College football transfers in spotlight this spring, from Jackson Arnold at Auburn to Travis Shaw at Texas

Spring practice is beginning to get underway across the country, which means it’s the first opportunity for coaches to see their new transfer additions on the field. For some programs that’s a high-priced quarterback, while for others, it’s a new addition who will help rework the offensive line or the secondary.

As spring practice gets going in earnest, these are 15 transfers from across the country we’re excited to see step on the field and why they’re so important to their new teams.

Previous school: Oklahoma

Arguably the most talented field-stretching X receiver this portal cycle, Anderson is one of the rarest possible commodities in the portal. At 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, Anderson can go up and win 50-50 balls with his frame but excels thanks to long speed that allows him to blow by cornerbacks, a skillset he showed in 2023 while averaging 21 yards per catch for Oklahoma. The big question with Anderson is health. He missed basically the entire 2024 season with an upper quad injury, which included re-injuring it in just a few snaps after a brief return against Tennessee. 

A healthy Anderson is a dangerous vertical threat for Nussmeier in a way the Tigers really haven’t had since the 2023 campaign. But is he fully recovered? We’ll find out a lot more this spring.

Previous school: Oklahoma

There’s an argument to be made Auburn will have the best wide receiver corps in the SEC next season. The Tigers, following the addition of four-star tackle transfers Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy, will have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the Power Four. Those two position rooms considered in tandem should deliver a strong offense with even decent quarterback play.

That’s what makes Arnold so fascinating. The former five-star had a mostly disastrous starting debut in 2023, which included a benching and a QBR rating that ranked 91st nationally. But one could also argue Arnold struggled greatly because of a wide receiver room devastated by injury — OU’s top five receivers missed almost the entire 2024 season — and horrid O-line play.

Arnold, thanks to Auburn’s portal adds, won’t deal with those deficiencies on The Plains. Can he elevate his game in turn? How he plays this spring will say a lot about Auburn’s 2025 celling.

Previous school: USC

If there’s a swing player for UGA’s offense next season, it’s Branch. On paper he probably seems like a one-to-one Arian Smith replacement — one burner taking another burner’s spot on the depth chart. But Branch can be so much more. Branch’s 10.4-second 100-meter speed allows him to run the vertical routes Smith did so well for UGA. But Branch, at least his freshman year at USC, profiled as a havoc creator in the slot with his ability to quickly change directions and run-after-the-catch ability in the open field.

For whatever reason, however, Branch was far less dynamic as a sophomore. If Branch can rediscover his freshman year form in Athens, he’s the type of game-breaking piece at receiver the Bulldogs have lacked for years.

Previous school: New Mexico

The Cam Rising era of Utah football is at an end, and Dampier is next up for the Utes. The New Mexico transfer is coming over with his Lobos offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, and their arrival signals an offensive shift toward a run-heavy attack. Dampier broke out as a sophomore, throwing for 2,768 yards and running for 1,166 more as one of the top dual-threats in the country.

It’ll be interesting to see how Dampier transitions to the Power Four this spring. Not necessarily as a runner — he’ll be dynamic in that capacity no matter what — but as a passer; he showed a propensity for turnovers with a 1-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio. The Utes will have one of the best offensive lines in college football next year. But will the pass game be able to get going? We’ll know more this spring with Dampier’s debut and a reworked Utah wide receiver room.

Previous school: South Dakota State

Iowa finally got a quarterback! Gronowski is a legitimate NFL prospect after winning multiple national championships and the Walter Payton Award over the last few seasons. 

So how much better can he make the Iowa offense? That’s what we’ll begin to find out this spring. The Hawkeyes had fewer passing attempts (260) than any other Power Four team last season. In fact, the Hawkeyes were one of two Power Four programs (Houston) with fewer than 304 attempts last year.

Gronowski, with more than 10,000 yards passing in his career, should open things up. To what degree is something we’ll get a preview of this spring. His presence should also showcase a group of WRs that’s largely been dormant in Iowa City the last few seasons.

