College football transfer portal tracker: Alex Orji goes from Michigan to UNLV
2025-01-12
Category: sports

Transfer season is in full swing in college football once again. The portal officially opened Monday, Dec. 9 and closed Saturday, Dec. 28. Players on teams in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and later bowl games were allowed to enter an additional five-day transfer portal window in January after their season ended. Let's take a look at the players who are testing the waters and transferring. Michigan QB Alex Orji to UNLV Orji has committed Dan Mullen and UNLV following his departure from Michigan, per his Instagram. The dual-threat quarterback played in 20 games with three starts for the Wolverines, who will welcome five-star recruit Bryce Underwood into the fold. Orji threw for just 150 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, but he helped Michigan on the ground with 269 yards rushing and another score. He'll compete with fellow transfer QB Anthony Colandrea, who came in from Virginia. Orji has two years of remaining eligibility. Georgia QB Carson Beck to Miami (FL) Rather than enter the 2025 NFL Draft, Beck went into the transfer portal and landed with Miami. The senior quarterback suffered a season-ending elbow injury in Georgia's SEC Championship Game victory over Texas. Georgia later lost to Notre Dame in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. Beck, who was Georgia's primary quarterback the past two seasons (2023-24), averaged 3,713 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 156.2 passer rating per season, while completing 68.4% of his passes. He's in line to replace Cam Ward, who set Miami single-season records in yards (4,313), completions (305) and touchdown passes (39). Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke to SMU Van Dyke is off to SMU, according to ESPN. Van Dyke only appeared in three games for Wisconsin this season, tearing his ACL in Week 3. The Badgers went 5-7. Van Dyke transferred to Wisconsin last offseason after spending the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Miami, leading the ACC in completion percentage in 2023 (65.8%) and throwing for 25 touchdowns in 2021. The senior signal-caller joins a Mustangs program that went 11-2 this season before losing to Penn State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Their starting quarterback, Kevin Jennings , is expected to return. Tulane RB Makhi Hughes to Oregon Soon after starting running back Jordan James declared for the NFL Draft, the Ducks gained his potential replacement. Hughes announced he'd be transferring to Oregon after rushing for 1,401 yards at Tulane in 2024, which ranked in the top 10 in FBS this season. Hughes' younger brother, five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, is a member of Oregon's 2025 recruiting class.&nbsp; Florida State WR Malik Benson to Oregon Benson is headed to his fourth different school for the 2025 season. On Jan. 7, the one-time No. 1 junior college prospect announced his commitment to Oregon. The wide receiver started his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College, then moved on to Alabama, where he caught 13 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown in 2023. Benson transferred to Florida State for the 2024 season, a down year for the Seminoles. He was the team's third-leading receiver with 25 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown. Benson has an extra year of eligibility due to a waiver for former JUCO players. South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski to Iowa After an official visit to the Iowa campus on Jan. 3, Gronowski has committed to join the Hawkeyes next season, ESPN reported on Jan. 7 and Gronkoswki later confirmed on social media. The Jackrabbits QB finished the season with 2,719 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 380 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs. Gronowski was named the FCS Championship Game MVP in two straight years, following the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He also won the 2023 Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top offensive player in FCS. USC WR Zachariah Branch and S Zion Branch to Georgia&nbsp; Georgia landed two of the top players in the portal in brothers Zachariah and Zion Branch out of USC. Zacharia was a five-star recruit out of the brothers’ hometown of Las Vegas and made 78 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns over his first two seasons at USC. He struggled with drops and never emerged as the elite wideout many expected in USC coach Lincoln Riley’s offense.