The biggest winners and losers from college football’s wildest transfer portal window ever
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Penn State’s transfer‑powered transformation under new head coach Matt Campbell framed the entire 2026 portal season.
Campbell brought 20 Iowa State players with him to Happy Valley, including quarterback Rocco Becht, giving the Nittany Lions the most cohesive system migration in the country and one of the most structurally sound portal classes of the cycle.
Few programs leveraged the condensed Jan. 2–16 window as effectively, and Penn State’s aggressive roster continuity instantly placed it among the portal’s biggest winners.
Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from college football’s two-week transfer portal window.
Loser: Iowa State
By contrast, Iowa State absorbed one of the most damaging talent drains of the portal era.
With over 20 players following Campbell to Penn State and departures north of 50 scholarship players, the Cyclones now face a multi‑year rebuild. No other Power‑conference roster suffered losses this sweeping.
Winner: Indiana
Indiana’s rise under Curt Cignetti continued with a calculated approach to portal season, despite the Hoosiers gearing up for a shot at the National Championship.
The Hoosiers secured TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (3,472 yards, 29 TDs) and added Michigan State receiver Nick Marsh, a high‑impact perimeter threat.
Just as important, Indiana managed to avoided the attrition that hampered many league rivals. In a quarterback‑scarce window, IU filled the most valuable roster slot with proven production and built outward from there.
Loser: Auburn
Auburn’s losses struck at foundational positions.
The Tigers saw the departure of elite wideout Cam Coleman, quarterback Deuce Knight and multiple defensive standouts, including Amaris Williams, Jay Crawford, Antonio Coleman and several others.
Even with isolated incoming help, Auburn’s net roster damage leaves major schematic and depth holes entering spring camp. For a team starting from scratch with a new head coach in Alex Golesh, the Tigers have work to do to climb back into SEC relevence.
Winner: Texas Tech
Texas Tech executed a top‑to‑bottom roster improvement.
The Red Raiders landed Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby, one of the portal’s top overall players, then reinforced their defensive front with one of the highest‑graded defensive tackles available in Adam Trick and edge rusher Trey White.
The Red Raiders didn’t chase volume. They built a structurally balanced roster that allows them to immediately compete once again in the Big 12.
Loser: Alabama
Alabama’s issues were less about volume and more about quality of departures.
Former five‑star Jaylen Mbakwe, running back Richard Young and receiver Jalen Hale all exited, while the QB situation grew murkier following Ty Simpson’s injury and likely exit to pursue his NFL dreams.
Though the Tide added running back Hollywood Smothers, the imbalance of outs vs. ins spells bad news for a perennial contender.
Winner: Texas
Texas collected premium skill talent around quarterback Arch Manning.
The Longhorns added Cam Coleman, the No. 1 wideout in the portal, and pursued multiple defensive upgrades. Rather than overhaul the roster, Texas condensed star power around its star quarterback and positioned itself for a 2026 playoff push.
Winner: Penn State (again)
Beyond the headline‑grabbing influx, Penn State’s moves reinforced every layer of its depth chart.
Campbell’s 20‑man Iowa State contingent provided continuity unlike anything we have seen thus far in the transfer era and landing a proven in Rocco Becht gives Penn State perhaps the smoothest schematic transition of any CFP‑level program. In a cycle where many teams scrambled late, Penn State looked prepared months in advance.
Loser: North Texas
The Mean Green suffered the harsh reality of Group of Five success: poaching.
After a 12‑2 season, Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young all departed. That trio was responsible for one of the nation’s most productive offenses, and that exodus leaves North Texas at the bottom of the net‑impact list.
Conference outlook
Big Ten
Indiana and Penn State headline the “net‑gain” category.
Indiana through targeted quarterback and skill acquisitions, Penn State through roster‑wide system continuity.
Wisconsin and Purdue executed efficient trade‑up portal cycles, while Michigan State sustained more losses than additions.
Ohio State and Michigan endured significant roster churn and enter the spring dependent on returning star development rather than portal shockwaves.
SEC
Texas A&M and Ole Miss played the portal cleanly, adding impact players in the trenches and minimizing damaging departures while still making their way into the college football playoff.
LSU landed one of the top quarterbacks in Sam Leavitt, but suffered enough outbound movement to weaken its net impact.
Auburn and Alabama both ended on the wrong end of the ledger, with losses outweighing any structural gains.
Ohio Schools: Stock Update
Ohio State
OSU saw far more departures than arrivals, including losses at receiver and along the offensive line. That leaves the Buckeyes with spring questions about depth and veteran leadership.
While the program’s recruiting foundation softens long‑term damage, this specific portal cycle counts as a net negative compared with Big Ten counterparts.
Cincinnati
The Bearcats absorbed one of the country’s most consequential individual losses when Brendan Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech.
Losing a top‑tier gunslinger in a quarterback‑scarce market places Cincinnati behind schedule for 2026 and leaves scheme stability uncertain until a new starter emerges.
Toledo
As is typical for MAC contenders, Toledo lost several high‑value players to Power 4 programs but retained enough developmental depth to remain competitive.
The cycle fits the conference’s standard pattern of respectable retention but undeniable upward siphoning of standout performers.
