Transfer portal breakdown: On3 transfer power rankings after Week 5
Here is our fifth set of rankings of college football’s most impactful transfers. This considers all four-year transfers, not just those who changed teams this offseason.
This is not simply a list of the most talented players out of the transfer portal. Talent and potential certainly are considered. But so is past performance and current production.
First is an overall transfer ranking; following that are position-by-position breakdowns. These rankings fluctuate weekly.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams remains atop the list. And his go-to receiver, Jordan Addison, remains second.
Among the big movers this week:
+ Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr.: Pace was a first-team All-MAC selection last season at Miami (Ohio), then transferred to play with younger brother Deshawn Pace this season. Ivan has been an absolute stud for the Bearcats. He had 10 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in a win over Tulsa this past Saturday. It was his fourth game this season with double-digit tackles, and he leads the nation with 13.5 TFL (he had 13 last season).
+ Utah QB Cameron Rising: Once Rising was inserted into the starting lineup last season, the Utes took off and eventually won the Pac-12. He had a rough start to the season in a loss at Florida, but has played well since. Rising had a huge game in a 42-16 rout of Oregon State this past Saturday. He accounted for four TDs in the win; he threw for 199 yards and three TDs and also led the Utes in rushing with 73 yards and a score. It’s the third game of the season with at least three TD passes for Rising, who transferred from Texas following the 2019 season.
+ Marshall RB Khalan Laborn: Laborn’s career resurrection continued with a 191-yard, two-TD performance in a 28-7 win over FCS Gardner-Webb. Laborn is a former five-star recruit whose career was derailed at Florida State by injuries. He didn’t play last season and transferred to Marshall in the offseason. Saturday’s performance was a career-high and the fifth time this season he has reached the 100-yard mark.
+ Nebraska WR Trey Palmer: The Huskers’ season has been a trying one, but Palmer has been a steady producer. Palmer, who transferred from LSU in the offseason, had eight catches for 157 yards and a TD in a win over Indiana. It was the first 100-yard game of his four-year career and the third time this season he has had at least eight receptions in a game.
+ Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs: He didn’t move into the overall top 25, but his performance against Arkansas was a taste of the kind of play expected from Gibbs after he transferred from Georgia Tech. He had rushed for 172 yards in the Tide’s first four games, then had a career-high 206 on 18 carries (11.4 yards per attempt) against the Hogs; included were TD runs of 72 and 76 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Tide pull away.
On to the rankings.
TOP 25 TRANSFERS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. QB Caleb Williams, USC | Oklahoma (left after 2021 season) |
| 2. WR Jordan Addison, USC | Pitt (2021) |
| 3. QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee | Virginia Tech (2020) |
| 4. RB Chase Brown, Illinois | Western Michigan (2018) |
| 5. QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington | Indiana (2021) |
| 6. WR Charlie Jones, Purdue | Iowa (2021) |
| 7. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan | Virginia (2021) |
| 8. LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas | Alabama (2021) |
| 9. QB Will Levis, Kentucky | Penn State (2020) |
| 10. WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona | UTEP (2021) |
| 11. RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA | Michigan (2020) |
| 12. LB Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama | Tennessee (2020) |
| 13. LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati | Miami of Ohio (2021) |
| 14. QB Cameron Rising, Utah | Texas (2018) |
| 15. LB Eric Gentry, USC | Arizona State (2021) |
| 16. QB Garrett Shrader, Syracuse | Mississippi State (2020) |
| 17. G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida | Louisiana (2021) |
| 18. RB Khalan Laborn, Marshall | Florida State (2021) |
| 19. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State | Albany (2021) |
| 20. QB Tanner Mordecai, SMU | Oklahoma (2020) |
| 21. S Jammie Robinson, Florida State | South Carolina (2020) |
| 22. LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State | Nevada (2021) |
| 23. RB Travis Dye, USC | Oregon (2021) |
| 24. WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska | LSU (2021) |
| 25. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC | Colorado (2021) |
QUARTERBACKS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Caleb Williams, USC | Oklahoma (left after 2021 season) |
| 2. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee | Virginia Tech (2020) |
| 5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington | Indiana (2021) |
| 4. Will Levis, Kentucky | Penn State (2020) |
| 5. Cameron Rising, Utah | Texas (2018) |
| 6. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse | Mississippi State (2020) |
| 7. Tanner Mordecai, SMU | Oklahoma (2020) |
| 8. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland | Alabama (2019) |
| 9. Bo Nix, Oregon | Auburn (2021) |
| 10. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma | UCF (2021) |
| 11. Cameron Ward, Washington State | Incarnate Word (2021) |
| 12. Jayden de Laura, Arizona | Washington State (2021) |
| 13. Adrian Martinez, Kansas State | Nebraska (2021) |
| 14. Jordan Travis, Florida State | Louisville (2018) |