&nbsp; Zion, a safety, has struggled with injuries since signing with the Trojans in 2022. He made a combined 41 tackles over the past two seasons after missing the entire 2022 campaign with a lower-body injury. Michigan WR Tyler Morris to Indiana The Wolverines' leading wideout in 2024 is staying in the Big Ten. On Jan. 4, Morris announced his commitment to Indiana. He paced all Michigan receivers with 23 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns, though he ranked behind tight end Colston Loveland in each category. Those aren't big numbers, but Michigan averaged just 133.6 yards per game (No. 130 in the nation) as it struggled to find a QB to replace McCarthy, Morris' high school teammate. He has one year of eligibility remaining. &nbsp; Clemson DL Tré Williams to Michigan&nbsp; Williams had a notable tenure at Clemson, and his transfer marks a significant addition to Michigan's roster. The 6-foot-2, 315-pounder has one year of eligibility remaining. He totaled 42 tackles, 10 tackles for loss , 4.0 sacks, three fumble recoveries and two pass breakups in his time with the Tigers. North Carolina State WR Kevin Concepcion to Texas A&amp;M The Aggies added another talented wide receiver through the portal soon after they brought in Mario Craver from Mississippi State and Micah Hudson from Texas Tech. Concepcion announced his decision to transfer from NC State to Texas A&amp;M on Dec. 29. Concepcion won ACC Rookie of the Year and was named a freshman All-American in 2023. Ole Miss S Louis Moore to Louisville Moore is leaving Oxford for Louisville, according to multiple reports. The Cardinals will be Moore's third collegiate team, as he played for Indiana from 2022-23 before transferring to Ole Miss. This season, Moore totaled 33 combined tackles and one fumble recovery. Last season, he reeled in three interceptions. Moore joins a Louisville team that's 8-4 and plays Washington in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve. Wisconsin CB Xavier Lucas Lucas, a standout freshman cornerback for the Badgers, is attempting to enter the portal but is claiming that the school is refusing to release him despite meeting all the requirements. This is the latest development in an ongoing saga for Wisconsin, which has had 20-plus players leave the program this offseason. Kentucky WR Dane Key to Nebraska Key will join newly-acquired quarterback Dylan Raiola for 2025 and is projected to be the top target, ESPN reported on Dec. 24. Key posted 47 catches for 715 yards and two touchdowns as a junior. Cal QB Fernando Mendoza to Indiana Indiana has its Kurtis Rourke replacement, securing the commitment of former Cal QB Fernando Mendoza on Christmas Eve, ESPN reported. Mendoza, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, had a strong sophomore season for a .500 Cal team. He threw for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Mendoza was viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal as a result of his play in 2024. Rice OT Ethan Onianwa to Ohio State Just days after its first-round CFP win, Ohio State picked up another major victory in the transfer portal. Ethan Onianwa, widely regarded as one of the sport's top offensive tackles, committed to Ohio State. Onianwa was viewed by some scouts as a potential second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, per FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman. Instead, he'll join an Ohio State squad that is expected to lose a couple of standouts on its offensive line in the draft this offseason. Penn State QB Beau Pribula to Missouri Former Nittany Lions backup QB Beau Pribula confirmed on Instagram earlier reports that he would transfer to Missouri. He'll be in line to replace three-year starter Brady Cook, the Tigers' outgoing senior signal-caller. Less than a week before Penn State's first playoff game, it discovered it would be without Pribula, who entered the portal on Dec. 15, saying he had to enter at the time he did due to the brevity of the window. Pribula had 35 passing attempts and 38 rushes this season, along with nine total touchdowns. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea to UNLV Colandrea posted on Instagram that he is committed to UNLV, weeks after he announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. The sophomore started the first 11 games of the season for Virginia before being benched in its regular-season finale with bowl eligibility on the line. Colandrea joins new UNLV coach Dan Mullen, who worked with quarterbacks like Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott at previous stops. Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton Jr. to Auburn Top transfer portal target Singleton, who led Georgia Tech in receiving each of the past two seasons, is on his way to Auburn, the school announced. Singleton was rated as the No. 3 player in the portal and the top receiver by 247Sports. He had 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns last season. That followed a freshman year when he produced 714 yards and six scores on 48 catches. Washington State QB John Mateer to Oklahoma Mateer announced on social media that he's transferring to Oklahoma, where he'll reunite with Ben Arbuckle. OU hired Arbuckle, the former Washington State offensive coordinator, for the same role. Mateer will take over for Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn. Washington State coach Jake Dickert spoke highly of Mateer, saying he thinks "he's going to be the best player in the country next year." Mateer became the starter this season after the Cougars' previous QB, Cam Ward, transferred to Miami. The redshirt sophomore threw for 3,139 yards and finished in the top 10 in the country in touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (164.09). He also ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.