College Football's Current 2023 All-Transfer Team

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College football's 2023 all-transfer team through Week 3​

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To say the college football transfer portal has become an important tool for coaches to manage or overhaul their rosters would be an understatement. The portal has become as vital as high school recruiting, and coaches are relying on transfers now more than ever.

In 2022, there were 2,918 players who entered the portal, up from 2,531 in 2021. In this current season, nearly 33% of the total games started by FBS players have come from players who have transferred via the portal, according to SportSource Analytics. At quarterback, a position that has seen plenty of movement via the portal, 54.9% of the passing yards thrown this season have come via transfer players.

That means there have been some major contributions from players on new teams.

While some positions, like receiver and QB, have seen a lot of high-profile, instant-impact transfers, we identified those players from each position who transferred this past offseason and are in their first year with their new program to create the all-transfer team.

QUARTERBACK​

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes​

Transferred from: Jackson State



Sanders has taken college football by storm this season, throwing for a school-record 510 yards and four touchdowns in the season opener against TCU. He hasn't slowed down and is currently second among all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards with 1,251 and No. 4 in completion percentage, completing 78.7% of his passes.

"He's been consistent, the same guy, and that's what I love about him. He's rock steady, he doesn't allow the attention and focus and the lights to deter him or lead him in a certain direction," Colorado coach Deion Sanders said of Shedeur. "He analyzes everything on and off the field. That's something that you want from a quarterback, you want to know their lifestyle, how they act on and off the field, because that stuff translates."

 

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RUNNING BACKS​

Blake Watson, Memphis Tigers​

Transferred from: Old Dominion

Watson wasn't a heralded transfer this offseason, but he has made a big impact so far. He had 24 starts at Old Dominion, running for 2,149 yards and 14 touchdowns. Through three games with Memphis, Watson has 295 rush yards and four rushing touchdowns. He also has 130 receiving yards on 15 catches and is averaging 8.67 yards per catch.

"Blake has an exceptional combination of speed and power," Memphis offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey told ESPN. "Runs with great balance and is as much a weapon in the pass game as he is in the run game."

Carson Steele, UCLA Bruins​

Transferred from: Ball State

Steele had 1,556 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Ball State, and was one of the top running backs available in the transfer portal this offseason. For the Bruins this season, he has split carries almost equally with T.J. Harden. Steele has 246 yards with two touchdowns through three games. He is averaging 8.1 yards per carry and 81 yards per game despite sharing attempts.

 

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TIGHT END​

Jaheim Bell, Florida State Seminoles​

Transferred from: South Carolina

Bell is a tight end who can do a little bit of everything. Along with Kyle Morlock, who came from tiny Shorter University, Bell is part of an excellent tight end haul for the Seminoles. He is third on the team in receiving yards with 125 yards and has two touchdowns. He's averaging 17.86 yards per catch and is giving Florida State's offense another outlet in the passing game.

 

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WIDE RECEIVERS​

Keon Coleman, Florida State Seminoles​

Transferred from: Michigan State

Coleman had an excellent 2022 season at Michigan State with 798 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman has already thrived with the Seminoles this season. He is second on the team in receiving yards (170) and first in touchdown receptions (4). He's averaging 14.17 yards per catch and has given the Seminoles' offense a boost on the outside.

"Keon's mindset sets him apart from most," Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins told ESPN. "The way he comes and approaches his work and the detail he has absolutely makes him an elite preparer, and that's why he has been able to help us out so early in his time at FSU."

Jamari Thrash, Louisville Cardinals​

Transferred from: Georgia State

Thrash had 1,752 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in four seasons at Georgia State. He has been an excellent fit for Jeff Brohm's offense at Louisville and is currently leading the team in receiving yards with 329 and also has four receiving touchdowns. He is averaging 23.5 yards per catch and currently has the 12th most receiving yards of any FBS receiver.

"Jamari has come in and impacted our offense immediately," Brohm told ESPN. "His explosiveness has been a big addition to our offense and we look for him to impact our offense over the course of the season."

 

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OFFENSIVE LINE​

Matt Lee, Miami Hurricanes​

Transferred from: UCF

Lee was one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the transfer portal this past offseason. He had a successful run with the Knights as a three-year starter and was an All-AAC player for two seasons. He is now the starting center for Miami and has been an anchor in the middle of the line.

"Urgency is what makes Matt Lee special. Everything is urgent about him," Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told ESPN. "Everything is important, so he has an edge. He's a phenomenal leader for us, because it's confrontational. It's not friendly.

"It's about getting his teammates to do what everybody claims they want to do."

Drake Nugent, Michigan Wolverines​

Transferred from: Stanford

Nugent was an important transfer for the Wolverines, who were looking to replace Olu Oluwatimi, who won the Rimington Award for the nation's top center in the 2022 season. Nugent had 24 starts at center for Stanford and is now the starting center for Michigan. He has shared Offensive Player of the Week honors twice this season for the Wolverines and has received plenty of praise from his coaches. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said on his radio show that Nugent has likely played the best of all the offensive linemen on the team.

"He's just been awesome from the day he stepped on campus. He's been a grinder. When he couldn't practice in the spring, when he was recovering from something, and the end of fall camp, he's just taken full advantage of the opportunity," Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said. "The guy, I just looked upstairs and he was upstairs watching film. He doesn't stop. ... We love him and we're glad we've got him."

Savion Washington, Colorado Buffaloes​

Transferred from: Kent State

Washington is a 6-foot-8, 320-pound tackle who has been playing very well for the Buffs so far this season. He transferred from Kent State, where he started all 11 games in 2022. He has played 153 snaps for Colorado this season and has been stout up front in the revamped offense.

