Biggest Players Expected to Enter the Transfer Portal in 2025
By Jason Bolton November 25, 2025 03:05
The confetti from the 2024 College Football Playoff still lingers in Pasadena and Atlanta, but the gridiron grind never truly pauses. As December 2025's chill sets in, the NCAA transfer portal college football's version of free agency cracks open like a quarterback's playbook under pressure. This window, running from Dec. 9 to 28, promises chaos: over 2,700 FBS players cycled through last year, per NCAA data, injecting more than 13,000 career starts into rosters. NIL deals now flirt with seven figures, revenue sharing looms at $20 million per school by July 2026, and programs like Texas and Ohio State are already plotting CFP repeats. But amid the frenzy, a handful of blue-chip talents loom as the biggest dominoes. These aren't backups fleeing depth charts; they're proven producers Heisman whispers, All-SEC anchors eyeing greener pastures for titles, cash, or both. Here's the rundown on the heavy hitters expected to bolt, reshaping the 2025 map.
Carson Beck: The Bulldog QB Hunting a Crown (and a Draft Bump)
Carson Beck's Georgia tenure ended with a whimper a 2024 Peach Bowl thud against Notre Dame, where his 62% completion rate masked a career-worst 18 interceptions. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound gunslinger, who torched SEC defenses for 8,671 yards and 72 TDs over two seasons as a starter, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in late December only to pivot into the portal days later. Why? "I've got unfinished business," Beck told ESPN's Paul Finebaum in a cryptic sit-down. "Titles don't come easy I've seen that up close." With three years of eligibility left (thanks to a redshirt), Beck's arm talent top-five in EPA per dropback among FBS starters in 2023 makes him the portal's crown jewel.
Landing spots? Miami's the frontrunner, per 247Sports insiders, where Mario Cristobal eyes a playoff push sans Cam Ward. Beck's arrival could vault the Hurricanes to SEC dark-horse status, pairing his precision with a stable of speedsters like Xavier Restrepo. "He's the missing piece for a program on the cusp," says former Georgia OC Mike Bobo. Prediction: Beck lands in Coral Gables, slinging 4,000 yards en route to an ACC title game, boosting his draft stock to top-10.
Jaheim Oatis: Alabama's D-Line Disruptor Seeks Stardom
Nick Saban's shadow still looms large at Alabama, but Jaheim Oatis is done waiting in it. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman, a former five-star phenom, flashed elite bend and burst with 55 tackles (16 TFL) across 2022-23 before injuries sidelined him in 2024 limiting him to three games and zero starts. Opting out midseason, Oatis enters the portal with two years left, his raw power (PFF's No. 1 interior defender as a frosh) untapped in Kalen DeBoer's scheme. "I want a role where I can hunt not watch," Oatis posted on X, echoing frustrations from Bama's 9-3 slide.
Ohio State beckons as the dream suitor, bolstering their front after losing Jack Sawyer to the pros. The Buckeyes ranked top-10 in sacks last fall but crave Oatis' run-stuffing (85.2 PFF grade). LSU lurks too, for an SEC reunion with SEC roots. "He's a game-wrecker waiting to erupt," raves ex-Bama DC Pete Golding. Impact? Oatis could net 10 TFLs in Columbus, anchoring a defense that pushes Ohio State back to Indy.
John Mateer: Washington State's Dual-Threat Dynamo Eyes Sooner Magic
John Mateer's 2024 was a revelation: 3,139 passing yards, 858 rushing, 36 total TDs capping with a Holiday Bowl MVP in a 45-20 rout of Syracuse. Yet, amid Washington State's 7-6 malaise, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound gunslinger bolts for the portal, one year eligible after a JUCO detour. "Grateful for Pullman, but it's time for the next level," Mateer told The Athletic. His mobility (top-10 in designed rushes) and arm (64% completion) scream Big 12 starter.
