Portal names to watch
Listing the top 25 players in the portal right now
The portal window is open for the first time since last offseason, and players have taken advantage of it. 538 players entered the portal on Day 1, and that number has ballooned to 1,168 entrants, according to On3. With so many in the portal, which ones are the biggest impact players? Let’s break down the Top 25 players to enter the portal during the window’s opening week.
1. Walter Nolen, DL Texas A&M
Key 2023 Stats: 11 games played, 37 tackles, 4 sacks
Nolen is the consensus top prospect in the portal, ranked as a five-star once again by On3 and 247. He’s a two-year player on the defensive line for the Aggies, and has two more years of eligibility left. He was a top five prospect two years ago and the Tennessee native has a ton of interest already.
2. Dante Moore, QB UCLA
Key 2023 stats: Nine games (five stats), 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 53.5% completions
Moore was Chip Kelly’s top recruit at quarterback this side of Marcus Mariota, but now finds himself in the portal after an up-and-down true freshman season. He’s not a five-star anymore, carrying a high four-star rating, but coaches will see past that to find a young, raw quarterback that has Power Five experience. Expect Moore to be the biggest quarterback domino in the portal.
3. Cameron Ward, QB Washington State
Key 2023 stats: 12 starts, 3,732 yards, 25 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 66.7% completions
Ward is no stranger to the portal, landing at Wazzu in 2022 after two seasons as FCS Incarnate Word. He’s a graduate transfer with only one year of eligibility remaining, but he’s ready to step into a starting role. He’s topped 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns each season at Washington State and improved his stats across the board in 2023. Ward is expected to sign with Florida State.
4. Antwane “Juice” Wells, WR South Carolina
Key 2023 stats: 3 catches, 37 yards, 1 touchdown (missed season with foot injury)
Wells is the top wideout on the market even after missing most of 2023 with a foot injury, but he’s put up big numbers in the past. He’s a two-time transfer with three years of eligibility left. Right now, both 247 Sports and On3 have Wells likely signing with Ole Miss, who will be getting a premier receiver.
5. Trevor Etienne, RB Florida
Key 2023 stats: 131 carries, 735 yards, 8 touchdowns, 21 receptions, 172 yards, 1 touchdown
The younger brother of NFL star Travis Etienne, Trevor is looking for his next landing spot after two seasons at Florida. Etienne is a dynamic back that’s good both on the ground and through the air. He has two years remaining and a redshirt. Etienne is expected to sign with Georgia as their next feature back, per On3.
6. Riley Leonard, QB Duke
Key 2023 stats: Seven starts, 1,102 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, 57.6% completion
Leonard was dealing with injuries the second half of the season, but was a force to be reckoned with early on. He had a shot as a Day 1 or 2 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, but elected to return for his final year of eligibility. He’s a dual-threat that takes care of the football. Leonard announced on his Instagram that he is committing to Notre Dame and will be the successor to Sam Hartman.
7. Aidan Chiles, QB Oregon State
Key 2023 stats: Nine appearances, 309 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, 24-35 completions.
Chiles, a true freshman, didn’t see much action in 2023 behind D.J. Uiagalelei, but he was effective in limited snaps. He’s a very athletic dual-threat quarterback who also played basketball in high school, and took care of the ball in his first collegiate action. Chiles is following his head coach, Jonathan Smith, to Michigan State where he should be the starting quarterback.
8. Princely Umanmielen, EDGE Florida
Key 2023 stats: 11 starts, 39 tackles, 7.0 sacks
Umanmielen is the top edge rusher in this transfer portal class, and for good reason. He was all over the backfield this season, notching seven sacks, a career high. While he didn’t force any turnovers, he has three forced fumbles to his name in his time in The Swamp. On3 projects that Umanmielen is heading to Ole Miss after his official visit on Tuesday.
9. Nyland Green, CB Georgia
Key 2023 stats: Five games played, seven tackles, one pass defensed
Green doesn’t have a ton of playing experience, but he projects well. A former five-star prospect, Green drew comparisons to A.J. Terrell with his lean build and smooth coverage skills. He’s more confident in man-to-man coverage and flashes great ball skills. Green has two more years of eligibility.
10. Trey Moore, EDGE UTSA
Key 2023 stats: 12 games played, 45 tackles, 14.0 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception, three passes defensed
Moore is third in the nation in sacks with 14.0 and carries a statline better than Umanmielen. He’s a the AAC Defensive Player of the Year this season and was named to Freshman All-American teams by the Football Writers Association of America, The Athletic and College Football News. On3 has Moore listed as a soft commit to Texas.
11. Will Howard, QB Kansas State
Key 2023 stats: 12 starts, 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 61.3% completion
Howard has thrived in Collin Klein’s offense the past two seasons, keeping Kansas State near the top of the Big 12. He brings a ton of starting experience and is a dual-threat that’s just as comfortable throwing as he is running. He’s also improved a ton the past two seasons in taking care of the football, only tossing 14 interceptions in 574 attempts. Howard is a graduate transfer with one year remaining and is drawing interest from Miami and USC.
12. Marvin Jones Jr., EDGE Georgia
Key 2023 stats: 12 games, 12 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Jones is a very athletic rusher, converting from wide receiver to edge in high school. His pass rush moves are still very raw, but he has elite speed on the edge to blow past tackles. He’s got a long 6’5” frame that shortens the rush and helps him get to the quarterback. But Jones is still incredibly raw, even after two years at Georgia.
