In the ever-changing, topsy-turvy world of college athletics, the veritable player swap between Tennessee and UCLA that unfolded over the weekend reinforced the uniqueness of these teams. The toppling dominoes that sent Volunteer quarterback Nico Iamaleava into the transfer portal and back to his native California, where the Bruins seem to have accepted him with open arms, pushed quarterback Joey Aguilar, himself a transfer from Appalachian State, in the opposite direction to fill the vacancy at Tennessee. To the outside world — and even, perhaps, to those on the inside — this felt like the collegiate equivalent of a trade. 

Though the transfer portal remains open until April 25, it’s hard to imagine anything topping the cyclone of quarterback drama that captivated the sport last week. Anyone interested in changing schools and guaranteeing eligibility for the 2025 season must enter the portal by Friday, the conclusion of a 10-day window that began on April 16, though destinations don’t need to be selected any time soon. So in that regard, the process of roster building and depth chart tweaking will likely continue for another few weeks. 

To catch up on all the shuffling that has taken place during the offseason, which began, in many ways, with the December portal window, FOX Sports put together a team-by-team look at how lineups have been reshaped in the Big Ten. Teams are listed in alphabetical order, with the first half of the league covered earlier this week and the second half covered below.

Here’s where things stood as of Wednesday morning:

National transfer class rank: 43

Big Ten rank: 12

Incoming transfers — 6

• RB CJ Donaldson Jr. (West Virginia)
• OT Phillip Daniels (Minnesota)
• Edge Logan George (Idaho State)
• LB Ty Howard (Duquesne)
• OT Ethan Onianwa (Rice)
• TE Max Klare (Purdue)

Biggest arrival: Based solely on rankings, former Purdue tight end Max Klare would be considered the Buckeyes‘ most important newcomer. Klare, who caught 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns last season, is viewed by 247Sports as the No. 17 overall player in the portal and the No. 1 option at his position. But when it comes to volume of touches, it’s unlikely that Klare will see the ball as often as running back CJ Donaldson Jr., the former West Virginia standout expected to assume a featured role at Ohio State. Donaldson spent the last two seasons splitting time with speedster Jahiem White in a highly effective tandem for the Mountaineers that combined for 1,579 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2024 and 1,640 yards with 15 scores in 2023. The departures of running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, both of whom left for the NFL Draft, create a major void in the Ohio State backfield. Donaldson, a senior and the No. 10 tailback in the portal, is far and away the team’s most experienced player at that position. 

Outgoing transfers — 14

• LS Morrow Evans (Uncommitted)
• DL Hero Kanu (Texas)
• CB Calvin Simpson-Hunt (Baylor)
• Edge Mitchell Melton (Virginia)
• TE Patrick Gurd (Cincinnati)
• OT George Fitzpatrick (Kansas State)
• OT Zen Michalski (Indiana)
• S Jayden Bonsu (Pittsburgh)
• QB Air Noland (South Carolina)
• OT Miles Walker (Boise State)
• QB Devin Brown (California)
• WR Kojo Antwi (Colorado State)
• WR Jayden Ballard (Wisconsin)
• LB Gabe Powers (Kansas State)

Biggest loss: With the entirety of Ohio State’s national championship-winning defensive line turning pro after last season — edge rushers Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau; defensive tackles Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams — it’s fair to assume the Buckeyes would have liked to retain interior lineman Hero Kanu for another season. At 6-feet-5 and 305 pounds, Kanu, who only began playing organized football in 2021, has both the size and strength to play multiple positions depending on the defensive front. But Kanu found himself stuck in a loaded position room that also included talented youngsters Kayden McDonald (216 snaps) and Eddrick Houston (141 snaps), both of whom wound up eclipsing his playing time (124 snaps) last season. He logged just 230 snaps across three seasons for the Buckeyes and left the program having recorded a single sack. That he was still viewed as the No. 211 overall prospect in the portal and the No. 32 defensive lineman speaks to the potential coaches believe Kanu still has. 

