Although the college football season is thundering down upon us, and the spring transfer window slammed shut over a month ago, there is still a ton of talent in the college football transfer portal. Perhaps your team needs an All-Conference defensive back, a productive pass catcher, or even a quarterback to add competition this summer. These top 25 players remaining in the portal could meet those needs.
1) Al-Ma’hi Ali, S, Charlotte
Having spent the 2021 season with the Old Dominion Monarchs, a year with the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash, and two seasons with the Charlotte 49ers, Al-Ma’hi Ali is no stranger to the college football transfer portal. Having entered as the spring window opened, Ali is still waiting to find a team for the 2025 season and is currently the top remaining player available to the lucky team that snaps him up.
The 5’11”, 180-pound safety has been productive wherever he’s played his football, tallying 39 tackles with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble during his first full season of action (for St. Francis in 2022), as per TruMedia.
While he’s not the most substantially built of defensive backs, he’s not afraid to get heavy-handed and physical, logging a forced fumble in every season except his debut campaign for Old Dominion.
Ali enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, his second season with the 49ers. Playing 770 snaps, 375 of which were in coverage, he broke up six passes while snagging two interceptions. That marked the second time in his college career with multiple interceptions in a single season. His play last fall earned him CSN All-AAC honors, and he already has an SEC offer from the Tennessee Volunteers.
2) Cortez Braham Jr., WR, Nevada
Cortez Braham Jr. is a complicated case among the top players in the college football transfer portal. After a breakout season for the Nevada Wolf Pack, he entered the portal during the winter window and attracted significant attention. In January, he held visits with SEC outfit Kentucky and anticipated AAC frontrunner Memphis. There’s just one problem: Braham isn’t currently eligible to play this fall.
The former JUCO, West Virginia, and Nevada wide receiver was denied a seventh year of eligibility despite expecting his three years at Hutchinson CC not to count against his DI eligibility, as per the “Diego Pavia” rule. So now, he’s suing the NCAA, claiming a loss of around $500,000 in NIL money due to their decision.
Add another JUCO rule lawsuit to the long list — this time by Nevada WR Cortez Braham.
Braham claims that, but for the JUCO rule, his three years at Hutchison CC would not count and that he would be eligible to earn “nearly $500k” in NIL compensation. pic.twitter.com/WCY3DmoC1z
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) May 27, 2025
If Braham emerges victorious from the courtroom and makes it to the field for a seventh season, there’s much to be excited about for the team that lands the now-veteran wide receiver. He etched his name in the Hutchinson CC records book, putting his 6’2″, 201-pound frame to good use with 68 receptions, 1,387 receiving yards (fifth in program history), and snagging 17 touchdown catches.
In his first taste of the college football transfer portal, Braham got an opportunity with West Virginia, but it was at Nevada where his alluring skill set was met with production. In one season with the Wolf Pack, he snagged 724 receiving yards and four touchdowns, impressing against the SMU Mustangs in Week 0 and ultimately earning a CSN All-Mountain West honorable mention.
3) Ean Rhea, EDGE, Emory & Henry
With multiple offers from teams across the FBS landscape, there is a good chance that by the time you read this, Emory & Henry pass rusher Ean Rhea won’t actually be still available in the college football transfer portal. Until such a time as he commits to a team, however, he’ll remain as one of the very best players looking for a new place to call home for the 2025 college football season.
The 6’3″, 245-pound pass edge is as disruptive as they come. Rhea combines the power to push the pocket with a plethora of pass rush moves to provide a permanent presence in the face of opposition passers. His game tape, which you can find on his “X” account, features an array of spin moves reminiscent of former Charlotte 49ers standout Alex Highsmith before he transitions to the NFL.
After failing to see the field much in his debut season with the FCS outfit, Rhea has become a dominant force for Emory & Henry. Entering the college football transfer portal as a two-year starter, he’s a two-time All-SAC Mountain Division honoree with a stat list as long as your arm.
During the past two seasons he’s racked up 87 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, one interception, and two touchdowns, putting his length and situational awareness to good use as a passing lane disruptor in addition to his ability to get after the quarterback and stop the running game. Multiple AAC, CUSA, and MAC schools have made offers to secure Rhea’s services.
