Transfer portal breakdown: On3 transfer power rankings after Week 6

On3 imageby:Mike Huguenin10/11/22

MikeHuguenin

Here is our sixth 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.

Among the big movers this week:

+ Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker: He may not have had his gaudiest stats of the season, but, man, he had the Vols’ offense operating at a high level in a 40-13 demolition of LSU. Hooker, who transferred from Virginia Tech after the 2020 season, threw for 239 yards and two TDs and also rushed for 56 yards as Tennessee rolled up 502 yards and 27 first downs. It was the Vols’ fourth game this season with 500 yards and the third time with 40 points. In LSU’s three previous games against Power 5 foes this season, the Tigers had allowed an average of 373.0 yards and 19.0 points.

+ UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet: Charbonnet is in his second season in Chip Kelly’s offense after transferring from Michigan, and his comfort level shows. He ran for a career-high 198 yards and a TD in the Bruins’ win against Utah, showing off his speed as well as his ability between the tackles. It was his fourth 100-yard game in five outings this season. He leads the Pac-12 in rushing at 123.0 yards per game and is averaging 7.1 yards per carry; that per-carry average is No. 2 in the nation among the 84 players with at least 70 carries.

+ USC RB Travis Dye: Dye continues his climb toward the Pac-12’s top 10 list in career rushing. He had a season-high 149 yards and a TD in the Trojans’ win over Washington State. Dye already has four 100-yard games this season; while he is the No. 3 rusher in Oregon history, he never had more than three 100-yard games in a season with the Ducks. That 149-yard performance gives him 571 for the season and 3,682 for his career, putting him 386 yards away from moving into 10th all-time in league history.

+ Texas QB Quinn Ewers: He’s played just nine quarters of football this season after transferring from Ohio State, but a month-long layoff didn’t bother him Saturday in a 49-0 beatdown of Oklahoma. Ewers threw for 289 yards and four TDs against a beleaguered Oklahoma defense. (He is the third quarterback in a row, following Adrian Martinez and Max Duggan, to account for at least four TDs against the Sooners; Duggan and Martinez each had five.) Ewers threw three TD passes in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead, then added another in the third period for a 42-0 lead. He completed 14 of his first 16 passes, and his first two TD tosses were in that span.

+ Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs: OK, this is the Gibbs we thought we’d be seeing all season. He ran for 154 yards on 21 carries against Texas A&M, giving him 360 yards in the past two games; Gibbs, a Georgia Tech transfer, had just 172 yards in the first four games. Gibbs also had three receptions against the Aggies, giving him 22 receptions for 220 yards on the season. For whatever reason, the bulk of Gibbs’ yardage has come with Bryce Young injured. If OC Bill O’Brien can find a way to make Gibbs productive with Young on the field, he will have something.

On to the rankings.

TOP 25 TRANSFERS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. QB Hendon Hooker, TennesseeVirginia Tech (left after 2020 season)
2. QB Caleb Williams, USCOklahoma (2021)
3. RB Chase Brown, IllinoisWestern Michigan (2018)
4. RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLAMichigan (2020)
5. WR Jacob Cowing, ArizonaUTEP (2021)
6. WR Charlie Jones, PurdueIowa (2021)
7. QB Michael Penix Jr., WashingtonIndiana (2021)
8. WR Jordan Addison, USCPitt (2021)
9. QB Will Levis, KentuckyPenn State (2020)
10. QB Quinn Ewers, TexasOhio State (2021)
11. RB Travis Dye, USCOregon (2021)
12. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, AlabamaGeorgia Tech (2021)
13. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, MichiganVirginia (2021)
14. LB Henry To’oTo’o, AlabamaTennessee (2020)
15. LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati             Miami of Ohio (2021)
16. LB Eric Gentry, USCArizona State (2021)
17. G O’Cyrus Torrence, FloridaLouisiana (2021)
18. RB Khalan Laborn, MarshallFlorida State (2021)
19. LB Drew Sanders, ArkansasAlabama (2021)
20. LB Daiyan Henley, Washington StateNevada (2021)
21. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida StateAlbany (2021)
22. QB Bo Nix, OregonAuburn (2021)
23. S Jammie Robinson, Florida StateSouth Carolina (2020)
24. WR Trey Palmer, NebraskaLSU (2021)
25. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USCColorado (2021)

QUARTERBACKS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Hendon Hooker, TennesseeVirginia Tech (2020)
2. Caleb Williams, USCOklahoma (2021)
3. Michael Penix Jr., WashingtonIndiana (2021)
4. Will Levis, KentuckyPenn State (2020)
5. Quinn Ewers, TexasOhio State (2021)
6. Bo Nix, OregonAuburn (2021)
7. Garrett Shrader, SyracuseMississippi State (2020)
8. Cameron Rising, UtahTexas (2018)
9. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland             Alabama (2019)
10. Tanner Mordecai, SMUOklahoma (2020)
11. Cameron Ward, Washington StateIncarnate Word (2021)
12. Jayden de Laura, ArizonaWashington State (2021)
13. Adrian Martinez, Kansas StateNebraska (2021)
14. Todd Centeio, James MadisonColorado State (2021)
15. Jayden Daniels, LSUArizona State (2021)

