For now, the biggest name still in the transfer portal is former Georgia quarterback JT Daniels, who left the Bulldogs shortly after last month’s national championship in search of more concrete playing time at his third Power Five landing spot in four years.
Daniels represents the missing piece of the puzzle for teams still looking for a starting quarterback. But most programs have already churned through the extensive list of transfers, with some adding as many as a dozen new players and all impacted in one way or another by the portal’s popularity.
As the Football Bowl Subdivision inches toward spring drills, these teams represent the biggest winners and losers from portal season:
WINNERS
Southern California
The Trojans pulled in the top transfer in the country in former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams, reuniting the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite with coach Lincoln Riley and jumpstarting the program’s rebuilding process. That addition alone will make USC a trendy pick in the Pac-12. But that’s not all: Riley also brought in former Oklahoma receiver Mario Williams and former Oregon running back Travis Dye to help overhaul the Trojans’ offense. While quarterback depth is a concern, USC has quickly and successfully rebuilt chunks of the roster heading into Riley’s debut season.
Ole Miss
One of those former USC quarterbacks is linking up with Lane Kiffin and the Rebels: Jaxson Dart is one of a few Ole Miss transfers set to take on major roles for a team looking to build on last season’s New Year’s Six berth. That includes former TCU running back Zach Evans, the top talent at his position in the portal. Beyond this pair, Ole Miss used the portal to reel in several defenders with starting potential, including safety Ladarius Tennison (Auburn) and edge rusher Jared Ivey (Georgia Tech).
Texas
This year’s transfer cycle has been defined by the game of musical chairs at quarterback. Steve Sarkisian landed one of the nation’s top young talents at the position in Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers, who will step right into the starting role and be the face of the program’s continued rebuild. The Longhorns further upgraded the passing game by adding former Alabama tight end Jahleel Billingsley, who has the talent to play at the next level, and former Wyoming wide receiver Isaiah Neyor, one of the top deep threats in the country in 2021.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers’ feverish reboot under embattled coach Scott Frost includes a staff and personnel shakeup on offense. That begins at quarterback, where Nebraska swapped four-year starter Adrian Martinez, now at Kansas State, for former Texas starter Casey Thompson, who led the Big 12 in touchdowns last season but was made expendable by Ewers’ arrival. The Cornhuskers also brought in a developmental passer in Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy and two immediate-impact receivers in Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (New Mexico State) and Trey Palmer (LSU).
South Carolina
After exceeding preseason expectations to reach the postseason in coach Shane Beamer’s first season, the Gamecocks will look to take a step up the SEC East ladder behind new quarterback Spencer Rattler, who flamed out amid enormous expectations at Oklahoma but represents a major upgrade in terms of arm talent and experience. Rattler is joined by former OU tight end Austin Stogner, prolific Football Championship Subdivision wide receiver Antwane Wells (James Madison) and running backs Lovasea Carroll (Georgia) and Christian Beal-Smith (Wake Forest) as South Carolina aims to beef up one of the worst offenses in the SEC.
LOSERS
Oklahoma
It hasn’t been a total flop: OU has rallied under new coach Brent Venables to sign Central Florida quarterback Dillon Gabriel and one of the deepest transfer groups in the FBS. Gabriel’s production in the Group of Five and familiarity with new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system makes him the favorite to claim the starting job. The Sooners also addressed two areas of concern in the secondary and overall line play; McKade Mettauer (California) is a likely starter on the offensive front, while Jonah La’ulu (Hawaii) and Jeffery Johnson (Tulane) bolster depth on defense. It’s still hard to overlook the fact that OU lost one of the best players in the country at the most important position on the field.
Georgia
As expected, there’s been an exodus of talent out of Georgia since the program’s national championship. While the Bulldogs will make up ground in the coming weeks and months, what’s troubling is where the recent departures are popping back up: at some of the Bulldogs’ biggest SEC rivals. That includes leading receiver Jermaine Burton, who transferred to Alabama, and promising young cornerback Jalen Kimber, a potential starter last season before a season-ending injury who joined Florida with another four years of eligibility. Overall, five of the six players who have already transferred out of Georgia have landed somewhere in the SEC.
Auburn
The Tigers have lost 17 players and counting to the portal, with a large number of those losses focused on one particularly important position group: the defensive line. Auburn has lost eight linemen to the portal, several with three or more years of remaining eligibility, and attempted to offset those losses by adding Jayson Jones from Oregon and the nation’s top junior-college prospect in Jeffrey M’ba. The dent in Auburn’s line depth could trigger long-term issues even as coach Bryan Harsin and the Tigers look to be very active in the portal through the start of summer.
Colorado
Colorado’s already thin odds in the Pac-12 chase look even dimmer with this winter’s loss of star power into the portal. That includes all-conference back Jarek Broussard (Michigan State), robbing the Buffaloes of a runner responsible for 55.7% of the team’s rushing yardage across the past two seasons. Colorado also lost the majority of last year’s starting secondary in cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (USC) and safeties Mark Perry (TCU) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon).
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Southern Cal, Texas lead college football transfer portal winners