College Football's Best Players in the 2025 Spring Transfer Portal

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College Football's Best Players in the 2025 Spring Transfer Portal

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava
(© Randy Sartin-Imagn Images)

Steven Lassan · Athlon Sports

Thu, Apr 10, 2025 ·

9 min read

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All 136 college football teams are bracing for another round of significant player movement with the second transfer portal window opening on April 16. The portal will close to entries on April 25 but names are expected to take a few days to filter out. With spring practice underway and the looming implications of the House settlement, coaches are scrambling to build the best team and also stay within new roster limits with scholarships capped at 105 players.

The spring window is usually not as active as the first one in December. However, plenty of big names and key contributors will be on the move this April. Who are the top players currently in the portal and what are potential landing spots? Athlon Sports breaks down the top options and the destinations to watch:

This list will be updated throughout the spring portal window as new players decide to transfer.

College Football's Best Players in the 2025 Spring Transfer Portal

1. Nico Iamaleava, QB, TennesseeIamaleava is coming off a high-profile split with Tennessee and has room to grow as a quarterback after a solid 2024 campaign on Rocky Top. Although the departure from Knoxville will raise questions (and what the NIL demands will be), Iamaleava is a talented quarterback in a spring portal window where few signal-callers tend to be on the move. In 13 games for the Volunteers last season, the California native threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 358 yards and three scores. The former five-star quarterback could be the most high-profile entry of the spring window.

2. Emmett Mosley V, WR, Stanford
Mosley ranked as one of the ACC's top freshmen last season after catching 48 passes for 525 yards and six scores. The Illinois native is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential and will be impact contributor right away for another team in '25. Mosley's parents both graduated from Notre Dame, including his father (Emmett Sr.) who played for the Fighting Irish from 1993-96. South Bend is a possible fit for Mosley, and the sophomore recently visited Virginia's spring practice .

3. Joe Cotton, OL, South DakotaWith good size (6-foot-7 and 315 pounds) and experience (27 starts at South Dakota), Cotton is expected to garner significant interest from power conference teams in the portal this spring. Former South Dakota assistant Jeff Nady landed at Vanderbilt as an assistant offensive line coach this offseason. The Commodores could be a team to watch for Cotton's services in '25.

4. Julian Neal, CB, Fresno State/StanfordNeal committed to Stanford as a Fresno State transfer earlier this offseason but opted to depart after coach Troy Taylor was fired in March. The California native has good size (6-foot-2 and 200 pounds) and allowed only one touchdown in coverage (per PFF) last season. In 12 games with the Bulldogs in '24, Neal recorded 35 tackles, six pass breakups, and two interceptions.

5. Braxton Fely, DL, Boise StateWith teams always looking for depth or more help along the defensive line, expect Fely to attract interest from power conference teams this spring. The Utah native was a key cog for the Broncos' defense over the last two seasons and recorded nine tackles for a loss as a run stuffer on the interior in '24.

6. Jake Maikkula, OL, StanfordMaikkula has made 16 starts over the last two seasons, including 11 for the Cardinal in '24. The Colorado native is versatile to fill in anywhere on the interior with extensive experience at guard and center.

7. Markell Samuel, OL, Appalachian StateAfter working as a reserve from 2020-23, Samuel stepped into a full-time starting role for the Mountaineers in '24. The North Carolina native started all 11 games and earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors thanks to his play over 817 snaps. Samuel's former head coach (Shawn Clark) currently works as the offensive line coach at UCF, which could be a team to watch in his recruitment. Also, both NC State and North Carolina could use offensive line help this spring.

8. Andrew Simpson, LB, Boise StateSimpson was a key cog for Boise State's linebacker unit over the last two seasons. The California native recorded 66 tackles (16 for a loss) in '23 and made 46 stops (with 11 for a loss) for a Broncos' defense that limited opponents to 22.6 points game last year.

9. Micah Hudson, WR, Texas Tech/Texas A&MHudson ranked as one of the top receiver prospects in the 2024 signing class but made a small impact in eight games (eight catches for 123 yards) in his debut in Lubbock. The Texas native opted to transfer after his freshman campaign and landed at Texas A&M. However, Hudson's stint in College Station was short, as he's expected to enter the portal again this spring.

10. Jaden Rashada , QB, GeorgiaRashada is on the move again. The talented signal-caller signed to Florida out of high school but had a high-profile breakup with the program after a NIL fell apart. Rashada spent the '23 campaign at Arizona State and started two contests before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the bulk of the season. The California native left Tempe for Georgia but did not record a snap with the Bulldogs last year. According to On3 , Western Kentucky, Tulane, and UConn are three teams in the mix for Rashada.

