College football transfer portal all-impact team: John Mateer headlines offense

Fox Sports

2 days ago

Thanks to the creation and proliferation of the transfer portal, player acquisition in college football now takes on a life of its own every winter and every spring. Coaches across the country — including those whose seasons haven't yet ended — begin remaking their rosters during the initial December transfer window and tweak them once more during a subsequent flurry of movement each April.
Though equal parts maddening, exciting and unrelenting, the transfer portal has shown just how quickly programs can now change the trajectory of their seasons with a couple fistfuls of shrewd additions. Michigan received key contributions from all nine transfers the Wolverines added before winning the national championship in 2023. Indiana flipped the guts of its roster in one offseason and then reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history under new coach Curt Cignetti. Identifying which transfers might make the largest contributions in 2025 is, of course, a subjective exercise — but a fun one nonetheless. It's a task rooted in the amalgamation of past production, future opportunity and the projection of how certain individuals might mesh with new coaches, teammates and schemes to influence the landscape of college football.
With that in mind, here's a look at our transfer portal all-impact team on the offensive side of the ball:
*Transfer Portal rankings courtesy of 247Sports.com Quarterback John Mateer, Oklahoma via Washington State (No. 6 transfer, No. 3 QB)
Mateer faced the two-prong challenge of simultaneously replacing superstar Cam Ward, who transferred to Miami ahead of the 2024 campaign, and guiding Washington State into the unknown following the collapse of the Pac-12 conference. The former three-star recruit handled both situations with aplomb by blossoming into arguably the top dual-threat quarterback in the country amid an eight-win season. Mateer completed 224 of 347 passes (64.6%) for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while also rushing for 826 yards — including two 100-yard games — and 15 additional scores. He is listed as a redshirt junior for the Sooners and will be joined at Oklahoma by former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, whom head coach Brent Venables hired to fill the same role. The continuity between Mateer and Arbuckle is a big reason why Oklahoma's offense is expected to make a significant leap forward in 2025 after uneven quarterback play from Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins Jr. last season, with the former ultimately leaving for Auburn. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana via Cal (No. 22 transfer, No. 4 QB)
Mendoza arrived at Cal as a two-star prospect ranked outside the top 2,000 players in the 2022 recruiting cycle, devoid of additional power-conference scholarship offers. He redshirted later that fall before moving into the starting role partway through the 2023 campaign, playing well enough in nine appearances to earn honorable mention Offensive Freshman of the Year recognition from the Pac-12 coaches. He took another step forward in 2024 during Cal's debut season as a member of the ACC, propelling the Bears to consecutive bowl games for just the second time in the last 15 years. Mendoza completed 265 of 386 passes (68.7%) for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions to become one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the portal. He'll attempt to follow in the footsteps of former Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke, who turned in the best season of his career under first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and helped guide the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. Both of Indiana's leading receivers — Elijah Sarratt (957 yards, 8 TDs) and Omar Cooper Jr. (594 yards, 7 TDs) — are back for another year. Running back Justice Haynes, Michigan via Alabama (No. 42 transfer, No. 1 RB)
At Michigan, the first season of life after All-American tailback Blake Corum, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, resulted in a timeshare between bruising runner Kalel Mullings (948 yards, 12 TDs) and enigmatic speedster Donovan Edwards (589 yards, 4 TDs). The result was a rushing offense that finished 73rd nationally after ranking 55th in 2023, fifth in 2022 and 15th in 2021 as former coach Jim Harbaugh elevated his alma mater to three consecutive College Football Playoff appearances. With both Mullings and Edwards moving on to the NFL, there was a significant vacancy in the run-heavy system preferred by head coach Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines are hoping that Haynes, a former five-star recruit in the 2023 cycle, can shine in the kind of leading role he never occupied at Alabama. Now a junior, Haynes finished third on the Crimson Tide in rushing last season (448 yards, seven TDs) behind quarterback Jalen Milroe (726 yards, 20 TDs) and fellow tailback Jam Miller (668 yards, seven TDs) after playing a small role his freshman year. Makhi Hughes, Oregon via Tulane (No. 117 transfer, No. 7 RB)
