2026 Impact CFB Transfer Targets Who Can Still Move This Offseason
The transfer portal picture is much clearer than it was just a few days ago as Friday came and went, and things are now closed down.
Players from Miami and Indiana can still go public with their portal entries, and if the paperwork began before Friday, there will be some last-minute decisions. But none of this means the annual portal frenzy free-for-all is over.
There are still plenty of impact players in the portal who could be massive difference-makers for their new teams next year. A few on the list will have important asterisks by their names, so it's important to read some of the fine print.
That's the thing about the Wild, Wild West. There are really no rules in the transfer portal, and even where there are some, they're difficult to enforce. In some cases, there could even be legal ramifications.
All that's for another article, though. In this case, let's look at some names currently in the portal who will have a major impact for their next teams.
Nico Brown, Wide Receiver
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Say what you want to about the ills of the transfer portal because there are many. It needs some sort of regulation, or it's going to get even more out of hand.
However, even though there's little fairness in the portal game, there are some feel-good stories that emerge each year.
Nico Brown is a perfect example. The hyper-productive Ivy League pass-catcher from Yale had 71 catches, 1,085 yards and 11 TDs this year in just 10 games playing basically out of the public eye.
He did get a pretty darn good education in the process, though.
Now, though, he is leaving the Bulldogs and trying his hand at the big-time. At 6'0", 185 pounds, he doesn't have explosive athleticism, but he just makes plays. And teams are taking notice, coveting a veteran with a year of eligibility remaining.
Brown has visited Jedd Fisch's program at Washington, and he's also interested in UCLA. Additionally, he's got important visits scheduled with Alabama and Virginia. He'd be a fun follow on the big stage next year and can be a steady weapon for a contender.
Walker Eget, Quarterback
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If you like to stay up late on Saturday nights and squeeze every morsel out of every college football Saturday like I do, you've probably seen former San Jose State signal-caller Walker Eget flinging darts around the football field.
Now, the 6'3", 223-pound quarterback is in the transfer portal for his final year of ball, and it's a bit surprising that he hasn't had a ton of interest. Somebody is going to get a potential instant starter with a ton of experience.
He'd be a good fit on a Power Four program like Stanford, which is 20 or so miles from where he played for the Spartans. Right now, there hasn't been a lot of buzz about Eget's potential destinations, which is odd.
Eget was 232-of-393 for 3,051 yards, threw 17 TDs and nine interceptions in 2025. For his career, Eget is 421-of-730 passing for 5,563 yards and 30 TDs with 19 interceptions.
Yes, he puts the ball in harm's way too often, and he's not mobile at all. But he makes big plays and has led explosive offenses. Teams still looking for somebody to compete could do much worse.
Trequan Jones, Running Back
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The other running back on this list may not be as highly sought-after as Makhi Frazier, but Trequan Jones still has a lot to offer a new team.
He was a big part of the Old Dominion Monarchs' offensive turnaround this year alongside quarterback Colton Joseph, and both of those playmakers parlayed that Group of Five success into bigger and better things.
Joseph will be Luke Fickell's new signal-caller at Wisconsin, and it was initially expected that Jones would be playing for Mike Locksley, also in the Big Ten at Maryland. But after committing to the Terrapins, Jones changed his mind and is still looking.
The 5'9", 183-pound Florida native finished this season with 792 yards and six scores and has a season of eligibility remaining. You have to think he'd at least enjoy some attention from the Miami Hurricanes, which are near his home. Jones could team with Mark Fletcher Jr. for a championship-caliber 1-2 punch next year.
Teams like Michigan State (with the spot Frazier vacated up for grabs), Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have been mentioned as potential landing areas for Jones, but nothing is finalized just yet.
Cayden Lee, Wide Receiver
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With Trinidad Chambliss looking like he's fighting an uphill battle for eligibility, the Ole Miss quarterback room looks murky for 2026. Incoming talented transfer Deuce Knight and veteran Walker Howard join AJ Maddox and Maealiuaki Smith in that battle.