Previous school: Arkansas

Ole Miss loaded up on pass catchers in the portal, adding both Oklahoma State wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and Penn State wide receiver Harrison Wallace. But you could argue the Rebels’ most impactful pass-catching addition might end up being Hasz.

A true freshman standout two years ago, Hasz had a reasonably pedestrian sophomore campaign with 26 catches for 324 yards. But he was mostly an afterthought in new OC Bobby Petrino’s system, earning the fifth-most targets on the team (31). There should be far more targets available in Oxford where a pair of tight ends combined for 75 of them last season. With Caden Prieskorn off to the NFL, Hasz could emerge as a high-volume target for new quarterback Austin Simmons.

How Ole Miss integrates Hasz and the rest of its new pass catchers will be fascinating to follow during spring practice.

Previous school: Purdue

The Clemson transfer era is here! OK, the Tigers didn’t exactly go heavy into the portal in signing three players, but hey, that’s three more position players than Dabo Swinney ever had before. And while Clemson’s two other takes (WR Tristan Smith and LB Jeremiah Alexander) probably have a bit more to prove, Heldt is still the most interesting addition given his NFL ceiling.

One of the top edge rushers in the Big Ten last season with 10 TFLs and five sacks, Heldt could be a much-needed edge rushing compliment to T.J. Parker. If Heldt can man that other defensive end spot, it’d allow Peter Woods to slide back inside after splitting time at edge last season. That would be huge for the Tigers given their struggles to stop the run. Heldt and Parker have the potential to be one of the best edge-rushing tandems in the FBS. 

Previous school: Fresno State

It’s veteran versus No. 1 overall recruit in Ann Arbor, where Keene is under the microscope as he’ll have to hold off Bryce Underwood to win out atop Michigan’s depth chart. Underwood signed one of the most expensive NIL deals in history to flip from LSU. That type of player doesn’t tend to sit long.

Thus, Keene’s play this spring will set the tone. He enters spring as the favorite, but can he hold onto the job? His play is basically the bar Underwood must clear to get on the field, though Keene gets to determine how high that bar will be. 

By the way, Michigan needs Keene to come in and make the offense better. The Wolverines threw for fewer passing yards per game than any Power Four team in the FBS last season. There’s a lot of pressure on Keene this offseason to make Michigan better while having to hold off Underwood. 

Williams Nwaneri, Edge, Nebraska

Previous school: Missouri

This time last year Nwaneri was the crown jewel of Missouri’s 2024 class. But he played sparingly as a true freshman, totaling 38 snaps over four games. Then Nwaneri entered the transfer portal, where he almost instantly ended up at Nebraska.

Few FBS edge rushers have Nwaneri’s physical ceiling. He’s massive at 6-foot-7 with long arms, elite athletic ability and a knack for shedding blocks at the point of attack. His physical development this spring will say a lot about his ability to contribute for Nebraska this year. Nebraska needs him to play right away. Four of its top five pass rushers from last season graduated or entered the transfer portal.

Zechariah Poyser, S, Miami

Previous school: Jacksonville State

There’s a possibility Miami’s secondary goes from weakness — 50th nationally in opposing passer rating in 2024 — to strength thanks to its rising 2024 recruiting class and transfer takes like Poyser.

Poyser is highlighted above coming from Jacksonville State, where he was a Freshman All-American. But he’s just one member of a total secondary overhaul. The Hurricanes also added Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley, Arizona cornerback Emmanuel Karnley and Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas. All four of those players were four-star transfers and join a promising sophomore duo of safety Zaquan Patterson and True Freshman All-American cornerback OJ Frederique.

How that group comes together this spring and the battles on the depth chart will help determine Miami’s defensive ceiling, which should be considerably higher in 2025.

Beau Pribula, QB, Missouri

Previous school: Penn State

There are two types of potential starting quarterbacks in the transfer portal: proven veterans with many games of starting experience, and high-ceiling backups who have shown flashes but are mostly an unproven entity.

