Transfer portal impact players of Week 7

Dan Lanning picked up his first signature win of his Oregon tenure Saturday night against Ohio State, in part due to his success in the transfer portal. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 341 yards and rushed for a 27-yard touchdown. Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon forced a key fumble in the first half.

The Ducks transfers stood out in the top-five matchup. In the new age of college football, the portal has become a major piece of roster construction. Saturday was proof that the portal can give a program the extra push.

Throughout the college football season, On3 is breaking down the top 10 transfer portal impact players based on weekly performances. Here are the most impactful transfer portal players from Week 7:

1. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel

The former UCF and Oklahoma transfer entered the Heisman Trophy conversation in one of the biggest wins in Oregon history. In the first top-five matchup in Autzen Stadium history, Dillon Gabriel pieced together a 373-yard, three-touchdown performance in Oregon’s 32-21 win over No. 2 Ohio State. Gabriel was 23 of 34 passing in his 55th career start Saturday. He rushed for the final touchdown of the game, a 27-yard run on a fake handoff. The sixth-year quarterback’s performance has the Ducks squarely in the mix for the College Football Playoff.

2. South Carolina EDGE Kyle Kennard

Kyle Kennard was constantly in the Alabama backfield throughout South Carolina’s 27-25 loss in Tuscaloosa. The former Georgia Tech transfer posted seven total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. He also forced a safety at the end of the first half. One of the top pass rushers in the nation forced three hurries, too.

3. Wisconsin RB Tawee Walker

The former Oklahoma running back emerged as Wisconsin’s top back in recent weeks in the absence of Chez Mellusi. Tawee Walker rushed for 198 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns in the Badgers’ 42-7 blowout win at Rutgers. He’s now rushed for more touchdowns (9) than last season with the Sooners and is just 74 yards shy of surpassing his rushing yards mark from 2023.

4. Oregon WR Evan Stewart

Oregon struggled to get Evan Stewart involved in the passing game for the first six weeks of the season. On Saturday night he ran past the Ohio State secondary, posting a career-best seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. The former five-star recruit showed off his speed on the national stage, speeding past Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke for a 69-yard catch early in the second quarter. He finished that drive with a touchdown on a red zone fade, burning Burke again.

5. Alabama S Keon Sabb

Keon Sabb had made an immediate impact on the Alabama secondary. The former Michigan safety posted two interceptions in the Crimson Tide’s season-opening win over Western Kentucky. And on Saturday against South Carolina, Sabb posted a team-high 12 tackles.

6. Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia

A week after Diego Pavia outplayed Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe in Vanderbilt’s upset of Alabama, the New Mexico State transfer played through injury and led the Commodores to a win at Kentucky. Pavia was 15 of 18 for 143 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. He also rushed for 53 yards on 14 carries in the 20-13 road win. The quarterback injured his knee on a third-quarter run but played through injury to help Vanderbilt improve to 4-2, its best start since 2008.

7. Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard

Riley Leonard showed how he can push the ball downfield in the air in Saturday’s 49-7 win over Stanford. The former Duke quarterback was 16-of-22 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Leonard also rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on six carries. The Fighting Irish remain in College Football Playoff contention and face Georgia Tech this week before matchups with undefeated Army and Navy.

8. Oregon DL Derrick Harmon

Former Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon transferred to Oregon for moments like Saturday. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound defensive tackle ripped the ball out of Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins’s hands, forcing a fumble in the first quarter. He finished with three total tackles and a pass breakup.

9. Nevada S Kitan Crawford

The former four-star recruit and top-150 prospect in the 2020 class transferred from Texas to Nevada last offseason. Kitan Crawford posted four tackles on Saturday night in a 42-37 win over Oregon State. The safety also returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown and allowed just one catch on five targets.

10. Texas State QB Jordan McCloud

Jordan McCloud continues to put up numbers this season at Texas State. The former Arizona and James Madison transfer was 24 of 29 for 320 yards and four touchdowns. The quarterback posted an 82.8 completion percentage in the 41-9 blowout win over Arkansas State. McCloud also rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown.