NCAAF · 11 hours ago

Which 15 Teams Improved the Most in the Transfer Portal?

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

15. Tennessee Volunteers
- 2025 record: 8-5 (4-4)
- 2026 Title Odds: +7000
It is difficult to gauge where things stand in Knoxville and the current mood among Tennessee Volunteers fans. Are they happy with the direction Josh Heupel has the program headed? Or are they getting restless after a blowout loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, followed by a mediocre season? Regardless of how the fans are feeling, Heupel is tasked with building a roster for the 2026 season amid quarterback uncertainty. He brought in 21 prospects from the portal, including a five-star recruit and several other solid contributors.

Chaz Coleman is a potential beast edge rusher, and Xavier Gilliam has a ton of potential on the interior of the defensive line. Both joined from Penn State and should help rebuild the defense along with former PSU linebacker Amare Campbell. The secondary was completely rebuilt with additions from Michigan, Miami, Penn State, and Kansas State. Still, the offense was mostly ignored, and I do wonder if there’s enough explosive ability at the skill spots to make up for uncertain quarterback play.

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1. Texas Longhorns
- 2025 record: 10-3 (6-2)
- 2026 Title Odds: +700
A school as resource-rich as the Texas Longhorns doesn’t ever really go “all-in” for one season because, regardless of the outcome of this campaign, they will continue spending big money. That written, Texas definitely senses an opportunity in what is likely to be quarterback Arch Manning's final season in college and head coach Steve Sarkisian and general manager Brandon Harris were extremely aggressive a loading up in the portal, securing what I feel is the top-ranked class in this cycle and likely ensuring they will be ranked the preseason number one team in the nation for a second-straight season.

There were some departures, but Texas restructured at key skill positions around Manning, grabbed some help on the offensive line, and added the best linebacker available. Raleek Brown (Arizona State) and Hollywood Smothers (NC State) should form a dynamic one-two punch at running back, an area Texas really needed to improve, and wide receiver Cam Coleman is an early All-American favorite now that he will finally have some solid quarterback play to get him the ball. Melvin Siani was one of the best offensive tackles in the portal, and the Longhorns paid big to bring in the Wake Forest transfer along with two other offensive linemen. On defense, Rasheem Biles is a great fit for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s scheme, and Ian Geffrard is a massive addition for the defensive line as a run stuffer.

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2. LSU Tigers
- 2025 record: 7-6 (3-5)
- 2026 Title Odds: +1600
It should come as no surprise to see the LSU Tigers near the top of every portal ranking. With Lane Kiffin now in Baton Rouge, the Bayou Bengals are going to be a major force in the portal every season. Kiffin added 40 prospects after 38 players hit the exit. It’s not a total roster flip, but things will look significantly different after the disappointing Brian Kelly era. Obviously, there will be some non-factors among the 40 additions, but the Tigers added three five-star transfers and difference-makers at every level.

On defense, five-star edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen migrated from Ole Miss with Kiffin and leads the list along with fellow former Rebel linebacker TJ Dottery. There were three safeties added and a couple of other lottery-ticket defensive linemen, but the bulk of this class was, unsurprisingly, offensive players. The headliner is quarterback Sam Leavitt, and if he’s healthy, the Arizona State transfer should be a great fit in Kiffin’s offense. Don’t sleep on the backup quarterback addition as LSU likely paid big to bring in coveted recruit Husan Longstreet from USC. The third five-star transfer is offensive tackle Jordan Seaton from Colorado. No room got as much attention as wide receiver. Kiffin added an absurd nine incoming transfers to completely revamp the room, with slot weapon Winston Watkins from Ole Miss and Florida transfer Eugene (Tre) Wilson III coming in. Where will the snaps for all these pieces come from, and how quickly can everything mesh?
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
- 2025 record: 1-11 (0-9)
- 2026 Title Odds: +60000
Oklahoma State doesn’t have the best transfer class, but the assignment is to identify which teams improved the most. New head coach Eric Morris added a whopping 53 players via the transfer portal, and things can only go up in Stillwater after the bottom fell out for Mike Gundy in the past two seasons. Of the 53 additions, 16 are migrating from Denton, where they played for Morris at North Texas.

The list includes five-star transfer quarterback Drew Mestemaker and star skill players Wyatt Young (WR) and Caleb Hawkins (RB). Hawkins will pair with Ayo Adeyi to form a really fun backfield, and four-star transfer Chris Barnes is a nice addition at wide receiver from Wake Forest.

