Spring 2025 College Football Transfers Who Will Have Immediate Impact
Although most player movement happens in the winter months, the transfer portal stays plenty busy in the spring.
The latest transfer window began in mid-April, and it moved some big-name players around—or into—the Football Bowl Subdivision. Now-former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was the major name, and several recent all-conference players found a new home, as well.
Although the spring didn't make or break any contender—there's not enough movement in April or May to suggest that—many championship hopefuls added a few pieces to reinforce the roster.
The list is focused on those who should make a substantial impact in 2025, not necessarily the most talented or highest-upside players.
Quarterbacks
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The biggest story of the spring featured Nico Iamaleava taking off from Tennessee—which made the College Football Playoff last season—and landing at UCLA. He'll be the Bruins' starter in 2025 and theoretically beyond.
Otherwise, two newcomers in the ACC could be QB1 this fall.
Gio Lopez left South Alabama for North Carolina, where he could be the starter over Max Johnson as he rehabs from a leg injury.
Syracuse announced Rickie Collins won the position battle this spring, then proceeded to add Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli. His experience with ND may be tough to beat out in this renewed competition.
Offensive Skill Positions
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Most movement at running back, wide receiver and tight end already happened earlier in the offseason. Still, a handful of likely contributors hit the portal.
Jaydn Ott, who exited Cal for Oklahoma, headlines his position in the backfield. Ott dealt with an ankle injury last season but collected at least 1,200 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in the previous two years.
Syracuse saw 900-yard wideout Trebor Pena leave for Penn State. He's a major addition for an offense that struggled at receiver in 2024.
Miami bolstered a thin receiving corps with BYU's Keelan Marion—who's also an All-American kick returner—and Cincinnati's Tony Johnson. Texas brought in a pair of notable pass-catchers with Cal tight end Jack Endries and Stanford receiver Emmett Mosley V, as well.
Tanner Koziol, a two-time All-MAC tight end at Ball State, went to Wisconsin in the winter but transferred again, this time to Houston.
Offensive Linemen
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Sure, it's not a glamorous spot. Piecing together a powerful offensive line can be the foundation of a successful year, though.
Colorado has been active in the portal, as usual, and picked up Memphis departure Xavier Hill. A two-time All-AAC selection, he's likely to start at guard for CU after playing right tackle in about half of the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The spring was unkind to Stanford, which also had versatile lineman Jake Maikkula leave for Oklahoma. He started at all three interior spots with Stanford.
Joe Cotton, a standout left tackle during the last two seasons with South Dakota, is making the FBS leap at Cincinnati. Also in the Big 12, title hopeful Kansas State reinforced its blocking group with Penn State transfer JB Nelson. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten as a starter at left guard in 2023.
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Defensive Linemen and Edge-Rushers
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Avert your eyes, Stanford fans, here's another big departure.
During each of his three campaigns with the Cardinal, David Bailey paced the defense in tackles for loss. The edge-rusher found a big payday at Texas Tech, which has certainly flexed its NIL muscle this offseason.
Four national title hopefuls—Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Texas—made a splash along the defensive front, as well.
Georgia added Army edge-rusher Elo Modozie, a third-team All-AAC selection last season. LSU snagged South Florida defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, and OSU nabbed North Carolina standout Beau Atkinson. Texas pulled in defensive tackle Maraad Watson, a starter for Syracuse as a true freshman.
Rounding out the group is edge TJ Bush Jr., who transferred to Cal after landing second-team All-Conference USA honors with Liberty last season.
Linebackers and Defensive Backs
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Houston's secondary took a hard hit in the spring.
Among several other departures, cornerback Jeremiah Wilson went to Florida State and safety A.J. Haulcy transferred to LSU. They combined for 12 pass breakups and nine of Houston's 12 interceptions last season.
On the bright side, UH improved at linebacker with Jesus Machado. He missed 2024 due to a knee injury but was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2023.
Three more impact linebackers in the portal—Amare Campbell (North Carolina), Andrew Simpson (Boise State) and Mohamed Toure (Rutgers)—are worth monitoring. As of this writing, none have committed.
Julian Neal, a cornerback who initially moved from Fresno State to Stanford, is now expected to start for Arkansas in 2025.
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