Under-the-Radar Impact Transfers for the 2026 College Football Season
The list of transfers in college football only continues to grow every offseason, and that depth of movement can be incredibly difficult to track.
Sure, you're probably familiar with Darian Mensah leaving Duke for Miami. Star receiver Cam Coleman left Auburn for Texas, top safety Koi Perich shifted from Minnesota to Oregon and on and on.
For every Mensah, Coleman and Perich, however, there are many other lesser-known players who seem likely to thrive in a different setting.
And they deserve more attention, too.
These choices are entirely subjective but consider a player's past production, projected role and new team's perceived outlook.
Paki Finau, LT, BYU
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On the heels of a surprisingly strong 2025 campaign, BYU returns an experienced offensive line in front of Bear Bachmeier. The one major vacancy, though—left tackle—is an awfully impactful one.
Paki Finau, it appears, has already calmed those concerns.
While at Washington last season, he primarily played left guard but moonlighted at left and right tackle. Finau quickly caught the attention of BYU coaches this spring as the potential replacement for left tackle Isaiah Jatta.
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said Finau had commanded the first-string reps and played very well, per Jay Drew of the Deseret News.
Bachmeier's blind-side protector, Finau is BYU's final piece up front.
Turbo Richard, RB, Indiana
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Not only did Indiana lose Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, this offense is down a couple of key runners.
Roman Hemby led the Hoosiers with 1,120 yards and earned seven touchdowns, while Kaelon Black—a third-round NFL draft pick—rushed for 1,040 yards and a team-high 10 scores. They left a sizable void in the backfield, even as Khobie Martin returns after providing 505 yards in a depth role.
Indiana wasted no time, though, and snapped up Turbo Richard.
Last season, he managed 749 yards on the ground at 5.2 per carry, reeled in 30 passes for 213 yards and totaled 11 trips to the end zone. Boston College had a terrible year at 2-10, yet Richard stood out anyway.
Richard is expected to serve as IU's primary back while Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers aim to defend their national title.
Jayce Brown, WR, LSU
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Lane Kiffin reshaped the LSU roster through the transfer portal, attracting big names like quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, edge-rusher Princewill Umanmielen, safety Ty Benefield and more.
Something you might've missed in that overhaul is how Kiffin's staff completely revamped the receiving corps.
And it would be smart to keep an eye on Jayce Brown.
Following a 400-yard freshman year at Kansas State in 2023, he produced 700-plus yards in each of the last two seasons. Brown caught 13 touchdowns in that span, adding a 75-yard rushing score on a direct snap, too.
Brown's big-play ability—he posted 17.1 yards per reception with K-State—should be on display at LSU this fall.
Christian Alliegro, LB, Ohio State
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How exactly Ohio State deploys its linebacker depth is a fascinating question, and those answers obviously will determine snap shares.
That disclaimer aside, the Buckeyes are certain to use Christian Alliegro.
In the spring, the Wisconsin transfer worked at linebacker next to Payton Pierce and also contributed on the edge. Ohio State essentially plugged him into the role vacated by top NFL draft pick Arvell Reese.
The idea is sensible, given Alliegro's production. He notched a combined 119 tackles with 13 for loss (eight sacks) over the last two seasons.
Alliegro can become a valuable, versatile part of an annually stout OSU defense.
Kendrick Raphael, RB, SMU
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Miami is comfortably viewed as the consensus ACC favorite, but it would be foolish to quickly write off SMU.
During the last three seasons under Rhett Lashlee—previously the Miami OC—the Mustangs have compiled a 31-10 record. They won the American in 2023, finished as the ACC runner-up with a College Football Playoff berth in 2024 and narrowly missed a return trip to the conference title game in 2025.
Running back Kendrick Raphael is set to bolster that championship drive.
TJ Harden and Chris Johnson Jr. combined for 1,545 scrimmage yards and 15 trips to the end zone last season, but they've moved to the NFL and Clemson, respectively. Raphael, meanwhile, put up 1,188 yards and 14 touchdowns in a breakout year at Cal (after transferring from North Carolina State).
Raphael and veteran QB Kevin Jennings can be the foundation of SMU making another serious charge in the ACC.
Bo Mascoe, CB, Texas
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Texas knew it would have to replace Malik Muhammad and Jaylon Guilbeau, the mainstays at cornerback for last season's team.
But would the replacements come internally or via the portal?
Fortunately for the Longhorns, it seems Bo Mascoe—from the latter route, obviously—has emerged as a solution.
An honorable mention All-Big Ten pick in 2025, he brings much-needed experience to a youth-filled unit. Mascoe started two years at Rutgers, hitting the 50-tackle mark in both seasons with two interceptions and nine breakups.
Amid the Horns' dreams of a championship-worthy run, Mascoe will be a critical factor on the back end of the defense.
Sahir West, Edge, UCLA
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If you closely followed Bob Chesney's hiring at UCLA or the Sun Belt in general, Sahir West is unequivocally not an under-the-radar name.
That's a relatively narrow crowd, though. And you need to know him.
After taking a redshirt at James Madison in 2024, the edge-rusher ascended to cornerstone status last season. He racked up 45 tackles with 14 for loss (seven sacks), winning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
West followed his coach to UCLA, which closed the 2025 campaign with the absolute fewest TFLs (40) and sacks (10) in the nation.
Safe to say UCLA expects West to contribute immediately.
Abu Sama III, RB, Wisconsin
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In monstrously atypical fashion, the ground game at Wisconsin stunk in 2025.
Darrion Dupree paced the Badgers with 363 yards, an unfathomable number for a program that has produced some of college football's most productive running backs for three decades. We're talking horrendously bad.
Blame coaching, the offensive scheme, the blocking—all fair, no problem. But it certainly doesn't hurt to bring in a veteran like Abu Sama III.
Previously at Iowa State, he scampered for 614 yards as a freshman with 587 and 732 yards, respectively, in 2024 and 2025. While that production is not overwhelming, he has also handled 20-plus carries in a single game.
Sama offers a veteran presence, yet physically he should be able to handle a high share of carries. This offense desperately needs that spark in the backfield.
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