Transfer Portal Player Rankings: Travis Hunter jumps back into the Top 5, Haynes King rejoins the top group

Each Thursday, we update the 2023 Transfer Portal Player Rankings, looking at the Top 10 transfers — based on their impact on the field and not their preseason ranking.   The Week 9 transfer portal rankings featured some subtle movement, as the majority of top transfers were hanging at the house this week on idle dates.

In the latest Transfer Portal Player Rankings, we have two returnees to the Top 10 with Georgia Tech quarterback Hayes King and USC tailback Marshawn Lloyd. There were several tough omissions this week, too, including Memphis tailback Blake Watson, Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey and Texas wideout AD Mitchell.

(NOTE: I’m not an OL guru and it’s hard to judge those players. That being said, it’s clear that Drake Nugent at Michigan, Matt Lee at Miami and Ajani Cornelius at Oregon have been among the most impactful transfers thus far this season. All were represented on our Midseason All-Transfer Team.)

1. WR Keon Coleman, Florida State

The ACC’s touchdown receptions leader found the end zone twice again in the blowout over Wake Forest, giving Coleman nine touchdowns on the season. He had a catch-and-run for his first touchdown and then capped his first-half day (seven catches for 66 yards and two scores) with a SportsCenter Top 10 highlight one-handed touchdown snag. 

In eight games, Coleman has scored multi-touchdowns three times.

2. WR Malik Washington, Virginia

Washington repeated his 12-catch, 100-yard performance in consecutive games, torching Miami’s secondary in a tough 29-26 loss. 

The Northwestern transfer finished with 152 yards — his sixth 100-yard game this season. The 5-8, 194-pound fifth-year senior leads the ACC in receptions (68) and yards (935) — lapping the competition in both categories.

3. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Sanders’ numbers aren’t nearly as splashy as his early-season showings, but he remains the Buffs’ most important player alongside Travis Hunter. The junior quarterback threw for 217 yards and one touchdown in the loss to UCLA. 

He continues to take a beating, getting sacked another seven times. Sanders has been sacked 42 times this season — the most of any quarterback in all of college football. 

4. ATH Travis Hunter, Colorado

Coming out of the bye week, Hunter looked the healthiest he’s been since Colorado’s opener, putting the clamps on UCLA’s wideouts in a 28-16 loss. He played 36 defensive snaps and had more interceptions (two) than catches allowed (one for 12 yards). 

He finished with a 91.9 coverage grade, per PFF, tops among all cornerbacks in Week 9. Hunter wasn’t involved as much offensively (just three catches for seven yards), but he still has 32 catches for 360 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

5. RB Ray Davis, Kentucky

Davis had some tough sledding going up against one of the top run defenses in the country last weekend, going for just 42 yards on 16 carries in the 33-27 loss to Tennessee. He did score his ninth rushing touchdown and added 28 yards receiving on three catches. 

The Vandy transfer still leads the SEC in rushing yards (823) and touchdowns, and is No. 2 in carries (127) and yards per attempt (6.5). His 14 total touchdowns remain tops in the league and No. 2 nationally behind only Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and Kairee Robinson of SJSU.

6. WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville

The Cardinals came out of the bye week and mostly took the air out of the football in a 23-0 victory over Duke, but when Jeff Brohm did dial up a pass play, he made sure Jack Plummer targeted their speedy transfer. 

Trash finished with seven catches for 73 yards. He remains second in the ACC with six touchdowns and is averaging 15.9 yards per catch — most among all ACC wideouts with at least 25 receptions this season.

7. DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech

Powell-Ryland has keyed Virginia Tech’s defensive resurgence over the last month, adding two more tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in the 38-10 rout over Syracuse.

The Florida transfer leads ACC with 11.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. He’s No. 2 in the league in pressures, too.

8. RB Marshawn Lloyd, USC

Lloyd had his best game in a Trojans uniform, totaling 190 yards and two touchdowns. Lincoln Riley finally force-fed the South Carolina transfer, giving Lloyd 17 carries for 115 yards. He also had 75 receiving yards. 

On the season, Lloyd ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns (eight, one behind teammate and quarterback Caleb Williams), and yards per carry (7.74 per attempt).

9. LB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami

The Washington State transfer continues to spearhead Miami’s defensive turnaround in 2023, and the senior linebacker has not only emerged as the ‘Canes leader on defense but one of the top transfers last cycle. 

In the win over Virginia, Mauigoa had six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He is one of the best run-stoppers among all FBS starting linebackers, per PFF, and he leads Miami in tackles for loss (8.5) and forced fumbles.  

10. QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech

After a several-week absence, King returns to the rankings following his star performance in Georgia Tech’s upset over North Carolina. The Texas A&M transfer out-dueled Drake Maye, throwing for 287 yards and four touchdowns on 77% passing (a season-best) in the 46-42 shootout victory. He averaged 9.6 yards per attempt and also had 90 yards rushing. 

King leads the ACC in passing touchdowns with 21 and is only behind Maye in passing yards.

Best of the rest: WR AD Mitchell, Texas; TE Dallin Holker, Colorado State; QB Sam Hartman, Notre Dame, RB Blake Watson, Memphis, RB Ismail Mahdi, Texas State