The Big Ten has been a huge beneficiary of many players entering the transfer portal this year. One reason for that is the addition of four more schools joining the conference. The ultra-competitive Big Ten now makes it the preferred destination for transfers and the most powerful conference in college football.
With so much talent joining the conference in 2024, the Big Ten Transfer Portal Rankings are packed with big names and evaluate all 18 teams’ performance in the winter window.
2024 Big Ten Transfer Portal Team Rankings
18) Northwestern Wildcats
Total Transfers: 0
Top Offensive Player: N/A
Top Defensive Player: N/A
There was no movement in the transfer portal for Northwestern Wildcats, as they didn’t add any players. The program did, however, lose eight players to other college football teams.
Northwestern’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- N/A
17) Iowa Hawkeyes
Total Transfers: One
Top Offensive Player: Kadyn Proctor, OT
Top Defensive Player: N/A
The Iowa Hawkeyes landed just one player through the transfer portal but did find an impactful offensive lineman for next season. Kaydn Proctor had a strong freshman year in 2023, named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after starting 14 games on the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line.
MORE: 2024 SEC Transfer Portal Rankings
Iowa lost six players to the transfer portal, including former starting quarterback Spencer Petras. It was an even split of three offensive and three defensive players departing the program.
Iowa’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
16) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Total Transfers: Five
Top Offensive Player: Dymere Miller, WR
Top Defensive Player: Malcolm Ray, DL
Rutgers took a hit in the portal, losing 13 players and only bringing in five. The offense was the main focus as they were able to add some speed at receiver with the addition of Monmouth’s Dymere Miller. Last season, Miller caught 90 passes for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns.
Florida State defensive lineman Malcolm Ray joins Rutgers after being a consistent rotational player on the Seminoles’ defensive line. Ray registered 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two pass deflections last season for Florida State.
Rutgers’ Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Malcolm Ray, DL, Florida State
- Dino Kaliakmanis, WR, Minnesota
- Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Minnesota
- Austin Riggs, LS, BYU
- Dymere Miller, WR, Monmouth
15) Michigan Wolverines
Total Transfers: Two
Top Offensive Player: Josh Priebe, OL
Top Defensive Player: Jaishawn Barham, LB
Jim Harbaugh’s recent departure to the NFL hasn’t moved the needle too much for the Michigan Wolverines, with seven players transferring and just two joining the school. Northwestern offensive lineman Josh Priebe arrives having played 36 games since 2020. Priebe started every game at left guard for the Wildcats in 2023.
Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham joins the defense after playing well the last two seasons with the Terrapins. Barham has registered 96 tackles, two pass deflections, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception in two years.
Michigan’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Josh Priebe, OL, Northwestern
- Jaishawn Barham, LB, Maryland
14) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Total Transfers: Six
Top Offensive Player: Jahmal Banks, WR
Top Defensive Player: Blye Hill, CB
Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule was not hit hard this year by the transfer portal, losing five players leave but welcoming six new faces. Jahmal Banks from Wake Forest is a massive upgrade on offense. His height helped him rack up over 600 receiving yards in the last two years. Banks has caught 13 touchdowns, with nine of them coming in 2022.
MORE: 2024 Big 12 Transfer Portal Rankings
On defense, Blye Hill joins the Cornhuskers after playing for Saint Francis in Pennsylvania last year. Hill produced 21 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, one tackle for loss.
Nebraska’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Micah Mazzccua, OL, Florida
- Stefon Thompson, LB, Syracuse
- Dante Dowdell, RB, Oregon
- Isaiah Neyor, WR, Texas
- Jahmal Banks, WR, Wake Forest
- Blye Hill, CB, Saint Francis (PA)
13) Maryland Terrapins
Total Transfers: Six
Top Offensive Player: Aliou Bah, OT
Top Defensive Player: Jalen Huskey, CB
Offense was the focus for Maryland in the transfer portal, with five of the six newcomers playing on that side of the ball. Georgia offensive tackle Aliou Bah leads the way after completing his redshirt freshman year in 2023. He saw action in three games for the Bulldogs.
Jalen Huskey is the only defensive player to join the team from the transfer portal after a breakout season with Bowling Green. Huskey finished the year with 52 tackles, six pass deflections, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
Maryland’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Aliou Bah, OT, Georgia
- Jalen Huskey, CB, Bowling Green
- MJ Morris, QB, NC State
- Ryan Capiotti, K, ECU
- Josh Kaltenberger, OL, Purdue
- Alan Herron, OT, Shorter
12) Illinois Fighting Illini
Total Transfers: Seven
Top Offensive Player: Cole Rusk, TE
Top Defensive Player: Dennis Briggs Jr., DL
The Illinois Fighting Illini grabbed seven players from the transfer portal, with six bolstering both sides of the trenches. Illinois’ one skill player they picked up was Murray State tight end Cole Rusk, who had a strong junior campaign last year. Rusk caught 39 passes for 512 yards and six touchdowns on the year.