| 15. Jayden Daniels, LSU | Arizona State (2021) |
RUNNING BACKS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Chase Brown, Illinois | Western Michigan (2018) |
| 2. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA | Michigan (2020) |
| 3. Khalan Laborn, Marshall | Florida State (2021) |
| 4. Travis Dye, USC | Oregon (2021) |
| 5. Eric Gray, Oklahoma | Tennessee (2020) |
| 6. Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State | Wyoming (2021) |
| 7. Zach Evans, Ole Miss | TCU (2021) |
| 8. Dae Dae Hunter, Liberty | Hawaii (2021) |
| 9. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama | Georgia Tech (2021) |
| 10. Tavion Thomas, Utah | Cincinnati (2019) |
| 11. Montrell Johnson, Florida | Louisiana (2021) |
| 12. Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving, Oregon | Minnesota (2021) |
| 13. Henry Parrish, Miami | Ole Miss (2021) |
| 14. Aidan Robbins, UNLV | Louisville (2021) |
| 15. Re’Mahn Davis, Vanderbilt | Temple (2020) |
WIDE RECEIVERS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Jordan Addison, USC | Pitt (2021) |
| 2. Charlie Jones, Purdue | Iowa (2021) |
| 3. Jacob Cowing, Arizona | UTEP (2021) |
| 4. Trey Palmer, Nebraska | LSU (2021) |
| 5. Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky | Virginia Tech (2021) |
| 6. Mitchell Tinsley, Penn State | Western Kentucky (2021) |
| 7. Keytaon Thompson, Virginia | Mississippi State (2019) |
| 8. Johnny Wilson, Florida State | Arizona State (2021) |
| 9. Antwane Wells Jr. , South Carolina | James Madison (2021) |
| 10. Ali Jennings, Old Dominion | West Virginia (2020) |
| 11. Grant Dubose, Charlotte | Miles College (2020) |
| 12. Tory Horton, Colorado State | Nevada (2021) |
| 13. Daewood Davis, Western Kentucky | Oregon (2019) |
| 14. Isaiah Winstead, East Carolina | Toledo (2021) |
| 15. Jake Bobo, UCLA | Duke (2021) |
TIGHT ENDS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Dalton Kincaid, Utah | San Diego (2019) |
| 2. George Takacs, Boston College | Notre Dame (2021) |
| 3. Ryan Jones, East Carolina | Oklahoma (2019 – as LB) |
| 4. Tanner McLachlan, Arizona | Southern Utah (2021) |
| 5. Michael Trigg, Ole Miss | USC (2021) |
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan | Virginia (2021) |
| 2. G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida | Louisiana (2021) |
| 3. C Jacob Gall, Baylor | Buffalo (2020) |
| 4. T Raiqwon O’Neal, UCLA | Rutgers (2021) |
| 5. C Mike Novitsky, Kansas | Buffalo (2020) |
| 6. T Quinn Carroll, Minnesota | Notre Dame (2021) |
| 7. T Tyler Steen, Alabama | Vanderbilt (2021) |
| 8. G Marcus Minor, Pitt | Maryland (2020) |
| 9. G Dillan Gibbons, Florida State | Notre Dame (2020) |
| 10. G McKade Mettauer, Oklahoma | California (2021) |
EDGE RUSHERS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Jared Verse, Florida State | Albany (2021) |
| 2. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State | UNLV (2021) |
| 3. Laiatu Latu, UCLA | Washington (2021) |
| 4. Hunter Echols, Arizona | USC (2021) |
| 5. Eku Leota, Auburn | Northwestern (2020) |
| 6. Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska | TCU (2021) |
| 7. Lonnie Phelps, Kansas | Miami of Ohio (2021) |
| 8. Brenton Cox, Florida | Georgia (2018) |
| 9. Grayson Murphy, UCLA | North Texas (2021) |
| 10. Chop Robinson, Penn State | Maryland (2021) |
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Siaki Ika, Baylor | LSU (2020) |
| 2. Mekhi Wingo, LSU | Missouri (2021) |
| 3. Kobie Turner, Wake Forest | Richmond (2021) |
| 4. Cory Durden, NC State | Florida State (2020) |
| 5. Jeffery Johnson, Oklahoma | Tulane (2021) |
| 6. Akheem Mesidor, Miami | West Virginia (2021) |
| 7. Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati | Virginia (2020) |
| 8. Landon Jackson, Arkansas | LSU (2021) |
| 9. JH Tevis, Indiana | California (2021) |
| 10. Kyler Baugh, Minnesota | Houston Baptist (2021) |
LINEBACKERS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. Drew Sanders, Arkansas | Alabama (2021) |
| 2. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama | Tennessee (2020) |
| 3. Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati | Miami of Ohio (2021) |
| 4. Eric Gentry, USC | Arizona State (2021) |
| 5. Daiyan Henley, Washington State | Nevada (2021) |
| 6. Troy Brown, Ole Miss | Central Michigan (2021) |
| 7. Shane Lee, USC | Alabama (2021) |
| 8. Ayinde Eley, Georgia Tech | Maryland (2020) |
| 9. Jacquez Jones, Kentucky | Ole Miss (2020) |
| 10. Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri | Florida (2021) |
| 11. Jackson Sirmon, California | Washington (2021) |
| 12. Tatum Bethune, Florida State | UCF (2021) |
| 13. Colby Reeder, Iowa State | Delaware (2021) |
| 14. Darius Muasau, UCLA | Hawaii (2021) |
| 15. Rich Miller, Kansas | Buffalo (2020) |
DEFENSIVE BACKS
| Player, school | Former school |
| 1. S Jammie Robinson, Florida State | South Carolina (2020) |
| 2. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC | Colorado (2021) |
| 3. CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas | LSU (2021) |
| 4. S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame | Northwestern (2021) |
| 5. CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon | Colorado (2021) |
| 6. NB Tanner McCalister, Ohio State | Oklahoma State (2021) |
| 7. S Greg Brooks Jr., LSU | Arkansas (2021) |
| 8. S Isheem Young, Ole Miss | Iowa State (2021) |
| 9. S Chris Jefferson, Purdue | Findlay (2020) |
| 10. CB Keidron Smith, Kentucky | Ole Miss (2021) |
| 11. S Mark Perry, TCU | Colorado (2021) |
| 12. S Darius Joiner, Duke | Western Illinois (2021) |
| 13. S Jalen Green, Mississippi State | Texas (2020) |
| 14. S Bentlee Sanders, Nevada | USF (2020) |
| 15. CB Jay Shaw, Wisconsin | UCLA (2021) |