4) Markevious Brown, CB, Purdue
At this point in the cycle, there aren’t many players in the college football transfer portal who boast legitimate Power Four experience, let alone ones playing starter-level football in 2024. Former Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Markevious Brown ticks both boxes in this regard, as a seasoned veteran who has played both in the SEC (Ole Miss Rebels) and started four games in the Big Ten last fall.
There is no doubt about Brown’s ability. A former top-100 player in Florida, no mean feat given the level of talent in the state, he played high school ball at the prestigious IMG Academy. Establishing himself as a starter with his quick feet, catch-point commanding length, and physical approach to the game, he committed to Ole Miss in the 2021 recruiting class, playing 18 games with two pass breakups.
Brown’s transfer to Purdue allowed him to cement himself as a starting cornerback, with a breakout campaign in 2023 resulting in six pass breakups, 45 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles, demonstrating his willingness to contribute with ferocity in all facets of the game. Through four starts in 2024, he tallied three breakups and appeared on course to have a career year.
However, after four games, Purdue revealed that Brown was to “step away from the team” due to a “personal matter.” While the expectation was that he would return to the Boilermakers this year, he entered his name into the college football transfer portal in April. It is unknown if the matter is preventing him from finding a new team, but on talent alone, Brown is one of the best available players.
5) Jack Hasz, IOL, UNLV
Forget the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and familiarize yourself with the Curious Case of Jack Hasz. The former Iowa Western CC, Buffalo Bulls, and UNLV Rebels offensive lineman entered the college football transfer portal in late 2024 after learning of the JUCO eligibility ruling. However, he remains uncommitted to a program, and there is little information regarding his current situation.
Here’s what we do know about the situation:
The former UNLV center, a pivotal part of the Rebels’ success this last two seasons, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 27, citing the “recent ruling of JUCO players” having given him “an additional year of eligibility.” According to his social media, Hasz received an offer from Northwestern in late December. He appeared on the initial UNLV 2025 spring football roster, but that page has now been removed.
We also know this: Hasz is damn good at football. In the last three seasons, he’s played no fewer than 879 snaps (932 in 2023) and allowed just four sacks in his entire FBS tenure, according to TruMedia. The 6’4″, 295-pound center is coming off the best season of his career, credited with just seven pressures and zero hits allowed while earning a CSN Mountain West honorable mention.
6) Jakiah Leftwich, OT, UCF
If any teams are looking to bolster their depth at the offensive tackle position before the start of the season, Jakiah Leftwich is the best available option in the college football transfer portal. A former three-star recruit with starting experience in the ACC, Leftwich originally entered the portal in December, committing to UCF before re-entering the collegiate equivalent of free agency in late April.
A 6’6″, 310-pound man mountain with the length to excel at tackle, Leftwich started eight games in two seasons for the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets before transferring to the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was predominantly a depth player. Although he’s allowed pressure on 8.2% of his career protection snaps, Leftwich can be a nasty blocker in the run game and has some alluring athletic upside.
7) Trejan Bridges, WR, Central Arkansas
After registering 748 receiving yards and six touchdowns last fall for the Central Arkansas Bears, Trejan Bridges is one of the most productive wide receivers available in the college football transfer portal. The former five-star recruit has a controversial past after being dismissed by the Oklahoma Sooners following a felony count of larceny, but has the talent to grace the football field at the FBS level.
Bridges spent time at East Los Angeles College following his dismissal from Oklahoma and was committed to Utah before signing with Central Arkansas last spring.
The 6’1″, 185-pound pass catcher has reeled in 69.7% of his career targets, converting 71% of his catches into either a first down or touchdown. His 2.27 yards per route run last fall would put him just outside the top 25 receivers in the FBS for the coming season.
His catch-point acrobatics, body control, and agility that allow for after-the-catch value could enhance an offense, with the Maryland Terrapins recently hosting the talented receiver. According to his social media, he also had an official visit with the Syracuse Orange. However, as of June 3, he still remains available for a receiver-needy team.
8) Zeed Haynes, WR, Syracuse
When the Syracuse spring football roster was released, a notable name was missing. Zeed Haynes missed most of the 2024 campaign due to “family reasons,” and after early expectations that he’d return in 2025, head coach Fran Brown informed the media in mid-March that the former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver was not only leaving Syracuse but turning his back on football altogether.
