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Mike's top 25 transfer portal sleepers and underrated players. His 2026 college football preview and immediate impact players, including Cam Cook, Michael Van Buren, and more.
The transfer portal is mostly closed, even though we still see some entrants trickling in. We know all about those impact transfers like Sam Leavitt, Caleb Hawkins, and Cam Coleman. What about the guys who aren't talked about as much?
How many had heard of Cam Cook before the season last year? He wasn't talked about much at all. The transfer talk was about Carson Beck, Ahmad Hardy, and John Mateer. Cook led FBS in rushing for Jacksonville State after transferring from TCU. We're going to dive deeper into some skill positions and come back with some names who could have a big impact on the 2026 season.
I'll set a couple of ground rules for myself. These players must be out of the top 150 transfer rankings. That means no Justice Haynes, Darian Mensah, Byrum Brown, Rocco Becht, or Raleek Brown. You can read about them anywhere. I will also avoid players who followed their coaches to new schools. That means nobody from UNT-Stillwater or Iowa State's Penn campus. Put your scuba gear on. We're going on a deep dive!
25. Amari Odom, QB, Syracuse (from Kennesaw State)
Transfer ranking: QB 37, 585 overall
.@kennesawstfb PICKS UP A CRUCIAL FIRST DOWN 😱 pic.twitter.com/ko1WK2t2b6
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 6, 2025
Odom threw for 2,594 yards and 19 touchdowns for Kennesaw State last year, adding another 347 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He led the Owls to the Conference USA Championship before being blown out by Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
This isn't just about talent. It's about fit. Syracuse coach Fran Brown got a superb season out of Ohio State castoff Kyle McCord in 2024, and Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli was off to a great start before he got hurt in the Clemson game last year.
At 6-foot-4, Odom fits the mold of Brown's previous quarterbacks with the Orange. Odom is a better runner than his predecessors, so we could see some fireworks out of the Syracuse offense this year.
24. Jaden Craig, QB, TCU (from Harvard)
Transfer ranking: QB 22, 254 overall
Ok, so he's not from Ferris State, but Craig does come from an FCS school. He started two years at Harvard, throwing for 6,074 yards and 52 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions.
Craig will take over for Josh Hoover. That means he'd better get his right shoulder loose. Hoover threw 413 passes last year. Craig threw 714 in two full seasons and one season as a backup for the Crimson.
The TCU offense will look a little different this year without Eric McAlister, but they should still throw enough to give Craig a shot at the next level if he's successful.
23. Colton Joseph, QB, Wisconsin (from Old Dominion)
Transfer ranking: QB 21, 252 overall
Wisconsin finally has a really fun QB in Colton Joseph from ODU.
Absolute dual threat QB. This past season he had 2,624 passing yards & 10TDs. Also added 1,007 rushing yards, 6.4 YPC, & 13TDs.
Can make accurate throws and explosive plays on the ground.
pic.twitter.com/UHnMv04POP— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 4, 2026
Those of you who frequented my weekly quarterback rankings last season will be familiar with Joseph. He threw for 2,624 yards and 21 touchdowns last year while running for 1,007 yards and 13 more touchdowns. He ran for 24 touchdowns in two years as a starter for the Monarchs.
His issue last year was interceptions. Joseph was picked off 10 times in 290 attempts. Joseph will likely be less of a runner for the Badgers, but he should fit well in a revamped Luke Fickell offense.
The Badgers went through a staggering four starting quarterbacks in 2024, none having much success. Joseph will bring stability to the position.
Once the Badgers realized that they couldn't fire Fickell and pay his buyout, the team started playing with a purpose. If they can carry that into 2026, the Badgers have the talent to make a bowl game.
22. Kenny Odom, WR, South Florida (from UTEP)
Transfer ranking: WR 190, 1,186 overall
Kenny Odom to USF. Really like this fit after USF lost some of their top WR targets.
1,323 receiving yards, 14TDs, 12.8 YPC last two seasons as UTEP’s WR1.
Always liked his ball skills, pretty good on YAC as well imo.
Good get for Hartline.
pic.twitter.com/jlxgffDiAW— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 9, 2026
Odom has been the only bright spot in a putrid UTEP offense in the last two seasons. UTEP was marred by awful QB play, resulting in multiple swaps of quarterbacks. A receiver can't thrive in that environment. Still, Odom caught 108 passes for 1,323 yards and 14 touchdowns in 21 games.