But for a rising star pass-catcher with one season of eligibility remaining, that uncertainty has to be troubling, which is why Cayden Lee is in the portal.
The 5'11", 175-pound target was a huge part of the Rebels' College Football Playoff run, catching 44 passes for 635 yards and three touchdowns.
He envisions having a big year and taking off to the NFL after surging up draft boards, and some quality team is going to give him a bunch of money. Lee's early list of suitors is developing.
Georgia and has been mentioned early since Zachariah Branch is off to the NFL. Lee is a similar player who can step into that role and be a weapon for Gunner Stockton. Missouri is another major contender, too, as the Tigers have former Rebel QB Austin Simmons.
You know Lane Kiffin is going to try to convince Lee to come to LSU, too. So, Lee is the top wide receiver in the portal, and everybody is going to be wondering where he winds up or if he stays at Ole Miss, depending on the Chambliss situation.
Kamauryn Morgan, Edge
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Much like Trequan Jones, Kamauryn Morgan's '26 destination seemed all set just a few days ago after the former Baylor edge-rusher had made the decision to join James Franklin's first-year program at Virginia Tech.
But Morgan's plans wound up falling through. According to VTScoop's Kolby Crawford, "Sources have confirmed that the decision was tied to issues related to enrollment through the admissions process, rather than anything football-related."
Now, somebody is going to get an extremely talented youngster with his best football ahead and the ability to make plays for three more seasons on the collegiate level.
The 6'5", 251-pound edge/outside linebacker from Texas is one of the players who has a huge, high upside but is all about potential right now—not production. As a freshman in '25, he had six tackles and appeared in five games.
Some of the schools that could potentially get in the mix for Morgan that were mentioned as potential visit spots before he committed to the Hokies were Texas A&M, SMU, Kentucky and California.
Darian Mensah, Quarterback
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The most buzz-worthy player in this year's transfer portal is Darian Mensah, and there's not much question where he's going.
A year ago, it was big news when Duke tabbed Mensah—then a redshirt freshman standout at Tulane—as its $4 million quarterback. He promptly led a team not expected to do much to an ACC title.
Now, after Miami struck out in trying to lure Ty Simpson or Sam Leavitt to The U, the Hurricanes are the rumored destination, offering Mensah a record one-year NIL total to follow in the footsteps of Cam Ward and Carson Beck.
You can't really blame Mensah for following generational wealth. But his 11th-hour move when Duke can't replace him in the portal is everything that's wrong with the portal. Now, what do the Blue Devils do?
For the Hurricanes—if they are indeed the destination—what a last-minute coup! Mensah is an NFL talent, standing 6'3", 205 pounds and is a mass-producer who completed nearly 67 percent of his passes in Durham for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
With the Green Wave, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He'll be a star in Coral Gables if he goes there, as everybody expects.
Parker Navarro, Quarterback
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There's a potentially massive quarterback in the portal with an equally massive asterisk by his name.
That would be former All-MAC signal-caller Parker Navarro, who would be a late-find jewel for a team looking to fortify its QB room. He's got Power Four potential, and the veteran dual-threat playmaker would have a bunch of suitors.
The issue, though, is he's seeking a seventh season of eligibility from the NCAA, and waivers like that are so hard to come by. So, it's difficult to know Navarro's market right now.
If that waiver comes, he'll wind up a starter at a major program; you can bet on that.
In the past two years at the helm of the Bobcats, Navarro—who began his career at UCF where he was recruited by now-Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel (who may need another quarterback, despite signing Colorado backup Ryan Staub)—has 5,030 passing yards, 2,168 rushing yards and has accounted for 60 touchdowns.
The MAC isn't the Power Four, but production like that translates. Tons of programs would love to give him a shot if he's granted one more year to make his mark.
Jordan Seaton, Offensive Tackle
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There's no bigger portal prize remaining than rising junior offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, who has early NFL draft pick potential.
