Familiar faces, new places: 10 biggest non-QB transfers to know ahead of the 2025 college football season
LSU WR Nic Anderson (from Oklahoma)
Anderson heads to LSU after he missed nearly all of the 2024 season because of a quad injury. He appeared in just one game for the Sooners and didn't have a catch. In 2023, Anderson had 38 grabs for 798 yards and 10 TDs as he averaged over 20 yards a reception. Without Anderson on the field, Oklahoma's offense struggled mightily a season ago.
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Anderson should be fully recovered from the quad injury and should also be ready for the season after he was in a single-car wreck on Friday. LSU coach Brian Kelly said Monday at SEC media days that Anderson would miss a week of offseason workouts after he was kept overnight in a hospital for observation.
Zachariah Branch transferred from USC to Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/)
(Steve Limentani/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Georgia WR Zachariah Branch (from USC)
Branch can be one of the most dynamic players in college football with the ball in his hands. He averaged 20.8 yards a punt return in 2023 and over 18 yards a kick return as a freshman with the Trojans. As teams realized how good he was returning kicks, they worked to neutralize him in 2024. Branch had 13 punt returns for just 74 yards.
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Georgia is looking for a game-breaker at wide receiver and Branch has that potential. However, he really never flashed it on offense at USC. He had 78 catches for 823 yards and just three TDs over 23 games with the Trojans.
Ohio State RB CJ Donaldson (from West Virginia)
The former West Virginia running back has rushed for 30 TDs over the past three seasons. In 2024, he had 163 carries for 734 yards and 11 scores. Donaldson could play an even bigger role for the Buckeyes in 2025 as Ohio State needs to replace both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins after they were the best running back duo in the country a season ago.
Michigan RB Justice Haynes (from Alabama)
Haynes was Alabama's third-leading rusher in 2024 with 79 carries for 448 yards and seven touchdowns. No matter who starts at QB for Michigan in 2025 — whether it's freshman Bryce Underwood or Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene — the Wolverines figure to have a run-heavy offense once again. And with both Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards off to the NFL, Haynes could have a big year.
Justice Haynes was Alabama's third-leading rusher in 2024. (Photo byfor ONIT)
(Mike Mulholland via Getty Images)
Miami CB Xavier Lucas (from Wisconsin)
Lucas was a four-star recruit in the class of 2024 and signed with the Badgers out of high school. After a season in Madison, he's back in south Florida and also the subject of one of the biggest transfer stories of the offseason. In June, Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against Miami for tampering over Lucas' transfer. Wisconsin claims that Miami interfered with a binding revenue-share contract that it had signed with Lucas. How the lawsuit plays out in the coming months could have a significant impact on player movement going forward.
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Florida State WR Duce Robinson (from USC)
Robinson had 23 catches for 396 yards and five TDs in 2024 after averaging nearly 22 yards a catch as a freshman in 2023. Florida State desperately needs more offensive firepower after a disastrous 2024 season. The school felt the loss of Keon Coleman on the outside and also had horrendous quarterback play. With Robinson, former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos and others arriving in Tallahassee, the offense should be much better in 2025. It can't get any worse.
Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr. (from Georgia Tech)
Singleton had 104 catches for 1,468 yards and nine touchdowns over two seasons with the Yellow Jackets. He also added 21 rushing attempts for 131 yards and a TD in 2024. If Auburn can get improved quarterback play from Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, Singleton could form a great receiving duo with Cam Coleman. He had 37 grabs for 598 yards and eight scores as a freshman last season.
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Oregon S Dillon Thieneman (from Purdue)
Thieneman was one of the rare bright spots at Purdue over the past two seasons. He had 106 tackles and six interceptions as a freshman in 2023 and had 104 tackles as a sophomore in 2024. He didn't have an interception, though he had seven passes defensed and you can understand why opposing offenses wouldn't want to throw in his direction. He will immediately anchor Oregon's secondary as the Ducks go for back-to-back Big Ten titles.
Missouri Edge Damon Wilson (from Georgia)
Wilson had six tackles for loss and three sacks in 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2024. Georgia's front seven is exceptionally deep — he should see more playing time at Missouri. The Tigers have boasted a strong defensive front in recent seasons and need to replace the pass rush production of Johnny Walker Jr. He had 9.5 sacks in 2024 and was the only Mizzou player with more than three.
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Oregon OT Isaiah World (from Nevada)
World was the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal and will be counted on to keep Oregon's rushing offense humming in 2025. The Ducks added Tulane RB Makhi Hughes in the transfer portal to help replace Jordan James' production. James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 TDs in 2024 while Hughes had 1,401 yards and 15 scores with the Green Wave.
Other notable players: Oregon RB Makhi Hughes (from Tulane), Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy (from Louisiana-Monroe), Texas A&M WR Kevin Concepcion (from NC State), Auburn OT Xavier Chaplin (from Virginia Tech), LSU WR Barion Brown (from LSU), Missouri WR Kevin Coleman (from Mississippi State), Nebraska Edge Williams Nwaneri (from Missouri), Ohio State TE Max Klare (from Purdue), Nebraska WR Dane Key (from Kentucky), Ole Miss Edge Princewill Umanmielen (from Nebraska)
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