Dennis Briggs Jr. has spent the last six years at Florida State, mainly in a rotational role. Briggs finished the 2023 season with 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His 2021 season-ending injury helped him earn another year of eligibility in college.
Illinois’ Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Dennis Briggs Jr., DL, Florida State
- Melvin Priestly, OT, Grambling State
- Cole Rusk, TE, Murray State
- Anthony Johnson, DL, Youngstown State
- Enyce Sledge, DL, Auburn
- Kevin Wigenton, OL, Michigan State
- C. Davis, OT, New Mexico
11) Minnesota Golden Gophers
Total Transfers: Seven
Top Offensive Player: Max Brosmer, QB
Top Defensive Player: Ethan Robinson, CB
Minnesota is bringing in five offensive players, with seven total players joining the team. The Golden Gophers brought in a veteran quarterback from the transfer portal — Max Brosmer from New Hampshire. In four years, Brosmer has thrown for 8,713 yards with 70 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
MORE: 2024 ACC Transfer Portal Rankings
Bucknell cornerback Ethan Robinson is fresh off a career year, earning First-Team All-Patriot League honors in 2023. Robinson registered 50 tackles, three tackles for loss, and three interceptions in nine games.
Minnesota’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Jai’Onte’ McMillan, CB, TCU
- Sieh Bangura, RB, Ohio
- Marcus Major, RB, Oklahoma
- Cristian Driver, WR, Penn State
- Ethan Robinson, CB, Bucknell
- Jaylen Varner, WR, Emporia State
- Max Brosmer, QB, New Hampshire
10) Penn State Nittany Lions
Total Transfers: Six
Top Offensive Player: Julian Fleming, WR
Top Defensive Player: A.J. Harris, CB
Penn State was quiet in the transfer portal, only losing five players and bringing in six. On offense, wide receiver Julian Fleming did not get the looks last season for Ohio State, but he has big-play potential. Fleming has racked up 803 yards and six touchdowns in the last two seasons with the Buckeyes.
Freshman cornerback A.J. Harris entered Georgia with high expectations last year, but with a crowded secondary, he only played in seven games. Harris finished the season with eight tackles. With Penn State losing multiple players to the draft, Harris should have a chance to get significant playing time.
Penn State’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Nolan Rucci, OT, Wisconsin
- Jalen Kimber, CB, Florida
- J. Harris, CB, Georgia
- Jordan Mayer, EDGE, Wisconsin
- Chase Meyer, K, Tulsa
- Julian Fleming, WR, Ohio State
9) UCLA Bruins
Total Transfers: 11
Top Offensive Player: Rico Flores, WR
Top Defensive Player: Collins Acheampong, EDGE
The UCLA Bruins have 11 players transferring to the school, seven coming on defense. Chip Kelly’s top offensive player arriving from the portal is Notre Dame wide receiver Rico Flores. In his freshman year, he caught 27 passes for 392 yards and one touchdown for the Fighting Irish.
Highlighting the defense is EDGE rusher Collins Acheampong, who spent last season with Miami but did not play for the Hurricanes. Acheampong was a four-star recruit out of high school, ranked as the 19th-best defensive lineman in the country.
UCLA’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Collins Acheampong, EDGE, Miami (FL)
- J. Wallace, CB, Georgia Tech
- Luke Schuermann, DL, John Hopkins
- Jacob Busic, EDGE, Navy
- Michael Carmody, OT, Notre Dame
- Mateen Bhaghani, K, Cal
- Bryan Addison, S, Oregon
- Rico Flores, WR, Notre Dame
- Ramon Henderson, S, Notre Dame
- Joseph Vaughn, LB, Yale
- Ryan Wilkins, LS, Elon
8) Michigan State Spartans
Total Transfers: 11
Top Offensive Player: TJ Sheffield, WR
Top Defensive Player: Wayne Matthews III, LB
Michigan State has 11 players entering from the transfer portal, six being on offense and two quarterbacks. Looking at skill positions, former Purdue wide receiver TJ Sheffield stands out as one of the top players after catching 32 passes for 381 yards and two scores last season.
Entering his senior year and with turnover at quarterback, Sheffield should be one of the top targets in 2024.