&nbsp; USC WR Duce Robinson to Florida State Robinson, a sophomore receiver who also played on USC's baseball team, is headed to Florida State, per ESPN. The Seminoles finished 2-10 this season, but have since hired Gus Malzahn as their new OC and brought in quarterback Thomas Castellanos through the portal. Robinson was 247Sports' highest-rated tight end in the class of 2023 and the highest-rated recruit from his home state of Arizona. He hauled in 23 passes for 396 yards and five touchdowns this season for the Trojans. The 6-foot-6 Robinson has two years of eligibility remaining.&nbsp; Duke QB Maalik Murphy to Oregon State The former four-star QB recruit spent the 2024 season at Duke, which he transferred to after one season at Texas, where Murphy was behind starter Quinn Ewers and potentially Arch Manning moving forward. Murphy totaled 2,933 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 133.5 passer rating, while completing 60.3% of his passes. The Blue Devils went 9-3 this season with Murphy, who joins a Beavers program that went 5-7 in their first season under head coach Trent Bray. Liberty QB Kaidon Salter to Colorado&nbsp; The Buffs should have an interesting quarterback competition to replace Shedeur Sanders in 2025. They have reportedly landed Salter, who previously played at Liberty and was one of the best non-power conference QBs over the last couple of seasons. He has thrown for 5,887 yards and 56 touchdowns to go with 2,013 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns over his college career. Salter won the 2023 Conference USA MVP when he led Liberty to the Fiesta Bowl. Salter's commitment comes just a few weeks after Class of 2025 four-star quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis committed to Colorado, likely pitting the two against one another for the starting job in Boulder next season.&nbsp; Alabama QB Dylan Lonergan to Boston College Lonergan, a former four-star recruit, has committed to Boston College after two seasons at Alabama, ESPN reported on Dec. 17. Lonergan was originally recruited to Alabama by BC head coach Bill O’Brien, the former Tide offensive coordinator. Lonergan appeared in just three games for the Crimson Tide, throwing a combined eight passes. He was a Top 100 recruit in 2023. Holy Cross OL Christo Kelly to North Carolina Bill Belichick has landed his first commitment out of the transfer portal since taking the job at UNC, as Kelly has announced his intent to play for the NFL legend. Kelly, a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder, has been Holy Cross' starting center for the last two seasons. He was named to the All-Patriot League first team last season. Late last week, Belichick got a major win when four-star QB Bryce Baker announced that he would stick with his commitment to UNC. Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis to Colorado&nbsp; Days after Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, Colorado coach Deion Sanders scored another win when the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Oatis committed to the Buffs, as he told ESPN. The defensive tackle played extensively in his first two years at Alabama but decided to transfer earlier this season when his playing time decreased. In 29 games for the Crimson Tide, Oatis totaled 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and five passes defended. Stanford QB Ashton Daniels to Auburn Daniels, who started nine games this season for Stanford, confirmed to On3 that he is transferring to Auburn. In 11 appearances this season, he threw for 1,700 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Daniels also led the Cardinal in rushing with 148 carries for 669 yards and added three touchdowns on the ground. The junior has one year of eligibility left, with a redshirt available as well. The Tigers also landed Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold in this cycle.&nbsp; Western Kentucky QB TJ Finley to Tulane&nbsp; Finley will be playing his sixth season at Tulane, according to On3. He previously played for LSU, Auburn and Texas State. Finley was named the WKU starter earlier this season, but he was sidelined with a leg injury in early September and never regained his spot. In three games, he threw for 490 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Tulane lost starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke.&nbsp; Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson to Texas A&amp;M Hudson, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1, is headed for Texas A&amp;M, he told On3. Hudson was the 25th-ranked overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class but had an underwhelming freshman season. He has three seasons of eligibility left.