The systems that shape NCAA Football have undergone a complete overhaul with the inclusion of the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals. Now, the money injected into College football makes the “offseason” feels like NFL free agency. Over 3,400 FBS scholarship players entered the transfer portal before the 2025 season, an NCAA record.
Where does that leave some of the top programs across the nation? And more importantly, where does that leave NCAA Football Futures? We break down the top college football transfers and the impact on their new squad.
1. John Mater, Quarterback, Redshirt Sophomore
Transferred: From the Washington State Cougars to the Oklahoma Sooners
Mateer spent two years behind No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward before having his own breakout with the Cougars in 2024, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and 1,032 yards rushing. And like the top draft pick, Mater has a chance to explode into the Heisman conversation by taking his Air Raid skills to Oklahoma.
Oklahoma hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Dec. 2, making this transfer a no-brainer. Oklahoma needed a playmaker at QB after redshirt freshman Jackson Arnold didn’t live up to his five-star pedigree.
Oklahoma Sooners Odds Outlook:
The Sooners’ NCAA Football Futures opened as +7500 to win, and it appears Mater has brought some excitement as they’ve moved up to +5000.
2. Carson Beck, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior
Transferred: From the Georgia Bulldogs to the Miami Hurricanes
Again, we have a little Cam Ward connection here. Carson Beck was once considered a potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft before a lukewarm and injury-shortened 2024 forced him to stay in school another year to improve his stock.
Now, he heads to Miami. Cam Ward transformed himself from a third-day pick into the No. 1 overall selection by thriving in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s dynamic spread-passing system, and Beck hopes to follow a similar path.
Miami Hurricanes Odds Outlook:
Early optimism pushed College Football futures all the way up to +1800. However, after analytics gave the Hurricanes a 3.2% chance of winning the championship, the odds have settled at +4000.
3. Darian Mensah, Quarterback, Redshirt Freshman
Transferred: From the Tulane Green Wave to the Duke Blue Devils
Darian Mensah came out of nowhere to become one of the best redshirt freshmen in the country in 2024. He threw for 2,723 yards with 23 TDs and just six INTs while completing 66% of his passes.
He moves over to a Duke team that overachieved in 2024 with first-year head coach Manny Diaz. The Devils’ 2024 preseason total opened at 5.5 at most sportsbooks, and they managed to go 9-3 despite sophomore QB Maalik Murphy not meeting his $8 million NIL price tag.
Expect better accuracy and poise from Mensah in 2025.
Duke Blue Devils Odds Outlook:
Look, the Blue Devils are long shots in terms of odds to win the NCAA title. However, the arrival of Mensah had already helped move futures from +100000 to +50000 before the upcoming season.
4. Fernando Mendoza, Quarterback, Redshirt Sophomore
Transferred: From the California Golden Bears to the Indiana Hoosiers
Mendoza was the ACC’s third-leading passer in 2024 with 3,004 passing yards, a 69% completion percentage, and 18 total touchdowns. All this happened with defenders in the backfield, as the Bears’ matador protection gave up 41 sacks.
Indiana’s offensive line will offer a clear upgrade, having allowed significantly fewer sacks per dropback than California’s unit, which led the Pac‑12 in sacks allowed. Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti aggressively built through the trenches using the transfer portal, setting the stage for Fernando Mendoza to take a big step forward on the field.
Indian Hoosiers Odds Outlook:
NCAA Football Futures remain steady at +10000. While the Hoosiers overachieved last year with 11 wins, they face a more demanding schedule, including trips to Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State.
5. Nico Iamaleava, Quarterback, Redshirt Freshman
Transferred: From the Tennessee Volunteers to the UCLA Bruins
If you want a poster child for the issues with the “Wild West” NIL system, it’s Nico Iamaleava. He forced his way out of a strong program at Tennessee, attempting to leverage his role in leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff in his first year into a larger NIL payday. The move backfired, as Tennessee declined to welcome the five-star recruit back.
Iamaleava didn’t have to wait long, though, as he immediately found a new home with the UCLA Bruins.
While most headlines centered around greed from the Iamaleava’s circle, they claimed it was about the playbook. Iamaleava entered the 2024 season with high expectations and produced a solid-but-underwhelming production with 2,616 passing yards, 22 total touchdowns, and a 64% completion percentage. With a fresh start at UCLA, most experts expect him to thrive in offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri’s high-tempo system.
