Top 10 College Football Transfers 2025: Biggest Transfer Portal Moves

Quick List: Top College Football Transfers in 2025

• John Mateer → Oklahoma (QB)

• Carson Beck → Miami (QB)

• Makhi Hughes → Oregon (RB)

• Dillon Thieneman → Oregon (S)

• David Bailey → Texas Tech (Edge)

• Max Klare → Ohio State (TE)

• Ahmad Hardy → Missouri (RB)

• Eric Singleton Jr. → Auburn (WR)

• Nico Iamaleava → UCLA (QB)

• Isaiah World → Oregon (OT)

If it feels like half the players in college football change uniforms every year, you’re not too far off.

More than 3,400 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) scholarship players hit the transfer portal this past cycle, and nearly two-thirds of Power-4 starting quarterbacks will line up this fall wearing different colors than when they started their careers. 

This is the new normal in college football and, really, in college sports overall. Money is the big driver thanks to NIL and revenue sharing, but it isn’t the only incentive to transfer.

Players are chasing brighter spotlights that offer the greater success on the biggest stages. And with transfer rules so lax, who could blame them? A good highlight tape against the top teams in the country can do wonders for a college player’s draft stock and long-term earning potential.

So, while we as fans continue to adjust to this new normal, we’ll also begin to recognize that lists like this aren’t going to be rare one-offs. They’re going to be common, must-read previews of every college football season from here on out because let’s face it — the transfer portal is reshaping storylines that define the sport each fall.

With that in mind, here are the 10 transfers to watch in 2025 — players whose decisions to change uniforms could swing games, seasons, and even the playoff race.

10. Isaiah World, OT, Oregon

Isaiah World’s move to Oregon is the kind of transfer that reminds us the portal isn’t just about flashy quarterbacks and skill players.

The 6-foot-7 tackle arrives from Nevada with more than 2,200 career snaps under his belt and the look of a future first-round draft pick. Oregon coveted him not only for his size and polish, but also for the stability he brings to an offensive line facing Big Ten competition.

For fans, his arrival signals a sturdier pocket for the Ducks’ talented quarterbacks and a run game with more bite — a pillar Oregon fans hope will help reshape their offense.

9. Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA

Nico Iamaleava might be the most intriguing quarterback in the country this fall simply because of what his transfer represents.

Once the crown jewel of Tennessee’s recruiting class, he opted for a fresh start at UCLA, where the Bruins are desperate to reset their identity in the Big Ten. Iamaleava brings a blend of arm strength, mobility, and pedigree that immediately elevates expectations in Westwood.

For UCLA fans, he’s more than just a new signal-caller. He’s the promise of relevance on the team’s quest to add great urgency to Saturday clashes. If he thrives, the Bruins’ rebuild could accelerate overnight, giving him both exposure and star-making potential.

8. Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn

Eric Singleton Jr. wasted no time making headlines when he left Georgia Tech for Auburn, and Tiger fans are counting the days until he’s fully unleashed.

At Tech, he flashed star power with 56 catches for 754 yards and showed enough burst to earn All-Freshman honors in 2023. Auburn pursued him as the kind of playmaker who can transform an entire receiving corps, and even with a minor injury in camp, the buzz hasn’t dimmed.

Scouts already view him as one of the nation’s most electrifying wideouts. For Auburn, Singleton is the one-man army they’ve been craving on the perimeter.

7. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri

Ahmad Hardy may not have had the national spotlight at Louisiana–Monroe, but his production was impossible to ignore. He finished among the nation’s top 12 rushers last season, the kind of résumé that turns heads in the SEC.

So, Missouri pounced, adding him to a backfield that needed a proven, durable playmaker. Hardy runs with vision and toughness, and he arrives in Columbia with a real chance to seize the starting job immediately.

For fans, his transfer feels like a gift: a seasoned back who can keep drives alive and give the Tigers balance in a conference defined by defenses.

6. Max Klare, TE, Ohio State

Max Klare’s transfer from Purdue to Ohio State is a reminder that sometimes the most valuable portal additions aren’t the flashiest.

