2024 Transfer Portal: Biggest Spring needs for the Top 10 national championship contenders

The spring transfer portal window starts April 16, and when the clock strikes midnight Tuesday, many expect a dizzying amount of movement when the market opens. 

Players who have already transferred this year can leverage their new schools for better NIL deals or bolt again, while others frustrated or discontent with their situation post-spring practice can freely move, too. 

Hundreds of FBS players are likely to submit their name to the transfer portal, but the quality of prospects set to test the waters remains TBD. The very best will look to either sign a huge NIL deal with another program, or latch onto a championship contender as a missing piece — for some, one school might check both boxes. 

Every team has outstanding needs — even the best in the country — but many rosters are already over the 85-scholarship limit, so some attrition must occur, too. 

Using the Top 10 2024 national championship contenders, per FanDuel SportsBook odds, here are the most pressing needs for the preseason favorites this fall.

Georgia — Defensive tackle

You’ll quickly notice a theme here among many of the top title contenders: They all need the same thing. 

Every team, even Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, could use another interior defensive lineman to add to the rotation. Georgia flirted with Texas A&M 5-star transfer tackles Walter Nolan (now at Ole Miss) and LT Overton (at Alabama), but opted not to get into a bidding war. They did at South Carolina tackle Xzavier McLeod, and the redshirt freshman had a strong spring game with a couple of sacks. 

Still, they could use another body — particularly a space-eater to help a run defense that slipped a bit last fall (37th nationally in yards per carry allowed). 

Ohio State — Right tackle

If a top-flight offensive tackle jumps into the portal over the next two weeks, then the Buckeyes should be first in line for that player’s services. Ohio State has shown it will be competitive for the top players in the country, and perhaps the lone Scarlett-A on the roster is at offensive tackle. 

In general, the Buckeyes’ OL has some question marks. It was a unit that underachieved a year ago and returns largely the same cast. Left tackle Josh Simmons was just OK, while there was an ongoing battle for the right tackle spot during the spring. Alabama center Seth McLaughlin was a solid add during the first portal window, but in Buckeyes’ quest for Final Dance-esque season, if a right tackle upgrade presents itself, I’d expect Ryan Day to pounce.

Texas — Defensive tackle

Like Georgia, the Longhorns could use another interior body to eat up some snaps. With the additions of UTSA transfer Trey Moore, who is the top returning sack artist in the country with 14 last season, and 5-star freshman Colin Simmons, coupled with return of Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell, Texas should be great at rushing the passer. 

But can they hold up against the run versus physical SEC teams without Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat — two interior monsters who anchored the entire unit last season?

Oregon — Defensive tackle

The Ducks have already done yeomen’s work in the portal, with Dan Lanning completely retooling the team’s quarterback room and secondary. They also landed impact playmakers like 5-star Texas A&M transfer wideout Evan Stewart and Division II All-American tailback Jay Harris. 

Defensive end is a strength for Oregon, but unlike Georgia and Texas, tackle isn’t simply a minor need but a legitimate question mark on the roster. Houston transfer Ja’Maree Caldwell is already a presumed starter, but there’s little experience elsewhere among the interior options. Oregon was the runner-up for Nolan’s services, so if a big fish at the position opts to hit the open market, it would not be a surprise to see the Ducks aggressively get in the mix. 

Alabama — Secondary help

The Crimson Tide must replace four key starters (cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry + safeties Caleb Downs and Jaylen Key) one notable backup (Trey Amos ) and multiple depth pieces off one of the best secondaries in the nation in 2023. 

The Tide don’t lack talent in the defensive backfield (multiple recent Top-100 recruits including Jaylen Mbakwe, Zabien Brown and Zavier Mincey + former USC 5-star transfer Domani Jackson and ex-Michigan safety Keon Sabb), but they are short on experience and depth. 

Safety Malachi Moore is the lone DB with multiple seasons of starting experience. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has acknowledged the Tide will look to add multiple secondary players from the portal — specifically corners with some seasoning. 

