Transfer season is in full swing in college football once again.
The portal officially opened Monday, Dec. 9 and will close on Saturday, Dec. 28.
Players on teams that compete in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and later bowl games will be allowed to enter an additional five-day transfer portal window in January after the portal closes.
Let's take a look at the players who are testing the waters and transferring.
Duke QB Maalik Murphy to Oregon State
The former four-star quarterback recruit spent the 2024 season at Duke, which he transferred to after one season at Texas, where Murphy was behind starter Quinn Ewers and potentially Arch Manning moving forward. Murphy totaled 2,933 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 133.5 passer rating, while completing 60.3% of his passes. The Blue Devils went 9-3 this season with Murphy, who joins a Beavers program that went 5-7 in their first season under head coach Trent Bray.
Liberty QB Kaidon Salter to Colorado
The Buffs should have an interesting quarterback competition to replace Shedeur Sanders in 2025. They have reportedly landed Salter, who previously played at Liberty and was one of the best non-power conference QBs over the last couple of seasons. He's thrown for 5,887 yards and 56 touchdowns to go with 2,013 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns over his college career. Salter won the 2023 Conference USA MVP when he led Liberty to the Fiesta Bowl. Salter's commitment comes just a few weeks after Class of 2025 four-star quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis committed to Colorado, likely pitting the two against one another for the starting job in Boulder next season.
USC WR Zachariah Branch and S Zion Branch
USC's Branch brothers are entering the portal, ESPN reported on Dec. 17. Zachariah Branch, who was one of the top overall recruits in the Class of 2023, was a star as a freshman, earning freshman All-American honors and first-team All-American honors for his work as a returner. He had 47 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown as a wide receiver this past season. Zion Branch, who committed to USC as a four-star recruit as part of the Class of 2022, has recorded 41 career total tackles and a forced fumble in 14 career games. The brothers are expected to continue to play together, according to ESPN.
Alabama QB Dylan Lonergan to Boston College
Lonergan, a former four-star recruit, has committed to Boston College after two seasons at Alabama, ESPN reported on Dec. 17. Lonergan was originally recruited to Alabama by BC head coach Bill O’Brien, the former Tide offensive coordinator. Lonergan appeared in just three games for the Crimson Tide, throwing a combined eight passes. He was a Top 100 recruit in 2023.
Holy Cross OL Christo Kelly to North Carolina
Bill Belichick has landed his first commitment out of the transfer portal since taking the job at UNC, as Kelly has announced his intent to play for the NFL legend. Kelly, a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder, has been Holy Cross' starting center for the last two seasons. He was named to the All-Patriot League first team last season. Late last week, Belichick got a major win when four-star QB Bryce Baker announced that he would stick with his commitment to UNC.
Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis to Colorado
Days after Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, Colorado coach Deion Sanders scored another win when the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Oatis committed to the Buffs, as he told ESPN. The defensive tackle played extensively in his first two years at Alabama but decided to transfer earlier this season when his playing time decreased. In 29 games for the Crimson Tide, Oatis totaled 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and five passes defended.
Washington State QB John Mateer
Washington State coach Jake Dickert told reporters on Dec. 16 that quarterback John Mateer is leaving the school. "John will be the most sought-after player in the portal," Dickert said. "I think he's going to be the best player in the country next year, and he's informed us that he's, in fact, going to hit the portal."
Mateer became the starter this season after the Cougars' previous quarterback, Cam Ward, transferred to Miami. The redshirt sophomore threw for 3,139 yards and finished in the top 10 in the country in touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (164.09). He also ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. One potential landing spot for Mateer is Oklahoma, which hired Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle to take over the offense.
Stanford QB Ashton Daniels to Auburn
Daniels, who started nine games this season for Stanford, confirmed to On3 that he is transferring to Auburn. In 11 appearances this season, he threw for 1,700 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Daniels also led the Cardinal in rushing with 148 carries for 669 yards and added three touchdowns on the ground. The junior has one year of eligibility left, with a redshirt available as well. The Tigers also landed Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold in this cycle.
Western Kentucky QB TJ Finley to Tulane
Finley will be playing his sixth season at Tulane, according to On3. He previously played for LSU, Auburn and Texas State. Finley was named the WKU starter earlier this season, but he was sidelined with a leg injury in early September and never regained his spot. In three games, he threw for 490 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Tulane lost starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke.
Class of 2024 five-star cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe announced on Dec. 16 that he's entering the portal after one year at Alabama. Mbakwe was the second-ranked cornerback in his class and the No. 12 overall prospect, per 247Sports. He played in 11 games as a true freshman, recording 15 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception, along with two punt returns for 46 yards. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Less than a week before Penn State's first playoff game, it found out it would be without its top backup quarterback. Pribula entered the portal on Sunday, Dec. 15, saying he had to enter at the time he did due to the brevity of the window. Pribula was used relatively often as a backup quarterback. He had 35 passing attempts and 38 rushes this season, along with nine total touchdowns. Penn State won't have him as an option in the playoff, though.
Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson to Texas A&M
Hudson, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1, is headed for Texas A&M, he told On3. Hudson was the 25th-ranked overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class but had an underwhelming freshman season. He has three seasons of eligibility left.
Georgia CB Julian Humphrey to Texas A&M
Humphrey, a third-year sophomore, is staying in the SEC. On Dec. 15, he committed to Texas A&M. The Houston native originally announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1, before Georgia played in the SEC Championship Game. Humphrey was one of the Bulldogs' starters for the first 10 games of the season before being benched.