He will be the alpha receiver in the new-look South Florida offense that is the brainchild of former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline.
Remember all those good receivers that have come through Ohio State in the last three years? Hartline was their coach. We could see a big year out of Odom.
21. JC French IV, QB, Cincinnati (from Georgia Southern)
Transfer ranking: QB 45, 654 overall
three and a half minutes of @jcfrench_ highlights 🍿 pic.twitter.com/lg10QJbfar
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) January 13, 2026
French threw for 5,760 yards and 37 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter at Georgia Southern. He also ran for 554 yards and eight more touchdowns. He has big shoes to fill for the departed Brendan Sorsby, but he has the talent to make it happen.
This is an offense that fits French's skill set. The Bearcats struggled down the stretch in 2025, but that collapse was team-wide. Scott Satterfield rebuilt the whole offense.
French is similar to Sorsby in a lot of ways. He's not as good a runner, but there is potential for a strong season here.
20. Alberto Mendoza, QB, Georgia Tech (from Indiana)
Transfer ranking: QB 31, 509 overall
I'm more than a little surprised that Curt Cignetti didn't turn the reins of the team over to Fernando's younger brother after the elder Mendoza got Indiana to heights it had never seen. That alone has me nervous about Alberto.
He was good in limited action (18-of-24, 286 yards, five TD, INT) for the Hoosiers last year, but he hasn't started since high school in 2023. Like his brother, he also led Miami Columbus High School to a state title.
There is plenty of unknown about the younger Mendoza, but he finds himself in a really good situation. The Yellow Jackets molded Haynes King into a star. I expect Tech to funnel the offense through Mendoza in 2026 the way that it did with King in 2025.
19. Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia (from Oklahoma)
Transfer ranking: QB 48, 705 overall
Hawkins is known to a lot of college football fans for his backup work at Oklahoma for the last two seasons. He filled in for Dillon Gabriel in 2024 and John Mateer last year.
Hawkins is best remembered for being a tackling dummy for Texas in the 2024 Red River Shootout. I promise that he's better than that.
This is a great landing spot for Hawkins. New coach Rich Rodriguez loves his running quarterbacks, most notably Pat White during his first stint with the Mountaineers and Denard Robinson at Michigan. White set the career record for rushing yards by a quarterback in FBS.
Hawkins likely has a better arm than both of them. He may not be quite as mobile, but Rich Rod got a lot out of Tyler Huff in 2024 at Jacksonville State. Hawkins is one of the more intriguing transfers out there for college fantasy players.
18. Makhi Hughes, RB, Houston (from Oregon)
Transfer ranking: RB 18, 214 overall
Makhi Hughes to Houston.
Had 2,779 rushing yards, 22 TDs, & 5.3 YPC in his 2 seasons he started at Tulane. Really hard guy to tackle after first contact.
Got buried in Oregon depth chart this season. I’ll be interested in him getting a fresh slate.
pic.twitter.com/ScTe4Mj5cd— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 4, 2026
Hughes took a bundle of money to go out to Oregon last year from Tulane, but maybe he shouldn't have. Hughes only carried 17 times for 70 yards in the first four games before redshirting to transfer. Hughes ran for 2,779 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024 for Tulane.
Hughes is built to be a bell cow. Houston used Dean Connors in that role last year (200 carries). With Connors off to the NFL, Hughes should see the kind of workload that he did at Tulane in his first two seasons.
I liked how Houston used Connors last year. If Hughes is as fast and physical as he was in 2024, he could be in for a big 2026.
17. Victor Snow, WR, North Carolina State (from Buffalo)
Transfer ranking: WR 100, 542 overall
Snow had 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 14 touchdowns over the last two seasons on a run-first Buffalo team. Buffalo was also the victim of inconsistent QB play, but Snow put up big numbers anyway.
NC State had solid quarterback play from CJ Bailey last year, but it didn't have anyone step up to replace KC Concepcion as the alpha receiver.
With leading receiver Terrell Anderson off to USC and slot guy Noah Rogers off to Alabama, Snow can claim a big role in this offense, along with Wesley Grimes.
16. Kendrick Raphael, RB, SMU (from California)
Transfer ranking: RB 36, 480 overall
Raphael ran for 944 yards and 13 touchdowns at Cal last year. He was productive in limited carries at North Carolina State in 2023 and 2024. If you remember, those NC State backfields were loaded with Hollywood Smothers and Jordan Waters.