One of the big question marks for the Cowboys will be whether or not they can be good enough on the lines of scrimmage, and they tried to address that with incoming defensive line transfers from Washington, Penn State, SMU, Louisville, and Texas Tech. On the other side of the ball, the offensive line was addressed with guys from Michigan State, Kansas, Oklahoma, and a couple of FCS schools. If those trench additions are adequate, Oklahoma State could make a huge leap forward.
4. Ole Miss Rebels
- 2025 record: 13-2 (7-1)
- 2026 Title Odds: +3000
The “Portal King” left town, but the Ole Miss Rebels are still doing whatever they can to bring talent to Oxford. The headline addition is the apparent extra year of eligibility awarded to quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, which makes the Rebels a contender for the College Football Playoff again. They added nine four-star transfers and 20 three-star players and largely held off Lane Kiffin and LSU from raiding the roster, as was once feared.

Jordan Renaud (Alabama) and Blake Purchase (Oregon) were brought in to address the pass rush, and the Rebels are hoping to get the best out of massive defensive tackles Jehiem Oatis (325 pounds) and Michai Boireau (349 pounds). On offense, I’m intrigued by a trio of running back additions, including Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier, as well as talented quarterback prospect Deuce Knight.
5. Indiana Hoosiers
- 2025 record: 16-0 (9-0)
- 2026 Title Odds: +700
Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers completed the most remarkable story in college football history, finishing the 2025 season 16-0 and sitting atop the world as national champions. It will be impossible to top what that special group of players accomplished, but the Hoosiers will not fall off the map. Cignetti addressed some needs with a top-five portal class.

The last transfer quarterback won the Heisman Trophy, and IU chose TCU transfer Josh Hoover to lead the attack in 2026. Hoover will be throwing to talented wide receiver Nick Marsh, a brilliant fit in this system and one of the best additions in the class. Shazz Preston (WR) and Turbo Richard (RB) are good fits, and offensive guard Joe Brunner is an All-Big Ten performer who should help give IU one of the top offensive lines in the country again. The defense needed to add in the secondary and at the edge, and they did so in a big way, highlighted by Tobi Osunsanmi from Kansas State, Josh Burnham from Notre Dame, and former All-Big Ten cornerback A.J. Harris. It’s impossible to replicate the magic of the 2025 season, but Indiana is here to stay as a new college football power.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
- 2025 record: 7-6 (3-6)
- 2026 Title Odds: +7000
When a coaching change occurs, the rosters of both the head coach’s previous team and his new team tend to get blown up. That’s just the current nature of college football, and it played out in State College as the Penn State Nittany Lions finished an often chaotic coaching search with the sensible hiring of Matt Campbell from Iowa State. As expected, Campbell selected his favorite players from the Iowa State roster and brought 24 of them to Happy Valley.

The additions include quarterback Rocco Becht (a big upgrade on Drew Allar), bruising running back Carson Hansen, top receiver Chase Sowell, and leading tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle. On defense, it was outstanding safety Marcus Neal Jr., massive defensive lineman Vaea Ikakoula, and linebacker Caleb Bacon. Are the best pieces of the Iowa State Cyclones (a team that went 8-4 in the Big 12) combined with a dozen or so three-star additions and the returning parts of the 2025 Nittany Lions enough to take advantage of a very favorable schedule for Penn State to make the College Football Playoff? There’s an opportunity at hand for Matt Campbell to seize real momentum, but they could also fall short and end up with a frustrated fan base.
7. Miami Hurricanes
- 2025 record: 13-3 (6-2)
- 2026 Title Odds: +1400
College Football Playoff runner-up Miami is in a great spot with multiple talented pieces returning, strong high school recruiting refilling the roster, and head coach Mario Cristobal adding 12 portal additions to supplement and fill key holes. The mechanics of stealing Darian Mensah from Duke were unsavory, but he’s an upgrade on Carson Beck and should put up huge numbers, particularly throwing to his top target from Duke (Cooper Barkate).

