College football’s first spring transfer window ended on April 30. More than 650 FBS grantees visited the NCAA transfer portal during this two-week window in search of a new home. These recruits tend to be quick, but it seemed prudent to wait a few weeks and see where those players committed before deciding who won the Spring Cycle.
We’ve written extensively about Colorado, the players it has submitted to the portal, and the players that Deion Sanders and his staff have added to rebuild their roster. So let’s take a look at 10 other teams who were buyers in the spring transfer market and achieved promising results.
New commits: QB Tyler Buchner (Notre Dame), DB Trey Amos (Louisiana), DB Jaylen Key (UAB)
Nick Saban and Tommy Rees made the intriguing decision to bring in another quarterback after the jump ball and received a pledge from Buchner two days after he entered the portal. The fact that he immediately chose Alabama and canceled other visits to schools where he would be a guaranteed entrant shows that he must value his chances of winning the job. The Crimson Tide also won battles for two of the most desirable defensive backs in the spring market, beating Florida and LSU for Amos and then beating Florida State and Ole Miss for Key.
Arkansas
New commits: TE Var’Keyes Gumms (North Texas), TE Francis Sherman (Louisville), DL Anthony Booker Jr. (Maryland), DL Keivie Rose (Louisiana Tech), LB Jaheim Thomas (Cincinnati), DB AJ Brathwaite Jr. (Western Kentucky), DB Jaheim Singletary (Georgia), DB Kee’yon Stewart (TCU)
The Razorbacks continue to do an excellent job recruiting at the portal under Sam Pittman and have made several valuable acquisitions this spring cycle, particularly on defense. Rose, Booker and Thomas will do better up front; All three had great opportunities upon entering the portal. Singletary was one of the top 100 recruits in the 2022 class who could become a differentiator. Gumms, an All-American freshman in North Texas, should be a good addition to Dan Enos’ offense and proved last season that he’s a decent pass catcher.
New commits: QB Payton Thorne (Michigan State), WR Caleb Burton (Ohio State), WR Shane Hooks (Jackson State), WR Jyaire Shorter (North Texas), OL Jaden Muskrat (Tulsa), DL Stephen Sings V (Liberty), LB Jalen McLeod ( Appalachian State), LB Larry Nixon III (North Texas)
Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s new coaching staff have been very active in competing for top players in the Spring Portal window and have had plenty of leeway to add players after 21 scholarship transfers departed this offseason. Freeze got the quarterback he needed in Thorne, a proven two-year starter, and picked up a trio of talented wideouts to bolster the offense in the first year. Hooks was Jackson State’s leading receiver last season, Shorter had 11 touchdown catches, and Burton is a former top-100 recruit. On defense, both McLeod and Nixon have a chance to get straight into the starting XI.
cal
New commits: QB Ben Finley (NC State), RB King Doerue (Purdue), RB Isaiah Ifanse (San Jose State), WR Taj Davis (Washington), WR Marquez Dortch (Mississippi State), OL Matthew Wykoff (Texas A&M), DB Patrick McMorris (San Diego State), DB Marcus Scott II (Missouri)
Don’t sleep on what Cal did in the transfer portal this spring. The Bears have changed their roster quite a bit this season and found some players who will make an immediate impression. McMorris was one of the best safety at Mountain West, having twice earned first-team honors from all conferences. Wykoff and Davis are also likely to start immediately, and Finley could be pushing TCU transfer Sam Jackson for the starting quarterback job. The addition of Doerue and Ifanse, who broke Montana State’s career rushing record (3,742 yards), will help complement Jaydn Ott, the freshman All-America defenseman.
New commits: QB Brady Allen (Purdue), TE Joey Gatewood (UCF), OL Vincent Lumia (Duquesne), OL Eric Miller (Purdue), OL Lance Robinson (Houston), OL Trevone Sylvester (Houston), OL Willie Tyler III (Rutgers), LB Keith Brown (Oregon), DB Storm Duck (Penn State), DB Cam’Ron Kelly (Virginia), DB Marcus Washington Jr. (Georgia)
Louisville’s new coaching staff did an impressive job of replenishment this spring after 22 scholars left through the portal this offseason. Notable are their efforts to fill up their offensive line with experienced newcomers. These coaches know what to expect from Miller, and it will be interesting to see how many of these five new O-Linemen get starting positions. Allen, a former four-star recruit, is also well versed in directing Jeff Brohm’s offense. Duck and Kelly are proven starters who actually switched twice this offseason, and Gatewood is now in his fourth grade.