&nbsp; Georgia CB Julian Humphrey to Texas A&amp;M Humphrey, a third-year sophomore, is staying in the SEC. On Dec. 15, he committed to Texas A&amp;M. The Houston native originally announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1, before Georgia played in the SEC Championship Game. Humphrey was one of the Bulldogs' starters for the first 10 games of the season before being benched. Michigan RB Cole Cabana to Minnesota Cabana, a sophomore running back from Dexter, Michigan, announced his commitment to Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 15. The former four-star recruit has struggled with injuries and playing time in his two seasons with Michigan. Cabana finished his Michigan career with just two carries for 6 yards, both of which came in 2023. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining. USC QB Miller Moss to Louisville Moss is transferring to Louisville, according to ESPN. The junior signal-caller started USC's first nine games this season before being benched. Across said games, Moss totaled 2,555 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 135.1 passer rating, while completing 64.4% of his passes. Moss joins a Louisville team that's 8-4 this season. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold to Auburn Arnold is off to Auburn, according to ESPN. Last season, Arnold made 10 starts, totaling 1,421 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and a 124.8 passer rating, while completing 62.6% of his passes. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers are coming off a 5-7 season. Boise State QB Malachi Nelson to UTEP After spending this past season at Boise State and the 2023 season with USC, Nelson is now transferring to UTEP. Nelson threw just 17 passes this season with the Broncos, who were the No. 3 seed in the CFP. The former five-star recruit has three years of eligibility remaining. Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos to Florida State Castellanos, who announced his intention to hit the transfer portal on Nov. 14, has found a new home. He officially signed with FSU on Dec 13. Castellanos was Boston College's starter this year until he lost his job to Grayson James with three games left in the season. The 5-foot-9 Georgia native started 20 games for the Eagles over the past two seasons, throwing for 3,614 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,307 yards and 15 scores. FSU went 2-10 and struggled with injuries and poor play at quarterback this season. The Seminoles hired Gus Malzahn, Castellanos' one-time coach at UCF, as their new OC. Texas A&amp;M QB Conner Weigman to Houston Weigman, a highly touted recruit in the Class of 2022, announced his commitment to Houston on Dec. 11. Weigman began the season as the Aggies' starter, but injuries and inconsistent play led to Marcel Reed taking over at QB. The redshirt sophomore went 9-4 in two seasons at Texas A&amp;M, including a 4-1 record this year. In six total games in 2024, he threw for 819 yards and three scores, while also tossing five interceptions. Houston went 4-8 in 2024 and started Donovan Smith and Zeon Chriss at quarterback. Tulane QB Darian Mensah to Duke Tulane's emerging star signal-caller is off to Duke, according to ESPN. In what was the redshirt freshman's first season under center, Mensah led the Green Wave to a 9-3 record and an AAC Championship Game berth. Mensah totaled 2,723 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 166.7 passer rating this season, while completing 65.9% of his passes. Mensah's passer rating and completion percentage led the AAC. He replaces outgoing quarterback Maalik Murphy, who has guided Duke to a 9-3 mark this season. Ohio State QB Devin Brown Brown announced his intention to enter the transfer portal in a social media post on Dec. 8, saying he intends to stay with the Buckeyes through the CFP. Brown lost a close QB competition to Kyle McCord in 2023 and was relegated to a back seat again when the Buckeyes brought in Kansas State transfer Will Howard for 2024. For 2025, Ohio State has a crowded quarterback room that includes Julian Sayin, who was the top-rated recruit nationally in the 2024 class. Iowa QB Cade McNamara McNamara is on the move again, announcing that he plans to enter the transfer portal when it officially opens. This will mark the second time that McNamara has entered the portal. He transferred to Iowa from Michigan following the 2022 season. Iowa hoped McNamara would elevate its offense, but he tore his ACL five games into the 2023 season. He struggled in 2024, throwing for just 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games. He missed the team's final four games of the season. McNamara previously helped Michigan win the Big Ten in 2021 before losing the starting job to J.J. McCarthy the following year.&nbsp; FIU WR Eric Rivers to Georgia Tech Rivers, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1, signed with Georgia Tech, per multiple reports. Rivers was statistically one of the best wide receivers in the country in 2024, finishing fourth in receiving yards (1,172) and receiving touchdowns (12). [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]