Raphael goes to a potent SMU offense that is an old-school run-and-shoot system. There will be plenty of opportunities for Raphael with T.J. Harden gone. QB Kevin Jennings wasn't used much in the run game last year. The backs ran for 1,740 yards and 25 touchdowns.
15. Johntay Cook, WR, Mississippi (from Syracuse)
Transfer ranking: WR 56, 285 overall
Ole Miss’ newest WR Johntay Cook looks just Elijah Moore 2.0 in the slot🫣#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ATneZcD43E
— Top Tier Ole Miss (@TopTierOleMiss) January 17, 2026
Cook had 18 receptions for 334 yards in the four games with Steve Angeli healthy last year. He only notched 27 receptions for 215 yards in the final eight games.
It's reasonable to assume that Cook's success is partially tied to the status of Trinidad Chambliss. For now, Chambliss is out again, meaning Auburn transfer Deuce Knight is in line to start.
If I actually thought that was going to be the state of Ole Miss heading into 2026, I may not have Cook on the list at all. Nothing against Knight, but he had one successful game with Auburn. He'll be good soon, but I wouldn't base my ranking on it.
If Chambliss is leading this offense, the Rebels are going to be a dangerous team once again. Cook will only add to that.
14. Michael Van Buren Jr., QB, South Florida (from LSU)
Transfer ranking: QB 53, 734 overall
MVB finds Kelly Akharaiyi for their second TD connection of the day!
📺: https://t.co/Wr8ilLuFQw#SHOWTIME | #HailState pic.twitter.com/BXUJZGbxOT
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) October 12, 2024
Van Buren had a solid true freshman season at Mississippi State in 2024, throwing for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns. Brian Kelly lured him to LSU with the promise that the team would be his in 2026 after Garrett Nussmeier moved on.
As we all know, 2025 was a disaster for LSU, and a season-ending injury to Nussmeier resulted in Van Buren starting the last four games of the season. He threw for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns and slashed the interception total.
Then, Hurricane Lane rolled into town and destroyed everything left behind by Kelly. Van Buren was once again looking for a home, and he found one in Tampa.
This isn't the same offense that made a superstar out of Byrum Brown, but Van Buren is still going to be in a great situation. The new USF coach is Brian Hartline, the architect of Ohio State's offense for the last three years.
If Van Buren is as good as we thought coming out of high school (he was the 27th-rated QB in the 2023 class), he could be in for a monster season.
13. Abu Sama III, RB, Wisconsin (from Iowa State)
Transfer ranking: RB 16, 205 overall
ABU SAMA DOES IT AGAIN 🔥@CycloneFB pic.twitter.com/59l8PHDHuy
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 26, 2023
Carson Hansen, the guy who Sama split carries with at Iowa State last year, followed Matt Campbell to Penn State. Ironically, Hansen is ranked 18 spots lower in the transfer rankings.
Sama went to a team that loves to run and frequently plays in the snow. If you saw Sama's career game in Farmageddon back in 2023, you'll understand why this is significant. Sama is still breaking K-State tackles.
Sama had a 71-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game and finished with 276 rushing yards. Despite that success, Sama split carries with Hansen in both 2024 and 2025, finishing with 1,319 yards on 264 carries and seven touchdowns in those seasons.
We were expecting more after his freshman season, in which Sama ran for 614 yards on just 84 carries. He'll get the chance as Wisconsin's lead back in 2026.
12. Katin Houser, QB, Illinois (from East Carolina)
Transfer ranking: QB 20, 193 overall
Houser moved on from Michigan State after the Mel Tucker saga. He thought he was the starting QB heading into 2024, but went to East Carolina when the House of Tucker fell.
Houser had some interception issues in 2024 (11 in 245 attempts), but he turned into a star last year. He threw for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 408 pass attempts.
We saw what Bret Bielema did with Luke Altmyer in Champaign. Houser had a similar pedigree, coming out of the famed St. John Bosco High School in Anaheim. We should see similar growth to Altmyer out of Houser in 2026.
11. Alonza Barnett III, QB, Central Florida (from James Madison)
Transfer ranking: QB 47, 699 overall
This ranking makes no sense to me. Barnett is already an accomplished quarterback. He threw for 5,404 yards, 49 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions in two years starting at James Madison. He also ran for 1,031 yards and 22 more touchdowns.
Barnett threw for 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the CFP against Oregon. He can play against good competition.