RUNNING BACKS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Chase Brown, IllinoisWestern Michigan (2018)
2. Zach Charbonnet, UCLAMichigan (2020)
3. Travis Dye, USCOregon (2021)
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, AlabamaGeorgia Tech (2021)
5. Khalan Laborn, MarshallFlorida State (2021)
6. Xazavian Valladay, Arizona StateWyoming (2021)
7. Zach Evans, Ole Miss             TCU (2021)
8. Eric Gray, OklahomaTennessee (2020)
9. Tavion Thomas, UtahCincinnati (2019)
10. Montrell Johnson, FloridaLouisiana (2021)
11. Dae Dae Hunter, LibertyHawaii (2021)
12. Re’Mahn Davis, VanderbiltTemple (2020)
13. Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving, OregonMinnesota (2021)
14. Samson Evans, Eastern MichiganIowa (2019)
15. Aidan Robbins, UNLVLouisville (2021)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Jacob Cowing, ArizonaUTEP (2021)
2. Charlie Jones, PurdueIowa (2021)
3. Jordan Addison, USCPitt (2021)
4. Trey Palmer, NebraskaLSU (2021)
5. Keytaon Thompson, VirginiaMississippi State (2019)
6. Jake Bobo, UCLADuke (2021)
7. Ali Jennings, Old DominionWest Virginia (2020)
8. Daewood Davis, Western KentuckyOregon (2019)
9. Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky             Virginia Tech (2021)
10. Antwane Wells Jr., South CarolinaJames Madison (2021)
11. Grant Dubose, CharlotteMiles College (2020)
12. Tory Horton, Colorado StateNevada (2021)
13. Isaiah Winstead, East CarolinaToledo (2021)
14. Jadon Haselwood, ArkansasOklahoma (2021)
15. Johnny Wilson, Florida StateArizona State (2021)

TIGHT ENDS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Dalton Kincaid, UtahSan Diego (2019)
2. Ryan Jones, East CarolinaOklahoma (2019 – as LB)
3. Tanner McLachlan, ArizonaSouthern Utah (2021)
4. George Takacs, Boston CollegeNotre Dame (2021)
5. Zack Kuntz, Old DominionPenn State (2019)

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Player, schoolFormer school
1. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, MichiganVirginia (2021)
2. G O’Cyrus Torrence, FloridaLouisiana (2021)
3. C Jacob Gall, BaylorBuffalo (2020)
4. T Raiqwon O’Neal, UCLARutgers (2021)
5. T Tyler Steen, AlabamaVanderbilt (2021)
6. C Mike Novitsky, KansasBuffalo (2020)
7. T Quinn Carroll, MinnesotaNotre Dame (2021)
8. T Gerald Mincey, TennesseeFlorida (2021)
9. G Marcus Minor, PittMaryland (2020)
10. G Dillan Gibbons, Florida StateNotre Dame (2020)

EDGE RUSHERS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Jared Verse, Florida StateAlbany (2021)
2. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan StateUNLV (2021)
3. Laiatu Latu, UCLAWashington (2021)
4. Lonnie Phelps, KansasMiami of Ohio (2021)
5. Hunter Echols, ArizonaUSC (2021)
6. Ochaun Mathis, NebraskaTCU (2021)
7. Brenton Cox, FloridaGeorgia (2018)
8. Thomas Incoom, Central MichiganValdosta State (2019)
9. Grayson Murphy, UCLANorth Texas (2021)
10. Chop Robinson, Penn StateMaryland (2021)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Siaki Ika, BaylorLSU (2020)
2. Kobie Turner, Wake ForestRichmond (2021)
3. Mekhi Wingo, LSUMissouri (2021)
4. Cory Durden, NC StateFlorida State (2020)
5. Jowon Briggs, CincinnatiVirginia (2020)
6. Akheem Mesidor, MiamiWest Virginia (2021)
7. Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona StateMiami (2021)
8. Jamare Edwards, James MadisonMarshall (2021)
9. Dennis Osagiede, LibertyStephen F. Austin (2021)
10. Kyler Baugh, MinnesotaHouston Baptist (2021)

LINEBACKERS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. Henry To’oTo’o, AlabamaTennessee (2020)
2. Ivan Pace Jr., CincinnatiMiami of Ohio (2021)
3. Eric Gentry, USCArizona State (2021)
4. Drew Sanders, ArkansasAlabama (2021)
5. Daiyan Henley, Washington StateNevada (2021)
6. Troy Brown, Ole MissCentral Michigan (2021)
7. Shane Lee, USCAlabama (2021)
8. Ayinde Eley, Georgia TechMaryland (2020)
9. Jacquez Jones, KentuckyOle Miss (2020)
10. Jackson Sirmon, CaliforniaWashington (2021)
11. Tatum Bethune, Florida StateUCF (2021)
12. Darius Muasau, UCLAHawaii (2021)
13. Ty’Ron Hopper, MissouriFlorida (2021)
14. Colby Reeder, Iowa StateDelaware (2021)
15. Rich Miller, KansasBuffalo (2020)

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Player, schoolFormer school
1. S Jammie Robinson, Florida StateSouth Carolina (2020)
2. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USCColorado (2021)
3. S Brandon Joseph, Notre DameNorthwestern (2021)
4. S Isheem Young, Ole MissIowa State (2021)
5. CB Christian Gonzalez, OregonColorado (2021)
6. CB Dwight McGlothern, ArkansasLSU (2021)
7. CB Keidron Smith, KentuckyOle Miss (2021)
8. S Mark Perry, TCUColorado (2021)
9. S Chris Jefferson, PurdueFindlay (2020)
10. CB Anthony Johnson, VirginiaLouisville (2020)
11. S Darius Joiner, DukeWestern Illinois (2021)
12. S Jalen Green, Mississippi StateTexas (2020)
13. S Greg Brooks Jr., LSUArkansas (2021)
14. NB Tanner McCalister, Ohio StateOklahoma State (2021)
15. S Bentlee Sanders, NevadaUSF (2020)