1. Walker Howard, QB, LSU
(Photo: Stephen Lew, USA TODAY Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 32
Howard entered the portal last week after playing behind Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier at LSU this season. Three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions point to Ole Miss for the former four-star contender in the Class of 2022. It ranked #91 as a product of Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More. He was the No. 6 quarterback and No. 6 player overall in Louisiana. The young signal caller had many offers as a recruit, receiving scholarships from Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M and USC.
2. Sam Huard, QB, Washington
(Photo: Kim Grinolds/Dawgman, 247Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 115
Huard, the son of former NFL quarterback Brock Huard, was a desirable candidate for the Huskies, but he played behind Michael Penix Jr., who is one of the Heisman front-runners for the 2023 season, and said the season meant something to him .
“I was definitely back and forth,” Huard said. “Before the bowl game, I tended to get into the portal after the season. When I was down there (in San Antonio for Washington’s Alamo Bowl) I said, ‘I love this place a lot’ and it’s been quite a back and forth for the past few weeks and I think I finally made my decision two nights ago made and just decided that this would be my decision and just kind of weighed all the options and tried to take the emotion side of it and look at it from a business point of view as best as possible and just do what I have to do to make it happen to do what is best for me and my life in the moment and my future in college football.
3. Cane Berrong, TE, Notre-Dame
(Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports, 247Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 155
Wisconsin is reportedly in the mix for Berrong, who joined the portal in December. The 6-foot-3, 243-pounder from Hartwell, Georgia, signed with the Fighting Irish as part of the 2021 class but will end his playing career elsewhere. Berrong played in three games in his debut season in 2021. He saw action against Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. In 2022, Berrong appeared in just five snaps. He played in fewer than four games that season.
4. Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma State
(PHOTO: SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN/USA TODAY NETWORK, USA TODAY Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 156
Sanders entered the portal in December after four seasons as Mike Gundy’s starter in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the latest evidence suggests the ex-Cowboys signal-caller may be tied to the SEC. Pete Thamel reported Jan. 2 at College GameDay that Auburn and Ole Miss have expressed interest in Sanders, who led Oklahoma State to 12 wins and a Big 12 Championship Game appearance in the 2021 season. The 6-foot-1,210-pound Sanders started for the Cowboys in each of the last four seasons. He has thrown for 9,553 yards in his career to go along with 67 touchdowns, but those numbers have come with inconsistent play. Turnovers were a problem – especially early in his cowboy career – a Sanders committed 40 interceptions during his Oklahoma state.
5. Truman Jones, DL, Harvard
(Photo: Harvard Athletics)overall transfer rank: No. 190
Florida State and Miami were with Jones early after joining the portal following the 2022 season, according to reports from 247Sports insiders. He was team captain at Harvard that season and led the team with six sacks and 13 tackles to lose in 10 games. He also blocked three kicks against special teams.
6. Marquis Robinson, DL, Auburn
(Photo: Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 198
One of the top-rated players in Auburn’s 2021 class, Robinson entered the portal last January before retiring his name three months later. As a result, he missed all of spring training. He re-entered the portal after the 2022 season in December. Robinson only appeared in two games that season and recorded only two tackles. He was part of a mass exodus of players with intentions to leave Auburn by the end of 2022 following the firing of Bryan Harsin and the hiring of Hugh Freeze.
7. Juan Powell, CB, ECU
(Photo: Stephen Igoe, 247Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 215
Powell, a part-time launch guard and cornerback with ECU, entered the portal on January 6th. Powell spent the last four seasons with the Pirates, amassing 113 tackles, 3.5 tackles for losses, two picks and four pass breakups. He has two years left to play. Stephen Igoe noted that according to sources, “Powell left the team at halftime in the Birmingham Bowl win over Coastal Carolina on December 28 in the second half and was absent from the post-game celebration.”
8. Chance Nolan, QB, Oregon State
(Photo: Jaime Valdez, USA TODAY Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 274
Nolan is one of the most proven passers in the transfer portal and is currently rated as the fourth best available quarterback. Nolan, a 12-game starter for the Beavers in 2021, threw for 2,677 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 64.7% of his passes. He also ranked 31st nationally on ESPN’s QBR metric.
“As a more experienced guy, I’m really just looking for the fit that allows me to showcase my skills as a playmaker,” Nolan said in an interview with 247Sports’ Chris Hummer. “I have big ambitions to play at the next level and I want to help make a program better.”
9. Chris Thomas, DL, Fla
(Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)overall transfer rank: No. 275
According to Swamp247, Thomas’ only season in Florida under the tutelage of head coach Billy Napier was quite unconventional. Along with wide receiver Fenley Graham and security Mordecai McDaniel, Thomas was one of three players fired from the team on June 22 because Swamp247 was described by multiple sources as a disciplinary issue. Thomas, a former three-star contender from Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar, ranked 441st overall and 54th among defenders in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports.