With the winter transfer window behind us and just three games left in the College Football Playoff, the large majority of top transfer prospects have already entered the portal and committed to a new team. Winners during the transfer window have emerged but so have losers.
This week, we take a look at the winter transfer window winners and losers in each Power Four conference. Up next is the SEC.
RELATED: Big Ten winners and losers from transfer portal's winter window
MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer Team Ranking | Football Player Ranking
WINNERS
Auburn and head coach Hugh Freeze were prepared to be one of the most active teams in this transfer portal cycle and they have lived up to the hype. The Tigers are adding top five transfer prospect Eric Singleton Jr. to their already incredibly talented receiver room and are bringing in two quarterbacks – No. 10 transfer prospect Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and Ashton Daniels from Stanford.
Auburn is also getting two more top-50 transfer prospects in former Virginia Tech offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin and defensive back Raion Strader from Miami (Ohio).
Look for former UConn running back Durrell Robinson, a four-star transfer prospect, and Horatio Fields from Wake Forest to get their fair share of touches for Auburn this season. Linebacker Xavier Atkins from LSU was a nice addition, as well.
Brian Kelly and the Tigers have reloaded at every key position during this transfer window. LSU signed three receivers led by Barion Brown, Nic Anderson and Destyn Hill. Brown is a top-10 transfer prospect and Anderson ranks inside the top 30. Michael Van Buren played in nine games for Mississippi State as a freshman this season and flashed high-end abilities but now he’s set to learn the LSU system behind Garrett Nussmeier next season.
Offensive lineman Josh Thompson is heading from Northwestern to Baton Rouge. He and Van Buren are both top-40 transfer prospects. LSU also has four top-100 transfers on the way to help solidify the defense in Mansoor Delane, Ja’Keem Jackson, Patrick Payton and Jack Pyburn.
The Sooners have an excellent defense but this past season was derailed by the offense and the quarterback situation. This offseason head coach Brent Venables brought in new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle from Washington State to help right the ship but the big prize is quarterback John Mateer, the No. 1 overall transfer prospect this cycle and the main reason Oklahoma is on this list.
He should take over the starting role next year and make everyone forget the dismal 2024 season along with the many talented players the Sooners have lost to the transfer portal. Defensive Swiss Army knife Kendal Daniels and offensive lineman Derek Simmons are both top 40 transfer prospects on their way to Norman as well.
Lane Kiffin is living up to his “Portal King” nickname again this season. The Rebels are losing a lot on the defensive front and they’ve done a good job of landing some excellent prospects to backfill those positions. Da’Shawn Womack, the No. 4 defensive end in the transfer rankings, and linebacker Princewill Umanmielen, the No. 1 linebacker in the transfer rankings, are both top-20 transfer prospects in the overall rankings. Ole Miss also signed No. 4 linebacker Andrew Jones out of Grambling State.
The prolific Ole Miss receiving corps is getting another boost in talent with the arrival of De’Zhaun Stribling from Oklahoma State and Caleb Odom from Alabama. Each of these players are top-100 transfer prospects and so are tight end Luke Hasz and offensive lineman Delano Townsend.
Familiar names such as Sage Ryan from LSU, Jaylon Braxton and Patrick Kutas from Arkansas and touted true freshman Kewan Lacy from Missouri have transferred to Ole Miss as well.
The Aggies are riding with Marcel Reed at quarterback and Texas A&M has made an effort to add elite receiver talent through the transfer portal. Head coach Mike Elko and company have signed five-star receiver and No. 3 overall transfer prospect Micah Hudson along with Kevin Concepcion, a top-10 overall transfer prospect. Mario Craver from Mississippi State is a top-100 transfer prospect and another strong addition to Texas A&M’s receiver room.
The Aggies made a splash with defensive transfers Julian Humphrey and Samuel M’Pemba from Georgia. T.J. Searcy from Florida and Dayon Hayes from Colorado, and Tyler Onyedim along with M’Pemba are slated to shore up the defensive line in College Station.
Former Washington defensive back Jordan Shaw will join Humphrey in the Texas A&M secondary next season.
LOSERS
Kentucky’s roster is going to look a lot different next season due to expiring eligibility and the transfer portal. It is very difficult for a team to replace players such as Barion Brown and Dane Key. They were two of the most sought after players in the transfer portal this cycle. Defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver fits into that category as well. There are more than a dozen other players who have left Kentucky for the transfer portal.
The Volunteers are more than capable of making waves in the transfer portal but they haven’t really made their move yet. Instead they’ve watched close to 20 players leave via the transfer portal.
Tennessee was able to keep former five-star high school signee and true freshman Mike Matthews from hitting the portal even after he announced his intention to transfer but the Vols weren’t able to retain touted receivers Squirrel White and freshman Nathan Leacock.
Some of the other players that have left Tennessee aren’t as highly rated but the sheer number leaving compared to just two transfer additions puts the Vols in this category.
