College Football transfer portal opens amidst flurry of big signings

Money talks.

A modern phenomenon, the phrase ‘transfer portal’ wouldn’t have made any sense a decade ago. Back then, players could only head to other schools without missing a year if they had already graduated, meaning most started and finished their college careers in the same spot.

Attributed to the tribalism of collegiate sports, loyalty to a school was perceived to have significant pulling power. And whilst this might still be of relevance to some, it has become patently clear what is the primary driver of allegiance in the modern game.

The 2026 early transfer portal window opened on January 2nd, sparking a spending spree of NIL money unlike anything we’ve seen before. The early dominoes have already fallen, with one school in particular signing big cheques with oil-based ink. Let’s look at some of the big storylines so far:

Red Raiding

Simply being invited to the dance was not enough for Texas Tech.

Fresh on the heels of their 23-0 playoff whitewash at the hands of Oregon, the Red Raiders have acted fast to bolster their ranks ahead of next season. With star talents such as Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey on their way to the NFL and ambitions higher than the quarter-finals, an immediate statement was made.

It began with Tech securing the biggest chip of them all; former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, widely considered the #1 QB in the portal, chose Lubbock over LSU on Monday, eschewing Lane Kiffin and the SEC for five million different reasons.

That ambition sparked off a raft of signings by TTU from across the college football landscape. San Diego State edge rusher Trey White headed to Northwest Texas, who sits 11th in the nation with 90 quarterback pressures since 2024. Similarly, cornerback Davin Martin makes the short journey from UTSA.

Defensive tackle Bryce Butler, who played 12 games for Washington in 2025, also joined. And there’s Akron d-lineman Julien Laventure, who posted 45 tackles, 10.5 TFL’s and four sacks for the Zips last season.

Throw in receiver Donte Lee Jr (Liberty) and tackles Jalen Jones (Arizona State) and Austin Romaine (Kansas State), and you can see oil magnate Cody Campbell and the Red Raiders mean business.

After bringing in the second-best portal class last year, TTU are aiming to go one better in 2026. It’s time for everyone else to catch up.

Follow my leader

One familiar trait we see in the transfer portal is a wave of college stars following their head coach to pastures new. 2026 has been no different in that regard, with big names deciding to keep faith in the staff that developed them into prospects worthy of stepping up to a bigger program.

We’ll start in College Park, Pennsylvania, where no less than ten former Iowa State Cyclones have rejoined Matt Campbell at Penn State. Led by starting quarterback Rocco Becht, Campbell also lured most of the weapons he targeted at Ames, too, with receivers Brett Eskildsen and Chase Sowell as well as tight end Benjamin Brahmer all making the 1,000-mile trip East.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Five names from USF have headed to Auburn to reunite with Alex Golesh, and there are rumours quarterback Byrum Brown could add his name to that list. A trio of Memphis Tigers are now in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with Ryan Silverfield. And former Penn State head coach James Franklin has a couple of Nittany Lions with him at Virginia Tech, with QB Ethan Grunkemeyer also likely on the way.

Perhaps the best case of a ‘package deal’ is Eric Morris heading to Oklahoma State; the former North Texas offensive mastermind bringing along with him (QB) Drew Mestemaker, (WR) Wyatt Young and (RB) Caleb Hawkins - the trio who WERE the Mean Green offense and accounted for more than 6,000 yards between them. 

This scenario is far from over, with Lane Kiffin likely wanting to steal some talent at Ole Miss for LSU once the Rebels’ season is over. It’s worth keeping an eye on Baton Rouge in the coming weeks.

QB dominoes

With Sorsby, Becht and Mestemaker quickly being snapped up, other quarterbacks have slowly started to slot into the remaining openings. The biggest name still out there appears to be former Arizona State Sun Devils Sam Leavitt, who looks destined for LSU - a perfect mix of opportunity and financial recompense.

The Big 12 names keep moving. Josh Hoover’s surprise decision to leave TCU has seen him land in Bloomington as the successor to Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at Indiana. Meanwhile, ASU acted fast to replace Leavitt with Kentucky’s Cutter Boley.

The SEC have flown under the radar in the early going, but are more active when it comes to quarterbacks. DJ Lagway, who is looking for a fresh start, visited the Gators’ in-state rivals, Florida State, on Monday. Florida responded by bringing in Aaron Philo from Georgia Tech, whilst Austin Simmons - once the future at Ole Miss - now looks destined for Missouri.

Some exciting G5 gunslingers stepping up to Power 4 schools to be aware of? Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph lands at Wisconsin after a 3,600 total yard season, and former James Madison star Alonza Barrett earns a scholarship at UCF after going toe to toe with Oregon in the playoffs.

There’s still plenty of moves to be made, with the likes of Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), Deuce Knight (Auburn), Aidan Chiles (Michigan State) and Beau Pribula (Missouri) all in the portal and still homeless. Some might not like it, but College Football’s version of free agency isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

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