11. TJ Harden, RB, UCLA
Harden entered the portal in the first window but has yet to find a landing spot. The California native ran for 506 yards and two scores behind a struggling UCLA offensive line last season but posted 827 yards and eight touchdown runs in '23. Harden reportedly visited Michigan State in December

12. Alexander Whitmore, DL, UNLVThe next stop in Whitmore's career will be his third at the collegiate level following stints at Austin Peay and UNLV. After recording 31 tackles (with 5.5 for a loss) in '23, Whitmore elevated his play last year. Helping UNLV to another appearance in the conference title game, Whitmore collected 40 stops (seven for a loss) and graded out as one of the team's top run stuffers (per PFF).

13. Stephen Daley, DL, Kent StateDaley was one of the few bright spots for a struggling Kent State defense in '24. The Virginia native recorded 51 stops (nine for a loss) and four sacks in 12 appearances. Per PFF, Daley was among the top run defenders in the MAC last fall.

14. Jesus Machado, LB, TulaneMachado was projected as one of the top linebackers entering 2024 in the American Athletic Conference. However, a torn ACL suffered in the Military Bowl at the end of the '23 campaign sidelined him the entire year. His best season with the Green Wave came in '23 with 98 tackles.

Other Top Available Transfers

QB Trever Jackson, Florida State
QB CJ Ogbonna, Buffalo
QB Dylan Rizk, UCF
QB Brendan Sullivan, Iowa
RB Anthony Carrie, Georgia Tech
RB Brandon High, UTSA
RB Kendrick Raphael, NC State
RB Savion Red, Nevada
RB Harrison Waylee, Wyoming
RB Justin Williams-Thomas, California
WR Sincere Brown, Campbell
WR Johntay Cook II, Washington
WR Christian Fitzpatrick, Marshall
WR Naiem Simmons, South Florida
TE Gavin Hoffman, Iowa
TE Davon Mitchell, Oklahoma
DL Oliver Billotte, Kent State
DL Chris Boti, Liberty
DL Antonio Doyle, UNLV
DL Wendell Gregory, South Carolina
DL Jahkai Lang, Missouri
DL Cam Rice, Ohio
DL Kadin Schmitz, Ohio
LB Chavez Brown, North Texas
LB Gary Bryant III, South Dakota
LB Mikai Gbayor, Missouri
LB Luke Murphy, Eastern Michigan
LB Rocco Nicholl, Kent State
LB AJ Pena, Memphis
LB Enock Sibomana, North Dakota State
LB Jayden Studio, Kent State
LB Shay Taylor, Ohio
LB Trevor Woods, Colorado
LB Kellan Wyatt, Maryland
DB Markevious Brown, Purdue
DB Derek Ganter, Eastern Washington
DB LJ Green, Troy
DB Jack Kane, Oregon State
K Mason Shipley, Texas State

Top Committed Transfers in Spring Portal Window

David Bailey, DL, Texas Tech (from Stanford)Texas Tech's top-ranked portal class got even deeper with Bailey's commitment this spring. The California native registered eight tackles for a loss and seven sacks with the Cardinal last year. His arrival provides a needed boost to a pass rush that managed only 17 sacks in Big 12 play in '24.

Freddie Brock, RB, Oklahoma State (from Georgia State)
Brock has compiled 2,271 rushing yards combined in previous stops at Maine and Georgia State. He adds much-needed experience to an Oklahoma State backfield losing star running back Ollie Gordon II.

Sincere Brown, WR, Colorado (from Campbell)Brown caught 61 passes for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns at Campbell last year. He's a key pickup for a Colorado receiving corps replacing a couple of valuable weapons.

Demon Clowney, DL, South Carolina (from Charlotte/Louisville)Clowney committed to Louisville as a transfer from Charlotte earlier this offseason but opted to depart during the spring. He adds critical depth to the Gamecocks' front for '25.

Sanders Ellis, LB, Purdue (from Tennessee State)Ellis was one of the leaders for Tennessee State's defense in 2024, recording 86 tackles (15.5 for a loss) and two sacks. He will push for playing time on a defense returning zero starters from last season.

Sabastian Harsh, DL, NC State (from Wyoming)Harsh adds needed depth and playmaking ability to the trenches for NC State's defense. The Nebraska native tallied 17.5 tackles for a loss for the Cowboys over the last two years.

Xavier Hill, OL, Colorado (from Memphis)Offensive linemen with starting experience are always in high demand in the transfer portal. Hill started his career at LSU (2020-22) before transferring to Memphis in '23. He started 26 games over the last two years and was a first-team All-AAC selection last fall.

Smith Vilbert, DL, North Carolina (Penn State)Injuries limited Vilbert to just one game from 2022-23. He returned to play in all 16 of Penn State's matchups last season, recording 12 tackles (four for a loss) and 1.5 sacks. Can Bill Belichick get the most out of Vilbert's talents in '25?

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