Cam Vaughn (WVU) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina) are good depth pieces at wide receiver as well. On defense, the focus was on the defensive line with Keona Davis (Nebraska) and Jarquez Carter (Ohio State) joining headline pass rusher Damon Wilson II (Missouri). Omar Thornton and Conrad Hussey bolster the secondary as well, and Miami plans on being right back in the CFP this season.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders
- 2025 record: 12-2 (8-1)
- 2026 Title Odds: +1400
Things are continuing to build in Lubbock as the Texas Tech Red Raiders try to follow up on their Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff berth. High school recruiting is going well, and everyone now knows that Texas Tech can, and will, pay as well as anyone in the country. They added 21 portal prospects with one five-star (quarterback Brendan Sorsby) and four four-stars.

They took steps to make sure the defense is stingy again, bringing in edge rusher Adam Trick from Miami of Ohio and Mateen Ibirogba from Wake Forest. Still, my favorite defensive addition is linebacker Austin Romaine. He’s a perfect fit for this scheme. Jordan Church was a nice addition at offensive guard, and Malcolm Simmons is a four-star transfer from Auburn who needs to add explosiveness to the Tech offense. I’m not a huge Sorsby fan, but he’s undoubtedly an upgrade at quarterback, and his mobility will be an asset. Will the upgrade on offense be enough to offset what is likely to be a slight downgrade on the defensive line?
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- 2025 record: 10-2
- 2026 Title Odds: +650 (favorite)
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish treat the transfer portal a little bit differently than most of the other teams on this list. Instead of bringing in 20 to 30 players, Notre Dame relies on elite high school recruiting and player development while supplementing with very specific additions. This year’s class of seven portal prospects is a perfect example, and Notre Dame is hoping these guys can put them over the top as a team that will start in the top five of every poll.

Quincy Porter is an extremely talented receiver from Ohio State who is a physical specimen at 6’4”, and the Irish hope he is ready to play after a mostly lost season in Columbus. The rest of the class focused on cornerback and defensive line, with DJ McKinney (Colorado) and Jayden Sanders (Michigan) bolstering the secondary and three four-star defensive linemen loading up in the trenches.
10. Kentucky Wildcats
- 2025 record: 5-7 (2-6)
- 2026 Title Odds: +17500
When the Kentucky Wildcats found the money from donors to move on from long-time head coach Mark Stoops, it was a clear signal to the rest of college football that the Wildcats were ready to get serious about spending to be good at football. They hired Kentucky native Will Stein from Oregon, and the former offensive coordinator was aggressive in the transfer portal. He missed on some big swings, but ended up with a class of 29 players he hopes will turn things around quickly in the competitive SEC. The offense is going to look completely different, and the Wildcats added four wide receivers, two running backs, and two quarterbacks.

After almost landing Sam Leavitt, the Wildcats quickly pivoted to Notre Dame backup Kenny Minchey. It’s a gamble, but the talent is there, and his athletic ability is enticing. Perhaps the most impressive part of the class is how well Kentucky appears to have landed offensive linemen. There are four probable starting OL in this class, including talented tackle Lance Heard from Tennessee. The defense did not see as much talent added, with four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes from Texas being the only clear standout. On paper, this was an encouraging start for Stein, and Big Blue Nation should be excited.
11. Michigan Wolverines
- 2025 record: 9-4 (7-2)
- 2026 Title Odds: +4500
A major scandal broke at the tail end of the coaching cycle, and Michigan quickly fired Sherrone Moore and turned to trying to fill a leadership void and bring stability to the program. They brought in former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and, by most accounts, made the most of an ugly situation. Whittingham is not a long-term solution, but he is a very competent stopgap who should, at minimum, steady the ship and make Michigan a very tough team to beat. The Wolverines added a quartet of four-star recruits and a dozen three-star prospects, and I’m higher on their additions than most.

Difference-making pass rushers are tough to find, and John Henry Daley (Utah) is a proven commodity that will wreak havoc on opposing passers in the Big Ten. Whittingham also grabbed top cornerbacks Smith Snowden and Aisea Moa, receiver JJ Buchanan, and 6’5” defensive lineman Jonah Lea'ea from Utah. The class isn’t great after those Utah additions. Jaime Ffrench Jr. (Texas) is talented, but Texas let him walk, which tells me something, plus there were no impactful additions at running back, tight end, or on the offensive line.
12. Auburn Tigers
- 2025 record: 5-7 (1-7)
- 2026 Title Odds: +7000
The Auburn Tigers hired a new coach, and you know what that means in modern college football: a roster reset! Alex Golesh, former Tennessee offensive coordinator and South Florida head coach, brought in 39 players, including a few four-star prospects. There was definitely some talent lost to the portal, but Auburn fans have to be thrilled at the prospect of finally getting some fun quarterback play.

