You know which teams had the top transfer classes in 2023, but how many of those players are making an impact this season?
Given that every team with a top 10 class has a winning record – eight of the 10 are ranked – you’d think many of those transfers hit. And you’d be correct. Even if not every highly-touted transfer take has been an immediate home run, there’s been wide-scale success for the teams who chose to dip into the transfer portal market in 2023.
Let’s examine those top 10 transfer classes at the halfway point of the season to see how many players are starting for each team and how 2023 transfers have helped each team’s depth.
Note: All snap counts came via Pro Football Focus.
NO. 1: COLORADO BUFFALOES
Total 2023 Transfers: 51
2023 Transfer Starters: Offense: 7 | Defense: 9 | Specialists: 2
2023 Transfers who’ve played 100-plus snaps: Offense: 10 | Defense: 16
Colorado is obviously more transfer-reliant than any team in the country. The Buffaloes start 16 transfers and 26 of them have played 100-plus snaps so far. That includes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, all his starting wide receivers, three offensive linemen and 16 of the top 18 snap takers on defense.
Still, there are a lot of Buffaloes from that 51-player transfer class who are playing little to no football. Some of them, like Houston running back transfer Alton McCaskill (a four-star transfer), are coming back slowly from injury. There were also some longer-term developmental plays in the class. But many other experienced transfers are hardly involved. That’s going to be the case when Colorado brings in 72 new players in a single offseason. Some players will just be … depth.
NO. 2: LSU TIGERS
