College football transfer portal tracker: Latest entries, player rankings, biggest transactions for 2026

Follow along for updates on the biggest news of the 2026 transfer portal cycle.

College football's first condensed 15-day transfer portal window is officially underway, and if Day 1 was any indication, the pace isn't slowing anytime soon. More than 3,700 Division I scholarship players entered the portal Friday, kicking off a wave of movement.

Make no mistake -- the 2026 cycle has been churning for quite some time. Behind the scenes, portal boards have been set for months. Agents are working phones. As one source put it, "Deals are being struck."

The new 15-day winter window (Jan. 2–16), the elimination of the spring window and revised rules tied to coaching changes were designed to streamline the process. Instead, they've compressed the chaos -- and pushed much of the action to the front end, with visits ramping up this weekend and into the first full week of the new year.

Our transfer portal live updates will track the biggest transfer stories in real time, while the 247Sports links below are your one-stop shop for player-by-player additions and real-time updates on class and player rankings. 

NCAA transfer portal via 247Sports: Latest portal additions | Team transfer rankings | Top player rankings

[Jan 6, 2026 at 10:01 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Washington star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced that he was entering the transfer portal on Tuesday night. Williams will have a do-not-contact tag when he officially enters.

This news comes just days after reports emerged that Williams would be returning to Washington for the 2026 campaign. In a post shared to social media, Williams thanked Washington coaches, teammates and fans before announcing his departure.

"I have to do what is best for me and my future," Williams wrote. After much thought and prayer, I will be entering the transfer portal."

Washington star QB Demond Williams Jr. to enter portal, reverses course after signing deal for Huskies return

Austin Nivison

[Jan 6, 2026 at 9:29 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Aidan Chiles remains very much part of the Big Ten picture. The former Michigan State starter is heading to Northwestern, where David Braun and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly land an experienced quarterback to run their revamped offense. 

Chiles, who started his career at Oregon State, has one year of eligibility remaining. He has 20 starts in 30 career games played, completing 61.3% of his passes for 4,116 yards and 27 touchdowns with 14 interceptions, adding 531 yards rushing and 12 scores on 195 carries.

Chiles was benched after starting the first eight games of this season for Michigan State.

[Jan 6, 2026 at 8:14 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

The whirlwind of quarterback movement at Nebraska could be over at last, as the Cornhuskers secured a transfer portal commitment from former UNLV standout Anthony Colandrea. The Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year committed to Nebraska on his visit Tuesday.

Colandrea's arrival marks a pivot for Nebraska, which over the weekend appeared to have its quarterback situation for 2026 sorted out. Former Notre Dame signal-caller Kenny Minchey committed to the Cornhuskers on Sunday but flipped his pledge to Kentucky a day later, leaving Matt Rhule in search of another starting option.

Anthony Colandrea commits to Nebraska: Huskers pivot, land ex-UNLV QB after losing Kenny Minchey to Kentucky

Carter Bahns

[Jan 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Oklahoma scored a big transfer coup, landing former Texas wide receiver Parker Livingstone -- the former roommate of quarterback Arch Manning -- out of the portal. The move crosses Red River Rivalry lines as Livingstone leaves the Longhorns for the Sooners, choosing Oklahoma over Indiana and other programs. 

A redshirt freshman in 2025, Livingstone caught 29 passes for 516 yards and six touchdowns, showing explosive playmaking ability with 17.8 yards per reception. He ranks No. 61 overall and No. 16 among wideouts in Cooper Petagna's 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings.

Texas WR Parker Livingstone transfers to Oklahoma: Arch Manning's roommate shifts Red River Rivalry allegiance

Carter Bahns

[Jan 6, 2026 at 1:43 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jadan Baugh will return to the Florida Gators for the 2026 season. The star running back announced his decision to run it back in Gainesville on Instagram on Tuesday. 

That came after ample speculation he could follow former Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke to Texas. The Longhorns have a need for a new starting running back after the departure of Tre Wisner (and others) from Austin. The Gators put up a strong push to retain Baugh, as keeping the SEC's third-leading rusher from 2025 in Gainesville became a top priority for Jon Sumrall and the new Florida staff. 

Florida fends off Texas to keep Jadan Baugh: Star running back announces return to Gators after portal rumors

Robby Kalland

[Jan 6, 2026 at 12:16 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

Several college football programs have hit the ground running in the transfer portal this cycle, specifically upgrading at positions of major interest coming out of the 2025 season. Some, by the way, still have a national championship to try and win in the College Football Playoff this month.

No programs nationally have landed more portal commits than Penn State (21) and Oklahoma State (19) as of Tuesday, not all that surprising considering many of the top players Matt Campbell and Eric Morris developed at Iowa State and North Texas, respectively, have followed their coaches to new programs.

This cycle's transfer portal window closes on Jan. 16, which is the last day players can enter. Spring enrollment dates at various universities does hasten the process of decision-making, however.

Individual transfer portal player rankings mentioned in this article come via 247Sports' Top Prospects ratings. An early glance at which teams are leading in portal talent accumulation can also be monitored.