Barnett, despite this low ranking, is likely the most talented quarterback that Scott Frost has had at his disposal. Barnett is a veteran who makes good decisions and is one of the better running quarterbacks out there. UCF almost feels like a lateral move for Barnett, but he can succeed in this offense.
10. Mylan Graham, WR, Notre Dame (from Ohio State)
Transfer ranking: WR 43, 166 overall
Graham didn't see the field much (six receptions for 93 yards) as a freshman at Ohio State thanks to the loaded receiver room. He will also have to work his way up at Notre Dame with both Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse returning to South Bend.
A lot of targets will be open with Malachi Fields (36 receptions), Eli Raridon (32 receptions), and Will Pauling (26 receptions) gone. Graham was highly regarded coming out of New Haven, Ind.
He showed great hands in high school and is already a polished route runner. He'll have every chance to succeed in this system. The offense will have to evolve without Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in 2026.
9. Walker Eget, QB, Duke (from San Jose State)
Transfer ranking: QB 61, 1,066 overall
Here’s the Sail concept again from San Jose St.
Walker Eget has a cannon! He made two of the most impressive throws I’ve seen all year the other night. This is one of them. pic.twitter.com/X9bZGyjNo4
— Talk N Shoot (@ChalkLast0712) October 14, 2025
Eget is ranked so low on the transfer list because he makes Peyton Manning look mobile. What I see is what Duke saw. Eget was leading FBS in passing yards and attempts when he got hurt in Week 12 against San Diego State and missed the rest of the season.
Eget threw 721 passes in 19 starts for the Spartans, piling up 5,555 yards and 30 touchdowns. The problem is the interceptions. He had 19 of them. So, why am I so high on Eget?
There once was a guy named Darian Mensah. Duke pulled an armored car up to his apartment and dumped a pile of cash to get him to come to Durham.
Duke let Mensah throw until his arm fell off. Eget attempted at least 40 passes in nine of those 19 starts and topped 50 attempts in three of them. Mensah threw 500 times last year. This is a very pass-heavy offense, and Eget is the perfect fit to run it.
8. Shazz Preston, WR, Indiana (from Tulane)
Transfer ranking: WR 89, 491 overall
Indiana has to rebuild the offense with Fernando Mendoza, Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, Omar Cooper Jr., and Elijah Sarratt all bound for Sunday football.
Josh Hoover is the big-name quarterback. Nick Marsh from Michigan State was the big get at receiver. Lost in all of that shuffle is Preston. Preston caught 43 passes for 723 yards at Tulane last year, a run-dominated offense.
Indiana sustained three good receivers last year in Cooper, Sarratt, and Charlie Becker. Becker is the only holdover. The Hoosiers succeeded last year because of great depth at RB and WR.
Preston will be a big part of that, and could be almost as good as Marsh if Hoover throws as much as he did at TCU.
7. Danny Scudero, WR, Colorado (from San Jose State)
Transfer ranking: WR 55, 261 overall
Another incredible get for Colorado. Brennan Marion and Coach Prime go out and get Danny Scudero.
1,291 receiving yards, 10TDs, 14.7 YPC this season at SJSU.
Also had 650+ receiving yards in ’24 at Sac St.
Kam Perry & Danny Scudero in go-go offense.
pic.twitter.com/vwdUM2jY17— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 4, 2026
Scudero was elite for San Jose State before Walker Eget got hurt last season. He ended the 2025 campaign with 88 receptions for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns. He didn't have a problem making the jump from Sacramento State to SJSU. I don't think he'll have issues at Colorado, either.
The Buffaloes were a mess last year. Their portal acquisitions didn't pan out. Isaac Wilson was brought in to compete with Julian Lewis for the QB job.
Omarion Miller transferred to Arizona State, but Colorado reloaded with DeAndre Moore Jr. from Texas, Scudero, and another former Sacramento State product, Ernest Campbell. If Colorado's line can keep the QB upright, Scudero could have another big season.
6. Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia (from Jacksonville State)
Transfer ranking: RB 24, 305 overall
Cam Cook was one of my favorite RBs in America this season.
Battled some nagging stuff at TCU transferred to Jax State to develop & got better vertically.
Became leading rusher in FBS this season. 1,659 rushing yards, 16TDs, 5.6 YPC. RB1 at WVU. Baller.
pic.twitter.com/cfsEYVJqTb— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 6, 2026
Cook led FBS in rushing last season with 1,659 yards. He also scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Cook follows his coach to the mountains of West Virginia. Cook isn't a burner like Steve Slaton was for Rich Rod and WVU, but he's not slow, either.