MORE: Five Potential Transfer Portal Departures Following Jim Harbaugh’s Exit
Wayne Matthews III had one of the best performances of any defensive player in college football last season. The Old Dominion linebacker racked up 135 tackles, three pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles for the Monarchs in 2023.
Michigan State’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Tanner Miller, OL, Oregon State
- D’Quan Douse, DL, Georgia Tech
- Wayne Matthews III, LB, Old Dominion
- Jordan Turner, LB, Wisconsin
- Jack Velling, TE, Oregon State
- Kaden Schickel, LS, James Madison
- Tommy Schuster, QB, North Dakota
- Aidan Chilies, QB, Oregon State
- Quindarius Dunnigan, EDGE, Middle Tennessee
- Luke Newman, OT, Holy Cross
- TJ Sheffield, WR, Purdue
7) Purdue Boilermakers
Total Transfers: 15
Top Offensive Player: C.J. Smith, WR
Top Defensive Player: Nyland Green, CB
Purdue got down to business in the transfer portal with 15 players joining the Boilermakers, four coming from Georgia. One of those former Bulldogs is talented freshman wide receiver C.J. Smith, who caught six passes for 116 yards last season.
Another impressive player arriving from Athens, cornerback Nyland Green, joins Purdue after racking up just 13 tackles in three seasons. Although he’s had minimal production so far, Green was a four-star recruit out of high school in 2020.
Purdue’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- C.J. Smith, WR, Georgia
- Kyndrich Breedlove, CB, Colorado
- De’Nylon Morrissette, Georgia
- Nyland Green, CB, Georgia
- CJ Madden, EDGE, Georgia
- Corey Stewart, OT, Ball State
- Jamarius Dinkins, DL, Kentucky
- Jireh Ojata, EDGE, Franklin
- Joey Tanona, OT, Notre Dame
- Reggie Love III, RB, Illinois
- Joshua Sales Jr., OT, Indiana
- Shitta Sillah, EDGE, Boston College
- Kam Brown, WR, UCLA
- DJ Wingfield, OL, New Mexico
- Stu Smith, S, Holy Cross
6) Wisconsin Badgers
Total Transfers: 12
Top Offensive Player: Tyler Van Dyke, QB
Top Defensive Player: Tackett Curtis, LB
The Wisconsin Badgers are bringing in 12 total transfers, with seven on defense. Focusing on the offense first, the team has a new quarterback — former Miami Hurricanes starter Tyler Van Dyke. It was an inconsistent 2023 campaign for Van Dyke, who was benched for a short time but returned to compile 2,703 yards and 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions on the year.
Freshman linebacker Tackett Curtis impressed in his first year with the USC Trojans. Curtis finished the year with 40 tackles, two tackles for loss, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble. His style of play makes him a perfect fit for the Badgers defense.
Wisconsin’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- RJ Delancy III, CB, Toledo
- Elijah Hills, DL, Albany
- Jaheim Thomas, LB, Arkansas
- Tackett Curtis, LB, USC
- Jackson McGohan, TE, LSU
- Sebastian Cheeks, LB, North Carolina
- Tawee Walker, RB, Oklahoma
- Tyrell Henry, WR, Michigan State
- John Pius, EDGE, William & Mary
- Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (FL)
- Leon Lowery, LB, Syracuse
- Cayson Pfeiffer, LS, Cincinnati
5) Washington Huskies
Total Transfers: 10
Top Offensive Player: Will Rogers, QB
Top Defensive Player: Sebastian Valdez, DL
The Huskies Washington underwent major changes at head coach, with Jedd Fisch taking over from new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. Although they saw some portal losses, Fisch has attracted enough talent — and retained some — to earn a top-five spot in our Big Ten Transfer Portal Rankings.
Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers stuck with his commitment to Washington, despite the coaching change. The former Mississippi State QB has thrown for 11,775 yards and 89 touchdowns in his four-year career with the Bulldogs.
MORE: 2024 All-Transfer Portal College Football Team
On the defensive line, Sebastian Valdez dominated for Montana State through his first two years, racking up 81 tackles, 10.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. With former Arizona State defensive lineman BJ Green going back on his commitment to Washington, Valdez steps in as the top Husky transfer on defense.
