The Transfer Portal: Winners and Losers in the College Football Ranks
As the transfer portal closed its doors to new entrants, several teams made significant strides while others struggled to stay afloat. The Arizona Wildcats, Cal Golden Bears, BYU Cougars, and UCLA Bruins emerged as winners, bolstering their rosters with talented players who are expected to make an immediate impact.
On the other hand, Washington, ASU, Colorado, and Stanford found themselves on the losing end, leaving them in a precarious position for the 2026 season. These teams had hoped to utilize the transfer portal to fill key gaps, but ultimately came up short.
Arizona's decision to bring in quarterback Kaiir Elam from Kentucky paid off, as the highly touted signal-caller is expected to provide much-needed stability behind center. Meanwhile, Cal's acquisition of running back Montae Nelson from Arkansas State should prove to be a game-changer on offense. BYU's addition of tight end Luke Birt from Nebraska is also set to give the Cougars a significant boost in the passing game.
In contrast, Washington's inability to secure a reliable quarterback has left them questioning their long-term prospects. The Huskies' struggles at the position are further compounded by the lack of depth at wide receiver and running back.
ASU also fell short in its pursuit of a top-tier quarterback, settling for a player who is expected to compete with incumbent starter Jake Smith for playing time. Colorado's attempt to upgrade its defense was similarly unsuccessful, as it failed to secure any significant additions on either side of the ball.
Stanford, meanwhile, appeared to be a dark horse contender in the transfer portal before ultimately falling short. The Cardinal's inability to land a reliable wide receiver has left them with a gaping hole that will need to be filled quickly if they are to remain competitive in the Pac-12.
Overall, the winners of the transfer portal are poised to make significant strides in 2026, while the losers will need to regroup and refocus in order to stay afloat.
As the transfer portal closed its doors to new entrants, several teams made significant strides while others struggled to stay afloat. The Arizona Wildcats, Cal Golden Bears, BYU Cougars, and UCLA Bruins emerged as winners, bolstering their rosters with talented players who are expected to make an immediate impact.
On the other hand, Washington, ASU, Colorado, and Stanford found themselves on the losing end, leaving them in a precarious position for the 2026 season. These teams had hoped to utilize the transfer portal to fill key gaps, but ultimately came up short.
Arizona's decision to bring in quarterback Kaiir Elam from Kentucky paid off, as the highly touted signal-caller is expected to provide much-needed stability behind center. Meanwhile, Cal's acquisition of running back Montae Nelson from Arkansas State should prove to be a game-changer on offense. BYU's addition of tight end Luke Birt from Nebraska is also set to give the Cougars a significant boost in the passing game.
In contrast, Washington's inability to secure a reliable quarterback has left them questioning their long-term prospects. The Huskies' struggles at the position are further compounded by the lack of depth at wide receiver and running back.
ASU also fell short in its pursuit of a top-tier quarterback, settling for a player who is expected to compete with incumbent starter Jake Smith for playing time. Colorado's attempt to upgrade its defense was similarly unsuccessful, as it failed to secure any significant additions on either side of the ball.
Stanford, meanwhile, appeared to be a dark horse contender in the transfer portal before ultimately falling short. The Cardinal's inability to land a reliable wide receiver has left them with a gaping hole that will need to be filled quickly if they are to remain competitive in the Pac-12.
Overall, the winners of the transfer portal are poised to make significant strides in 2026, while the losers will need to regroup and refocus in order to stay afloat.
. But I gotta feel bad for Washington, ASU, Colorado, and Stanford... they really dropped the ball on this one 
. I mean, you can't just sit out the transfer portal and expect to compete with the big boys. And man, Arizona's QB situation looks way more solid now with Kaiir Elam at the helm 
. Poor Cal, they're gonna need a miracle to turn their offense around 
.
Cal's got that running back Montae Nelson going for them, big time! 
BYU's Luke Birt is gonna light it up in the passing game... can't wait to see what these teams do! 
their QB situation is like a mess they really need to get it together ASAP or else next year is gonna be super tough for them lol Arizona on the other hand is like yayyy they got that talented QB and Cal too, those two are def gonna make some waves in the Pac12. ASU and Colorado though... poor guys gotta start from scratch I feel bad for them 
they need to find someone who can lead that team or its gonna be a looong season. and ASU's decision to settle for some backup qb instead of goin after a real deal starter is just puzzlin. meanwhile az, cal, and byu are lookin good 
they made some solid moves and i'm hyped 2 c how it all plays out
so i think its a bit harsh on washington, ya know? they took some big hits but they also got some decent recruits from other schools. idk man, it feels like they're gonna be okay 
they just gotta find the right guy behind center and their offense will be golden 