Top 10 best available players in the NCAA Transfer Portal
The NCAA transfer portal has taken on a heavy Alabama and Washington flavor in recent days, as the two playoff programs have undergone coaching changes, freeing players to enter the portal at will.
There are some elite players in the mix now, including star Alabama freshman defensive back Caleb Downs.
Who will be in the mix for Downs and some of the other top talent in the NCAA transfer portal? Let’s begin to answer that question by taking a look at the best players currently available in the portal as of Jan. 18.
1. S Caleb Downs, Alabama
The Alabama freshman quickly became a team leader in many regards, and he led the team in tackling during the 2023 season. That made him the first freshman in Alabama history dating back to at least 1970 to accomplish that feat.
Downs finished the year with 107 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and five passes defended. He was voted to the first-team All-SEC squad following the season. Needless to say he’ll have plenty of suitors in the transfer portal, with Georgia and Ohio State quickly emerging as two.
2. OT Zalance Heard, LSU
Heard hasn’t played a ton of college football just yet, serving as a backup on LSU’s offensive line during his true freshman season. So his ranking this high is still mostly a reflection of his high school ranking, when Heard was a five-star prospect.
He was the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 4 OT in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
3. CB Jabbar Muhammad, Washington
After transferring from Oklahoma State to Washington, Muhammad quickly slotted in as the top cornerback for the Huskies defense, intercepting three passes and defending 16 total, both career highs, as he played in all 15 games. He immediately became one of the top players to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Muhammad will have a number of high-profile programs after him after showing what he could do in a playoff run. Alabama, Oregon and Texas are all already involved and jockeying for visits.
4. OL Parker Brailsford, Washington
Another talent from Washington, Brailsford emerged in a major way as a second-year player along the offensive line for the Huskies. He started in every game during the championship run, earning his spot on the Joe Moore Award winning offensive line.
Brailford himself earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors, while also racking up freshman All-American honors from several different publications. He’d be an instant plug-and-play guy along the offensive line.
5. RB Jonah Coleman, Arizona
As a sophomore for the Wildcats in 2023, Coleman emerged as one of the major workhorses in the backfield for Jedd Fisch‘s upstart squad. He saw leaps in productivity in both the passing game and the running game, turning into a really well-rounded back.
Coleman finished the 2023 season with 871 rushing yards and five touchdowns, to go along with 25 catches for 283 yards and a score. He went over 1,000 yards as an all purpose player this fall.
6. TE Amari Niblack, Alabama
After playing very sparingly as a freshman for Alabama in 2022, Niblack began to emerge onto the scene in 2023 with a few big performances. He went for three catches for 61 yards in a win over Mississippi State.
Niblack finished his season with four touchdown catches, totaling 327 yards receiving on 20 receptions. Now in the transfer portal, he’ll be looking for a place where he can be a featured weapon in the passing game.
7. QB Jordan McCloud, James Madison
James Madison quarterback Jordan McCloud is seeking the fourth program of his college football career. Beginning his career at USF and then Arizona, McCloud transferred to JMU this past season after not playing college football at all in 2022.
His return to the field was well worth it for McCloud and the Dukes, as he threw for 3,413 yards and 32 touchdowns as they became the story of college football with an 11-1 record. He was a three-star prospect in high school out of the 2018 recruiting class.
8. DL Kevon Darton, Syracuse
Darton spent the first three years of his career as a walk-on before earning a scholarship before the 2022 season. He became a starter at nose tackle that season as Syracuse’s defense finished No. 1 in the country in points allowed.
This past season, Darton set career highs in both sacks (five) and tackles for loss (eight). He totaled 96 tackles over the past two seasons as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to college football’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
9. CB Caleb Ransaw, Troy
A junior in 2023 for the Trojans, Ransaw put together the best season of his career and turned the heads of some in scouting departments at much larger programs. He’ll get a look at some high-profile programs this offseason.
Ransaw earned that recognition by tallying 51 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery, an interception and three passes defended. During his career, Ransaw has also notched a blocked kick, so he’s valuable on special teams too.
10. QB Austin Mack, Washington
One of the players involved in the quarterback shuffle at Washington, Mack entered the NCAA transfer portal after the Huskies opted to take quarterback Will Rogers. But Rogers has since re-entered the NCAA transfer portal, so it’ll be interesting to see if Mack now reconsiders.
In any case, Mack was a backup quarterback for the national runners-up in 2023. He was a freshman, highly regarded as a prospect. He was the No. 219 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Best Players Available, 11-25
11. S Asa Turner, Washington
12. OT Luke Newman, Holy Cross
13. EDGE TJ Jackson, Troy
14. OL Quantavious Leslie, Western Kentucky
15. QB Will Rogers, Washington
16. WR Germie Bernard, Washington
17. RB Rashad Amos, Maryland
18. OT Nate Kalepo, Washington
19. CB Mumu Bin-Wahad, UConn
20. CB Ephesians Prysock, Arizona
21. TE Corey Dyches, Maryland
22. OL Raymond Pulido, Arizona
23. CB Trey Amos, Alabama
24. LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo
25. LB Clayton Coll, Ball State
As you can see, the transfer portal still has a heavy flavor of Washington in the ranks from No. 11-25, with several Huskies looking for a new program. The list also includes some Arizona players, who are now looking for a new home following the departure of Fisch for Washington. The list also has pretty broad representation across positions, so there’s still more than a smattering of star power for coaches to pick through in the transfer portal.