Washington’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Bryun Parham, LB, San Jose State
- Jordan Shaw, CB, Arizona
- Ephesians Prysock, CB, Arizona
- Jonah Coleman, RB, Arizona
- Jeremiah Hunter, WR, Cal
- Tre Watson, TE, Fresno State
- Sebastian Valdez, DL, Montana State
- Drew Azzopardi, OT, San Diego State
- Ethan Barr, LB, Vanderbilt
- Will Rogers, QB, Mississippi State
4) Indiana Hoosiers
Total Transfers: 22
Top Offensive Player: Kurtis Rourke, QB
Top Defensive Player: James Carpenter, DL
With new head coach Curt Cignetti now in the picture, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Indiana Hoosiers added 22 players from the transfer portal — including 10 from his previous school, James Madison. Former Ohio Bobcats quarterback Kurtis Rourke enters the spring as the favorite to win the starting job after throwing for 2,207 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
James Carpenter follows his head coach to the Hoosiers after having a career-high 53 tackles last season for the Dukes. He’s also racked up 9.5 sacks in the last two years for James Madison.
Indiana’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Shawn Asbury II, S, Old Dominion
- Jayden McDonald, LB, Troy
- Elijah Sarratt, WR, James Madison
- Tyler Stephens, OL, James Madison
- Trey Wedig, OT, Wisconsin
- Kaelon Black, RB, James Madison
- Nick Kidwell, OL, James Madison
- Ty Son Lawton, RB, James Madison
- James Carpenter, DL, James Madison
- Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio
- Jailin Walker, LB, James Madison
- Aiden Fisher, LB, James Madison
- Mikail Kamara, DL, James Madison
- Zach Horton, TE, James Madison
- Myles Price, WR, Texas Tech
- Miles Cross, WR, Ohio
- Ke’Shawn Williams, WR, Wake Forest
- Terry Jones, S, Old Dominion
- Derek McCormick, K, Louisiana-Monroe
- Mark Langston, LS, Georgia Southern
- Justice Ellison, RB, Wake Forest
- Elijah Green, RB, North Carolina
3) USC Trojans
Total Transfers: 11
Top Offensive Player: Jayden Maiava, QB
Top Defensive Player: Kamari Ramsey, DB
The USC Trojans are bringing in a lot of young talent from the transfer portal, with two of the team’s top talents completing their freshman years in 2023.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava is the first worth noting after throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns for UNLV. Now entering his redshirt-sophomore year, Maiava has a chance to explode onto the scene at USC and be the replacement for Caleb Williams.
UCLA defensive back Kamari Ramsey headlines the defenders coming in after posting 40 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception last season. The Trojans needed help on the defensive side and Ramsey is a guy who upgrades a secondary that needed reinforcements.
USC’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Jayden Maiava, QB, UNLV
- Isaiah Raikes, DL, Texas A&M
- John Humphrey, CB, UCLA
- Jo’Quavious Marks, RB, Mississippi State
- DeCarlos Nicholson, CB, Mississippi State
- Akili Arnold, S, Oregon State
- Kamari Ramsey, S, UCLA
- Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, LB, Oregon State
- Nate Clifton, DL, Vanderbilt
- Jaden Richardson, WR, Tufts
- Hank Pepper, LS, Michigan State
2) Ohio State Buckeyes
Total Transfers: Six
Top Offensive Player: Will Howard, QB
Top Defensive Player: Caleb Downs, S
Ohio State added eight players from the transfer portal, led by former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard. The dynamic quarterback has been the Wildcats’ starter since 2020 but arrives in Columbus off a career year. The incoming QB threw for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding nine rushing scores.
MORE: College Football’s Best Transfers of All Time
The Buckeyes got a massive boost in the secondary with freshman Alabama standout safety Caleb Downs. In his first year in college, Downs registered 107 tackles, three pass deflections, two interceptions, and one forced fumble, earning First-Team All-SEC honors and CFN Freshman All-American recognition.
Ohio State’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Julian Sayin, QB, Alabama
- Caleb Downs, QB, Alabama
- Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss
- Seth McLaughlin, OL, Alabama
- Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio
- Will Howard, QB, Kansas State
1) Oregon Ducks
Total Transfers: 11
Top Offensive Player: Dillon Gabriel, QB
Top Defensive Player: Kobe Savage, S
The Oregon Ducks had one of the strongest transfer portal additions of any team this offseason. Oregon’s biggest name is former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel. He had a career year with the Sooners last year, throwing for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, but looks to end his career in style with the Ducks.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kobe Savage comes from Kansas State as one of their top defensive backs. Savage has had three interceptions in each of the last two seasons with the Wildcats.
Oregon’s Transfer Portal Class, 2024
- Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Washington
- Kam Alexander, CB, UTSA
- Evan Stewart, WR, Texas A&M
- Jay Harris, RB, Northwest Missouri State
- Brandon Johnson, CB, Duke
- Jamaree Caldwell, DL, Houston
- Kobe Savage, S, Kansas State
- Atticus Sappington, K, Oregon State
- Dante Moore, QB, UCLA
- Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma
- Matthew Bedford, OT, Indiana
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!