Transfer portal impact players of Week 5

Throughout the college football season, On3 is breaking down the top 10 transfer portal impact players based on weekly performances.

In the new age of college football, the portal has become a major piece of roster construction. Some programs have gone all-in on free agency while others use it to supplement high school recruiting.

Here are the most impactful transfer portal players from Week 5:

1. UNLV QB Hajj-Malik Williams

UNLV dominated headlines last week in college football from the fallout of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka leaving the program due to alleged false NIL promises. Hajj-Malik Williams put that in the past on Saturday. The Campbell transfer received his first start with the Rebels, throwing for 182 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 59-14 win over Fresno State. Williams was 13 of 16 with an 81.3% completion percentage. He also rushed for 119 yards on 12 carries for a score. The quarterback calmed any doubts that UNLV could compete for a College Football Playoff berth without Sluka.

2. Alabama CB Domani Jackson

The former Five-Star Plus+ recruit and USC transfer has found success early at Alabama. Domani Jackson posted seven total tackles in the Crimson Tide’s win over Georgia. He allowed just two catches on six targets in the top-five matchup. Jackson also jumped a Carson Beck screen pass for an interception in the first quarter.

3. Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard had his most complete outing of the season in a 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville. The Fighting Irish quarterback was 17 of 23 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, his first two-touchdown performance of the season. He also rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame is 4-1 and has won three straight after losing to Northern Illinois.

4. North Texas QB Chandler Morris

Chandler Morris had stops at Oklahoma and TCU. He’s now at North Texas, playing out the final years of his eligibility. Morris eclipsed the 400-yard passing mark for the second time this season and the third time in his career, throwing for 439 yards with five touchdowns in a dominant 52-20 win over Tulsa on Saturday. North Texas is 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in the American Athletic Conference.

5. Duke RB Star Thomas

Duke scored 21 unanswered points, all in the final 21 minutes, matching the second-biggest comeback in school history for a 21-20 win over North Carolina. Running back Star Thomas scored two of the three Duke touchdowns in the comeback. The New Mexico State transfer finished the game with 30 carries for 166 yards with a touchdown. He also added two catches for 45 yards and another score. The Blue Devils are 5-0 for the first time since 1994.

6. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel completed 31 of 41 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns while also making NCAA history in Oregon’s 34-13 blowout win of UCLA. He became the fourth FBS player to reach 16,000 yards passing in his career. He also moved into a three-way tie for third with 134 touchdown passes. He’s played in 54 games throughout his career at three different schools. Gabriel was previously at UCF and Oklahoma before playing his final season at Oregon.

7. Colorado WR Will Sheppard

An All-SEC selection at Vanderbilt, Will Sheppard pieced together the best performance of his Colorado career on Saturday at UCF. The wide receiver finished with four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. The play of the day came on a Shedeur Sanders to Sheppard connection a 47-yard touchdown pass with the receiver making a diving catch in the end zone.

SHEPPARD WITH THE DIVING TD CATCH 😱

Shedeur Sanders throws a DIME and Will Sheppard hauls it in for @CUBuffsFootball 🎯 pic.twitter.com/PshaYRmzHu

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 28, 2024

8. Kentucky LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Jamon Dumas-Johnson transferred to Kentucky last offseason after spending three seasons at Georgia. A former first-team All-American, Dumas-Johnson was the leader of Kentucky’s offense on Saturday at Ole Miss. The linebacker finished with seven total tackles and .5 sacks in the 20-17 upset of No. 6 Ole Miss.

“They added the Georgia Mike (linebacker, Jamon Dumas-Johnson) that’s made a total difference for them from a mentality standpoint,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said after the game.

9. Texas Tech WR Josh Kelly

Washington State transfer Josh Kelly eclipsed a 100-yard receiving game for the second time this season. The Texas Tech wide receiver posted eight catches for 111 yards in a 44-41 win over Cincinnati. He’s emerged as the Red Raiders’ most impactful transfer to date this season.

10. Texas A&M CB Dezz Ricks

A former five-star recruit, Dezz Ricks transferred from Alabama to Texas A&M after one season. The cornerback had the best game of his young career on Saturday against Arkansas, getting his first career start and finishing with five total tackles and a pass breakup. He also had an interception in the second quarter.