13. Dillon Gabriel, QB Oklahoma
Key 2023 stats: 12 starts, 3,660 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, 69.3% completion
There was a moment after Red River where Gabriel was in the Heisman conversation. That dwindled after struggles against UCF, Kansas and Oklahoma State, but he still posted an excellent season. Gabriel is an experienced dual-threat quarterback that should fit in well at his new home in Oregon as the successor to Bo Nix.
14. Andrew Mukuba, S Clemson
Key 2023 stats: 10 games played, nine starts, 42 tackles, six passes defensed
Mukuba is the top coverage safety in the portal as a graduate transfer from Clemson. He’s incredibly athletic and plays a great center field role on the back end of the Tigers’ defense. He was a Freshman All-American in 2021 and has 31 starts to his name across his Clemson career. He’s being heavily pursued by Texas and Ole Miss.
15. Kamari Ramsey, S UCLA
Key 2023 stats: 11 starts, 40 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one interception, four passes broken up
Where Mukuba is a coverage safety, Ramsey is a hybrid. He shined as a tackler, posting eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Oregon State. He also had six tackles in games against San Diego State and Utah. Ramsey carries three more years of eligibility.
16. Chase Bisontis, T Texas A&M
Key 2023 stats: 12 starts
Bisontis held down the right tackle position for the Aggies all season as a true freshman, and is the top offensive tackle in the portal. I expect most every top school to be in on him. He’s got a big frame that projects well at the next level at 6’6”, 320 lbs. On3 projects Bisontis to commit to LSU with three years of eligibility remaining.
17. Joey Slackman, DL Penn
Key 2023 stats: Nine games, 115 tackles, 25 TFL, 11.0 sacks, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one blocked field goal
Every year, there’s an FCS transfer that comes out of nowhere to star at a Power Five school. Right now, I’m telling you it’ll be Slackman. He dominated the Ivy League the past four years, earning All-Ivy honors the past two seasons and the 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award. Most of the nation is in on Slackman, but right now it seems like Auburn and Florida are ahead of the rest of the pack for the graduate transfer.
18. London Humphries, WR Vanderbilt
Key 2023 stats: 12 games, five starts, 22 receptions, 439 yards, four touchdowns
Vanderbilt isn’t the place many people would look for explosive players, but Humphries showed he had that skillset his freshman season. He earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a consistent deep threat, notching multiple catches over 25 yards. He was also the Tennessee State Champion in long jump his sophomore year of high school, jumping 23’3”. 247 projects Humphries as a soft commit to Georgia.
19. Maalik Murphy, QB Texas
Key 2023 stats: Seven games, two stats, 477 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions, 40-71 pasing
It was assumed that Murphy would end up in the portal as soon as Steve Sarkisian landed Arch Manning, and here he is. Murphy played admirably when Quinn Ewers was out with a shoulder injury, completing 57.7 percent of his passes for 418 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions against BYU and Kansas State. Murphy is a pocket passer, but has a massive arm. If he can learn how to put touch on his balls at his next stop, he’ll be a dangerous passer.
20. Tyler Baron, EDGE Tennessee
Key 2023 stats: 12 games, 28 tackles, 10.5 TFL, six sacks, two passes defensed, one fumble recovery
Baron has shown a penchant for terrorizing opposing offenses in his four years at Tennessee, especially in the run game. He’s posted at least five tackles for loss each of the past three seasons. Baron was named to this year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl Midseason All-America Team and named to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. The graduate transfer is projected to sign with Ole Miss, per On3.
21. R.J. Oben, EDGE Duke
Key 2023 stats: 12 games, 17 tackles, six TFL, 5.0 sacks, one pass defensed
Oben, a graduate transfer, was one of the most decorated edge rushers in Duke history, sitting at seventh in Blue Devil history in forced fumbles and became the 17th Duke player with 11.5 sacks. He’s more a true defensive end than stand-up rusher, but fit in well in Mike Elko’s defense. Oben has committed to Notre Dame for his final season.
22. Toriano Pride, CB Clemson
Key 2023 stats: 12 games, one start, 14 tackles, one TFL, four passes defensed
Pride has mostly served as a rotational corner for the Tigers and is a tad undersized at 5’11”, 190 lbs., but has shown good ball skills. He’s notched nine pass breakups across 26 games with Clemson and one interception in 2022. Pride has solid man coverage skill sand elite hip movement and change of direction. He’s raw, but could develop into a very solid man corner. Pride has committed to Missouri.
23. Kyle McCord, QB Ohio State
Key 2023 stats: 12 starts, 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions, 66% completions
McCord had an up-and-down season as the successor to C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, entering the portal with one year of eligibility remaining. He started slow most games, and didn’t shine in the big matchups against Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan, throwing two picks in The Game, including a game-sealing interception. There’s no disputing the New Jersey native is talented, though. Right now, his recruitment is wide open after Nebraska has moved off of his trail.
24. Matthew Golden, WR Houston
Key 2023 stats: Nine games, 38 catches, 404 yards, six touchdowns; nine kick returns, 321 yards, two touchdowns
Golden is an elite return man, even in limited attempts, with two touchdowns in only nine returns. He also has big play potential in the passing game, finding the end zone six times. Perhaps the best game of his season came against Texas, where Golden hauled in seven catches for 88 yards and two scores. Speaking of Texas, On3 projects Golden to the Longhorns. He has two years of eligibility remaining
25. Justin Joly, TE UConn
Key 2023 stats: None
Joly has yet to debut in college, but the 6’3” tight end is very talented. He’s already picked up offers from NC State, Houston and Tennessee. 247Sports and On3 both list Joly as a four-star prospect, earning a 92 grade at each site.