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Top 10 transfer portal impact players of Week 4

Nakos updated headshotby: Pete Nakos09/23/25PeteNakos_
college football top impact transfers week 4

In the new age of college football, the transfer portal has become a major piece of roster construction. Throughout the college football season, On3 is breaking down the top 10 transfer portal impact players based on weekly performances. Here are the most impactful transfer portal players from Week 4:

1. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

With No. 9 Illinois in town for a top-20 matchup, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a chance to show why some scouts believe he could be a top quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft. The Cal transfer was a near-perfect 21 of 23 for 267 yards and five touchdowns. With a 91.3% completion percentage, Mendoza and Indiana cruised to a 63-10 blowout win over the Fighting Illini. Indiana now visits Iowa before a showdown at Oregon on Oct. 11.

2. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss

Making his second start for Ole Miss, Trinidad Chambliss impressed as the Rebels cruised to a 45-10 win over Tulane. Chambliss has started to get some Heisman Trophy attention for his performance with Austin Simmons sidelined with an ankle injury. On Saturday, Chambliss was 17 of 27 for 307 yards and two touchdowns to go with 112 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Rebels host No. 4 LSU this weekend; Lane Kiffin has yet to name a starter.

3. Syracuse QB Steve Angeli

Steve Angeli transferred from Notre Dame to Syracuse this offseason in search of a chance to start and play immediately. On Saturday at Clemson, Angeli led the Orange to a 34-21 win that was never close. The quarterback was 18 of 31 for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the win, protecting the football and leading an offense that Clemson’s defense struggled to stop. Angeli exited the game in the third quarter; tests later showed it to be a season-ending Achilles injury. He will take a medical redshirt and retain two years of eligibility remaining.

4. Oklahoma QB John Mateer

It may not have been the best performance of Saturday, but Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer did everything necessary to secure the win over Auburn. The Washington State transfer was 24 of 36 for 271 yards passing with a touchdown and also rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown. The Sooners racked up nine sacks as Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold never looked comfortable.

5. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy

Louisiana Monroe transfer running back Ahmad Hardy has rushed his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation in the first half of the college football season. Hardy has rushed for more than 100 yards in all four games this season. Against South Carolina on Saturday, he carried the ball 22 times for 138 yards for a touchdown as Missouri picked up a 29-20 win. He leads the SEC in rushing yards and ranks second in the nation with 600, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.

6. Michigan RB Justice Haynes

Justice Haynes continues to deliver in big moments for Michigan. The Alabama transfer running back racked up 149 yards on the ground Saturday at Nebraska, highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown run late in the second half. He now has four rushing touchdowns of more than 50 yards on the season. He leads the Big Ten in rushing yards and ranks No. 3 in the country with 537 yards.

7. USC RB Waymond Jordan

Technically not a typical transfer, former Hutchinson Community College running back and No. 1 JUCO player in the nation last year per On3, Waymond Jordan has made a notable impact on the USC offense this season. He rushed for 147 yards against Michigan State over the weekend and has now rushed for 443 yards on the season, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.

8. Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna III

Arkansas transfer Isaiah Sategna had his best game yet at Oklahoma against Auburn. He pulled in nine catches for 127 yards. His lone touchdown catch of the day came on in the second quarter when Sategna slowly walked toward the OU sideline as if he were checking out of the game. But instead, he lined up for a pass and quarterback John Mateer found him for a 24-yard touchdown. The SEC has since confirmed the trick play by OU was not within the rules. Beyond the touchdown catch, Sategna was a top target for Mateer in the win over Auburn.

9. Syracuse WR Johntay Cook

The former Texas and Washington wide receiver is starting to live up to his potential. A former five-star recruit, the Clemson defense struggled to slow down Johntay Cook on Saturday. The wide receiver had six catches for 113 yards in the win, averaging 18.8 yards per catch.

10. Ole Miss LB Jaden Yates

Marshall transfer Jaden Yates helped lead an Ole Miss defense that held Tulane to the fewest points for the Green Wave in Oxford since 1992 (9) and the fewest overall in the series since 2012 in New Orleans (0). Yates was Ole Miss’s leading tackler with 11 total stops and an assisted tackle for loss, the most total tackles by a Rebel in the last 11 games.

Honorable Mention: Tulsa running back Dominic Richardson carried the ball 31 times for 146 yards as he picked up a win over his former team, Oklahoma State, on Friday night.