Transfer Portal: Top 25 Best Available College Football Players

The NCAA transfer portal continues to churn, and that means the list of the top 10 players available continues to update as players make their commitments.

Texas A&M star Walter Nolen continues to headline the portal and will likely do so until he makes his decision. He has taken one visit already and has others lined up.

In the meantime, though, what other players are joining him as the most talented players in the transfer portal? Let’s take a look at the top 25 below.

1. Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle, Texas A&M

After entering the NCAA transfer portal, Nolen quickly visited Oregon and had a strong visit there. He also plans to visit Ole Miss in the near future, while other suitors continue to jockey for positioning, hoping for a similar visit.

Nolen started 10 games across two seasons for the Aggies, proving to be a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. He logged 66 tackles, 11.0 tackles for a loss, 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

2. Cam Ward, Quarterback, Washington State

This is the second time around that Ward is hitting the transfer market, after going from Incarnate Word to Washington State. Like last time, Ward is likely to significantly upgrade his prospects after showing what he can do at the Power Five level. Already interest from Ohio State seems to be picking up.

Ward has thrown for more than 3,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, while he has topped 20 touchdowns in each of the last four seasons. He’s one of the most prolific career passers in the country, tallying 13,874 yards pasing and 119 touchdowns. He’s also run for 16 scores.

3. Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Florida

Umanmielen spent four years with the Gators, appearing in 45 games and making 24 starts in the process. His breakout year came in 2023, leading Florida in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hurries, earning himself All-SEC Second Team honors and a spot on the USA Today Sports Network All-SEC Team. He has received some early interest from Oklahoma and Ole Miss.

In his 12 starts this season Umanmielen notched a career-highs in tackles-for-loss with 11.5, seven sacks, 17 quarterback hurries, and a career-high in tying 39 tackles. Umanmielen was the Gators’ highest-graded defensive player this season according to Pro Football Focus, ending his Florida career with 98 total tackles, 15 sacks, 24.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

4. Dante Moore, Quarterback, UCLA

The former five-star prospect played right away for UCLA this year but didn’t hold the starting job throughout the season, as UCLA split snaps between Moore, Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee. Moore showed some real talent but still had some polishing to do.

The UCLA freshman threw for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he did so while also throwing nine interceptions. Going forward, Moore will need to cut down on the turnovers, but whoever lands him will be getting a real raw talent.

5. Will Howard, Quarterback, Kansas State

One of the most talented quarterbacks to hit the market this offseason, Howard showed what he could do for a contending Kansas State team. He was a major reason why the Wildcats won eight games this season.

In four seasons with the Wildcats, Howard completed 59% of his passes while throwing for close to 5,800 yards and 48 touchdowns. He served as a part-time starter in 2022 and took over as the Wildcats’ QB1 in 2023, leading them to an 8-4 record.

6. Trevor Etienne, Running Back, Florida

Last week Etienne broke the hearts of Gators faithful everywhere when he decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. One of the more electrifying players in the SEC, Etienne had endeared himself to Florida fans, but now will be moving on with his collegiate career. Worse for Florida fans, Georgia is emerging as one of the early favorites to land him.

Etienne saw his production increase slightly in 2022, rushing for 753 yards — second only to Montrell Johnson — and a team-high eight touchdowns as a sophomore. He also got more involved in the passing game, hauling in 21 receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown in the air.

7. Kamari Ramsey, Safety, UCLA

After UCLA lost their defensive coordinator to their crosstown rival, they lost one of their star players, as well. The Bruins saw safety Kamari Ramsey leave for the NCAA transfer portal, and he’ll be looking for a fresh start in 2024. Ohio State and Washington have already emerged as potential interests.

Over the last two seasons, the now-former Bruins defensive back amassed 45 total tackles, 4 passes defensed and one interception. He flashed his innate ability, and will be looking to continue doing that wherever he ends up.

8. Trey Moore, EDGE, UTSA

In his second season as a major contributor, Moore emerged as an even bigger threat off the edge, a constant thorn in the side of opposing quarterbacks. His numbers alone will get him a look from just about every major program in the country. Already Ohio State and Texas are shaping up as two lead contenders for his services.

Moore finished the 2023 campaign with 45 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, 14.0 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and four pass breakups. In two years he has 35.5 tackles for a loss and 22.0 sacks.

9. Aidan Chiles, Quarterback, Oregon State

During his freshman season at Oregon State, Chiles sat behind DJ Uiagalelei — who also entered the portal after the season — and put up decent numbers in his nine appearances. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns after just missing out on the starting quarterback job and, ultimately, entered the transfer portal.

Chiles also got some work in the running game, totaling three rushing touchdowns. He arrived in Corvallis as a four-star recruit and the No. 160 overall prospect from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

10. Joey Slackman, Defensive Line, Penn

One of the first players into the NCAA transfer portal during this cycle, Slackman immediately began collecting Power Five offers from some major programs upon entry. He’s been one of the most sought-after defensive linemen in the portal, with Florida making a nice impression on a recent visit.

Slackman registered 50 tackles, including 12 behind the line of scrimmage and 4.0 sacks, with one pass breakup this season. His 90.1 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade led all FCS defensive tackles, as did his 92.8 run-defense rating. He posted 18 pressures as a pass rusher, which was tied for 36th among FCS interior defensive linemen.

Top 25 Transfer Portal Prospects, 11-25

11. IOL Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
12. WR Juice Wells, South Carolina
13. S Andrew Mukuba, Clemson
14. EDGE Tyler Baron, Tennessee
15. WR Matthew Golden, Houston
16. CB Nyland Green, Georgia
17. RB Rocket Sanders, Arkansas
18. QB Kyle McCord, Ohio State
19. WR Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
20. TE Justin Joly, UConn
21. DL LT Overton, Texas A&M
22. EDGE Fadil Diggs, Texas A&M
23. EDGE RJ Oben, Duke
24. QB DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
25. TE Jake Johnson, Texas A&M

Be sure to stay tuned to On3 over the coming days, as the transfer portal entrants continue to pile up while others find their new destination. Already there’s been a good deal of shifting, and if you want to stay up to date with the latest moves in the transfer portal there’s no better place than On3.