Anytime you can get a hulking, 6'5", 330-pound left tackle to be a blindside blocker protecting your quarterback, he's going to demand a ton of money. But getting him can change your program.
Seaton is a former 5-star who stunned everybody by choosing Colorado over several marquee programs a couple of years ago, and despite some expected, early growing pains, he's been pretty darn good in two years in Boulder. He was a second-team All-Big 12 player this season.
Now, Seaton is off to a different spot for what likely will be one year before the NFL. He's already surprisingly visited Mississippi State where his former offensive line coach is. He's also checked out Lane Kiffin's LSU program.
Miami, Texas and Oregon are next on the docket, too. The Bulldogs seem like a long shot, but the Bayou Bengals, Hurricanes and Ducks are massive spenders all the time, and they all badly want Seaton. So, the big tackle is going to get a big paycheck.
Princewill Umanmielen, Edge
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When it comes to asterisks, you have to expect a few in this day and age.
Washington star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. re-upped with the Huskies and seemed all set to return to Seattle for his junior season. But he decided to enter the portal after reportedly getting a big offer from Lane Kiffin at LSU.
Washington threatened to fight Williams legally regarding his contract, and he decided not to rock the boat, retreating back to U-Dub. Now, the same thing is happening with Princewill Umanmielen.
The Ole Miss superstar edge already had announced his return to the Rebels and reportedly signed his contract. He was one of the top defensive playmakers during coach Pete Golding's playoff run, amassing 45 tackles, nine sacks and an interception.
Currently, he's in the portal, but according to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger's Sam Hutchens, the Rebels are challenging that and ready to fight it.
If Umanmielen does ultimately leave, he could command a significant NIL deal at LSU under Kiffin. Others will be involved, too.
This could get messy, or it could go away if he stays in Oxford. Welcome to the portal era, where teams are testing the waters about whether they can fight back a little.
Vasean Washington, Offensive Lineman
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If you want a bit of a sleeper name that's not a stranger to the big-time programs out there, another Ivy League athlete is set to make a large leap on the gridiron in 2026.
Vasean Washington, a 6'5", 290-pound athletic offensive lineman who played at Dartmouth, is looking for a new home to play his final season, much like Yale's Nico Brown.
One of the schools definitely in the mix is the Ohio State Buckeyes, who need offensive line reinforcements.
Washington's versatility has to be attractive to teams, and if the Buckeyes wind up wanting him, you have to think coach Ryan Day's program will be hard to beat.
There haven't been a lot of other teams mentioned for getting his signature. Additionally, considering Washington is originally from Springfield, Ohio, he likely grew up pulling for the Buckeyes or at least being very familiar with them.
Washington played sporadically for the Big Green throughout his first few seasons, but he really broke out this year, and those numbers are pretty impressive that when he was on the field, he was a big-time protector for quarterbacks.
This is a chance for Ohio State (or another team) to fortify its line and for Washington to prove he can play on the biggest stage and perhaps parlay that into making an NFL roster.
Damon Wilson II, Edge
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If you want a player without all the contractual fallout of Princewill Umanmielen who could be a better edge-rusher in '26, look no further than Damon Wilson II.
He was a 5-star high schooler who committed to Georgia, transferred from Athens after a sophomore year that saw him make three sacks and showed out for Missouri in 2025, finishing with 23 tackles, nine sacks and an interception.
The 6'4", 250-pound edge is a productive force who really grew into his potential for Eli Drinkwitz's program, and some powerhouse program is going to give him a massive payday.
LSU doesn't seem to be in the running right now after he visited there. Two of the biggest spenders in today's transfer portal era—the Miami Hurricanes and Texas Tech Red Raiders—are the two teams you hear most in the mix.
With Jacob Rodriguez, John Curry, and David Bailey gone, Texas Tech is positioned to offer a lot of money to pair him with guys like Trey White and Adam Trick, who already are on their way from the portal. The same goes for a Hurricanes program losing Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL.
Wilson is going to be a big win for some lucky team.