National transfer class rank: 4

Big Ten rank: 1

Incoming transfers — 10

• IOL Emmanuel Pregnon (USC)
• RB Makhi Hughes (Tulane)
• WR Malik Benson (Florida State)
• CB Jadon Canady (Ole Miss)
• TE Jamari Johnson (Louisville)
• OT Isaiah World (Nevada)
• DL Bear Alexander (USC)
• OT Alex Harkey (Texas State)
• S Dillon Thieneman (Purdue)
• CB Theran Johnson (Northwestern)

Biggest arrival: There weren’t many bright spots for a Purdue team that finished 1-11 overall and winless in conference play last season, with a defense that ranked 124th nationally in yards per game (454.9) and 131st in scoring (39.9 points per game) — except, of course, for safety Dillon Thieneman. A former three-star recruit, Thieneman had already exploded onto the national scene in 2023 with a remarkable freshman campaign that included 106 tackles, six interceptions and two forced fumbles, all of which earned him third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. He followed up with 104 tackles and seven passes defended while finishing as the Boilermakers‘ highest-rated defensive back by Pro Football Focus last season. Thieneman quickly became one of the more sought-after transfers once head coach Ryan Walters was fired, as both Oregon and Ohio State were in hot pursuit. He committed to the Ducks as the No. 12 overall player and No. 1 safety in the portal, headlining a transfer class for head coach Dan Lanning that sits atop the Big Ten rankings. 

Outgoing transfers — 13

• CB Rodrick Pleasant (Uncommitted)
• OT George Silva (Uncommitted)
• DL My’Keil Gardner (Arizona State)
• WR Ryan Pellum (Uncommitted)
• P Tyler Kinsman (Uncommitted)
• K Grant Meadors (Sacramento State)
• QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (California)
• Edge Jaeden Moore (Pittsburgh)
• CB Khamari Terrell (Texas State)
• Edge Emar’rion Winston (Baylor)
• S Tyler Turner (Baylor)
• Edge Jaxson Jones (Utah)
• OT Shaq McRoy (Arkansas)

Biggest loss: In a reflection of how strong Lanning’s culture has become at Oregon — and, it must be said, how deep the program’s NIL coffers truly are — nobody who entered the portal was a regular contributor for the Ducks aside from edge rusher Emar’rion Winston, the fourth-best player on the depth chart. Winston (245 snaps) made just eight tackles while playing behind stars Teitum Tuioti (611 snaps), Matayo Uiagalelei (600 snaps) and Jordan Burch (426 snaps). Which means the biggest loss is probably blue-chip quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, an early enrollee who spent less than a month with the Ducks this past winter. Sagapolutele, who is the No. 7 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting cycle, originally committed to California on July 8, 2024, a pledge he maintained for five months before ultimately flipping to Oregon. His marriage with the Ducks would prove exceedingly brief amid a crowded quarterback room that features Dante Moore (former five-star prospect), Austin Novosad (former four-star prospect) and Akili Smith Jr. (former four-star prospect), and now Sagopolutele is back with the Golden Bears. 

National transfer class rank: 75

Big Ten rank: 17

Incoming transfers — 6

• S King Mack (Alabama)
• DL Owen Wafle (Michigan)
• WR Devonte Ross (Troy)
• Edge Enai White (Texas A&M)
• IOL TJ Shanahan (Texas A&M)
• WR Kyron Hudson (USC)

Biggest arrival: Here’s a trivia question for all the Penn State fans out there: Which returning player on the Nittany Lions‘ roster had the most receiving yards last season? Answer: Running back Nicholas Singleton, who caught 41 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns. The departure of All-American tight end Tyler Warren (1,233 yards, 8 TDs) for the NFL Draft, where he is expected to become a first-round pick, and the decisions to transfer by wideouts Harrison Wallace III (720 yards, 4 TDs) and Omari Evans (415 yards, 5 TDs) have left Penn State’s cupboard of downfield targets exceedingly bare. That’s why the names to watch here are former USC wideout Kyron Hudson and former Troy receiver Devonte Ross. The former was a blue-chip recruit from the 2021 cycle who is coming off the best collegiate season of his career with 38 receptions for 462 yards and three scores. The latter caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, including a noteworthy effort against Iowa: five catches, 142 yards, two scores. He and Hudson will be counted on to enliven a passing attack that ranked ninth in the Big Ten last season. 

