• Cameron Ward leads the way: Ward was the highest-graded quarterback in the nation after transferring from Washington State to Miami.
• Caleb Downs leads the defense: The Ohio State safety remained a superstar after transferring from Alabama and projects as the best defender in the country as a junior.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

With the 2024 college football season in the books, let’s take a look back at who the top transfers were at every position. 

Here’s a look at our All-Transfer Portal team. Please note that only players who switched schools last year were included. 

Quarterback: Cameron Ward, Miami (FL)

Transferred from: Washington State

Ward wasn’t just the best quarterback who switched homes in 2024, he was the best quarterback period. He was the most valuable player in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric while his 92.9 PFF grade led all FBS signal-callers. Ward led the nation with 39 passing touchdowns while his 4,313 passing yards and 31 big-time throws were both second. 

Transferred from: Oregon State

From one Hurricane to another. Martinez’s 94.3 rushing grade was third among FBS tailbacks in 2024, trailing only Ashton Jeanty and Cam Skattebo. He averaged 4.5 yards after contact per attempt which was second among Power Four tailbacks. 

Wide Receiver: Matthew Golden, Texas

Transferred from: Houston

Golden is now a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a breakout year with the Longhorns. He finished the season as the eighth-most-valuable wide receiver in the nation according to our wins above average metric while his nine receiving touchdowns were a top-20 mark in the nation. 

Kelly was a menace with the ball in his hands this past season. He led all Power Four receivers with 605 yards after the catch while his 26 forced missed tackles were tied for third. 

Wide Receiver: Coleman Owen, Ohio

After five years in the FCS with the Lumberjacks, Owen had his best season yet with the Bobcats in 2024. Only Jeremiah Smith was a more valuable receiver this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and his 57 receiving first downs/touchdowns were tied for third in the nation.

Stowers followed his quarterback, Diego Pavia, from New Mexico State to Vanderbilt and played like one of the best tight ends in America. The once four-star quarterback recruit finished 2024 as the fifth-most-valuable FBS tight end according to our wins above average metric while his 373 yards after the catch were fourth among Power Four ones. He’ll likely enter 2025 as the best tight end in the country.

Transferred from: North Dakota

After four years at the FCS level, Kilty made the jump to the Big 12 and didn’t miss a beat as the Wildcats’ left tackle. The fifth-year senior finished as one of the 10 most valuable tackles in America according to our wins above average metric and he was one of only four tackles in the country with top-25 grades as both a pass blocker and run blocker.

Transferred from: Oklahoma

Green’s 75.8 grade was a top-15 mark among all left guards in the FBS and the sophomore was one of only five in the nation with 75-plus grades as both a pass blocker and as a run blocker. 

Center: Trent Holler, Memphis

Transferred from: Marshall

Holler wrapped up 2024 as the third-most-valuable center in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 82.5 PFF grade was seventh among FBS centers as he earned top-15 marks as both a pass blocker and run blocker.

Right Guard: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M

Transferred from: Kansas

Reed-Adams finished as the second-highest-graded Power Four guard this past season with an 82.4 mark. The Kansas transfer is an absolute road-grader, leading all Power Four guards with an 86.1 run-blocking grade. Reed-Adams projects as the best guard in America heading into next season after he announced his plans to return in 2025. 

Right Tackle: Trey Wedig, Indiana

Transferred from: Wisconsin

Wedig moved schools in the Big Ten and turned in a career-best 85.7 grade for the Hoosiers, which placed him 12th among FBS tackles. That’s mostly due to his dominance in the run game, where he placed ninth with an 85.1 run-blocking grade.

Interior Defender: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

Transferred from: Texas A&M

Once the top overall recruit in the 2022 high school class, Nolen finally showed why at his new SEC home. His 91.6 run-defense grade was second to only Mason Graham among FBS defensive tackles while his 35 pressures were tied for eighth. All in all, Nolen finished as the fourth-most-valuable interior defender in the nation according to PFF’s wins above-average metric.

After a very good year with the Spartans in 2023 in which he earned a 78.4 PFF grade, Harmon became one of the most fearsome pass-rushers in the nation with the Ducks. His 55 pressures were 12 more than any other defensive tackle in the nation and he finished as the sixth-most-valuable interior defender. 

Transferred from: Florida

Nolen wasn’t the only superstar defensive lineman to join the Rebels from another SEC school. Umanmielen’s 91.1 PFF grade was fifth among all edge defenders in the nation as was his 91.4 pass-rushing grade. His 22.8% pass-rush win rate was seventh among all edges as well.

Transferred from: James Madison

Kamara was one of 13 former James Madison players to follow head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana and he may have been the best of the bunch. His 67 pressures led all players in the nation while his 10 sacks were tied for 12th. He’ll return for a sixth and final season for the Hoosiers and projects as one of the top returning edge defenders in the nation. 

Linebacker: Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss

Transferred from: Arkansas

Like Nolen and Umanmielen, Paul was an instant star on the Rebels’ defense. His 87.2 PFF grade was seventh among all linebackers in the nation and he was one of the 15 most valuable linebackers according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

Walker was another former Duke who starred for the Hoosiers in their run to the College Football Playoff. He finished 2024 as one of the 20 most valuable linebackers in the country while his 84.5 run-defense grade was 16th among Power Four ones.

Transferred from: Oregon State

After turning in a solid true freshman year with the Beavers, McCoy looked like one of the nation’s top corners with the Volunteers. The sophomore’s 89.6 coverage grade was ninth among FBS cornerbacks and he was the eighth-most-valuable corner in the nation. Expect to see his name in plenty of 2026 first-round mock drafts.

Cornerback: Trey Amos, Ole Miss

Transferred from: Alabama

Yes, another Ole Miss defender. Amos’ 85.6 coverage grade was 10th among Power Four cornerbacks while his 13 forced incompletions were tied for sixth among all corners in the nation. 

Transferred from: Alabama

Amos wasn’t the only star player from Alabama’s secondary to depart to the transfer portal. Downs built off an incredible true freshman season (85.6 PFF grade) and was the most valuable safety in college football as a sophomore according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. He was one of only two safeties in the country with 85-plus grades both in coverage and as a run defender. Downs will enter his junior year as the best defensive player in the nation and will likely be one of the best safety prospects in recent memory once the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around. 

Transferred from: Clemson

After a solid three years with the Tigers, Mukuba looked like one of the best safeties with the Longhorns. He was the fourth-most-valuable safety in the nation and only surrendered a 12.1 passer rating into his coverage, best in the Power Four. For reference, spiking the ball every play nets a 39.6 rating. 

Flex-D: Jeremiah Wilson, Houston

Transferred from: Syracuse

Wilson’s 86.7 PFF grade was ninth among all corners in the nation while he was the 11th most valuable one according to our wins above average metric. He picked off four passes and allowed just a 44.7% completion rate into his coverage.