Pribula falls into the latter category. A fun change-of-pace option for Penn State this season, Pribula was stellar while on the field with 275 yards passing and five touchdowns on a 74.3 CMP%. Throw in 6.4 yards per carry as a rusher, and you can understand why Missouri and so many other programs were enamored with his potential.

At the same time, Pribula hasn’t started a game in three seasons. He’s also joining a Missouri offense that will have a total wide receiver overhaul and significant changes on the offensive line and the offense in general. Spring will be our first preview of what Pribula will look like as the starter in Columbia. He likely brings a higher ceiling than Brady Cook, but anytime you go from 39 career starts to zero, it’s a risk. 

Previous school: North Carolina

For the second straight season, Texas will have to replace a pair of draft picks at defensive tackle. But this time the overhaul is even more drastic given that almost every contributing scholarship player from the Longhorns’ DT rotation is either NFL Draft bound or left via the transfer portal.

That makes the addition of Shaw — along with Purdue DT Cole Brevard — so critical. Shaw, a former five-star recruit, was solid for North Carolina. He posted 55 tackles and 6 TFLs as a three-year contributor, but he’s far from reaching his lofty high school potential. Shaw never emerged as a starter for the Tar Heels and only once posted a PFF grade of over 60 (61.9) for a single season.

Coming out of high school, Shaw projected as a space eater inside with the explosiveness and power to be a run and pass game disruptor. He hasn’t shown that ability thus far. But Texas needs him to in 2025. How Shaw develops in a new defensive context will determine a lot about the ceiling of Texas’ defense next season.

Previous school: Western Carolina

Pretty much Oklahoma’s entire offense is under the spotlight this spring with a new offensive coordinator, quarterback, receivers and O-line. But let’s focus on the line of scrimmage, because it was the base of OU’s 2024 offensive woes. The Sooners allowed a pressure on 41% of their drop backs last season, which ranked 121st nationally. No matter who the QB was, pressure was always in their face.

That’s what makes the addition of Simmons, Oklahoma’s top o-line transfer, so important. But Simmons isn’t exactly a sure thing. He’s making the jump up from the FCS, and while Simmons was good for the Catamounts and looks like an SEC tackle at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, there will still be an adjustment process for him in the SEC.

Oklahoma swung and missed on its O-line transfer additions a season ago when it overhauled its offensive line. It can’t afford to do so again in 2025. 

Previous school: North Dakota State

Some players are just really fun to watch, and Wisniewski is one of those guys coming from North Dakota State. A 6-foot-4, 218-pound safety who covers a ton of ground in coverage but also attacks downhill as a massive run defender, Wisniewski almost exists outside of the traditional safety archetype because of his size. He’s someone who should transition seamlessly, at least physically, to the Big 12.

But Wisniewski had foot surgery during fall camp this past season, which caused him to miss the entire 2024 campaign as he recovered and battled persistent swelling. This spring will be the first glimpse at Wisniewski post recovery and an opportunity to see him as part of Texas Tech’s revamped defense. 

Previous school: UConn

Yates is an interesting piece on his own for North Carolina as an edge rusher with 30 career tackles for loss in three seasons with UConn. But really, he’s lens for UNC’s overall portal acquisition strategy. While North Carolina’s 18-man transfer class ranks 14th nationally, many of the Tar Heels’ additions – outside of a few notable moves from Washington to Chapel Hill – are far from household names. UNC signed a lineman from Holy Cross, an edge from Delaware, a tackle from Rice, a tackle from Prairie View A&M and will count on significant contributions from G-5 transfers like Daniel King (Troy) and Yates.

There’s nothing wrong with dipping into the Group of Five or FCS ranks. There are gems to be found on both levels, and Bill Belichick identified a bunch of them while running the Patriots for decades.

But UNC, which lost so much experience this offseason to graduation and the portal, is betting a lot on players like Yates to come in and make an immediate impact, particularly along the lines of scrimmage. Can Belichick’s bargain bin roster building strategy work in college like it did for him in the NFL? We’ll know more after this spring.