Outgoing transfers — 15

• DL Joseph Mupoyi (Uncommitted)
• LB Ta’Mere Robinson (USC)
• CB Jon Mitchell (Georgia Tech)
• IOL JB Nelson (Uncommitted)
• Edge Smith Vilbert (North Carolina)
• CB Cam Miller (Rutgers)
• WR Harrison Wallace III (Ole Miss)
• WR Omari Evans (Washington)
• S Tyrece Mills (UConn)
• WR Tyler Johnson (East Carolina)
• S Mekhi Flowers (Akron)
• QB Beau Pribula (Missouri)
• DL T.A. Cunningham (Garden City Community College)
• TE Jerry Cross (Memphis)
• WR Feyisayo Oluleye (Uncommitted)

Biggest loss: It’s not often that bidding farewell to a backup quarterback would be considered a significant departure in the modern era of college football, but such was the importance of Beau Pribula to first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki last season. Though Pribula never seriously threatened starter Drew Allar, who led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals, he averaged 14.4 snaps per game in 13 appearances before entering the transfer portal last December. At 6-feet-2 and 207 pounds, Pribula offered the Nittany Lions a legitimate running threat alongside Allar. He gained at least 10 rushing yards in eight different games and found the end zone four times on the ground, finishing with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. He also completed 26 of 35 passes for 275 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, though most of his aerial production came during mop-up duty of lopsided victories. Pribula transferred to Missouri, where he is expected to win the starting job, as the No. 138 overall prospect and No. 11 quarterback in the portal. 

Purdue

National transfer class rank: 46

Big Ten rank: 14

Incoming transfers — 40

• WR Nitro Tuggle (Georgia)
• CB Chalil Cummings (Memphis)
• WR Corey Smith (Tulsa)
• IOL Marc Nave Jr. (Kentucky)
• IOL Bradyn Joiner (Auburn)
• OT Jude McCoskey (Tulane)
• IOL Tyrell Green (Eastern Kentucky)
• LB Sanders Ellis (Tennessee State)
• DL Ian Jeffries (Arkansas State)
• DL Marcus Moore Jr. (Bowling Green)
• EJ Horton Jr. (FAU)
• LB Mani Powell (UNLV)
• WR Charles Ross (USC)
• TE Luca Puccinelli (Wake Forest)
• WR Chauncey Magwood (UCF)
• CB Chad Brown (Nevada)
• QB Evans Chuba (Washington State)
• TE Christian Moore (UNLV)
• IOL Mason Vicari (UNLV)
• TE Christian Earls (UNLV)
• Edge Breeon Ishmail (Michigan)
• WR Isaiah Myers (Charlotte)
• IOL Hank Purvis (UNLV)
• OT Jalen St. John (UNLV)
• WR Nathan Leacock (Tennessee)
• CB Ryan Turner (Boston College)
• S Crew Wakley (BYU)
• LB Alex Sanford Jr. (Arkansas)
• RB Malachi Thomas (Virginia Tech)
• P Sam Dubwig (Arkansas)
• LB Carson Dean (Arkansas)
• S Richard Toney Jr. (TCU)
• IOL Giordano Vaccaro (Manitoba)
• CB Tony Grimes (UNLV)
• WR Michael Jackson III (Georgia)
• DL TJ Lindsey (Auburn)
• Edge CJ Nunnally IV (Akron)
• QB Malachi Singleton (Arkansas)
• QB EJ Colson (UCF)
• S Tahj Ra-El (Memphis)

Biggest arrival: The roster-building approach used by Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, who improbably guided the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff in his first season, will likely be emulated by new hires for years to come. Cignetti, formerly of James Madison, brought more than a dozen players with him to Indiana via the transfer portal and relied on those veterans to form the nucleus of everything he wanted to build at IU. In broad strokes, it appears new Purdue head coach Barry Odom has utilized a similar plan when putting together his first roster for the Boilermakers. Seven of the team’s 40 incoming transfers played for Odom at UNLV, headlined by left tackle Jalen St. John, a second-team All-Mountain West selection last season. Still, the uphill challenge Odom faces is significant: No program in the country has added more transfers than Purdue since the December window opened. 

