to an 11-1 record while completing 229 of 348 passes (65.8%) for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Why it works: McCord’s choice to enter the transfer portal means the college football world will never know what kind of jump he could have made from Year 1 to Year 2 as the starter in head coach Ryan Day’s offense. But what the 2022 campaign proved is that McCord had a long way to go before approaching the levels of Stroud or predecessors Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins. He wasn’t ready to sling the ball around on a weekly basis. Yet McCord still finished the season ranked second in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (264.2) and second in passing touchdowns (24), and that kind of production would be a welcome addition at Nebraska, where the Cornhuskers finished as one of the worst passing offenses in the country. Quarterbacks Jeff Sims (six INTs), Heinrich Haarberg (seven INTs) and Chubba Purdy (three INTs) combined to throw more interceptions than all but six FBS teams last season despite ranking 130th out of 133 schools in pass attempts with 261. McCord could arrive in Lincoln as the unquestioned starter and provide the kind of stability the Cornhuskers need — all without the extreme expectations of Ohio State. He took a recruiting visit to Nebraska over the weekend.
— Michael Cohen
Biggest offseason need: Quarterback
Best fit: Texas backup quarterback Maalik Murphy
In the portal? Murphy has told Texas coaches that plans to enter the portal, according to ESPN. With Quinn Ewers likely returning for another year at Texas, and Arch Manning also likely sticking with the Longhorns, Murphy looked like the odd man out. Murphy would have loved to stay in Austin — he loves his coaches and teammates, and that feeling is mutual. But after getting a taste of what it’s like to start earlier this season when he filled in for an injured Ewers, Murphy didn't want to wait around anymore to just be a backup.
Why it works: Ohio State did offer Murphy a scholarship out of high school — as did plenty of other programs — so Ryan Day and his staff are familiar with him. Murphy has a big arm, loves to compete and his teammates love and respect him. He has experience, especially after this season when he started against and beat a very good Kansas State team. Plus, his dual-threat playmaking abilities would be a welcome addition to the Buckeyes’ offense.
— Laken Litman
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Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Texas WR Isaiah Neyor
In the portal? Yes.
Why it works: With the loss of Drake Stoops and D.J. Graham, plus the potential loss of Andrel Anthony, the Sooners could use elite help at the wideout position. Though he's coming off back-to-back ACL tears in 2022 and 2023, Neyor has the talent and attitude to lead a wide receiver room at the Power 5 level. In 13 games again in 2021 at Wyoming, he averaged 20 yards per catch, accounted for 901 yards from scrimmage and scored 13 TDs. He was always expected to be a starter — perhaps who Adonai Mitchell became for Texas — when he first transferred. He could be that kind of weapon at OU.
— RJ Young
Biggest offseason need: Safety
Best fit: Former Clemson defensive back Andrew Mukuba
In the portal? Yes, Mukuba entered his name into the portal on Wednesday and is weighing either transferring for a final season in college or declaring for the NFL draft.
Why it works: After securing Bo Nix's successor in Dillon Gabriel just days after the portal formally opened, Dan Lanning's attention is likely to turn to defense in the coming weeks as he looks to plug a few holes on the depth chart as the team transitions into a new league. While there are some solid options in the secondary at corner, safety is a glaring need in Eugene, with recent offseason departures leaving the team either thin or extremely inexperienced on the backend. Mukuba has started nearly every game since arriving in Death Valley and was a former ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2021, so he'd be a massive infusion of talent and the type of veteran that could help bring along younger players over the course of next season.
— Bryan Fischer
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Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Former Ohio State wideout Julian Fleming
In the portal: Yes. Fleming entered the portal last week after the Buckeyes' hopes of backing into the College Football Playoff were officially squashed. Originally rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 1 receiver in the country for the 2020 recruiting class, Fleming battled injuries and an incredibly crowded depth chart during his four years at Ohio State. He caught 34 passes for 533 yards and six touchdowns as a junior in 2021 but never found the end zone this season.
Why it works: Anyone who watched Penn State’s deflating losses to Ohio State and Michigan this season instantly recognized the Nittany Lions’ lack of perimeter threats to aid first-year starting quarterback Drew Allar. In a 20-12 loss to the Buckeyes, Allar failed to complete a pass longer than 20 yards downfield on four attempts. In a 24-15 loss to the Wolverines, Allar failed to complete a pass longer than 20 yards downfield on two attempts. By season’s end, KeAndre Lambert-Smith (53 catches, 673 yards, four TDs) was the only wideout with more than 250 receiving yards. The transfer portal additions of Dante Cephas from Kent State (22 catches, 246 yards, two TDs) and Malik McClain from Florida State (six catches, 71 yards, one TD) were largely flops. Fleming, who played high school football in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, could be a nice addition for the Nittany Lions given his local roots and the top-end speed that can threaten teams downfield. In 2022, Fleming caught five of nine targets that traveled at least 20 yards downfield and turned them into 217 receiving yards and three scores. He reportedly visited Penn State within the last week.