LSU
New commits: RB Logan Diggs (Notre Dame), OL Mason Lunsford (Maryland), DB Andre Sam (Tulane)
LSU is gearing up for a big run, with a top-five preseason hype as a sophomore under Brian Kelly. The Tigers had minimal turnover at the end of spring but still managed to bring in some top-notch talent who will help right away. Diggs is coming home from a game-changing season with the Irish (1,033 total yards, six touchdowns) and could emerge as the Tigers’ No. 1 defenseman. Lunsford, who has been in the starting XI for two years at left-back, can help solidify his attacking line. Sam is an interesting pickup, a veteran safety who went from McNeese to Marshall to Tulane to LSU in two years and will be a seventh grader.
New commits: RB Ajay Allen (Nebraska), WR Tyler Harrell (Alabama), DL Anthony Campbell (ULM), DB Jaden Davis (Oklahoma), DB Jadais Richard (Vanderbilt)
The Hurricanes landed some gems in the winter portal cycle and brought a few more with them this spring that could turn into great gets. When he became available, recruiters were very keen on Campbell, a 6’2″ and 277-pound defensive player. Allen showed exciting potential as a total freshman before a season-ending injury, and Richard seemed poised to start as cornerback for Vanderbilt. Harrell is one of the fastest receivers in college football, but he didn’t have a chance to show it due to a foot injury in his only season in Alabama.
Purdue
New commits: QB Bennett Meredith (Arizona State), WR Jahmal Edrine (Florida Atlantic), WR Corey Gammage (Marshall), OL Ben Farrell (Indiana Wesleyan), OL Luke Griffin (Missouri), OL Preston Nichols (UNLV), DL Malik Langham (Vanderbilt ). ), DL Jeffrey M’Ba (Auburn), DB Markevious Brown (Ole Miss), DB Braxton Myers (Ole Miss), DB Marquis Wilson (Penn State), LS Daniel Hawthorne (Missouri)
Purdue has added 20 grantees to the portal since the December coaching change, giving Ryan Walters and his staff plenty of room to add to their first-year roster. Gammage was a sneaky good find, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout who was productive in Marshall (178 catches for 2,239 yards and 13 touchdowns) and had picked Memphis. Edrine is having a good redshirt freshman season at FAU, giving Texas transfer Hudson Card another big target. M’Ba, the nation’s top junior college recruit in 2022, was another interesting addition.
SMU
New commits: WR Jordan Hudson (TCU), TE Micah Hilts (Texas State), OL Caleb Johnson (Notre Dame), DL Cam Robertson (North Texas), LB Kobe Wilson (Temple), DB Kyron Chambers (TCU), DB Keyshon Mills (Colorado) . ), P Isaac Pearson (Texas)
SMU shook up its depth chart significantly at the start of Rhett Lashlee’s second season with 25 transfers. Hudson has the skills to be a big playmaker and help replace second-round pick Rashee Rice’s performance. The top-100 recruit caught 14 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman and was previously signed at SMU before later moving to TCU. Wilson was a key addition to their linebacker space that should make an immediate impact, and the Mustangs have been able to improve their strength in a few places this spring window.
New commits: OL Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming), DL Bear Alexander (Georgia), DB Tre’Quon Fegans (Alabama)
Alexander was one of the most talented young players to feature on the portal this offseason. He needs to continue to mature and develop but he could make a big impact in the Trojans attack. Pregnon proved to be one of the most desirable players in the Spring Portal window based on what he taped in Wyoming. If he’s healthy, he could move straight into the starting position at left-back. Victory in the fight for Fegans also led to a signing of his younger brother Anquon, a five-star recruit in the 2025 class.
(Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)