Outgoing transfers — 53

• DL Caleb Irving (Uncommitted)
• IOL Jaden Ball (Uncommitted)
• WR Luke Jones (Uncommitted)
• WR Isaiah Myers (Uncommitted)
• DL Mariere Omonode (Minnesota)
• WR Ryne Shackelford (Uncommitted)
• IOL Rod Green (Uncommitted)
• QB EJ Colson (Uncommitted)
• OT Joshua Sales Jr. (Uncommitted)
• CB Earl Kulp (Uncommitted)
• OT Jaekwon Bouldin (Mississippi State)
• S Luke Williams (Uncommitted)
• IOL Jordan King (Uncommitted)
• DL Joe Strickland (Uncommitted)
• S Ty Hudkins (Uncommitted)
• WR Donovan Hamilton (Uncommitted)
• Edge Jamari Payne (Uncommitted)
• QB Jake Wilson (Uncommitted)
• LB Hudson Miller (Uncommitted)
• IOL Jimmy Liston (Uncommitted)
• CB Markevious Brown (Uncommitted)
• S Antonio Parker (Uncommitted)
• S Antonio Stevens (Kennesaw State)
• S Anthony Brown (South Alabama)
• IOL DJ Wingfield (USC)
• DL Jeffrey M’Ba (SMU)
• WR CJ Smith (Memphis)
• CB Nyland Green (Arizona State)
• WR Shamar Rigby (Oklahoma State)
• DL Damarjhe Lewis (SMU)
• CB Botros Alisandro (Old Dominion)
• WR Jahmal Edrine (Virginia)
• IOL Aaron Roberts (Uncommitted)
• RB Elijah Jackson (Ball State)
• IOL Jalen Grant (NC State)
• CB Kyndrich Breedlove (Arizona State)
• P Keelan Crimmins (Illinois)
• TE Drew Biber (Minnesota)
• TE Max Klare (Ohio State)
• S Joseph Jefferson II (Western Michigan)
• CB Tarrion Grant (Texas Tech)
• Edge Will Heldt (Clemson)
• WR Leland Smith (San Jose State)
• WR Jaron Tibbs (Kansas State)
• QB Marcos Davila (Nebraska)
• S Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
• DL Cole Brevard (Texas)
• LB Yanni Karlaftis (Northwestern)
• IOL Anthony Boswell (Toledo)
• S Koy Beasley (Miami of Ohio)
• IOL Mahamane Moussa (Louisville)
• CB Derrick Rogers Jr. (FAU)
• TE Tayvion Galloway (Middle Tennessee)

Biggest loss: In terms of pure production, Purdue faces a nearly impossible task of replacing high-end Big Ten starters like tight end Max Klare (51 catches, 685 yards, 4 TDs), safety Dillon Thieneman (former third-team All-American) and edge rusher Will Heldt (28 quarterback pressures, 5 sacks) from a roster that has endured more churn than any other over the last few months. That all three players ended up signing with legitimate College Football Playoff contenders — Klare to Ohio State, Thieneman to Oregon, Heldt to Clemson — underscores the caliber of talent they brought to the table. But the loss of freshman cornerback Tarrion Grant, who started three games and made 11 appearances last fall, is a particularly damaging blow for different reasons. Grant was a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle who reclassified and enrolled at Purdue a year early, ultimately finishing as the No. 157 overall player and the No. 17 cornerback in the country. He was the fifth-best prospect to ever sign with the Boilermakers during the recruiting rankings era, which dates to 2000, and gave the program a legitimate blue-chip talent to build around. Now, after just one season, he’s off to Texas Tech. 

Rutgers 

National transfer class rank: 49

Big Ten rank: 15

Incoming transfers — 11

• CB Cam Miller (Penn State)
• IOL Hank Zilinskas (Colorado)
• DL Bradley Weaver (Ohio)
• S Jett Elad (UNLV)
• Edge Eric O’Neill (James Madison)
• CB Jacobie Henderson (Marshall)
• DL Darold DeNgohe (James Madison)
• DT Sheffield (North Texas)
• DL Doug Blue-Eli (USF)
• TE Colin Weber (Charlotte)
• RB CJ Campbell Jr. (FAU)

Biggest arrival: The only Big Ten programs to finish the 2024 season with fewer sacks than Rutgers (22) were USC (21), Washington (20), Michigan State (19), Wisconsin (17) and Maryland (14). It marked the 10th consecutive season in which the Scarlet Knights failed to eclipse 25 sacks as a team. That makes the arrival of former Ohio standout Bradley Weaver, who was the No. 186 overall transfer and No. 28 defensive lineman in the portal, particularly important ahead of what head coach Greg Schiano hopes will be the school’s third consecutive winning season — an achievement that hasn’t been reached since 2007-09. Weaver amassed a career-high 49 quarterback pressures and 8.5 sacks to earn first-team All-MAC honors. He also led the Bobcats with 15 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Any kind of production resembling what Weaver did at Ohio will be a welcome addition after defensive linemen Jordan Walker and Kyonte Hamilton led the Scarlet Knights with just 4 sacks apiece last season. 