Elsewhere, look for Alabama to also add several offensive linemen to a room low on numbers. Former Tide 5-star Kaydn Proctor, who was in Tuscaloosa for the spring game, is expected to rejoin the program, but he likely won’t be the lone addition up front.

LSU — Anything on defense 

Brian Kelly is already on record that the Tigers will add defensive tackle depth when the portal opens — and that’s a must with the departure of the team’s top two interior tackles last season in Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo.

But LSU’s head coach should not stop there. If the spring game was any indication (busted coverages are becoming a far too common theme with this group the last few years), Blake Baker’s unit still needs a whole lot of help in the secondary, too. 

In fact, if any impact transfer defensive player — be it a pass rusher or linebacker as well, — wants to come play for the Bayou Bengals, then LSU should not turn them down. Kelly whiffed on some portal additions in the secondary last season, but he must take some swings again this spring if the Tigers hope to truly contend for a 12-team playoff spot this fall.

Michigan — Any quality offensive pieces: QB, WR, OL

The Wolverines are essentially starting from starch offensively this year, with tight end Colston Loveland the lone returning starter. Tailback Donovan Edwards is back and ready for a bigger role, too, but  Sherrone Moore pretty much needs help everywhere else if Michigan has any hopes of repeating as national champs again in 2024. 

It’s too early to know where UM stands on a crowded quarterback battle, but considering most every other contender is set at QB, Moore could have his pick of the litter if an intriguing option decides to enter the portal. The Wolverines, which lost their top six offensive linemen, could use some added depth up front and they have snaps to give at receiver. 

Ole Miss — Running back

Lane Kiffin has already used the portal to build the Rebels’ version of the Avengers. They have a totally new-look defense cobbled together with some of the best players from Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas and Indiana, among others. They also added a trio of offensive linemen and stud wideout Juice Wells.

But when you push your chips all in, you can leave no stone unturned, so look for the Portal King to go shopping one last time for the team’s final Infinity Stone (note: I’ve never seen the Marvel series, am I using this term correctly?). Ole Miss saw star tailback Quinshon Judkins leave the program for Ohio State, so there’s an obvious need at tailback. The Rebels are reportedly among the contenders for Miami transfer Henry Parrish, who started his career at Ole Miss, and they could be a natural fit for Oregon State’s Damien Martinez, too.

Florida State — Defensive tackle

Mike Norvell doesn’t own the ‘Portal King’ moniker, but no head coach has truly been better at mining the transfer portal for key needs the last few seasons. The Seminoles road a host of transfers to a perfect 13-0 regular season in 2023, and they’ve once again used the portal to supplement holes at edge, quarterback, receiver and offensive line. But there remains an obvious need along the defensive line interior. 

Miami transfer Darrell Jackson will actually get to suit up for the ‘Noles this fall, but outside of Joshua Farmer, FSU lacks experienced options inside. Obviously, competition for DT depth will be fierce this spring, but Norvell has proven he can utilize the portal as well as any head coach in the country the last few seasons. 

Penn State — Wide receiver

Aside from the tailback unit, the Nittany Lions’ entire offense is littered with uncertainty. Can the offensive line replace a Top 10 NFL Draft pick at left tackle? Will Drew Allar make a major leap as a junior? 

And then there’s the wideout room, which already lacked experienced options and just saw senior (and team-leading) pass catcher KeAndre Lambert-Smith leave the program. James Franklin did bring in former 5-star Julian Fleming this offseason, but the Ohio State transfer has struggled to stay healthy for three seasons. The same can be said for Trey Wallace, who was the star of Penn State’s spring game but has been dinged up for much of his first two seasons in Happy Valley. 

Dante Cephas didn’t work out in 2023 and already transferred again to Kansas State, but that shouldn’t dissuade Penn State for trying to add talent at the position again this spring. The good news is there should be no shortage of options — as receiver projects to be one of the deep pools of players to enter the portal.