Hughes was a three-star prospect and the No. 1,149 overall player in the 2022 recruiting cycle when he committed to Tulane over a list of suitors that only included two power-conference programs: Florida State and Kansas. Though an injury sidelined Hughes for the entirety of his freshman season, he quickly established himself as one of the most productive tailbacks in the country over the last two years. Hughes was named AAC Rookie of the Year after carrying 258 times for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns amid an 11-3 campaign in 2023, at which point head coach Willie Fritz left for Houston, and Hughes bettered those numbers last fall when he carried 265 times for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns to earn first-team All-AAC recognition. So while his new team, the Ducks, lost leading rusher Jordan James (1,267 yards, 15 TDs) to the NFL, the one-two punch of Hughes and returning veteran Noah Whittington (540 yards, six TDs) should be among the strongest tandems in the Big Ten this season. Wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn via Georgia Tech (No. 5 transfer, No. 1 WR)
A former high school state champion in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, Singleton enjoyed two highly productive seasons at Georgia Tech despite playing in an offense predicated on running the football under head coach Brent Key. He earned freshman All-American honors in 2023 after catching 48 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns, numbers that were good enough for him to finish second in ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. His production was nearly identical during a 7-6 campaign last fall — resulting in the Yellow Jackets' first trip to a bowl game since 2018 — when he snagged 56 passes for 754 yards and three scores to become the highest-ranked wideout in the portal. A noteworthy end to the season included a two-game stretch with 13 catches for 192 yards and a score against NC State on Nov. 21 and then-No. 7 Georgia on Nov. 29. Singleton will now form an electric tandem with former five-star receiver Cam Coleman, who would have garnered far more attention last fall when he caught 37 passes for 598 yards and eight scores as a true freshman were it not for the exploits of Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State and Ryan Williams at Alabama. Nic Anderson, LSU via Oklahoma (No. 9 overall, No. 3 WR)
Rated the No. 243 overall prospect in 2022, Anderson was a four-star recruit from the suburbs of Houston who chose the Sooners over additional scholarship offers from nearly every blue-blood program: Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon, USC, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas, among others. He did not catch a pass in three appearances as a true freshman but exploded onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2023 during quarterback Dillon Gabriel's final season at Oklahoma. Anderson established himself as a dynamic, field-tilting threat with an average of 21 yards per reception — fifth-best in the nation — on 38 catches. He finished second on the team in receiving yards with 798 and was tied for the team lead with 10 touchdowns, which also tied for the most in the country among freshmen. A significant quadriceps injury sidelined Anderson for most of the 2024 season and prompted him to enter the transfer portal, ultimately landing at LSU. He should become an important target for an offense that ranked seventh in the country in passing last season (315.2 yards per game) and returns quarterback Garrett Nussmeier for a second season as the Tigers' starter. Trebor Pena, Penn State via Syracuse (No. 129 overall, No. 26 WR)
Arguably the most prominent storyline surrounding Penn State's offseason has been the incredible retention efforts by head coach James Franklin and his staff to preserve the nucleus of a 2022 recruiting class that ranked sixth in the nation. The Nittany Lions convinced quarterback Drew Allar, tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant all to come back for what many expect to be a national championship-level roster this fall. But the one position where such efforts fell short is wide receiver, where leading wideouts Harrison Wallace III (720 yards, four TDs) and Omari Evans (415 yards, five TDs) both entered the portal. Penn State began addressing that glaring need — which has become a perennial thorn in Franklin's side — in the December transfer window by adding Kyron Hudson from USC (No. 261 transfer, No. 36 WR) and Devonte Ross from Troy (No. 524 transfer, No. 99 WR). But the room lacked any sort of legitimate pop until Pena, who caught 84 passes for 941 yards and nine touchdowns last season, committed to the Nittany Lions in late April. He has the potential to be a difference maker on the perimeter. Tight end Max Klare, Ohio State via Purdue (No. 17 overall, No. 1 TE)