Outgoing transfers — 18

• OT Ja’Elyne Matthews (Uncommitted)
• TE Matthew Ogunniyi (Uncommitted)
• OT Dominic Rivera (Uncommitted)
• S Vilay Nakkoun Jr. (Uncommitted)
• Edge David Onuoha (UMass)
• DL JaSire Peterson (UAB)
• Edge Tycoolhill Luman (FAU)
• Edge Tyclean Luman (FAU)
• Edge Aaris Bethea (Rhode Island)
• OT Mozell Williams (Florida A&M)
• WR Deondre Johnson (Jacksonville State)
• CB Fitzroy Ledgister (Western Michigan)
• QB Colin O’Sullivan (Uncommitted)
• S Antonio White Jr. (Georgia Southern)
• WR Chris Long (Uncommitted)
• LB Timmy Hinspeter (UMass)
• S Thomas Amankwaa (Delaware)
• Edge Wesley Bailey (Louisville)

Biggest loss: One way to evaluate how detrimental a team’s collective departures might be is by analyzing the caliber of program signing those players from the portal. If most of the players leaving a given team are being pursued by perennial national championship contenders, then that’s generally an indication of high-end talent walking out the door. But if a large percentage of outgoing players drop down a level of competition, then those are the kinds of losses good teams should overcome. Viewed through that lens, edge rusher Wesley Bailey, who is now at Louisville, became the only Rutgers transfer to join another Power 4 program, a statistic that Schiano can probably stomach. Bailey was a starting defensive end for Rutgers in 2022 and 2023, totaling 57 quarterback pressures and 7.5 sacks during that span. Injuries limited Bailey to just four games last fall before he entered the portal in December. 

UCLA

National transfer class rank: 19

Big Ten rank: 5

Incoming transfers — 21

• QB Madden Iamaleava (Arkansas)
• QB Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee)
• CB Jamier Johnson (Indiana)
• WR Mikey Matthews (California)
• DL Ashton Sanders (Oklahoma)
• S Cole Martin (Arizona State)
• IOL Eugene Brooks (Oklahoma)
• LB Isaiah Chisom (Oregon State)
• CB Robert Stafford (Miami)
• CB Scooter Jackson (Utah Tech)
• OT K.D. Arnold (Jacksonville State)
• IOL Julian Armella (Florida State)
• Edge Nico Davillier (Arkansas)
• RB Anthony Woods (Utah)
• CB Andre Jordan Jr. (Oregon State)
• OT Courtland Ford (Kentucky)
• S Ben Perry (Louisville)
• CB Aaron Williams (Louisville)
• S Key Lawrence (Ole Miss)
• S Bryon Threats (UCF)
• WR Jaedon Wilson (Arkansas)

Biggest arrival: Everything about UCLA’s offseason changed when Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, entered the transfer portal on April 12. Iamaleava stunned the college football world when he made the groundbreaking decision to hold out of spring practice with the Volunteers in hopes, reportedly, of renegotiating his NIL compensation. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel called Iamaleava’s bluff by announcing that the team would be moving on without its starting signal-caller, at which point the player had no choice but to enter the transfer portal. UCLA, which had recruited Iamaleava out of high school, saw an opportunity to add a potential program-shifting talent to a roster in desperate need of invigoration. Even though the Bruins had already signed former Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar, who was expected to be the team’s starter next fall, head coach DeShaun Foster pounced on the chance to bring Iamaleava into the fold. It represents a high-risk, high-reward move from Foster after UCLA finished 5-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten during his first season. Iamaleava completed 213 of 334 passes (63.8%) for 2,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff in 2024. 

Outgoing transfers — 28

• QB Joey Aguilar (Tennessee)
• LB Isaiah Patterson (Uncommitted)
• CB Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins (Uncommitted)
• S Joshua Swift (Uncommitted)
• P Brody Richter (Uncommitted)
• OT Marquise Thorpe-Taylor (Uncommitted)
• Edge Joquarri Price (Uncommitted)
• DL Drew Tuazama (Uncommitted)
• DL Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi (Oklahoma State)
• P Chase Berry (Uncommitted)
• OT Tavake Tuikolovatu (Kansas)
• CB Jaylin Davies (Oklahoma State)
• WR J.Michael Sturdivant (Florida)
• K Blake Glessner (Uncommitted)
• K David Dellenbach (Ohio)
• RB Deshun Murrell (Uncommitted)
• OT Niki Prongos (Stanford)
• K Joseph Firebaugh Jr. (Sacramento State)
• WR Braden Pegan (Utah State)
• S Isaiah Newcombe (Uncommitted)
• RB Isaiah Carlson (Uncommitted)
• WR Logan Loya (Minnesota)
• S R.J. Jones (Utah Tech)
• CB DJ Justice (Uncommitted)
• S Clint Stephens (New Mexico)
• QB Justyn Martin (Maryland)
• RB TJ Harden (SMU)
• Edge Collins Acheampong (Bowling Green)

