Teams with the most players to enter into the NCAA Transfer Portal

The NCAA Transfer Portal is back open for a few days after closing on Dec. 27 — but only for teams who have played a bowl game within the past five days. For everyone else, their current rosters will remain intact until the spring portal period, unless they add commitments between now and then.

More than 2,000 FBS scholarship players (or an average of nearly 15 per school) have entered the portal since it opened on December 9. And while some teams are below that average, a few are well above it after disappointing results on the field and coaching changes in some cases.

Below are the schools with the most players to enter the portal over the past three-plus weeks:

Arkansas, Oklahoma – 30

Coming off a disappointing 2024 campaign punctuated by a bowl loss to Navy, changes are afoot in Norman. The Sooners will be replacing nearly their entire wide receiver room, as well as part-time starting quarterback Jackson Arnold with Washington State transfer John Mateer. In what could be make-or-break year for Brent Venables, OU is going all-in on overturning their roster.

In Fayetteville, the season was more of a success than expected with a 7-6 finish and Liberty Bowl victory. But expectations going into 2025 are still high, and a big roster change is in order. The Razorbacks saw key contributors like Addison Nichols, T.J. Metcalf, Luke Hasz and Brad Spence depart, but they’ve already added 16 new faces through the portal.

Arizona, Purdue – 29

The Boilermakers had a disastrous 2024 season, leading to the firing of head coach Ryan Walters and a wholesale change of the roster. A handful of key contributors are gone, including talented tight end Max Klare, defensive lineman Yanni Karlaftis, quarterback Ryan Browne, and star safety Dillon Thieneman. New coach Barry Odom has his work cutout for him as he rebuilds the roster, but proved was capable of doing just that in his time at UNLV.

As for the Wildcats, Brent Brennan and Co.’s first year did not go according to plan. What was expected to be one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses finished 114th in points per game, and they wasted their final year with star wideout Tetairoa McMillan. More big changes are on the horizon after losing cornerbacks Emmanuel Karnley, Tacario Davis and Marquis Groves-Killebrew as well as talented safety Gunner Maldonado. But after giving up 413.1 yards and 32 points per game, the change might be exactly what they need.

Nebraska, Mississippi State – 26

Nebraska reached its first bowl in nearly a decade this year, but the Huskers want to take advantage of their window with true freshman All-American quarterback Dylan Raiola. On the offensive side, running back Dante Dowdell and tight end Nate Boerkircher have been the only major departures. But the coaching shakeup on defense saw them lose some key contributors from 2024. Edge rushers James Williams and Jimari Butler are gone, as are starting linebackers Mikai Gbayor and Stefon Thompson. They’ve already added some key targets on the offensive side though and will look to shore up the defense in the next few months.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, played a wild game of quarterback roulette in the early days of the portal. They looked to be the major favorite to grab former Five-Star Plus+ passer Jackson Arnold, which led to 2024 starter Michael Van Buren hitting the portal. Arnold then committed to Auburn, and Jeff Lebby and Co. pivoted to Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek, whom they signed. He’ll have a chance to win the starting job in 2025, but will have to play without leading receiver Kevin Coleman, who transferred to Missouri. It hasn’t been all losses though, as 19 new players are signed in addition to their 2025 recruiting class.

Utah, Virginia Tech – 24

A season that started with College Football Playoff hopes for Utah quickly spiraled out of control as they finished 5-7 in Kyle Whittingham’s worst season in more than a decade. They’ve suffered some important losses in the portal since then, including DL Keanu Tanuvasa, CB Cameron Calhoun and TE Carsen Ryan. They’ll have an interesting quarterback battle on their hands after retaining true freshman Isaac Wilson, as well as bringing in Devon Dampier from New Mexico and Brendan Zurbrugg from Oklahoma.

A 6-6 regular was more of a step sideways than anything for Virginia Tech and Brent Pry, but the Hokies will have to replace some key pieces to improve on that mark in 2025. Starting offensive Braelin Moore and starting cornerback Mansoor Delane are off to LSU, while safety Mose Phillips is headed to Missouri. Offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin (Auburn) is another big loss that they’ll have to replace either with depth or a portal addition of their own.

Other notable teams with mass departures

Along with the aforementioned eight teams, these programs have also seen a large exodus over the past three weeks. Some for better, some worse.

+ Michigan, Kentucky – 23
The Wolverines are looking to upgrade their roster across the board with No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood coming in, and they’ve done so early on. The majority of their departures aren’t seen as major losses. Kentucky is on the flip side of that, as their two leading receivers in Dane Key and Barion Brown both hit the portal after an abysmal offensive performance this season from the Wildcats’ passing attack.

+ UCF, West Virginia – 22
For UCF and West Virginia, they’ve both seen some significant losses and positive new additions. New Knights head coach Scott Frost will be looking to resurrect his career in Orlando, and he’s already found a few high-profile players looking to do the same.