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Top 10 transfer portal impact players of Week 9

Nakos updated headshotby: Pete Nakos14 hours agoPeteNakos_
college football week 9 transfer portal

In the new era of college football, the transfer portal has become a significant component 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 9:

1. BYU QB Bear Bachmeier

BYU true freshman quarterback and Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier continues to impress. He threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in the win over Iowa State. Bachmeier led the Cougars in rushing with 12 carries for 49 yards. BYU is now 8-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

2. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 15 of 22 for 168 yards, passing for three touchdowns and an interception, all before exiting in the late third quarter. As he exited the game, he was greeted with chants of “Heismendoza” from the student section. His brother, Alberto, rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

3. Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar

Former App State and UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-34 blowout win over Kentucky. Aguilar was 20 of 26 with touchdown passes of 35, 13 and 62 yards. He’s thrown for 2,344 yards this season.

4. Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion

NC State transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion had one of his top performances of the season against LSU. Concepcion had three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, giving the Aggies a lead they never lost.

5. Virginia Tech RB Marcellous Hawkins

Central Missouri transfer Marcellous Hawkins rushed 21 times for 167 yards in a double overtime win over Cal for Virginia Tech. Hawkins averaged eight yards per carry as the Hokies racked up 476 total yards of offense.

6. Auburn LB Xavier Atkins

With Auburn looking for its first SEC win of the season, LSU transfer linebacker Xavier Atkins came up big. The 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker had 13 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the win. His forced fumble in the fourth quarter was one of four total Arkansas turnovers in the game. The performance earned him Co-Defensive Player of the Week in the SEC.

7. Michigan RB Justice Haynes

In his return from injury, Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes proved a boost to the Michigan offense. He carried the ball 26 times for 152 yards in the win over Michigan State, posting two touchdowns. Haynes averaged 5.8 yards per carry in the game, too.

8. Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy

With College Football Playoff implications on the line, Kewan Lacy came up big for Ole Miss. The Missouri transfer running back produced 78 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns in the game. His 696 rushing yards on the season rank fourth in the SEC.

9. Ole Miss EDGE Princewill Umanmielen

Princewill Umanmielen was a one-man wrecking crew for Ole Miss at Oklahoma. The Nebraska transfer EDGE posted six tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the win. Umanmielen partnered with sophomore defensive tackle William Echoles to produce a shared tackle for loss in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter.

10. Auburn CB Rayshawn Pleasant

Tulane transfer cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant stepped in front of an Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green’s pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown with 9:15 to play. After Auburn’s Ashton Daniels ran for a two-point conversion, the Tigers took a 27-24 lead. He finished the game with two interceptions.