Biggest loss: Now that the quarterback swap between Aguilar and Iamaleava is complete, it’s fair to wonder if the decisions of UCLA wideouts J.Michael Sturdivant and Logan Loya would have changed had they known who the Bruins’ quarterback would be in 2025. Sturdivant began his career with 65 receptions for 755 yards and seven touchdowns at California in 2022 before spending the last two seasons at UCLA, where he totaled 58 catches for 912 yards and six scores. He was viewed as the No. 124 overall prospect and No. 25 wide receiver in the portal when he committed to Florida on Dec. 19. Loya, meanwhile, had spent his entire career at UCLA before entering the transfer portal over the winter and landing at Minnesota. He developed into a reliable slot option for the Bruins and caught 109 passes for 1,314 yards and 12 touchdowns across five seasons. Four of UCLA’s top five receiving options from last season are no longer with the program. 

USC

National transfer class rank: 18

Big Ten rank: 4

Incoming transfers — 14

• LB Ta’Mere Robinson (Penn State)
• S Kennedy Urlacher (Notre Dame)
• WR Prince Strachan (Boise State)
• S Bishop Fitzgerald (NC State)
• IOL J’Onre Reed (Syracuse)
• IOL DJ Wingfield (Purdue)
• K Caden Chittenden (UNLV)
• DL Jamaal Jarrett (Georgia)
• CB Kevin Longstreet (Texas A&M)
• P Sam Johnson (Valparaiso)
• QB Sam Huard (Utah)
• CB DJ Harvey (San Jose State)
• RB Eli Sanders (New Mexico)
• DL Keeshawn Silver (Kentucky)

Biggest arrival: A glance at the statistical output for ex-Kentucky defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver doesn’t explain why he’s viewed as the No. 25 overall prospect and No. 1 player at his position in the portal. Silver, who spent the last two seasons with the Wildcats after beginning his career at North Carolina, has made just 47 tackles with one sack in 30 games. But four years ago, in 2021, Silver was a five-star prospect coming out of Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, with scholarship offers from seemingly every college football blue blood: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M, among others. He was the No. 31 prospect regardless of position and the No. 8 defensive lineman in the country behind the likes of JT Tuimoloau (Ohio State), Jack Sawyer (Ohio State) and Damon Payne (Alabama). So part of what Silver brings to USC is the raw potential that coaches have seen in him for half a decade, and now it’s up to second-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to unlock it.

Outgoing transfers — 27

• S Jarvis Boatwright Jr. (Uncommitted)
• K Tyler Robles (Uncommitted)
• Edge Lorenzo Cowan (Kentucky)
• RB A’Marion Peterson (Uncommitted)
• CB Maliki Crawford (San Jose State)
• Edge Solomon Tuliaupupu (Uncommitted)
• IOL Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon)
• WR Charles Ross (Purdue)
• WR Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
• S Zion Branch (Georgia)
• DL Elijah Hughes (Notre Dame)
• LB Raesjon Davis (Oregon State)
• OT Kalolo Ta’aga (Utah)
• Edge DJ Peevy (Uncommitted)
• WR Duce Robinson (Florida State)
• TE Kade Eldridge (Washington)
• OT Mason Murphy (Auburn)
• RB Quinten Joyner (Texas Tech)
• K Garth White (Uncommitted)
• DL Bear Alexander (Oregon)
• Edge Sam Greene (Kentucky)
• QB Jake Jensen (Montana)
• IOL Amos Talalele (Kansas State)
• K Denis Lynch (Uncommitted)
• WR Kyron Hudson (Penn State)
• IOL Gino Quinones (Fresno State)
• QB Miller Moss (Louisville)