The assembly line of high-end receivers that has pumped through Ohio State for the better part of a decade almost always usurps the involvement of Buckeye tight ends. In 2019, during Ryan Day's first season as head coach, no tight end caught more than 14 passes, while wideouts Chris Olave (first-round pick), Garrett Wilson (first-round pick) and KJ Hill Jr. (seventh-round pick) all snagged at least 30 passes. In 2020, during a pandemic-shortened campaign with Olave and Wilson again headlining the show, no tight end caught more than 13 passes. The pattern changed slightly when rugged tight end Cade Stover put together back-to-back 400-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023, working his way into a fourth-round pick. But even last year's national championship-winning team hardly utilized the position as starter Gee Scott Jr. caught two or fewer passes in nine of 16 games. The arrival of Klare, however, gives Ohio State the kind of bonafide receiving threat it hasn't had at tight end in quite some time, perhaps since John Frank in the early 1980s. Klare caught 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns last season to lead Purdue in all three categories despite a passing offense that ranked 113th nationally. Jack Endries, Texas via Cal (No. 131 overall, No. 4 TE)
When Endries entered the spring transfer portal on April 16, he needed only two days before committing to Texas, a program that has reached the College Football Playoff in consecutive seasons. And it's not difficult to understand why. Two years ago, in 2023, Longhorns' tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders caught 45 passes for 682 yards and two touchdowns before the Carolina Panthers selected him in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Last year, in 2024, tight end Gunnar Helm caught 60 passes for 786 yards and seven touchdowns before the Tennessee Titans drafted him in the fourth round earlier this spring. Endries has similar potential considering what he's already accomplished at Cal the last two seasons. He logged more snaps than any tight end in the country as a redshirt freshman in 2023 while catching 35 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns, garnering freshman All-America honors from three news outlets. He played even better last fall by leading the Bears with 56 receptions for 623 yards and two scores, including back-to-back 100-yard games against Pittsburgh and NC State. Offensive line Isaiah World, Oregon via Nevada (No. 2 overall, No. 1 OT)
Long before Oregon's season ended in a Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State, head coach Dan Lanning knew he was going to be in the market for at least one starting-caliber offensive tackle given what the Ducks stood to lose in the NFL Draft. Left tackle Josh Conerly, who finished as a first-team All-American, would become a first-round pick by the Washington Commanders. While right tackle Ajani Cornelius, who earned second-team All-America honors, would be taken in the sixth round by the Dallas Cowboys. In landing World last December, Lanning secured a player considered the top offensive lineman regardless of position. World, who is listed as a redshirt senior, logged more than 1,600 snaps at left tackle over the last two seasons and spent one year as Nevada's starting right tackle in 2022. He slashed his number of quarterback pressures allowed from 34 in 2023 to just 15 last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and reduced his penalty count from 11 to eight during that same span. The Ducks also added former Texas State offensive tackle Alex Harkey (No. 125 transfer, No. 17 OT). Elijah Pritchett, Nebraska via Alabama (No. 45 overall, No. 6 OT)