— Michael Cohen
Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Former South Carolina receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells
In the portal? Yes, and he’s reportedly interested in a few schools, including Texas, Oregon and Ole Miss.
Why it works: Wells is one of the best receivers in the portal. WR is going to be a huge area of need for the Longhorns, who are expected to lose top pass-catchers in receivers Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to the NFL. Over four seasons at James Madison and South Carolina, Wells caught 187 passes for 2,818 yards and 28 touchdowns and had an impressive 2022 season with the Gamecocks, catching 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns that earned him first-team All-SEC honors. He missed most of this past season due to injury, but if he’s healthy, Wells could be a huge get.
— Laken Litman
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Biggest offseason need: Wide receiver
Best fit: Former Houston receiver Matthew Golden
In the portal? Yes, Golden was one of a number of Cougars who surfaced as portal entrants following the firing of head coach Dana Holgorsen.
Why it works: The Utes may well enter the Big 12 as one of the favorites in the league in 2024, given that they return the bulk of their team and will have a healthy Cam Rising at quarterback. Yet the one area that Kyle Whittingham has struggled to develop is a high-end wideout to take his offense to the next level — something Golden could rectify quickly if he were to spurn in-state offers for a trip out to Salt Lake City. In addition to being an excellent deep threat who notched six touchdowns in the conference this season, Golden would also give Utah — a team that has consistently had good special teams — one of the best return men in the country, too.
— Bryan Fischer
Biggest offseason need: Defensive line
Best fit: Former Texas A&M DL Walter Nolen
In the portal? Yes, Nolen was one of a slew of highly touted Aggies who entered the portal when it opened following the departure of head coach Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hire of Mike Elko.
Why it works: The Trojans have consistently needed impact defensive linemen in recent years and that is even more the case with the move to the Big Ten. Nolen, a former five-star recruit, is considered one of the best players at any position in the portal and is one of the rare body types that is hard to find either out of high school or via the portal. USC has had more misses than hits when it comes to bringing guys in along the defensive line recently, but they found success with Bear Alexander and could have quite the combination in the middle of their revamped defense if they could pair him with Nolen. Lincoln Riley has shown a renewed emphasis on defense with his hires of D'Anton Lynn combined with Matt Entz and landing a signature player on that side of the ball would underscore that.
— Bryan Fischer
Biggest offseason need: Quarterback
Best fit: Ex-Mississippi State signal-caller Will Rogers
In the portal? Yes, Rogers left Starkville after the Bulldogs' season wrapped up and entered his name into the portal.
Why it works: The Playoff-bound Huskies are entering an interesting spot when it comes to the most important position on the field, as Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. will be off to the NFL this spring, and backup Dylan Morris put his name into the portal on Monday. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has done a terrific job developing players at the position and, for as much hope as there is for some of the youngsters on the roster (Austin Mack will be a redshirt freshman), having a bridge guy going into the Big Ten could be pivotal in keeping this run on Montlake going. Rogers threw for the second-most yards in SEC history while with the Bulldogs and would be a great fit with a program that loves to throw it all over the yard.
— Bryan Fischer
Biggest offseason need: Defensive line
Best fit: Former Penn defensive tackle Joey Slackman
In the portal: Yes. Slackman entered the portal as a graduate transfer following a highly successful career at Pennsylvania, an FCS school in the Ivy League. He was named the conference's defensive player of the year after racking up 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and 18 quarterback pressures in nine games this season. Scholarship offers from Power 5 programs across the country have been pouring in over the last few weeks.
Why it works: For the first time since 2008, the Badgers finished outside the top 30 nationally in total defense during what was an underwhelming debut for new defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, who followed head coach Luke Fickell from Cincinnati. One of the reasons behind Wisconsin’s uncharacteristic showing on that side of the ball was subpar production from the defensive line. As a team, the Badgers amassed 207 quarterback pressures, 41 quarterback hits and 29 sacks in 12 games — but very little of that output came from the interior defensive line. Of the eight Wisconsin defenders with more than 10 quarterback pressures this season, defensive ends James Thompson Jr. (18) and Rodas Johnson (14) were the only linemen in the group, with the latter being honored on Senior Day. Thompson was also the team’s only defensive lineman to record more than one sack. Adding Slackman would be a major coup for the Badgers considering the laundry list of high-level schools already in pursuit of his talents. Slackman took an official visit to Wisconsin in early December.
— Michael Cohen
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Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.