College football transfer portal: Alabama, Oklahoma among 10 teams that secured major early upgrades for 2026

Brad Crawford

[Jan 6, 2026 at 11:47 am ET · Carter Bahns]

Florida secured the most significant transfer portal pickup of the Jon Sumrall era and landed its potential starting quarterback for the 2026 season. Former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo signed with the Gators, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer, and will arrive in Gainesville with three years of eligibility.

Philo's signing came on the heels of a visit to Florida. He was on campus over the weekend, per 247Sports, along with one of his old Georgia Tech teammates in wide receiver Bailey Stockton. The three-star prospect and No. 15-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal moved quickly and held his visit immediately after the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2.

That Philo made up his mind in short order comes as little surprise given that his offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, Buster Faulkner, took the same job at Florida last month. Philo spent the first two years of his college football career under Faulkner's tutelage and will rejoin forces with the highly touted coordinator in the SEC, where he could thrive in a system that turned Haynes King into one of the nation's most prolific quarterbacks.

Transfer portal QB Aaron Philo signs with Florida, reconnects with OC Buster Faulkner as potential starter

Carter Bahns

[Jan 6, 2026 at 12:06 pm ET · Cody Nagel]

Dominoes continue to fall in the 2026 transfer portal cycle with more big-time prospects potentially coming off the board soon. CBS Sports' Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz have the latest on top names below.

[Jan 6, 2026 at 10:15 am ET · Cody Nagel]

Proven offensive linemen are among the most coveted commodities in the transfer portal -- especially those with high-level starting experience -- and Ole Miss landed a major one. The Rebels pulled 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle Carius Curne from LSU, flipping the former blue-chip prospect to Oxford in a move that doubles as a bit of revenge against former coach Lane Kiffin.

Curne, a top-100 recruit in the 2025 class, started five games this past season at both right and left tackle for LSU. He enters the portal as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 19 overall prospect in the cycle, per 247Sports.

[Jan 6, 2026 at 9:56 am ET · Cody Nagel]

Florida State added an experienced option to its quarterback room with the commitment of transfer Ashton Daniels, who arrives after stops at Stanford and Auburn. Daniels, a graduate transfer, brings a blend of starting experience and mobility as he enters a competition for the Seminoles' QB1 role. 

"FSU is a dream school for me to be able to finish my college career," Daniels told Noles247.

He threw for nearly 797 yards while starting late in the season at Auburn and previously logged two years as Stanford's starter.

[Jan 5, 2026 at 3:20 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

When Oklahoma State hired coach Eric Morris, attention quickly turned to the spoils of the roster he left behind at North Texas. 

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker was the crown jewel, the No. 3 overall player in Cooper Petagna's 247Sports transfer rankings after leading the nation in passing yards. Running back Caleb Hawkins was close behind, the No. 15 recruit and No. 1 running back transfer after leading the nation in rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Wyatt Young came in at No. 43 after ranking No. 7 nationally in receiving yards. 

In the first 48 hours of the transfer portal, Morris and his staff managed to lock all three players in. And now, the triumvirate is the perfect foundation to build the future of Oklahoma State. 

After 1–11 season, Oklahoma State looks to Indiana's roster-rebuild blueprint

Shehan Jeyarajah

[Jan 5, 2026 at 11:32 am ET · Brad Crawford]

Colorado's rebuild is full tilt under Deion Sanders, who enjoyed the confidence of outgoing athletic director Rick George amid the most important two-week stretch of his coaching career with the Buffaloes. 

During this singular transfer portal window, Sanders will try and piece together a two-deep of newcomers that sparks on-field change in 2026 ahead of spring practice and a positive leap forward after a disappointing campaign.

With minimal returning starters from a 3-9 team, this is the Buffaloes' opportunity to hit the reset button. It comes with considerable pressure after several personnel department and coaching staff changes followed the program's second tumultuous stretch in three years. Colorado only signed a dozen players in its 2026 recruiting class from the prep ranks, a group slotted outside the top-50 nationally per 247Sports' rankings.

The Buffaloes are only expected to add two more current verbal commits in February, so this roster overhaul will be portal-driven next season. 

Why Colorado's transfer portal decisions are most important of Deion Sanders' coaching career

Brad Crawford

[Dec 31, 2025 at 12:25 pm ET · Chris Hummer]

The college football transfer portal will officially open Jan. 2 and with it should come a flurry of activity, big-money deals and roster transformations. 

There is more pressure than ever this time around with the spring portal period disbanded in favor of a sole winter period that runs from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16. It's why this year's winter portal could resemble what we see with NFL free agency with many of the best options coming off the board quickly for big money deals. 

There was a belief a year ago that with the passing of the House settlement and introduction of the College Sports Commission as an enforcement arm that last year may have been the Golden Age for big paydays. With a $20.5 million revenue share cap and a promise for stricter enforcement of NIL deals, the idea was that prices would come down this cycle as teams could no longer double dip between unlimited collective money and the rev share. For a variety of reasons, however, that hasn't proven to be the case. 

In some cases, even, prices have doubled. 

What the transfer portal costs now: Position‑by‑position price ranges amid a market surge

Chris Hummer