One of the most pressing items on a lengthy to-do list for Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who continues barreling forward in his attempted resurrection of the Cornhuskers, is to surround former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola with enough talent so that the program can realistically compete for the College Football Playoff. Rhule swung big in his efforts to accomplish that goal by adding big-name, big-money transfers like former Kentucky wideout Dane Key (No. 34 transfer, No. 10 WR), former Notre Dame right guard Rocco Spindler (No. 139 transfer, No. 10 IOL) and former Cal wideout Nyziah Hunter (No. 198 transfer, No. 34 WR) to an offense that finished 103rd in scoring (23.5 points per game) last season. But the most important addition might have been Pritchett, who played 555 snaps at right tackle for Alabama in 2024 and logged 64 additional snaps at left tackle. Though Pritchett struggled in pass protection as a first-year starter — he was charged with allowing 30 quarterback pressures and six sacks — he has the pedigree of a former top-40 national recruit and at least two years of eligibility remaining. Josh Thompson, LSU via Northwestern (No. 16 overall, No. 3 IOL)
By the time December rolled around and the first transfer portal window opened, LSU head coach Brian Kelly and his staff were keenly aware of how significant the team's offensive line overhaul might be. They knew that left tackle Will Campbell, a consensus All-American, was a surefire first-round pick. They also knew that right tackle Emery Jones, right guard Miles Frazier and left guard Garrett Dellinger were all receiving interest from NFL scouts. Center DJ Chester, an underclassman not yet eligible for the draft, was the only starter likely to return for another year. So the Tigers wasted little time in pursuing Thompson, the second high-profile Northwestern lineman to hit the portal in as many years after guard Josh Priebe transferred to Michigan last offseason. Kelly secured a commitment from Thompson shortly after Christmas to anchor a transfer portal class that now ranks No. 1 in the nation. Listed as a fifth-year senior, Thompson was a two-year starter for the Wildcats who spent 2024 playing right guard (646 snaps, eight pressures, three penalties) and 2023 playing right tackle (731 snaps, 27 pressures, three penalties). Early reports from LSU suggest he will compete at both positions during fall camp. Pat Coogan, Indiana via Notre Dame (No. 138 overall, No. 9 IOL)
In an otherwise magical season for Indiana, which won 11 games for the first time in school history, losses to Ohio State on Nov. 23 and to Notre Dame on Dec. 20 in the College Football Playoff exposed one of the team's only weaknesses: a deficiency in talent along the offensive line. The Buckeyes rattled Indiana for five sacks, eight quarterback pressures and eight tackles for loss in a game that was over midway through the third quarter. The Fighting Irish damaged Indiana for three sacks, eight quarterback pressures and 10 tackles for loss that rendered the Hoosiers' offense one-dimensional. Moving forward, Cignetti knew his team needed better players in the trenches to hold up against elite defenses. Adding Coogan, a two-year starter for Notre Dame, was a heady move. Now a redshirt senior, Coogan logged more than 800 snaps at center last season (eight pressures allowed) for a team that reached the national championship game. He also spent the entire 2023 campaign as Notre Dame's starting left guard in his only other year as a primary contributor. He is expected to anchor the interior for Indiana this fall. Howard Sampson, Texas Tech via North Carolina (No. 14 overall, No. 3 OT)
Texas Tech made headline after headline this offseason by compiling the No. 2 transfer portal class in the country behind LSU — and reportedly spending more than $10 million in NIL to do so. Any number of players from the Red Raiders' 21-man haul could have made this list, like former Louisiana tight end Terrance Carter (No. 169 transfer, No. 7 TE) or former USC running back Quinten Joyner (No. 145 transfer, No. 9 RB), but the most important addition might just be Sampson, the mammoth 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle. Sampson was a lightly regarded three-star recruit in the 2022 cycle, originally committing to North Texas over additional scholarship offers from Grambling, Texas Southern and Texas State, among others. He entered the transfer portal following his sophomore season despite having just 87 career snaps to his name, though 83 of them came at left tackle. That was enough of a sample size for North Carolina to take a chance on Sampson and turn him into their starting left tackle last fall. He was charged with allowing 19 pressures and five sacks in 824 snaps before entering the portal a second time last December. Listed as a junior, Sampson will start at left tackle for Texas Tech in 2025.
Check back later in the week for Part 2 of FOX Sports' college football transfer portal all-impact team, which will feature the top additions on the defensive side of the ball.
Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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