Cook had 295 carries last season after 135 combined in his first two seasons. He can carry a load, but with Hawkins in the same backfield with him, both will be constant running threats.
The Mountaineers will likely be the most improved team in college football this year. They have built an offense that is going to be one of Rich Rod's best.
5. Anthony Colandrea, QB, Nebraska (from UNLV)
Transfer ranking: QB 23, 255 overall
Can’t catch speed 💨
📺: MWN pic.twitter.com/iIMgypooS5
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) August 23, 2025
Colandrea is going to be fairly well-known to anyone who follows college football beyond the power conferences. Colandrea began his career at a power school (Virginia), starting 18 games for the Wahoos over two seasons.
He transferred to UNLV last year and took off in Dan Mullen's offense. Colandrea threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 649 yards and 10 more touchdowns.
The reason I value Colandrea higher than most portal rankers is that he is a perfect fit in the Nebraska offense. This offense works better with a running quarterback.
Dylan Raiola is a lot of things, but he is not a great runner. Colandrea will add an element to this offense that was missing for much of the last two years.
Colandrea's arm is underrated, and he's elusive in the open field. He just needs to cut down on the turnovers (29 interceptions in three years as a starter).
4. Cam Edwards, RB, Michigan State (from Connecticut)
Transfer ranking: RB 59, 687 overall
Edwards ran for 2,690 yards and 27 touchdowns in three seasons at Connecticut. Some think he was the product of a system, but he still ran for over 100 yards on Army last year. Not every back does that. UConn was a pass-heavy team last year, and Edwards still ran for 1,240 yards.
Michigan State revamped its offense, with Aidan Chiles being shown the door in favor of Alessio Milivojevic. Makhi Frazier and Elijah Tau-Tolliver combined for nearly 1,000 rushing yards last year, and both are gone.
The backfield is in the hands of the veteran Edwards and Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson. Patterson is more of a fail-safe option in case Edwards can't hack it at a power school. The job is Edwards' to lose.
3. Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Louisville (from Ohio State)
Transfer ranking: QB 18, 163 overall
Kienholz was closer to beating out Julian Sayin in 2025 than most will admit. He was the 18th overall quarterback coming out of Pierre, S.D., in 2023. We all know how good Sayin is. That Kienholz pushed Sayin into early August before losing the job says something.
Kienholz is everything coach Jeff Brohm wants. He is everything that Miller Moss was not. I never understood that fit since Moss was a square peg in that offense.
Kienholz is going to be closer to what Tyler Shough was at Louisville. Brohm turned Shough from a castoff at Oregon and Texas Tech into an NFL quarterback.
By every measure, Kienholz is by far the most talented QB Brohm has had at Louisville. If everything goes right, Kienholz could be the steal of the portal.
2. Devin McCuin, WR, Ohio State (from UTSA)
Transfer ranking: WR 97, 533 overall
First career TD for Devin McCuin and it's a 7️⃣2️⃣-yarder! 😲#210TriangleOfToughness#LetsGo210 | #BirdsUp 🤙 pic.twitter.com/T5Lqxp6NPp
— UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) September 16, 2023
Carnell Tate is off to the NFL, and Mylan Graham hit the transfer portal (and is also in these rankings). McCuin had 1,696 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in parts of three seasons with the Roadrunners.
He had some injury problems and was stuck behind some good receivers his freshman year. McCuin had his best season last year for UTSA, catching 65 passes for 726 yards and eight touchdowns.
Ohio State's offense is loaded, and Jeremiah Smith will still be the focal point. However, there was more than enough to go around to Tate and Brandon Inniss last year.
McCuin will take over Tate's slot position. He's very fast (McCuin ran a 11.05 100-yard dash in high school) and has good hands. With a quarterback like Julian Sayin, the sky is the limit.
1. Turbo Richard, RB, Indiana (from Boston College)
Transfer ranking: RB 13, 192 overall
Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black both ran for over 1,000 yards last year. Both are off to the NFL. Khobie Martin (505 yards, six TDs) and Lee Beebe Jr. (209 yards, TD) are holdovers in the backfield, but Richard is likely the most talented of the trio.
Richard ran for 749 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year as a starter for Boston College last season. Richard was a bright spot on a lackluster offense last season. He has a chance to be a star in Bloomington.
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