Biggest loss: An exodus at wide receiver was difficult to ignore considering USC ranked 10th nationally and first in the Big Ten with 291.9 passing yards per game last season. The good news for head coach and playcaller Lincoln Riley is that his top two receivers — Makai Lemon (52 catches, 764 yards, 3 TDs) and Ja’Kobi Lane (43 catches, 525 yards, 12 TDs) — are both back for 2025 and should form one of the more potent tandems in the league. But the next three wideouts on the Trojans’ depth chart all exited via the transfer portal: Zachariah Branch went to Georgia; Kyron Hudson went to Penn State; Duce Robinson went to Florida State. That all three were highly rated high school prospects from the West Coast only compounded the blow. Branch was the No. 1 wideout in the country and Robinson was the No. 1 tight end for the 2023 recruiting cycle, while Hudson was a four-star prospect and the No. 22 wideout from powerhouse Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. The Trojans’ 2025 recruiting class only has one blue-chip receiver in four-star prospect Corey Simms, the No. 330 overall player and No. 43 wideout in the country. 

Washington

National transfer class rank: 35

Big Ten rank: 10

Incoming transfers — 16

• WR Omari Evans (Penn State)
• LB Xe’ree Alexander (UCF)
• LS Ryan Kean (Utah Tech)
• LB Taariq Al-Uqdah (Washington State)
• S CJ Christian (FIU)
• CB Tacario Davis (Arizona)
• DL Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (Arizona)
• QB Kai Horton (Tulane)
• TE Kade Eldridge (USC)
• IOL Geirean Hatchett (Oklahoma)
• DL Anterio Thompson (Western Michigan)
• S Alex McLaughlin (Northern Arizona)
• OT Carver Willis (Kansas State)
• LB Jacob Manu (Arizona)
• DL Simote Pepa (Utah)

Biggest arrival: Though he didn’t immediately follow head coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Washington, where Fisch took over ahead of the 2024 season, cornerback Tacario Davis eventually made his way to the Pacific Northwest for a reunion this spring. Davis was a three-star prospect and the No. 107 cornerback in the country for the 2022 recruiting cycle. He chose the Wildcats from a modest scholarship list that included additional offers from Arizona State and Kansas, ultimately spending two seasons under Fisch. He parlayed second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2023 into second-team All-Big 12 honors last fall once Arizona changed conferences, and now the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Davis was viewed as the No. 32 overall transfer and No. 2 cornerback in the portal. It represents a massive addition for a defense seeking to reinvent itself after losing defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick, the son of Bill Belichick, who took a job on his father’s staff at North Carolina. Davis should step into a starting role right away. 

Outgoing transfers — 31

• CB Caleb Presley (Uncommitted)
• LS Cameron Warchuck (Uncommitted)
• WR Jason Robinson Jr. (North Carolina)
• S Peyton Waters (North Carolina)
• CB Thaddeus Dixon (North Carolina)
• TE Wilson Schwartz (Uncommitted)
• Edge Jayden Wayne (California)
• CB Jordan Shaw (Texas A&M)
• S Justin Harrington (West Virginia)
• LB Logan Lisherness (Uncommitted)
• IOL Roice Cleeland (UC Davis)
• WR Keith Reynolds (Miami of Ohio)
• CB Elijah Jackson (TCU)
• CB Darren Barkins (Uncommitted)
• RB Ryder Bumgarner (Central Washington)
• LB Khmori House (North Carolina)
• OT Kahlee Tafai (Minnesota)
• CB Curley Reed III (Louisiana)
• IOL Gaard Memmelaar (UCF)
• RB Cam Davis (Minnesota)
• P Jack McCallister (Nebraska)
• Edge Tyrese Johnson (Uncommitted)
• WR Camden Sirmon (Uncommitted)
• S Tristan Dunn (California)
• RB Sam Adams II (Sacramento State)
• P Adam Saul (Uncommitted)
• Edge Maurice Heims (Idaho)
• LS Caleb Johnson (California)
• Edge Lance Holtzclaw (Utah)
• LB Bryun Parham (UConn)

Biggest loss: The noteworthy storyline here is the quartet of players who followed Belichick to North Carolina: cornerback Thaddeus Dixon (No. 53 transfer, No. 3 CB); linebacker Khmori House (No. 72 transfer, No. 3 LB); safety Peyton Waters (No. 736 transfer, No. 64 S) and wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr. (No. 1,074 transfer, No. 189 WR). Dixon logged the second-most snaps of any cornerback on Washington’s roster last season and finished with a coverage grade of 80.9, highest among Huskies at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. House was a standout freshman who started five games and enjoyed an uptick in playing time as the year progressed, capping his campaign with Freshman All-America honors from College Football Network. And Waters, whose involvement was limited as a freshman last fall, arrived at Washington as a blue-chip safety rated among the top 250 players in the country for the 2024 recruiting cycle. Those are three big pieces for new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, the former Purdue head coach, to replace. 

