The transfer portal forever changed college football. While transfers existed long before the portal officially opened in October 2018, the new system made the process much easier for players, who previously had to sit out a year before regaining eligibility at their new school. Now, additional rule changes to the portal allows for players to transfer without losing a year of eligibility, making it simpler and more appealing to switch programs.
Thousands of college football players have entered the transfer portal each year since its existence, but a majority do not make much of an impact elsewhere. However, there are still plenty of instances in which transfers are successful at their next destination.
Five of the past seven Heisman Trophy winners began their college career elsewhere. That group includes most recent recipients Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. Other impact transfers since the start of the portal era changed the trajectory of their program.
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Below is a closer look at the 10 most impactful college football transfers since the start of the portal era in 2018:
10. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (2023-present)
Sure, Colorado only won four games last season, but it certainly wasn’t due to poor quarterback play from Shedeur Sanders. In fact, if it were not for the son of head coach Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes likely would have fared much worse. The younger Sanders ranked eighth nationally with a 69.3% completion rate and his three interceptions tied for the fewest among all FBS quarterbacks with at least 400 pass attempts. Sanders threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns. He did all that despite having one of the worst offensive lines in front of him as the Buffaloes gave up 56 sacks, second-most among all FBS teams.
9. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama (2021)
Jameson Williams is one of only two non-quarterbacks on this list of most-impactful transfers during the portal era. The former Alabama wideout had a breakout campaign in 2021 after transferring in from an overcrowded receiver room at Ohio State. Filling the void left by the departing Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith was not an easy task, but he led the Crimson Tide with 1,572 yards receiving with 15 touchdowns — not including two kick returns for scores. Alabama could have repeated as national champions if Williams did not suffer a torn ACL in the second quarter of the title game.
8. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State (2021)
Michigan State had just one winning season during the Mel Tucker era. And the Spartans likely have Kenneth Walker III to blame for that massive $95 million contract extension that did not pan out well. The unanimous All-American running back and Doak Walker Award winner finished second nationally with 1,636 yards rushing with an impressive 6.22 yards per attempt. Walker scored 18 touchdowns on the ground to help Michigan State reach a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time in six seasons. He flashed during his two seasons at Wake Forest, but reached a new level upon his arrival to East Lansing.
7. Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma (2019)
Technically Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma before the official start of the transfer portal era, but the former Alabama quarterback produced a remarkable season during his lone year with the Sooners. Perhaps his success is more of a testament to quarterback guru Lincoln Riley, but Hurts still turned around his game, which has ultimately led to his impressive performance in the NFL. Hurts finished second in the 2019 Heisman Trophy voting behind only Joe Burrow, who knocked out Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff that year. Hurts completed 69.7% of his passes for 3,851 yards while also rushing for 1,298 yards. He was responsible for 52 total touchdowns.
6. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee (2021-2022)
Hendon Hooker was a key factor behind Tennessee climbing all the way to No. 1 in the country during the 2022 season. The former Virginia Tech quarterback spent two years with the Volunteers, developing into arguably one of the top quarterbacks in the country before a season-ending injury in November derailed a Heisman Trophy-caliber campaign. Hooker completed 68.9% of his passes in 24 games played at Tennessee. He totaled 6,080 yards and 58 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Hooker was unable to finish out the 2022 season, but Tennessee still reached a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time in 18 years while also snapping a 15-game losing streak to rival Alabama.
5. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington (2022-23)
Michael Penix Jr. won 25 of 28 games played at Washington. After reuniting with Kalen DeBoer, Penix helped lead the Huskies back to the College Football Playoff with a runner-up finish in 2023. The former Indiana quarterback struggled with injuries throughout his time in Bloomington, but remained healthy enough to put up big numbers in the Washington offense. Penix led the nation in passing yards (4,903) and attempts (555) last season. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, which is the highest ever for a player from Washington.
4. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (2022-23)
Jayden Daniels came a long way since leaving Arizona State where former teammates mocked his departure. In just two seasons at LSU, Daniels developed into a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. His talents on offense were a major reason behind the Tigers posting back-to-back double-digit win seasons to start the new era under head coach Brian Kelly. Daniels broke numerous NCAA and LSU records, including the highest single-season passer rating (208.0). He is the only player in FBS history with 12,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing in a career. Safe to say Daniels made the most of his transfer move.
3. Caleb Williams, QB, USC (2022-23)
Caleb Williams accomplished almost everything but win a conference title and help USC earn a spot in the College Football Playoff during his two years in Los Angeles. After following Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to the West Coast, Williams immediately became the best quarterback in the country, putting up monster numbers during his Heisman Trophy season in 2022. His scrambling mobility is almost indescribable, however, he finished with 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions during his time with the Trojans. Williams added another 21 rushing touchdowns, too. It is no surprise why he was the No. 1 overall pick to the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft.
2. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State (2019-2020)
The arrival of Justin Fields likely saved Ohio State from what could have been one or two potentially disastrous seasons. The transfer quarterback from Georgia won the starting job over Tate Martell, a touted prospect that never quite panned out in college. Fields posted a 20-2 record with the Buckeyes with the only two losses coming in the College Football Playoff — Clemson (2019) and Alabama (2020). Fields completed 68.4% of his passes in two seasons at Ohio State. He totaled 5,373 yards passing with 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but also added 867 yards rushing with 15 additional scores.
1. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU (2018-19)
Joe Burrow also made his transfer move prior to the official start of the portal era in 2019, but led a record-setting LSU offense to an undefeated national championship run that season. His performance is certainly worthy of being the most impactful transfer — perhaps of all-time. Burrow left Ohio State ahead of the 2018 season when he earned the starting job at LSU. Despite posting underwhelming numbers that year, he still managed to help the Tigers to a 10-win season. In 2019, everything seemed to come together for Burrow and the LSU offense. He led the nation with 5,671 yards passing with 60 touchdowns and a 76.3% completion rate en route to winning the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin in the history of the award.
