Transfer Portal Player Rankings: Shedeur Sanders maintains No. 1 spot in Top 10 after Week 3

Each Thursday, we’ll update the 2023 Transfer Portal Power Rankings, looking at the Top 10 transfers — based on their impact on the field and not their preseason ranking. 

For the second-straight week, Shedeur Sanders holds the No. 1 spot, but there’s shakeup elsewhere in the Top 5 with the injury to Travis Hunter and goose-egg performance from Keon Coleman. 

The Top 10 Transfer Portal Player Power Rankings after Week 3:

1. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

For the third-straight week, Shedeur Sanders played unconscious, this time rallying the Buffs from a two-score deficit to beat Colorado State in overtime. Sanders was 38 of 47 (with four drops) for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He engineered a John Elway-esque 98-yard drive inside the final two minutes, connecting with Jimmy Horn for a 45-yard touchdown and then successfully completing the two-point conversion to tie the game. 

Sanders continues to show insane stones despite getting pounded by opposing defensive lines (Colorado has allowed the second-most sacks nationally) each week. On the season, he has over 1,250 yards and 11 total touchdowns. 

2. QB Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Sam Hartman has quickly asserted himself as the best Irish quarterback since Brady Quinn. Out of the slow-mesh and into Gerad Parker’s offense, the Wake Forest transfer has been flawless through three games, averaging 11.4 yards per attempt (fourth-best nationally) with 10 touchdowns and zero picks.

The ACC’s all-time passing leader has completed 75% of his passes and has changed the Irish’s 2023 ceiling. Against a solid NC State defense, Hartman went 15 of 24 for 286 yards and four touchdowns — two of which were 35+ yard passes to emerging freshman tight end Holden Staes.

3. WR Xavier Weaver, Colorado

The former USF transfer continues to flex as Shedeur Sanders big-play target in Colorado’s high-octane offense. A week after torching Nebraska for 10 catches for 170 yards and a score, Weaver followed up that performance with nine catches for 99 yards and a tuddy against Colorado State. 

He’s still averaging over 15.5 yards per catch and ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in both yards (386) and receptions (25).

4. WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville

Jeff Brohm has quickly found his go-to target for the Cardinals, as the ex-Georgia State transfer has emerged as one of the best explosive playmakers in the ACC in 2023. 

In the close win over Indiana, Thrash caught four passes for 159 yards — 85-yards of which came on a long catch-and-run touchdown. Thrash is averaging an absurd 23.5 yards per catch on 14 receptions — tops in the ACC. He also leads the league in yards (329) and is tied with Keon Coleman with four touchdowns in three games.

5. WR/DB Travis Hunter, Colorado

The Buffs’ two-way star recorded a tackle and two catches for 21 yards before getting completely cheap-shotted by Rams’ safety Henry Blackburn on a route late in the first half. 

Hunter immediately exited the game and was later taken to a local Boulder hospital. He’s recovering well, but will miss the next several weeks (starting with Colorado’s monster game at Oregon on Saturday) with a lacerated liver. 

6. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State

Coleman didn’t show up in the box score of FSU’s scare at Boston College, failing to record at least one catch in a game for the first time since his freshman season. 

He was targeted three times, but none connected. Uncoincidentally, Saturday was Jordan Travis’ worst game of the 2023 season. The two need to get back on the same page this weekend in the Seminoles’ showdown at Clemson. 

Despite the no-show performance against the Golden Eagles, Coleman is still tied for first in the ACC with four touchdowns.

7. QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech

If you polled a random college football fan, how many ACC quarterbacks would they name before guessing Haynes King if you asked them who leads the ACC in passing yards per game and passing touchdowns?

The ex-Texas A&M starter is averaging 303.3 yards per game with nine touchdowns and just one pick. He’s also rushed for 100 yards and a score and looks very comfortable operating Buster Faulkner’s offense. 

8. DT Cam Jackson, Florida 

The Memphis transfer tackle makes his debut in the Top 10 after being a key cog on a defense that stuffed Tennessee’s high-flying offense. 

Jackson recorded six tackles, including five “stops,” per PFF, which constitutes as a failed play for the offense. With the 6-6, 360-pound tackle clogging up the middle, the Gators totally bottled up Tennessee’s inside run game (3.3 yards per carry). Jackson also batted a pass. 

9. EDGE Andre Carter, Indiana

The Hoosiers are 1-2 to start the 2023 season, but several of their defensive transfer additions have shown out this September — none more-so than Carter. 

The former Western Michigan pass rusher has provided an immediate presence off the edge for Tom Allen’s defense, and in a tough 21-14 loss to Louisville last week, Carter recorded seven pressures, per PFF. He has 10 hurries/pressures/sacks on the year along with two batted balls and 12 tackles. 

10. RB Carson Steele, UCLA

The Bruins might have the top 1-2 punch at tailback in the country right now with sophomore T.J. Harden and Ball State transfer Carson Steele. Both are averaging over 8.2 yards per carry while splitting snaps. 

Steele, who had 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns as a high-usage ‘back at Ball State in 2022, is averaging just 10 carries per game at UCLA, so far this season. But he has 243 yards — 154 of which came after contact. He has seven runs of at least 10 yards, has caught all seven targets and has three total touchdowns. 

Best of the Rest: WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss; QB DJ Uiagalelei; WR Jimmy Horn, Colorado; RB Marshawn Lloyd, USC; DL Bear Alexander, USC; WR Xavier Henderson, Cincy; WR Nate McCollum, North Carolina