“He’s chilling,” Brown told Syracuse.com. “He’s in school. He’s getting a degree. He ain’t playing right now. He ain’t playing no more. He going to chill. He put the cleats up. But he’s going to dominate the work world. He’s a hell of a guy. Great kid. We’re excited for him.”
Either Haynes didn’t get that memo, or he had a change of heart, because the former four-star wide receiver, who committed to Georgia in the 2023 recruiting cycle, entered the college football transfer portal in the spring window. However, he remains unsigned, with no reports of official visits as the 2025 season looms larger.
The 6’1″, 170-pound pass catcher has little tread on his tires for whichever team takes a chance on his talent. He’s run just 71 routes in his two seasons with Georgia and Syracuse, and seen just 19 targets. His speed, agility, competitiveness at the catch point, and soft, corralling hands that made him a favorite for the WR1 spot at Syracuse should ensure he finds a landing spot before the fall.
9) Jacob Busic, EDGE, UCLA
Making his second journey into the college football transfer portal, Jacob Busic is one of the top remaining edge players available for teams in need of a rotational pass rush presence who has also proven strong in the run game. He spent the 2024 season in the Big Ten with the UCLA Bruins, putting together a relatively meager 10 tackles, with one tackle for loss and a sack in 2024.
However, at the height of his prowess for the Navy Midshipmen, Busic was a dangerous pass rusher who tallied 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles across two seasons before a ruptured bicep curtailed his 2023 campaign, and eligibility rules forced him to explore other options. The 6’4″, 256-pound defensive end/outside linebacker is explosive and flashes good power when fully healthy.
10) TJ Finley, QB, Tulane
A former three-star recruit who was a top-25 player in the state of Louisiana in the 2020 recruiting cycle, TJ Finley originally signed with his hometown LSU Tigers before embarking on one of the wildest journeys of the college football transfer portal era. He already has five teams on his collegiate resume, but the long-time college football quarterback is still hunting for a sixth place to call home.
Finley originally committed to the Tulane Green Wave for the 2025 campaign. However, he re-entered the transfer portal in the spring window after being suspended following an arrest for possessing a stolen vehicle. The veteran quarterback claims he was the victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam and believed he was in possession of a valid bill of sale and registration.
QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL: What’s Next in the QB Transfer Portal
It wouldn’t be the first time that Finley displayed some questionable decision-making in a career in which his single-season interceptions twice outweighed his touchdown passes (Auburn 2022, Western Kentucky 2024) and his single-season completion percentage twice fell comfortably below 60% (57.1% in 2020, 54.7% in 2021).
That said, in the sole season he played a full football slate (Texas State, 2023), Finley threw for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning an honorable mention on the CSN All-Sun Belt team. His elite size and cannon for an arm, combined with his experience, make him the perfect candidate to join a program with a young quarterback room.
11) Ethan Hilliman, WR, Sacred Heart
A three-sport high school athlete who went through Monroe College to Sacred Heart, Ethan Hilliman has tallied 49 receptions for 505 yards and four touchdowns during his time with the Pioneers. While his production might not be eye-popping, some of his tape is. Listed at 6’4″ and 203 pounds, Hilliman is a catch point contortionist with excellent body control and spatial awareness who could act as a red-zone threat for a wide receiver-needy FBS team this fall.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME 🤯🤩
Ethan Hilliman makes an incredible catch in the endzone and lands at #1⃣ on #SCTop10 and earns Best Catch!!
📽️via Sports Center#WeAreSHU | #DEAL | #CatchoftheYear | @NCAA_FCS | @mark_nofri pic.twitter.com/dbCMm1ypCN
— Sacred Heart Football (@SHU__Football) September 15, 2024
12) Khafre Brown, WR, Arkansas
Khafre Brown is the ultimate example of “what could have been.” The former four-star wide receiver had the speed, ball-tracking, and length to be a devastating threat at all three field levels and on special teams. However, injuries have impacted his effectiveness and derailed his journey.
After spending three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels, two with the South Florida Bulls, and 2024 with the Arkansas Razorbacks, he’s looking for a fourth home having only played two full seasons of football. In each of those, he averaged over 16 yards per catch and scored multiple touchdowns. If he can stay healthy (and is awarded an extra year of eligibility), he’s still a viable threat for a team.
13) Isaiah Augustave, RB, Colorado
A highly productive high school running back who also competed in the 100m, Isaiah Augustave entered the college ranks as a four-star recruit of the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2023. A bit-part player in the SEC as a freshman, he carved out a more substantial role for himself with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, rushing for four touchdowns and 384 yards before entering the college football transfer portal again.
While he doesn’t offer much in the passing game, Augustave is still a legitimate running back weapon who should find a home before the season starts. He’s never fumbled the football in 120 attempts, converted 75% of his third-down carries across his two teams, and his career 4.9 yards per carry is 3.65 yards per carry after contact.
14) George Silva, OT, Oregon
If you’re looking for an offensive tackle in the college football transfer portal in June, it’s most likely that your options are younger players looking to gain playing time or FCS transfers wanting to make the transition to the FBS. However, former Oregon Duck George Silva is a rare breed who has Power Four experience to offer a new team.
MORE DUCKS COVERAGE: Top Returning Oregon Players
The 6’7″, 305-pound former three-star JUCO product has spent the last two seasons in Eugene, earning playing time in 14 games. Granted, some of that was on special teams, but he has proven to be reliable when called upon. He played 10 snaps at left tackle against a good Illinois Fighting Irish side this last season, and hasn’t given up a sack while playing 78 offensive snaps for the Ducks.
15) Josh Philostin, CB, Indiana
Josh Philostin missed his entire freshman season with the Indiana Hoosiers and subsequently entered the college football transfer portal. While there’s no college tape to go off, he’s just one year removed from being a highly-regarded three-star cornerback prospect out of Cardinal Newman High School.
Being a top-60 prospect in the state of Florida is nothing to be sniffed at, and neither is an athletic profile that saw Philostin qualify for state in both 100m and 200m during his high school years. He put that speed to good use on the football field, playing both cornerback and wide receiver. He has the acceleration ability and route awareness to be a space neutraliser at the next level.
16) Robbie Pizzolato, IOL, Tulane
After making 12 starts on the offensive line for the Nicholls Colonels in 2024, Robbie Pizzolato entered the college football transfer portal and committed to the Tulane Green Wave. He was expected to battle for the starting right guard spot for Jon Sumrall’s team, but is listed by 247 Sports as having re-entered the portal on April 24.
Pizzolato would be a great pick-up for a team. He was an FCS Freshman All-American in 2023 and has experience facing some of the most difficult FBS fronts, having faced LSU last fall. His strength helped carve out big holes in the running game, while TruMedia notes that he has allowed just three sacks in over 500 pass protection snaps during the last two seasons.
17) Amir Leonard-Jean Charles, DL, West Virginia
Amir Leonard-Jean Charles is the only player in this list of available college football transfer portal entrants who is from the 2025 recruiting class. A former three-star recruit who tallied 31 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in his senior high school season, he was committed to the West Virginia Mountaineers, but opted to enter the portal rather than play for the program in 2025.
His primary recruiter, Andrew Jackson, left the program to join the Penn State Nittany Lions, so that should be considered a potential landing spot. Leonard-Jean Charles also recently visited UCLA and should quickly find a new home. 6’5″, 300-pound interior defensive linemen who can hustle into the backfield are always in high demand.
18) Isaiah Crawford, EDGE, Texas Tech
After two seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Isaiah Crawford entered the college football transfer portal and is looking for a new home. He’s played just six snaps in two seasons for the Big 12 outfit and would likely benefit from regaining some confidence and honing a rusty skill set at a Group of Five program.
Crawford is undoubtedly talented. A key component of the 2023 recruiting class, he is a former four-star pass rusher with multiple honors from high school, where he tallied 204 tackles and 16 sacks in just two years. He also played basketball and ran an 11.33-second 100-meter time at 6’4″, 225 pounds, while also posting impressive long jump numbers.
Due to a knee injury, he didn’t play in his senior high school season, meaning he’s now made just one appearance on the football field in three years.
19) Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, WR, USF
Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen appeared to be in high demand earlier in the year, but with just over two months until the start of the 2025 season, he is still listed as being in the college football transfer portal. He originally committed to the James Madison Dukes but rescinded that pledge in late January, and his latest offer came from the Akron Zips in March, according to his social media profile.
