Transfer portal breakdown: On3 transfer power rankings after Week 5

Here is our fifth set of rankings of college football’s most impactful transfers. This considers all four-year transfers, not just those who changed teams this offseason.

This is not simply a list of the most talented players out of the transfer portal. Talent and potential certainly are considered. But so is past performance and current production.

First is an overall transfer ranking; following that are position-by-position breakdowns. These rankings fluctuate weekly.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams remains atop the list. And his go-to receiver, Jordan Addison, remains second.

Among the big movers this week:

+ Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr.: Pace was a first-team All-MAC selection last season at Miami (Ohio), then transferred to play with younger brother Deshawn Pace this season. Ivan has been an absolute stud for the Bearcats. He had 10 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in a win over Tulsa this past Saturday. It was his fourth game this season with double-digit tackles, and he leads the nation with 13.5 TFL (he had 13 last season).

+ Utah QB Cameron Rising: Once Rising was inserted into the starting lineup last season, the Utes took off and eventually won the Pac-12. He had a rough start to the season in a loss at Florida, but has played well since. Rising had a huge game in a 42-16 rout of Oregon State this past Saturday. He accounted for four TDs in the win; he threw for 199 yards and three TDs and also led the Utes in rushing with 73 yards and a score. It’s the third game of the season with at least three TD passes for Rising, who transferred from Texas following the 2019 season.

+ Marshall RB Khalan Laborn: Laborn’s career resurrection continued with a 191-yard, two-TD performance in a 28-7 win over FCS Gardner-Webb. Laborn is a former five-star recruit whose career was derailed at Florida State by injuries. He didn’t play last season and transferred to Marshall in the offseason. Saturday’s performance was a career-high and the fifth time this season he has reached the 100-yard mark.

+ Nebraska WR Trey Palmer: The Huskers’ season has been a trying one, but Palmer has been a steady producer. Palmer, who transferred from LSU in the offseason, had eight catches for 157 yards and a TD in a win over Indiana. It was the first 100-yard game of his four-year career and the third time this season he has had at least eight receptions in a game.

+ Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs: He didn’t move into the overall top 25, but his performance against Arkansas was a taste of the kind of play expected from Gibbs after he transferred from Georgia Tech. He had rushed for 172 yards in the Tide’s first four games, then had a career-high 206 on 18 carries (11.4 yards per attempt) against the Hogs; included were TD runs of 72 and 76 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Tide pull away.

On to the rankings.

TOP 25 TRANSFERS

Player, school	Former school
1. QB Caleb Williams, USC	Oklahoma (left after 2021 season)
2. WR Jordan Addison, USC	Pitt (2021)
3. QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee	Virginia Tech (2020)
4. RB Chase Brown, Illinois	Western Michigan (2018)
5. QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington	Indiana (2021)
6. WR Charlie Jones, Purdue	Iowa (2021)
7. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan	Virginia (2021)
8. LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas	Alabama (2021)
9. QB Will Levis, Kentucky	Penn State (2020)
10. WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona	UTEP (2021)
11. RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA	Michigan (2020)
12. LB Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama	Tennessee (2020)
13. LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati	Miami of Ohio (2021)
14. QB Cameron Rising, Utah	Texas (2018)
15. LB Eric Gentry, USC	Arizona State (2021)
16. QB Garrett Shrader, Syracuse	Mississippi State (2020)
17. G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida	Louisiana (2021)
18. RB Khalan Laborn, Marshall	Florida State (2021)
19. EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State	Albany (2021)
20. QB Tanner Mordecai, SMU	Oklahoma (2020)
21. S Jammie Robinson, Florida State	South Carolina (2020)
22. LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State	Nevada (2021)
23. RB Travis Dye, USC	Oregon (2021)
24. WR Trey Palmer, Nebraska	LSU (2021)
25. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC	Colorado (2021)

QUARTERBACKS

Player, school	Former school
1. Caleb Williams, USC	Oklahoma (left after 2021 season)
2. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee	Virginia Tech (2020)
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington	Indiana (2021)
4. Will Levis, Kentucky	Penn State (2020)
5. Cameron Rising, Utah	Texas (2018)
6. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse	Mississippi State (2020)
7. Tanner Mordecai, SMU	Oklahoma (2020)
8. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland	Alabama (2019)
9. Bo Nix, Oregon	Auburn (2021)
10. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma	UCF (2021)
11. Cameron Ward, Washington State	Incarnate Word (2021)
12. Jayden de Laura, Arizona	Washington State (2021)
13. Adrian Martinez, Kansas State	Nebraska (2021)
14. Jordan Travis, Florida State	Louisville (2018)
15. Jayden Daniels, LSU	Arizona State (2021)

RUNNING BACKS

Player, school	Former school
1. Chase Brown, Illinois	Western Michigan (2018)
2. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA	Michigan (2020)
3. Khalan Laborn, Marshall	Florida State (2021)
4. Travis Dye, USC	Oregon (2021)
5. Eric Gray, Oklahoma	Tennessee (2020)
6. Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State	Wyoming (2021)
7. Zach Evans, Ole Miss	TCU (2021)
8. Dae Dae Hunter, Liberty	Hawaii (2021)
9. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama	Georgia Tech (2021)
10. Tavion Thomas, Utah	Cincinnati (2019)
11. Montrell Johnson, Florida	Louisiana (2021)
12. Mar’Keise “Bucky” Irving, Oregon	Minnesota (2021)
13. Henry Parrish, Miami	Ole Miss (2021)
14. Aidan Robbins, UNLV	Louisville (2021)
15. Re’Mahn Davis, Vanderbilt	Temple (2020)

