2025 College Transfer Portal Update
Editor’s Note: This article is from guest contributor Joe Cretini, who closely follows college football, as well as devy and dynasty values. Hopefully we’ll see more from Joe in the future.
Championship week is OVER! Victorious owners hoisted trophies and claimed their prizes while the losers and the rest of the dynasty community shift their focus toward the NFL Draft. This upcoming class will take shape over the next few months as teams evaluate this crop of prospects. DLF and content creators throughout the fantasy space will be breaking it all down soon enough, but today I’ll be recapping the last month of chaos in the college football world: the transfer portal.
In this new era of NIL and player movement, the college landscape can shift rapidly. Earlier this year the NCAA agreed to end transfer restrictions permanently, allowing players to transfer an unlimited number of times throughout their collegiate careers without suffering any eligibility penalties. With this transfer portal window expected to be the busiest ever, let’s dig into how these player transfers will impact devy and dynasty football.
See Ya Sooner
Oklahoma’s inaugural season in the SEC did not go as smoothly as HC Brent Venables and the Sooners QB Jackson Arnold had hoped. The Sooners finished 2-6 in conference play and 6-6 overall, with their only major moment of triumph being a dominant 24-3 win over Alabama that virtually ended the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes.
Jackson Arnold, a 5-star recruit and the 2022 HS Gatorade Player of the Year, got his first start in the Alamo Bowl last season against the Arizona Wildcats. Despite the loss and Arnold’s middling performance (361 yards, 57.8% completions, 2 TD 3 INTs), the Sooners’ brass named him the starter last offseason. Entering the year, he was a dark horse pick to emerge as the QB1 of the talented 2026 draft class, but, this season was a major letdown for Arnold believers.
The second year QB did not hold up especially well against the physical and talented defenses of the SEC. Arnold played a much more subdued brand of football than he showed in the Alamo Bowl, eclipsing 200 passing yards just twice and throwing only three interceptions all season. He did however lean on his rushing ability more frequently with 15 attempts per game and a career high 131 yards rushing against Alabama. After a disappointing season in Norman, Arnold entered the transfer portal and committed to play for the Auburn Tigers in 2025. Arnold will leave one 2-6 SEC team for another, where he and Hugh Freeze will attempt to lead the Tigers to their first winning season in the SEC since 2020.
This upcoming season is as close to make-or-break as it gets for Arnold’s chances in the NFL. In most devy formats I think Arnold is a HOLD. The cost to acquire him this time last year was sky-high, so, it may be hard for owners to stomach selling and taking a massive loss. However, there are reasons to be optimistic. Auburn’s breakout freshman WR Cam Coleman is staying with the Tigers and should establish an immediate connection with Arnold, and they may prove to be a good duo. The Tigers portal class also features the #1 ranked WR, Eric Singleton Jr. Even if Arnold can’t ascend to the 2026 QB1, his rushing upside in the NFL could prove potent in fantasy.
Arnold will be replaced in Norman by the #1 overall player in the portal, QB John Mateer from Washington State. Mateer will make the move to OU in lockstep with his QB coach and OC, Ben Arbuckle, who was poached from the Cougars to fill the OC vacancy at Oklahoma. Arbuckle hopes to continue his success as a QB whisperer after coaching up Cam Ward at WSU in 2023 before Ward’s departure for Miami and the ensuing Heisman finalist season. Mateer had a monster 2024 with the Washington State Cougars, tallying 3,139 passing yards, 29 TDs, and 7 INT’s with another 826 yards and 15 TDs on the ground. Despite the mass portal exodus from Oklahoma (30 transfers out, tied for the highest mark in the SEC), I think Mateer is a sneaky BUY. In a similar situation to Cam Ward last season, Mateer will not be expensive to acquire and could pay off massively if things go right at Oklahoma. Mateer’s rushing ability is even more dynamic than Arnold’s and could be hugely valuable in fantasy football if he develops further as a player.
Geaux Long
As of this publication 40% (!!!) of the top-10 dynasty WR’s in DLF’s rankings have come out of LSU (WR1 Justin Jefferson, WR2 Ja’Marr Chase, WR4 Malik Nabers, and WR10 Brian Thomas Jr.). While the debate over WRU is an article for another day, the Tigers may have just signed the next receiver to help their case. Head Coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers have had a very active month in the transfer portal window, including signing two of the top-10 transfer WRs, Nic Anderson from Oklahoma and Barion Brown from Kentucky.
Nic Anderson arrived in Norman as a borderline 4/3-star from Katy, TX. The 6-4 / 210 long-limbed receiver broke out in 2023 as a redshirt freshman catching passes from Oregon Heisman finalist Dillon Gabriel. Anderson set freshman records with 10 TD catches to go with nearly 800 receiving yards running a diverse route tree. After an injury-plagued 2024 season, he hit the portal alongside many of his Sooner teammates.
Just one spot down the On3 Industry Consensus Portal Rankings is former 4-star Kentucky Wildcat WR Barion Brown. Brown, 6-1 / 173, produced in 2022 as a true freshman catching passes from Will Levis for the Wildcats with 628 yards and 4 TDs, including 145 yards on 10 catches with a touchdown vs #1 Georgia. Since then, he has taken a step back into a WR2 role with the Wildcats alongside Nebraska-bound Dane Key. Brown is an undersized slithery utility receiver often used on screens, slants, and sweeps. His slight frame hampers his YAC ability over the middle but he has shown the skills to get open, even if inconsistently. However, with more creative offensive utilization and perhaps some added bulk from LSU’s top training program, Brown could pop in a star-studded LSU offense in 2025.