UCLA Bruins Odds Outlook: Most sportsbooks opened UCLA as +65000 longshots before Iamaleava’s transfer and +50000 after his arrival.
6. Eric Singleton Jr., Wide Receiver, Sophomore
Transferred: From the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to the Auburn Tigers
Finally, a non-QB on the list. Singleton Jr. caught 104 passes for 1,468 yards and 10 total touchdowns in two seasons at Georgia Tech’s efficient, but low-volume passing attack. With Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key aiming to run the ball to set up the pass, there weren’t enough opportunities for Singleton Jr. to improve his draft stock.
Singleton Jr. is now joining a tempo-driven spread system run by head coach Hugh Freeze – think down-south version of Chip Kelly – and quarterbacked by Oklahoma Transfer Jack Arnold. Most expect Arnold to break Auburn’s single-season passing yardage record in Freeze’s system, and Singleton Jr. should reap the benefits.
Auburn Tigers Odds Outlook: Don’t expect a WR to move the needle too much. However, Freeze made enough moves in recruitment and the transfer portal to have the Tigers hovering at around +5000.
7. Isaiah World, Offensive Tackle, Redshirt Junior
Transferred: From the Nevada Wolf Pack to the Oregon Ducks
Isaiah World lives up to his name by being a massive left tackle at Nevada, and that name also brings experience with over 2,300 career snaps to his name.
Oregon’s always a contender, but they were in dire need of a tackle that they could trust to protect the winner of a QB camp battle between Dante Moore, Austin Novasad, and Luke Moga.
Oregon Ducks Odds Outlook: With a stacked roster, the Ducks were always National Championship contenders. But they’ve managed to improve their chances by bringing in a reliable left tackle; they currently hover at around +900.
8. Zachariah Branch, Wide Receiver, Sophomore
Transferred: From the USC Trojans to the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia had a need for speed to pair with new starting QB Gunner Stockton, and they got just that in Branch. Branch came to USC known to be a burner, and he lived up to that pedigree with 774 return yards and two TDs in his first season with the Trojans. However, his speed in receiving the game mostly went underutilized, as USC’s offense mainly focused on short-yardage, timing-based targets.
Expect him to be a versatile threat at Georgia, where offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has a track record of turning gadget-style receivers like Ladd McConkey and Mecole Hardman into NFL-caliber playmakers.
Georgia Bulldogs Odds Outlook: The mystery surrounding their QB situation hasn’t dissuaded oddsmakers from making Georgia a contender. They currently sit close to Ohio State as the second-most favored squad to win the National Championship.
9. Nic Anderson, Wide Receiver, Redshirt Sophomore
Transferred: From the Oklahoma Sooners to the LSU Tigers
Nic Anderson lit Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on fire with a freshman record 10 touchdowns in 2023. Unfortunately, he followed up with an injury-ridden 2024 where he posted just five snaps.
Now he’s paired with one of the top prospects in college football, Garrett Nussmeier, a quarterback who could’ve been one of the top selections in the 2024 draft if he declared. If he stays healthy, it doesn’t take an oddsmaker to see an offensive explosion by Anderson in 2025.
LSU Tigers Odds Outlook: The Tigers are loaded up for a Nussmeier explosion with Anderson paired with speedy Kentucky transfer Barion Brown. With weapons in place, the Tigers have moved from +2200 to +1600 to win the National Championship.
10. David Bailey, Outside Linebacker/Edge, Junior
Transferred: From the Stanford Cardinal to the Texas Tech Red Raiders
David Bailey came to the Cardinal as a disruptive force, becoming a Freshman All-American with 22 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles. He was all set to follow up at Stanford until they fired head coach Troy Taylor after a disappointing season.
His transfer to Texas Tech gives the Red Raiders one of the most disruptive edge defenders in college football. The program has long been known for its explosive offense and paper-thin defense, but they’ve used the transfer window to create one of the most NFL-ready lines in the NCAA, with Bailey as its anchor.
Texas Tech Red Raiders Odds Outlook: While they’re still a longshot to win the National title, Texas Tech still assembled enough talent on defense to shoot from opening odds of +25000 to +10000.