The Big Ten already knew his name. Klare caught 51 passes for 685 yards last season, earning third-team all-conference honors. But now, he steps into an offense stacked with weapons and national attention.

For Klare, the move is about maximizing exposure and competing for championships. For Ohio State, it’s about unlocking even more versatility in an attack that already overwhelms defenses. Fans see him as the missing piece at tight end, a reliable target poised to thrive under brighter lights.

5. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

David Bailey’s path from Stanford to Texas Tech shows how quickly the portal can flip the trajectory of a player — and a program.

Bailey was a freshman All-American with 14.5 sacks over two seasons, one of the most disruptive young edge rushers in the country. When coaching upheaval hit Stanford, he looked elsewhere and found a home with the Red Raiders.

Tech wasted no time selling him as the anchor of a revitalized defense, and fans have embraced him as the face of that turnaround. If Bailey brings the same production to Lubbock, he could redefine the Red Raiders’ defensive identity.

4. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

Dillon Thieneman’s transfer from Purdue to Oregon might not generate the same headlines as a star quarterback switching teams. But make no mistake, he’s one of the Ducks’ most important additions.

A tackling machine with a knack for being in the right place, Thieneman brings both production and poise to a secondary that needed leadership. Oregon’s staff has already pointed to him as a tone-setter, someone whose experience in the Big Ten will translate immediately.

Fans see him as more than just a safety. He’s a stabilizer for a defense with championship aspirations, and his presence raises the unit’s ceiling.

3. Makhi Hughes, RB, Oregon

Makhi Hughes comes to Oregon as the kind of transfer who has the potential to tilt an entire season from his backfield position.

At Tulane, he was the engine of the Green Wave offense, twice earning first-team All-AAC honors and piling up production that made him one of the most coveted backs in the country. When he hit the portal, Oregon wasted no time, landing him as the No. 1 running back available.

For Ducks fans, his arrival is electric. He’s the sort of back who can grind down Big Ten defenses and pop off highlight runs on national TV. Simply put, Hughes is built for the stage.

2. Carson Beck, QB, Miami

Carson Beck’s decision to leave Georgia for Miami was one of the splashiest quarterback moves of the offseason.

At Georgia, he won an SEC title, threw for nearly 8,000 yards, and left with a sparkling 24–3 record as a starter. But after elbow surgery and flirting with the NFL Draft, Beck chose a fresh start in Coral Gables.

For Miami, his arrival signals credibility in their ability to acquire a quarterback who has already proven he can win at the highest level. For fans, it’s cause for genuine excitement: a veteran leader with Heisman sleeper potential who could put the Hurricanes back in the spotlight.

1. John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma

John Mateer embodies everything about the transfer era’s new reality.

After exploding at Washington State with over 3,100 passing yards and 44 total touchdowns in 2024, he had already proven himself as one of the most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. But when Oklahoma came callin’, offering a bigger stage and a system tailor-made for his skill set, the fit was too good to ignore.

Now, Mateer arrives in Norman as the centerpiece of a reloaded offense, with fans buzzing about what he can unlock. For the Sooners, Mateer isn’t just a transfer. He’s a potential season-changing star.

Transfers That Could Define the 2025 Season

The transfer portal has become more than just a subplot in college football — it’s now one of the biggest storylines shaping every new season. In 2025 alone, we’ve seen quarterbacks like John Mateer, Carson Beck, and Nico Iamaleava reset the balance of power, while playmakers like Makhi Hughes and Eric Singleton Jr. bring fresh energy to new offenses.

For fans, these transfers are more than transactions. They’re opportunities — new faces to rally behind, new rivalries to ignite, and new reasons to believe this could be the year their team breaks through.

And as the season unfolds, one thing is certain: the transfer portal will keep redefining college football, creating fresh stars, surprise playoff runs, and unforgettable Saturday moments. So buckle up — because the players on this list may not just be transfers to watch, they could be the difference-makers who shape the entire 2025 season.