The window for college football’s spring window in the transfer portal closes Wednesday, meaning the time is now post-spring for players to enter. Several high-profile players made themselves available, including Colorado’s Cormani McClain, Dylan Edwards and Arizona State’s Jaden Rashada, whosince committed to Georgia. Oregon State’s Damien Martinez, the best running back available, and Houston wideout Sam Brown are off the board to Miami.
College football’s spring transfer portal window offers another opportunity for programs looking for talent to secure potential impact threats or depth options before the summer.. Deion Sanders, who endured a mass exodus of players prior to Year 2, landed several commitment in recent days.
Initially the NCAA set the spring transfer window to open May 1, but the NCAA later amended it to trigger in April. Teams are allowed to host recruits on visits throughout the spring window since it’s a contact period. The winter window rules were far stricter in that regard. Fifteen of the 30 days the portal was open in the winter were dead, which means schools were not allowed to make in-person recruiting contact.
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Here are the best available players in the college football transfer portal’s spring window with 48 hours left as of Monday morning:
Transfer grade: 94
Transfer ranking: No. 22 overall
Cormani McClain, a spot starter for the Buffaloes and former five-star signee, entered the portal last week after a tumultuous first season at Colorado. He is one of the latest Buffaloes players to enter, which brings the total to double digits. McClain was the No. 14 player overall in 2023, but wasn’t the immediate star most assumed he would be at the Power Five level. Given his talent level and speed, however, he is a prized possession and commands immense attention.
Transfer grade: 92
Transfer ranking: No. 62 overall
Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis entered the transfer portal in late January as the wave of departures out of Tucson began following Jedd Fisch’s departure to Washington. However, initial reports indicated he was still with the Wildcats ahead of the start of spring practice. As of Tuesday, he remains a free agent. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound soon-to-be junior made 11 starts for the Wildcats last season and led the Pac-12 with 15 pass breakups. Davis earned second-team All-Pac-12 while finishing with a career-high 25 total tackles and an interception.
Transfer grade: 92
Transfer ranking: No. 66 overall
Jacoby Matthews, a former four-star signee expected to start at Texas A&M, entered the portal Tuesday. Mathews appeared in 21 games with 12 starts over two years in College Station while recording a combined 67 tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and eight passes defended. He took over in the third game of the 2023 season for Jardin Gilbert who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Overall, Mathews tallied 42 tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and five passes defended. Pro Football Focus graded him at 80.8 in coverage.
Transfer grade: 92
Transfer ranking: No. 73 overall
Tyler Baron played at Tennessee last season before transferring to Louisville in the winter and re-entering the portal last week. This is new-age college football recruiting in a nutshell when it comes to the portal. Miami is a leader, here. Per Inside the U, Baron has played 1,565 defensive snaps over the last four seasons. In 2023, Baron had his most productive season at the college level, generating 28 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Pro Football Focus credited Baron with 41 quarterback pressures.
Transfer grade: 91
Transfer ranking: No. 102 overall
Derrick Harmon is one of the top-rated defensive lineman available and commands massive interest. USC, Colorado and Miami are the most intriguing potential landing spots. Harmon, who posted 40 tackles for Michigan State last season, also garnered interest from some other prominent programs. He visited schools such as Ohio State and Oregon upon entering the portal during the winter cycle, before returning to Michigan State.
Transfer grade: 91
Transfer ranking: No. 106 overall
A True Freshman All-American in 2022 for the Horned Frogs and an honorable mention Big 12 selection in 2023, Damonic Williams will be among the best defensive players in the transfer portal. He posted 33 tackles and three sacks this past season and started every game for the Horned Frogs. Williams emerged as a starter immediately as a true freshman in 2022, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 TFLs as TCU stormed to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Transfer grade: 91
Transfer ranking: No. 103 overall
The departure from Terrance Brooks comes on the heels of the Orange-White Game. Redshirt freshman Arch Manning threw for 355 yards and true freshman spring enrollee Trey Owens threw for 281 with the two quarterbacks racking up a combined six touchdowns through the air in the spring game with coverage busts and chunk-yardage plays aplenty. Brooks was a likely starter for the Longhorns in 2024.
Transfer grade: 90
Transfer ranking: No. 180 overall
After he initially entering the portal in January, Washington’s Dermaricus Davis is back in after going through spring practice with the Huskies and first-year coach Jedd Fisch. It’s a another brutal blow for the Big Ten’s newest program in terms of depth. Davis is a consensus four-star prospect, rated the No. 307 player nationally and the No. 17 quarterback.
Transfer grade: 90
Transfer ranking: No. 185 overall
Elijhah Badger is a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention who racked up 135 receptions and 1,579 receiving yards across his last two seasons with the Sun Devils. A back injured limited Badger throughout spring ball but he ramped up activity in recent weeks. Alabama and Texas A&M are reportedly among the initial teams to show interest in landing the play-making option on the outside.
Chris Hummer, Matt Zenitz David Lake and Jeff Howe contributed to this report.