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player, school	Former school
1. Jordan Addison, USC	Pitt (2021)
2. Charlie Jones, Purdue	Iowa (2021)
3. Jacob Cowing, Arizona	UTEP (2021)
4. Trey Palmer, Nebraska	LSU (2021)
5. Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky	Virginia Tech (2021)
6. Mitchell Tinsley, Penn State	Western Kentucky (2021)
7. Keytaon Thompson, Virginia	Mississippi State (2019)
8. Johnny Wilson, Florida State	Arizona State (2021)
9. Antwane Wells Jr. , South Carolina	James Madison (2021)
10. Ali Jennings, Old Dominion	West Virginia (2020)
11. Grant Dubose, Charlotte	Miles College (2020)
12. Tory Horton, Colorado State	Nevada (2021)
13. Daewood Davis, Western Kentucky	Oregon (2019)
14. Isaiah Winstead, East Carolina	Toledo (2021)
15. Jake Bobo, UCLA	Duke (2021)

TIGHT ENDS

Player, school	Former school
1. Dalton Kincaid, Utah	San Diego (2019)
2. George Takacs, Boston College	Notre Dame (2021)
3. Ryan Jones, East Carolina	Oklahoma (2019 – as LB)
4. Tanner McLachlan, Arizona	Southern Utah (2021)
5. Michael Trigg, Ole Miss	USC (2021)

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Player, school	Former school
1. C Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan	Virginia (2021)
2. G O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida	Louisiana (2021)
3. C Jacob Gall, Baylor	Buffalo (2020)
4. T Raiqwon O’Neal, UCLA	Rutgers (2021)
5. C Mike Novitsky, Kansas	Buffalo (2020)
6. T Quinn Carroll, Minnesota	Notre Dame (2021)
7. T Tyler Steen, Alabama	Vanderbilt (2021)
8. G Marcus Minor, Pitt	Maryland (2020)
9. G Dillan Gibbons, Florida State	Notre Dame (2020)
10. G McKade Mettauer, Oklahoma	California (2021)

EDGE RUSHERS

Player, school	Former school
1. Jared Verse, Florida State	Albany (2021)
2. Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State	UNLV (2021)
3. Laiatu Latu, UCLA	Washington (2021)
4. Hunter Echols, Arizona	USC (2021)
5. Eku Leota, Auburn	Northwestern (2020)
6. Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska	TCU (2021)
7. Lonnie Phelps, Kansas	Miami of Ohio (2021)
8. Brenton Cox, Florida	Georgia (2018)
9. Grayson Murphy, UCLA	North Texas (2021)
10. Chop Robinson, Penn State	Maryland (2021)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Player, school	Former school
1. Siaki Ika, Baylor	LSU (2020)
2. Mekhi Wingo, LSU	Missouri (2021)
3. Kobie Turner, Wake Forest	Richmond (2021)
4. Cory Durden, NC State	Florida State (2020)
5. Jeffery Johnson, Oklahoma	Tulane (2021)
6. Akheem Mesidor, Miami	West Virginia (2021)
7. Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati	Virginia (2020)
8. Landon Jackson, Arkansas	LSU (2021)
9. JH Tevis, Indiana	California (2021)
10. Kyler Baugh, Minnesota	Houston Baptist (2021)

LINEBACKERS

Player, school	Former school
1. Drew Sanders, Arkansas	Alabama (2021)
2. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama	Tennessee (2020)
3. Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati	Miami of Ohio (2021)
4. Eric Gentry, USC	Arizona State (2021)
5. Daiyan Henley, Washington State	Nevada (2021)
6. Troy Brown, Ole Miss	Central Michigan (2021)
7. Shane Lee, USC	Alabama (2021)
8. Ayinde Eley, Georgia Tech	Maryland (2020)
9. Jacquez Jones, Kentucky	Ole Miss (2020)
10. Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri	Florida (2021)
11. Jackson Sirmon, California	Washington (2021)
12. Tatum Bethune, Florida State	UCF (2021)
13. Colby Reeder, Iowa State	Delaware (2021)
14. Darius Muasau, UCLA	Hawaii (2021)
15. Rich Miller, Kansas	Buffalo (2020)

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Player, school	Former school
1. S Jammie Robinson, Florida State	South Carolina (2020)
2. CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC	Colorado (2021)
3. CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas	LSU (2021)
4. S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame	Northwestern (2021)
5. CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon	Colorado (2021)
6. NB Tanner McCalister, Ohio State	Oklahoma State (2021)
7. S Greg Brooks Jr., LSU	Arkansas (2021)
8. S Isheem Young, Ole Miss	Iowa State (2021)
9. S Chris Jefferson, Purdue	Findlay (2020)
10. CB Keidron Smith, Kentucky	Ole Miss (2021)
11. S Mark Perry, TCU	Colorado (2021)
12. S Darius Joiner, Duke	Western Illinois (2021)
13. S Jalen Green, Mississippi State	Texas (2020)
14. S Bentlee Sanders, Nevada	USF (2020)
15. CB Jay Shaw, Wisconsin	UCLA (2021)