After a few key draft and transfer departures, the Tigers have 150+ vacated targets, with rising junior Aaron Anderson as the only remaining major target earner from the 2024 team. Critically, QB Garrett Nussmeier, a Heisman hopeful, is returning to Baton Rouge in 2025. Depending on the price, I think Nic Anderson and Barion Brown are both screaming BUYS. LSU’s offense has been running incredibly hot for the past few seasons and I think that trend is likely to continue in Nussmeier’s second season as a starter with his stellar supporting cast of playmakers. If I had to choose one of the two, I would lean Nic Anderson. He will rarely leave the field as the downfield X-receiver, while Brown may take a back seat to Aaron Anderson as the primary flanker/gadget receiver.
All Aboard for College Station
One of the biggest winners in this past month of portal frenzy has been the Texas A&M Aggies, ranking 5th in 247’s transfer portal’s team rankings. The centerpieces of the Aggies transfer class are undoubtedly the two top-5 portal WR prospects they’ve bagged, Kevin Concepcion (KC) of NC State and Micah Hudson of Texas Tech.
KC’s 2023 season was one of the more electrifying true freshman breakouts in recent memory (Jeremiah ‘The Messiah’ Smith notwithstanding). Concepcion, 6-0/170, was the engine behind the Wolfpack’s offense, accounting for more than 25% of their total scrimmage yards and TDs. Despite his slender frame he consistently created explosive plays after the catch, and even began getting the ball as a rusher on jet sweeps, screens, and reverses later in the season after showcasing his tackle-breaking ability. He finished with 839 yards receiving to pair with 320 yards rushing and 10 TDs for the Wolf Pack and was crowned ACC Rookie of the Year. In 2024 however, KC took a major step back, not even eclipsing 50% of his 2023 production.
Similarly, Micah Hudson will attempt to bounce back from a severely disappointing 2024 campaign. The 5-star WR, the highest-rated prospect in Red Raider history, entered the season with lofty expectations from fans and coaches alike. The 5-11/195 receiver was an afterthought in the TT offense, and was consistently involved in swirling rumors of unhappiness with playing time. Despite consistent calls from fans to get Hudson more involved, his role didn’t change, and he ultimately sat out for the remainder of the season after posting a 0-0-0 against TCU in late October.
This transfer choice from Hudson and KC is a bit of a head-scratcher. The Aggies have routinely been a run-first team and haven’t had a receiver post 1,000 yards since Josh Reynolds in 2016 (!). The Aggies have only sent 5 receivers to the NFL since Mike Evans was selected in the first round in 2014, and only Evans and Christian Kirk have produced consistently in fantasy. Hudson and KC will also join a somewhat crowded WR room with another 5-star prospect Jerome Miles incoming as well as fellow 4-star transfer Mario Craver from Mississippi State. I was a huge KC believer coming into this season but this move has me thoroughly concerned. Personally, I’ll be HOLDING but I wouldn’t blame you for selling. Hudson on the other hand I think may be a bargain BUY if the price is right. He has an extra year of eligibility, so any semblance of production could entice another program to take a chance on him next year, where he could still break out as a junior. I still believe in the talent of both guys, but it may take a while to see their values increase.
Quick Hits:
Makhi Hughes, RB, Tulane -> Oregon: Hughes has posted 2 monster seasons with the Green Wave and could be deployed as the featured back in Eugene in 2025. He might be a big riser next season if he gets the right utilization and is a BUY.
Eric Singleton Jr, WR, Georgia Tech -> Auburn: Singleton ranked as the #1 wide receiver on most portal rankings despite his size (5-11 165), but he will leave one program with no NFL WR production for another. If you have him and can get someone to bite, he is an easy SELL for me.
Justice Haynes, RB, Alabama -> Michigan: Haynes has always shared a backfield in Tuscaloosa but is poised to be the sole lead back for the Wolverines in 2025 after the key departures of Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings. Haynes is a screaming BUY.
Zachariah Branch, WR, Univ. Southern California -> Georgia: Branch has finished as USC’s WR4 and WR3 in receiving yards in his 2 seasons as a Trojan. If he can get more involved in Kirby Smart’s offense, he could be the next Bulldog in line, after Ladd McConkey and George Pickens, to hear his name called at the NFL Draft. I have never been a big believer, despite how trendy of a player he is, but this landing spot does intrigue me. I would explore options of SELLING HIGH to tier up to a better 2027 prospect like Ryan Williams but if that isn’t available I think he is a HOLD.
Duce Robinson, WR/TE, Univ. Southern California -> Florida State: The Seminoles will have a new QB in 2025, after the departures of DJ Uiagalelei and Luke Kromenhoek. Maybe Duce Robinson can follow in the footsteps of Johnny Wilson as a WR/TE hybrid and find his way onto an NFL roster, but I do not have an excess of confidence. SELL.
Michael Van Buren, QB, Mississippi State -> LSU: Set to take over for Nussmeier after 2025. Stash BUY.
Dane Key, WR, Kentucky -> Nebraska: He will be a top weapon for Dylan Raiola and the Huskers. Bargain BUY.
Ahmad Hardy, RB, Univ. of Louisiana at Monroe -> Missouri: Unheralded as a prospect but dominated in the Sun Belt conference as a true freshman. With his prototypical NFL size (5-10, 205), if his production even remotely keeps up in the SEC he will be playing on Sundays. BUY.
- 2025 College Transfer Portal Update - January 11, 2025