A former four-star who was a top-10 player in the state of Michigan in the 2020 recruiting class, Yaseen committed to Purdue but made little impact for the first three seasons. However, he tallied 329 yards for the Boilermakers in 2023 before transferring to USF, where he registered 254 yards last fall. He offers a team a feisty receiving option who thrives on competing at the catch point.
20) Dante Reno, QB, South Carolina
If you’re looking for a long-term quarterback option in the college football transfer portal, you could do much worse than former South Carolina Gamecock Dante Reno. A true freshman in 2024, he saw minimal action and maintained a redshirt, ensuring four years of eligibility for the team that picks him up.
The son of Yale football coach Tony Reno, Dante is a former Elite 11 Finalist who was also selected as an Under Armor All-American. He has never put up gaudy numbers like some recruits. However, he’s a decent-sized passer who has the physical tools and mental acuity to develop into a very capable quarterback for a team.
21) Garrison Butler, DL, Appalachian State
Garrison Butler is an intriguing option for a team from the college football transfer portal. He didn’t see the field as a true freshman for the Cincinnati Bearcats, but the 6’1″, 285-pound former three-star recruit has some extremely exciting high school tape that earned him offers from multiple Power Four teams, including NC State and Pitt.
Butler originally committed to the Appalachian State Mountaineers in January, but opted to re-enter the portal in the spring. Although there has been no information as to visits since then, a team should take a shot on a versatile defensive lineman who put up 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in his senior high school season alone. He can line up anywhere across the line with a mix of power and agility that is somewhat reminiscent of a Calijah Kancey-lite.
22) Shamaar Darden, S, Ole Miss
Another true freshman opting to enter the college football transfer portal after just one season, former Ole Miss Rebels safety Shamaar Darden didn’t see the field in 2024. Although he was a full participant for the Rebels last spring, he missed most of his senior season at high school with an ankle injury, meaning he hasn’t played for the best part of two years.
That might impact his standing in the college football transfer portal. However, he’s a feisty safety who adds value both in run support and coverage. During his high school career, he tallied 87 tackles and 13 tackles, eight of which came in his junior season. Recruited by multiple Group of Five schools last year, he could find a role at the level.
23) Al Wooten II, RB, Duke
After spending four years building his reputation with the Mercer Bears, Al Wooten II jumped into the college football transfer portal following the 2023 season, landing with the Duke Blue Devils. He made very little impact in a talent running back room, handling just two carries for one yard during the 2024 season before re-entering the portal, where he still remains.
Although 2024 didn’t go as planned, he’s just a year removed from a career season with Mercer, where he rushed for 715 yards on 152 carries with six touchdowns. Wooten has manufactured yardage after contact in every season he’s played, headlined by a 2022 campaign where his 3.9 yards per carry was comprised of 3.3 yards per carry after contact. He’s 6’0″, 225 pounds of pure fury.
24) Jayden Williams, CB, Texas Southern
Much like the 2003 studio album from British rock band Stereophonics, sometimes you gotta go there to come back, and Jayden Williams is slowly making his way back to the level that his high school play deserves. A co-MVP at Centennial High in 2018, Williams committed to the USC Trojans, where he spent three seasons and saw action in 24 games, primarily on special teams.
KEEP READING: When Was the NCAA Transfer Portal Created? A Look at Its History and How It Has Evolved
He then spent two seasons with the Miami (OH) RedHawks before shining with the Texas Southern Tigers in 2024. The 6’0″, 197-pound defensive back tallied 29 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups last fall, utilising his quick feet and agility to be a constant thorn in the side of receivers. His talent deserves another FBS opportunity.
25) Frank Peasant, RB, Middle Tennessee
A veteran in the college football transfer portal, Frank Peasant has played 45 games and carried the ball 370 times in his five seasons with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. His MTSU career arc resembles a parabolic curve, starting with just 75 yards in 2020, finishing with 49 yards in 2024, but containing an elevated mid-point with 774 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.
Peasant plays the game with impressive physicality from his 5’10”, 198-pound frame. He can break tackles with sheer strength while lowering his shoulder and driving with his legs to act as a bulldozer. He also has enough juice to get around the outside. The Middle Tennessee standout rusher adds receiving value to his resume, with 55 catches for 443 yards and two scores from his five seasons.
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