Top-ranked college football transfers like Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, Texas receiver Cam Coleman and LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen have all been huge additions to their teams in 2026.
But which under-the-radar transfers are having more impact than expected?
Wake Forest and Kentucky are two top-25 ranked teams that have exceeded expectations so far under second-year coach Jake Dickert and first-year coach Will Stein, respectively. That's due in no small part to an influx of transfer additions.
Elsewhere, Oregon State is proving you don’t have to break the bank to find a solid quarterback in the transfer portal, as quarterback addition
Braden Atkinson has been among the better passers in college football this season.
All that to say, there are transfer portal gems out there — teams just have to find them.
Here are 10 of the best transfer portal finds so far in 2026:
Braden Atkinson, Oregon State
Braden Atkinson, a transfer from FCS program Mercer, had to beat out multi-year starter Maalik Murphy for the starting quarterback job at Oregon State. Atkinson jumped that hurdle during fall camp and has since emerged as one of the most prolific passers in college football.
The 6-foot-1 former zero-star recruit out of high school leads the country in both passing yards (2,257) and passing touchdowns (21) this season, despite being the No. 579-rated transfer, per 247Sports rankings.
There were 33 quarterbacks ranked ahead of Atkinson in 247Sports’ rankings. You would be hard pressed to find more than a handful ranked ahead of the Oregon State star right now.
CJ Baxter, Kentucky
Former Texas running back CJ Baxter never found his footing with the Longhorns due to injuries. The former five-star recruit has been quite the addition for Kentucky since entering the transfer portal.
Baxter has 87 carries for 484 yards with eight touchdowns this season, and is coming off a 123-yard rushing performance in Kentucky’s upset win over LSU on Oct. 10. Baxter, the No. 291 overall prospect and No. 26 running back in the transfer portal, is finally living up to his five-star talent with the Wildcats.
Rocky Beers, Oklahoma
Sixth-year senior tight end Rocky Beers has been far from a weapon in the passing game in his career. He entered 2026 with 53 career receptions for 572 yards with nine touchdowns in five seasons at Air Force, Florida International and Colorado State before transferring to Oklahoma.
Beers has developed into a potential NFL prospect with the Sooners, though, with 22 receptions for 284 yards. He also nabbed two touchdowns so far this season. Beers was rated the No. 1,496 player in the transfer portal, per 247Sports’ rankings. Not bad for the SEC’s receiving yards leader among tight ends.
Justin Bowick, Oklahoma State
Wyatt Young, a fellow North Texas transfer, was by far Mestemaker’s favorite target last season before the duo transferred to Oklahoma State together.
Illinois transfer Justin Bowick, though, has developed a 1A-1B situation with Young in the Cowboys’ offense. Bowick has 26 receptions for 442 yards with five touchdowns this season, only one reception and 20 yards fewer than Young.
Bowick started his career at Eastern Illinois for two seasons before transferring to Ball State for 2024 and Illinois for 2025. The 6-foot-5 receiver is already only 17 yards off his career high for receiving yards in a season.
Owen Chambliss, Nebraska
Owen Chambliss made 109 total tackles at San Diego State last season, and that impact has translated to the Big Ten so far in 2026. Chambliss has 31 total tackles with an interception and half a sack this season for the Cornhuskers.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defender was the No. 253 player and No. 23 linebacker in the transfer portal, per 247Sports’ rankings. He helped Nebraska hold Indiana’s ninth-ranked rushing attack to 65 total yards in Week 6.
Gavin Freeman, Baylor
Gavin Freeman started his career as a walk-on at Oklahoma before transferring to in-state rival Oklahoma State and Baylor. Freeman originally committed to Tennessee, where he was expected to play a depth role and serve as a weapon in the return game.
His decision to sign with Baylor turned out to be the right one, as the Bears have deployed the 5-foot-9 receiver as their go-to target: He has 42 receptions for 479 yards with two touchdowns in five games this season. He torched Auburn for 154 yards and a touchdown on 12 receptions in Week 1, and ranks second in the Big 12 in receiving yards, despite Baylor already going on bye.
Freeman was the No. 876-ranked transfer and No. 152 receiver, per 247Sports’ rankings. The former walk-on is finally getting a chance to show what he can do at Baylor.
Xavier Gilliam, Tennessee
Xavier Gilliam is the highest-rated transfer portal player on this list, No. 7 among defensive linemen and No. 53 among all players, per 247Sports. Still, his breakout has been surprising.
The sophomore defensive tackle has five sacks with two forced fumbles this season, proving to be a force on the line of scrimmage after transferring from Penn State. ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic recently went as far to call him the best defensive player in college football.
Fellow Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman was Tennessee's most-prized transfer addition this offseason, but it turns out it was actually Gilliam, his teammate, who was credited with 0.5 sacks through his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions. Now? He looks like a surefire first-round pick.
Fame Ijeboi, Purdue
Purdue running back Fame Ijeboi ran for 441 yards on 97 carries last season at Minnesota. He has already eclipsed that mark this season at Purdue, with 549 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Ijeboi torched his former team in Week 6, rushing 31 times for 195 yards with three touchdowns in Purdue’s 41-13 upset win over Minnesota. He also ran for 114 yards with three touchdowns in Purdue’s double-overtime loss to Wake Forest earlier this season.
Minnesota likely regrets not holding onto Ijeboi, the No. 847-ranked transfer and No. 72 running back this offseason, per 247Sports.
Gio Lopez, Wake Forest
Gio Lopez was up-and-down at North Carolina last season, even being benched late in the year for journeyman Max Johnson. Now at Wake Forest, Lopez has found his footing at the Power Four level.
The former South Alabama quarterback ranks seventh nationally with 1,680 passing yards. He has also thrown for 13 touchdowns to an interception while rushing for 202 yards and six more scores, ranking 15th nationally in QBR (82.9).
Lopez has scored nine total touchdowns in his previous two wins over Stanford and North Carolina State, although he was ranked the No. 797 transfer and No. 57 quarterback, per 247Sports.
Donta Simpson, Missouri
Donta Simpson was a three-star high school recruit who hardly saw the field last season at Miami, the national championship runner-up. He’s now one of the best interior pass rushers in college football at Missouri.
Simpson, who stands 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, already has five sacks this season, 2.5 of which have come against Florida and Texas A&M. The sophomore defensive tackle ranks second on the team with 18 pressures this season, per PFF, despite being the No. 405-rated player and No. 46 defensive lineman in the transfer portal, per 247Sports.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 unheralded transfers impacting college football more than expected