Byrum Brown is an exciting dual-threat talent who will be a sight for sore eyes, and he already knows the offense. Golesh brought his receivers with him from South Florida, and he believes they are good enough to play right away in the SEC. Bryson Washington from Baylor is a good upgrade at running back, and the class continues to look strong when you start to evaluate the trenches. Golesh knew his linemen at South Florida would not compete in the SEC, so he brought difference-makers in from Ole Miss (Da’Shawn Womack) and LSU (Walter Mathis) on defense and nine offensive linemen to completely revamp that position room.
13. Texas A&M Aggies
- 2025 record: 11-2 (7-1)
- 2026 Title Odds: +1600
Mike Elko will never suffer from a lack of funds in College Station, and he continues to work on building a winner at Texas A&M, bringing in 18 players from the transfer portal, including four four-stars.

The Aggies needed help at receiver, and they got it with playmaking receiver Isaiah Horton from Alabama (and Miami). Horton was reliable for the Crimson Tide when called upon and is a nice get. He wasn’t the only Alabama player to join Elko as offensive tackle Wilkin Formby (6’7”, 324) made the leap and should start right away. Tawfiq Byard is a very good safety from Colorado, and Elko brought in five defensive linemen to bulk up that position room.
14. Cal Golden Bears
- 2025 record: 7-6 (4-4)
- 2026 Title Odds: +60000
Oregon lost both coordinators (Will Stein to Kentucky), and both got off to promising starts in the transfer portal. Tosh Lupoi is known as a strong recruiter and secured a major win right away by keeping his star quarterback in Berkeley for at least one more season. Lupoi brought in 32 players, including five four-star players, one of them on defense, and four on offense.

Adam Mohammed is a very good running back from Washington, Chase Hendricks and Dorian Thomas are interesting small-school skill player additions, and Ian Strong is a big wide receiver from Rutgers. Will the lines of scrimmage be good enough for Cal to make a big leap in year one for Lupoi?
15. Tennessee Volunteers
- 2025 record: 8-5 (4-4)
- 2026 Title Odds: +7000
It is difficult to gauge where things stand in Knoxville and the current mood among Tennessee Volunteers fans. Are they happy with the direction Josh Heupel has the program headed? Or are they getting restless after a blowout loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, followed by a mediocre season? Regardless of how the fans are feeling, Heupel is tasked with building a roster for the 2026 season amid quarterback uncertainty. He brought in 21 prospects from the portal, including a five-star recruit and several other solid contributors.

Chaz Coleman is a potential beast edge rusher, and Xavier Gilliam has a ton of potential on the interior of the defensive line. Both joined from Penn State and should help rebuild the defense along with former PSU linebacker Amare Campbell. The secondary was completely rebuilt with additions from Michigan, Miami, Penn State, and Kansas State. Still, the offense was mostly ignored, and I do wonder if there’s enough explosive ability at the skill spots to make up for uncertain quarterback play.

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1. Texas Longhorns
- 2025 record: 10-3 (6-2)
- 2026 Title Odds: +700
A school as resource-rich as the Texas Longhorns doesn’t ever really go “all-in” for one season because, regardless of the outcome of this campaign, they will continue spending big money. That written, Texas definitely senses an opportunity in what is likely to be quarterback Arch Manning's final season in college and head coach Steve Sarkisian and general manager Brandon Harris were extremely aggressive a loading up in the portal, securing what I feel is the top-ranked class in this cycle and likely ensuring they will be ranked the preseason number one team in the nation for a second-straight season.

There were some departures, but Texas restructured at key skill positions around Manning, grabbed some help on the offensive line, and added the best linebacker available. Raleek Brown (Arizona State) and Hollywood Smothers (NC State) should form a dynamic one-two punch at running back, an area Texas really needed to improve, and wide receiver Cam Coleman is an early All-American favorite now that he will finally have some solid quarterback play to get him the ball. Melvin Siani was one of the best offensive tackles in the portal, and the Longhorns paid big to bring in the Wake Forest transfer along with two other offensive linemen. On defense, Rasheem Biles is a great fit for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s scheme, and Ian Geffrard is a massive addition for the defensive line as a run stuffer.

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