The transfer portal has transformed roster building in college football, offering programs a fast track to competitiveness with the right additions on either side of the ball. Whether plugging roster holes with experienced veterans or landing potential stars ready for a bigger stage, the offseason shuffle can drastically alter a team’s outlook.
As we look ahead to the 2025 campaign, several programs stand out for how effectively they used the portal to upgrade talent, fill critical needs, and reenergize their depth charts. From playoff hopefuls reloading for a title push to rebuilding Power Four programs making strides, these are the most improved rosters thanks to the portal.
Texas Tech
With 21 total additions, including a country-leading 13 four-stars (per 247 Sports), the Red Raiders and head coach Joey McGuire will look completely different in 2025. Headlined by former Stanford pass-rusher David Bailey, North Carolina offensive tackle David Sampson, and Georgia Tech edge Romello Height, Texas Tech added immediate contributors within the trenches to help improve the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball.
Former five-star wideout Micah Hudson is also considered an addition from the portal. A rostered player for the Red Raiders last fall as a true freshman, Hudson initially committed to Texas A&M in the winter only to de-commit from the Aggies and re-up in his commitment to McGuire’s group. Much is expected from Hudson, the program’s highest ever rated signee, along with the highly touted aforementioned names that will join him in Lubbock this fall.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the signing of offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano, one of the country’s premier small-school transfers out of Illinois State. The versatile presence up front had draftable grades from NFL teams in 2024, and is a player who scouts have circled with a jump in competition coming this fall.
Oregon
The Ducks only added 11 players via the portal, but man oh man did head coach Dan Lanning and Co. add a few contributors whose names we could hear early on the NFL draft in the coming years. Headlined by five-star Nevada transfer OT Isaiah World and Purdue SAF Dillon Thieneman (four-star), Oregon added two of the top available prospects in the entire portal.
World, a massive athlete at 6-foot-8, 315 pounds, is expected to immediately fill the spot of Commanders first-rounder Josh Conerly Jr at left tackle, and Thieneman has already reminded some of former Oregon standout, and Miami Dolphins second-rounder Jevon Holland on the backend.
USC transfer Emmanuel Pregnon joins World along the front five, former Tulane standout Makhi Hughes should slot in right away as RB1—taking over the reigns for Jordan James and Bucky Irving of yesteryear—and WR Malik Benson (Florida State) is a player that should complement the likes of potential first-rounder Evan Stewart on the outside extremely well. The Ducks didn’t throw a ton of proverbial darts at the playing surface in the portal, but they absolutely hit on the players they initially shortlisted.
LSU
Arguably the top transfer class in the country, the Tigers added 18 players, headlined by 12 four-stars. Florida State pass rusher Patrick Payton headlines the group, as a potential game-wrecker at the position who had first-round buzz this time last year. Should he even tease with his performance ceiling this fall in the SEC, Payton could hear his name called very early in next April’s draft.
Oklahoma WR Nic Anderson (6-foot-4) adds verticality to the position that LSU lacked last year after losing Brian Thomas Jr., and former Kentucky WR Barion Brown provides size and explosiveness on the outside as well. Expect Brown to also return punts and kicks at points in 2025 after earning first-team All-SEC honors last fall as a return man.
Corner Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) rounds out the headliners and is a name to know if you’re looking for players to study early for the 2026 NFL Draft. Delane entered the fall last year for the Hokies with day-two grades across the league.
Missouri
The Tigers lost edge Williams Nwaneri to Nebraska but gained arguably the premier athlete in the portal in former Georgia pass-rusher Damon Wilson II. A two-year contributor for the Bulldogs, Wilson amassed 26 pressures last fall but will now be asked to elevate his game to an entirely different level as a junior in 2025.
Small-school RB Ahmad Hardy (Louisiana-Monroe) is expected to challenge for heavy touches, and former Mississippi State WR Kevin Coleman adds experience on the outside for Penn State transfer QB Beau Pribula. Plus, Appalachian State pass-rusher Nate Johnson (10 sacks last two seasons) could be one of the more impactful yet underrated additions in the SEC.
North Carolina
With 41 new faces—yes, 41—it was hard to keep the Tar Heels off the list here. Everyone wants to see what the product looks like come the fall with Bill Belichick at the helm, but it won’t be easy with so many new personalities and skill sets in all three phases of the game. However, there is an intriguing new crop of talent in town.
Washington transfers in DB Thaddeus Dixon and LB Khmori House should immediately improve Belichick’s defense, adding OT Daniel King from Troy adds athleticism up front, and the arrival of veteran and versatile defensive lineman Pryce Yates from UConn (77 career pressures) will help in allowing North Carolina to remain unique in their alignment along the line of scrimmage. In total, the Tar Heels added seven four-stars, 30 three-stars, and four players ranked below the three-star threshold, per 247 Sports.
