The NCAA transfer portal has changed the way that head coaches recruit and prepare for the season. This is true for all sports, not just at the collegiate football level.
Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned the 2024-25 College Football Playoff national champions. They were led by quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins. Neither player was on the Ohio State roster the season prior, transferring in from Kansas State and Ole Miss, respectively. The quarterback on the opposite side, Riley Leonard, also transferred from his initial school, leading the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the title game.
Simply put, transfers are helping teams reload for the college football season. No longer do you have to rebuild through one to three recruiting classes; it has become free agency at the collegiate level. As the 2025 college football season approaches, we ranked the 25 players who transferred to new programs and can impact the College Football Playoffs in a major way.
No. 1: John Mateer, Quarterback, Oklahoma Sooners
Looking back at the Oklahoma Sooners, who were 6-7 in 2024, one area that severely lacked was the quarterback play. The team moved on from Seth Littrell as playcaller and brought in Ben Arbuckle to run the offense. Arbuckle is from the Air Raid coaching tree. He served under Zach Kittley at both Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky, now he brings his quarterback John Mateer from Washington State.
Mateer finished the 2024 season, playing in 12 games with a 64.6 completion percentage and 9.0 yards per attempt for the Cougars. Those numbers should only improve with the quality of weapons that will surround him in Norman. The only question will be does his game translate well enough in the SEC? Either he will bring Oklahoma back to the CFP discussion or this will be the nail in the Brent Venables' coffin after finishing under .500 in two of his three seasons in Norman.
No. 2: Nic Anderson, Wide Receiver, LSU Tigers
Speaking of Oklahoma, we turn our sights to a former Sooners wide receiver who opted to join a different SEC program in 2025. Over the years, wideouts down on the Bayou have made waves, from Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. The next two could be a pair of ...