Michigan RB Cole Cabana to Minnesota
Cabana, a sophomore running back from Dexter, Michigan, announced his commitment to Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 15. The former four-star recruit has struggled with injuries and playing time in his two seasons with Michigan. Cabana finished his Michigan career with just two carries for 6 yards, both of which came in 2023. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
USC QB Miller Moss to Louisville
Moss is transferring to Louisville, according to ESPN. The junior signal-caller started USC's first nine games this season before being benched. Across said games, Moss totaled 2,555 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 135.1 passer rating, while completing 64.4% of his passes. Moss joins a Louisville team that's 8-4 this season.
Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold to Auburn
Arnold is off to Auburn, according to ESPN. Last season, Arnold made 10 starts, totaling 1,421 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and a 124.8 passer rating, while completing 62.6% of his passes. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers are coming off a 5-7 season.
Orji has entered the transfer portal. Having played in 20 games with three starts for the Wolverines, Orji's move comes as the Wolverines welcome five-star recruit Bryce Underwood. He has two years of remaining eligibility.
Boise State QB Malachi Nelson enters portal
After spending this past season at Boise State and the 2023 season with USC, Nelson is entering the transfer portal once again, per ESPN. Nelson threw just 17 passes this season with the Broncos, who are the No. 3 seed in the CFP.
Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos to Florida State
Castellanos, who announced his intention to hit the transfer portal on Nov. 14, has found a new home. He officially signed with FSU on Dec 13. Castellanos was Boston College's starter this year until he lost his job to Grayson James with three games left in the season. The 5-foot-9 Georgia native started 20 games for the Eagles over the past two seasons, throwing for 3,614 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,307 yards and 15 scores. FSU went 2-10 and struggled with injuries and poor play at quarterback this season. The Seminoles hired Gus Malzahn, Castellanos' one-time coach at UCF, as their new OC.
Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman to Houston
Weigman, a highly touted recruit in the Class of 2022, announced his commitment to Houston on Dec. 11. Weigman began the season as the Aggies' starter, but injuries and inconsistent play led to Marcel Reed taking over at QB. The redshirt sophomore went 9-4 in two seasons at Texas A&M, including a 4-1 record this year. In six total games in 2024, he threw for 819 yards and three scores, while also tossing five interceptions. Houston went 4-8 in 2024 and started Donovan Smith and Zeon Chriss at quarterback.
Tulane QB Darian Mensah to Duke
Tulane's emerging star signal-caller is off to Duke, according to ESPN. In what was the redshirt freshman's first season under center, Mensah led the Green Wave to a 9-3 record and an AAC Championship Game berth. Mensah totaled 2,723 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 166.7 passer rating this season, while completing 65.9% of his passes. Mensah's passer rating and completion percentage led the AAC. He replaces outgoing quarterback Maalik Murphy, who has guided Duke to a 9-3 mark this season.
USC WR Duce Robinson
Robinson, a sophomore receiver who also played on USC's baseball team, is headed for the portal, per On3. Robinson was 247Sports' highest-rated tight end in the class of 2023 and the highest-rated recruit from his home state of Arizona. He hauled in 23 passes for 396 yards and five touchdowns this season for the Trojans. The 6-foot-6 Robinson has two years of eligibility remaining.
One year after transferring from Texas to Duke, Murphy is back in the portal, he told ESPN. Murphy won the starting job this season and had a strong year for the 9-3 Blue Devils. He set a school record with 26 touchdown passes and threw for 2,933 passing yards. Murphy also tossed 12 interceptions and rushed for two more scores. The redshirt sophomore will not play in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, when Duke takes on Ole Miss. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Van Dyke is entering the portal again, ESPN reported on Dec. 9. He arrived at Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 season after transferring from Miami (Fla.), where he won ACC Rookie of the Year in 2021. Wisconsin hoped Van Dyke would bring stability to its quarterback position, but his 2024 season came to an end after two-plus games when he tore his ACL in Week 3. Van Dyke has one more season of eligibility remaining.
Brown announced his intention to enter the transfer portal in a social media post on Dec. 8, saying he intends to stay with the Buckeyes through the CFP. Brown lost a close QB competition to Kyle McCord in 2023 and was relegated to a back seat again when the Buckeyes brought in Kansas State transfer Will Howard for 2024. For 2025, Ohio State has a crowded quarterback room that includes Julian Sayin, who was the top-rated recruit nationally in the 2024 class.
McNamara is on the move again, announcing that he plans to enter the transfer portal when it officially opens. This will mark the second time that McNamara has entered the portal. He transferred to Iowa from Michigan following the 2022 season. Iowa hoped McNamara would elevate its offense, but he tore his ACL five games into the 2023 season. He struggled in 2024, throwing for just 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games. He missed the team's final four games of the season. McNamara previously helped Michigan win the Big Ten in 2021 before losing the starting job to J.J. McCarthy the following year.
The Wolverines' leading wideout in 2024 is planning to leave, he announced on Dec. 3. Morris paced all Michigan receivers with 23 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns, though he ranked behind tight end Colston Loveland in each category. Those aren't big numbers, but Michigan averaged just 133.6 yards per game (No. 130 in the nation) as it struggled to find a QB to replace McCarthy, Morris' high school teammate. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
FIU's standout signal-caller announced that he plans to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 2. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
FIU WR Eric Rivers
Rivers announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1. Rivers was statistically one of the best wide receivers in the country in 2024, finishing fourth in receiving yards (1,172) and receiving touchdowns (12).
North Carolina State WR Kevin Concepcion
The talented NC State wide receiver announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1. Concepcion won ACC Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American in 2023.
Colandrea announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1. The sophomore started the first 11 games of the season for Virginia before being benched in its regular-season finale with bowl eligibility on the line.
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