Oklahoma's the buzzed destination Brent Venables locked him verbally in January, per ESPN, to ignite a post-Dillon Gabriel era. The Sooners, SEC transplants craving identity, added 346 career starts via portal last winter; Mateer fits as their spark. "He's Baker Mayfield 2.0 scrappy, electric," quips OU alum Baker himself on his podcast. Outlook: 3,500 total yards, 30 TDs, and a Red River revival.
Nic Anderson: Oklahoma's WR Weapon Chases SEC Glory
Deion Sanders' Colorado splash? Nic Anderson wants no part. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver exploded for 1,082 yards and 10 TDs in 2023 at Oklahoma setting freshman records before a knee injury zapped his 2024 to 12 catches. With three years left, Anderson's portal entry signals a title hunt. "I came for rings, not rehab," he vented to Sooners Wire.
LSU pounced in December, pairing him with Garrett Nussmeier for a receiving corps that ranked 112th in yards per catch last fall. Brian Kelly's Tigers, eyeing a post-Brian Kelly bounce-back, crave Anderson's red-zone dominance (85% catch rate inside the 20). "He's a mismatch nightmare," Kelly gushed at SEC Media Days. Projection: 1,000 yards, 12 scores vaulting LSU to Death Valley decibels.
Bear Alexander: USC's Revolving-Door DT Craves Stability
Bear Alexander's nomadic streak continues. From Georgia (2022 natty) to USC (2023: 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks), the 6-foot-3, 325-pound nose tackle redshirted 2024 after three games, frustrated by Lincoln Riley's rebuild. Two years eligible, his power (PFF run-defense grade: 82.4) screams starter. "Need a home where I can anchor," Alexander shared via IG Live.
Texas A&M's the whisper Mike Elko's Aggies, post-Connor Weigman exodus, seek trench help for a 6-6 hangover. Or Michigan, fortifying vs. the run. "Bear's a tone-setter plugs gaps like few others," says ex-USC DC Alex Grinch. Bet: 50 tackles, 5 TFLs in College Station, stabilizing the SEC line.
The Ripple Effect: More Names to Watch
The portal's undercard packs punches too. WR Deion Burks (Oklahoma, 715 yards in '24) eyes Tennessee for NIL windfalls; EDGE Patrick Payton (Florida State, 16 sacks in three years) spurns the draft for Michigan's edge rotation. RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (Florida, 1,000+ yards) could flip to Auburn; CB Jeremiah Wilson (Houston, 17 catches allowed on 38 targets) to LSU's secondary.
| Player | Pos. | From | Key Stats (Career) | Top Landing Spot | Projected Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Beck | QB | Georgia | 8,671 pass yds, 72 TDs | Miami | ACC title game starter |
| Jaheim Oatis | DL | Alabama | 55 tackles, 16 TFL | Ohio State | 10+ TFL disruptor |
| John Mateer | QB | Wash. St. | 3,139 pass yds, 36 total TDs (2024) | Oklahoma | 3,500 total yds |
| Nic Anderson | WR | Oklahoma | 1,082 rec yds, 10 TDs | LSU | 1,000-yard weapon |
| Bear Alexander | DL | USC | 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks | Texas A&M | Run-stuffing anchor |
Beyond the Moves: A New Era Dawns
This portal isn't just turnover it's evolution. With the Jan. 2-16, 2026 window shrinking (per NCAA tweaks), December's frenzy accelerates, blending high school recruits like Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele (Oregon to portal already) with vets chasing $1M NIL bags. Programs like Indiana (346 added starts) and Ole Miss (top-10 hauls) thrive; others, like Florida's tepid adds, scramble. As one SEC coordinator anonymously told CBS Sports: "It's not recruiting anymore it's asset management."
For 2025, these exits could crown contenders or crater rebuilds. Beck to Miami? Playoff chaos. Oatis to OSU? Buckeye dynasty reloaded. In a sport where loyalty's a relic, the portal's the great equalizer where underdogs become kings, one click at a time.
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