Wisconsin

National transfer class rank: 14

Big Ten rank: 3

Incoming transfers — 17

• CB D’Yoni Hill (Miami)
• CB Geimere Latimer Jr. (Jacksonville State)
• S Matt Jung (Bethel)
• WR Mark Hamper (Idaho)
• QB Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland)
• QB Danny O’Neil (San Diego State)
• DL Jay’viar Suggs (LSU)
• DL Charles Perkins (UT Martin)
• DL Micheal Garner (Grambling State)
• LB Antarron Turner (Western Carolina)
• S Matthew Traynor (Richmond)
• LS Eli Stein (Arkansas)
• DL Parker Petersen (Tulane)
• Edge Corey Walker (Western Michigan)
• Edge Tyrese Fearbry (Kentucky)
• WR Jayden Ballard (Ohio State)
• Edge Mason Reiger (Louisville)

Biggest arrival: Head coach Luke Fickell will be turning to his third transfer quarterback in as many seasons this fall when former Maryland signal-caller Billy Edwards Jr. is expected to assume control of the offense. A journey that began with former SMU standout Tanner Mordecai in 2023 gave way to a brief cameo for ex-Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who suffered a torn ACL against Alabama last September, and now Edwards arrives after three years with the Terrapins and one prior season at Wake Forest. Edwards was a lightly recruited three-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, a player whose only Power 4 scholarship offer came from the Demon Deacons. The majority of his collegiate experience came as the backup to former Maryland star Taulia Tagovailoa, with Edwards playing sparingly in a change-of-pace role during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He finally won the starting job last fall but endured an up-and-down campaign that included 15 touchdown passes, nine interceptions and a thumb injury that cost him some playing time. Fickell and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes need Edwards to reach a new level this fall.

Outgoing transfers — 27

• OT Derek Jensen (Iowa State)
• WR Quincy Burroughs (Uncommitted)
• WR Mark Hamper (Uncommitted)
• RB Tawee Walker (Cincinnati)
• QB Mabrey Mettauer (Sam Houston State)
• CB Xavier Lucas (Miami)
• Edge Anelu Lafaele (Michigan State)
• K Nate Van Zelst (Uncommitted)
• WR C.J. Williams (Stanford)
• WR Will Pauling (Notre Dame)
• CB Max Lofy (Rice)
• QB Braedyn Locke (Arizona)
• TE Riley Nowakowski (Indiana)
• QB Tyler Van Dyke (SMU)
• S Kamo’i Latu (UConn)
• IOL James Durand (Western Illinois)
• DL Hank Weber (Samford)
• DL James Thompson Jr. (Illinois)
• RB Nate White (South Dakota State)
• S Braedyn Moore (Toledo)
• CB Jace Arnold (Sam Houston State)
• CB Jonas Duclona (USF)
• DL Curt Neal (Illinois)
• S Justin Taylor (Wyoming)
• CB Amare Snowden (Toledo)
• Edge Leon Lowery Jr. (Illinois)
• QB Cole LaCrue (Eastern Illinois)

Biggest loss: A lack of playmaking ability at the receiver position was compounded when wideout Will Pauling entered the transfer portal. Pauling, who began his career playing for Fickell at Cincinnati, led the Badgers with a team-best 42 receptions totaling 407 yards and three touchdowns last fall. But when wide receivers coach Mike Brown bolted for the same position at Notre Dame, it didn’t take long for Pauling (No. 627 transfer, No. 109 WR) to enter the portal and join the Irish. Replacing Pauling won’t be easy for a Wisconsin program that has produced just a single draft pick at wide receiver over the last 10 years. Pauling was the team’s most consistent perimeter threat over the last two seasons and finished his Badgers career with 116 catches for 1,244 yards and nine touchdowns. Fickell will be hoping that former Ohio State wideout Jayden Ballard, a top 60-prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle, has something to offer in an expanded role after he was buried on the Buckeyes’ depth chart the last three seasons. 

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

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