The 10 college football transfers that will have the biggest impact

The rich have gotten richer through the transfer market. Many of the top available targets in the portal landed at some of the best teams in the Bowl Subdivision, drawn to both the increased name, image and likeness packages offered by college football’s elite programs and the chance to compete for the College Football Playoff.

One of the biggest winners was Ohio State, which was able to bring in an all-everything safety (Caleb Downs), a likely new starting quarterback (Will Howard) and the best available running back (Quinshon Judkins). Also in the Big Ten, Oregon looks to reload with a new starter under center (Dillon Gabriel) and an elite starting cornerback (Jabbar Muhammad).

Other programs with high-profile transfers include Notre Dame, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Miami. These are the newcomers set to make the biggest impact in 2024:

DB Caleb Downs, Ohio State (Alabama)

Nick Saban’s abrupt retirement and the opportunity for increased NIL offerings led Downs to leave Alabama after a superb freshman season that saw him become the first freshman to lead the program in tackles since at least 1970. He’ll immediately step into a starting role with Ohio State and become one of the top defensive backs and overall defenders in the Big Ten as the Buckeyes chase the national championship.

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QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Oklahoma)

While Downs will have two or more seasons to make his impact, Gabriel should have the biggest impact on this year’s Big Ten after a strong run as the starter Oklahoma. The senior has been productive across two FBS stops and brings experience and reliability to one of the top contenders for the playoff. Gabriel had a combined 73 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in his two years with…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/10-college-football-transfers-biggest-131000359.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-08 13:10:00

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