Michael Tarquin, USC Trojans​

Transferred from: Florida

Tarquin started eight games for Florida in 2022 but transferred to USC in the offseason and has made an impact early on. He has been a consistent force up at tackle for USC's explosive offense.

Clark Barrington, Baylor Bears​

Transferred from: BYU

Barrington started 37 consecutive games for BYU and played for the Cougars from 2019 to 2022. He reunited with offensive line coach Eric Mateos at Baylor after they worked together for two seasons at BYU, and Barrington has already played well for the Bears. He has played 132 snaps this season and is credited with no pressures allowed at the center position.

 

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DEFENSIVE LINE​

Andre Carter, Indiana Hoosiers​

Transferred from: Western Michigan

Carter came from a MAC program but was one of the more productive defensive linemen in the portal. He was a second-team All-Mid-American Conference player in 2022 with 68 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. The Hoosiers lost a lot of production in the transfer portal, so landing Carter was a big deal. He has already performed well this season with four tackles for loss and a sack through the first three games.

"He's a big guy that's a physical, physical dude," Indiana defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri said. "He can speed to power rush guys, he's able to go inside so he doesn't always have to just be on the edge. He doesn't get dwarfed if he bumps down inside, if you're on a guard or center, you're able to move him around from that standpoint.

"His physicality and how hard he plays to me are the two things that just make him hard to deal with."

Bear Alexander, USC Trojans​

Transferred from: Georgia

Alexander was the No. 56 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class as a 6-foot-4, 335-pound prospect. He played as a true freshman for the Bulldogs but transferred to USC in the offseason. The Trojans' defense needed help, and while he doesn't have big stats, Alexander has been disruptive. He has 10 quarterback pressures, 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 0.5 sacks, but his presence has been felt.

Jamil Muhammad, USC Trojans​

Transferred from: Georgia State

The Trojans have quite a few new faces this season, especially on defense, and Muhammad has been a standout. In three seasons at Georgia State, he had 70 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. This season, Muhammad has 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 2 forced fumbles as a rush end for the Trojans.

Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame Fighting Irish​

Transferred from: Ohio State

Last season for Ohio State, Jean-Baptiste finished the season with 19 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. This season for Notre Dame, he's fourth on the team with 15 total tackles and has two tackles for loss through four games. He has nine tackles on designed rush plays and three pressures.

 

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LINEBACKERS​

Jaheim Thomas, Arkansas Razorbacks​

Transferred from: Cincinnati

Thomas had 70 total tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss last season with Cincinnati in what ended up being a big season for the then sophomore. He transferred to Arkansas and has picked up right where he left off. He is leading Arkansas in total tackles with 29 to go along with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss through three games.

Jordan Domineck, Colorado Buffaloes​

Transferred from: Arkansas

Domineck was a late addition to the transfer portal, leaving Arkansas during the spring transfer period. He had 34 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last season for the Razorbacks and already has 4.5 tackles for loss this season for the Buffs and has taken on an important role in the locker room.

"Jordan has been a leader in our room, he has been extremely helpful in fall camp passing things to the new guys," Colorado defensive line coach Nick Williams said. "He's a guy that made it through the spring, he's bringing the other players along. He's been great, he's awesome."

Nick Jackson, Iowa Hawkeyes​

Transferred from: Virginia

Jackson was a leader on the Virginia defense and had 354 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks over his career. He is still adjusting to a new scheme at Iowa but is making big plays while progressing in his role. He's second on the team in total tackles with 23 and has a sack, a pass breakup and one forced fumble through the first three games.

 

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DEFENSIVE BACKS​

Malik Fleming, Houston Cougars​

Transferred from: East Carolina

The Georgia native spent four years at East Carolina, where he had 15 pass breakups and six interceptions. In just three games with the Cougars, Fleming already has three interceptions. He is tied for the most of any FBS defensive back in the country and also has a pass breakup.

"Nothing he does surprises me. I watched him for two years in East Carolina," Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen told ESPN. "I'm sitting there on the sidelines saying, 'I want that guy on my team.' I just have a lot of respect for him. He works hard and does all the right things, which makes it easy to mesh in a new environment.

"He's an absolute ball hawk, which is a testament to his film study and the seriousness in which he takes it."

Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes​

Transferred from: Jackson State

Hunter wasted no time making an impact on his new team. On offense, Hunter has 213 receiving yards on offense. As a DB, he has an interception as well as two pass breakups. He was injured in the third game of the season against Colorado State, and coach Deion Sanders said Hunter will likely miss a few weeks. That will impact his future production this season, but given his performance up until now, he deserves to be on this list.


"Travis is different. Travis is a different kid, has a different thought process and different wants and desires," Sanders said. "Travis is Him. The young folks gotta say now, 'I'm Him,' but he really is Him. I've seen him with dysfunction in his life, still ball out. I mean, Travis is truly consistent on both sides of the ball.

"There aren't too many Travis Hunters in America."

Daijahn Anthony, Ole Miss Rebels​

Transferred from: Liberty

This was an under-the-radar pickup for coach Lane Kiffin and his staff at safety. Anthony had three interceptions in two seasons at Liberty and now has one interception and several pass breakups for Ole Miss this season. He has done all of that while rotating in and out of Pete Golding's defense and sharing snaps.

Marquis Wilson, Purdue Boilermakers​

Transferred from: Penn State

Wilson played in 10 games during the 2022 season with Penn State. He had 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 2 pass breakups for the Nittany Lions. In West Lafayette, he has already been a valuable asset through four games. Wilson is tied for the third-most pass breakups of any FBS defensive back with five. Opponents have completed 33.3% of their passes against him when he's the primary defender, and he has given the Purdue defense some stability at corner.