Printable Page
01/16 10:31 CST Indiana lands star-studded group from transfer portal while
preparing for national championship game
Indiana lands star-studded group from transfer portal while preparing for
national championship game
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
Indiana and Mississippi had rather busy schedules the last couple of weeks as
they competed in the College Football Playoff while the transfer portal window
was open.
But it apparently didn't bother their 2026 roster construction efforts too much.
As the program gets ready to face Miami in the national championship game,
Indiana has put together arguably the nation's best collection of transfers for
its 2026 roster. Ole Miss' transfer class isn't that far behind heading into
Friday's closing of the portal window.
Texas Tech and Texas A&M also put together impressive transfer classes, though
their playoff runs ended before the portal window opened.
A look at the AP's top 10 transfer classes in order:
Indiana Josh Hoover, who threw for 71 touchdowns and more than 9,600 yards at TCU from 2022-25, is the heir apparent to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback. He will pass to Nick Marsh (59 catches, 662 yards, 6 TDs at Michigan State last season) and Shazz Preston (43-723-4 at Tulane). Turbo Richard rushed for 749 yards and nine touchdowns at Boston College. Indiana also added offensive lineman Joe Brunner (formerly at Wisconsin) and defensive linemen Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State) and Josh Burnham (Notre Dame). Preston Zachman (Wisconsin) and A.J. Harris (Penn State) boost the secondary. Texas Arch Manning has a prime new target now that Texas has added Cam Coleman, a former five-star recruit who had 1,306 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns at Auburn over the last two seasons. Raleek Brown (Arizona State) rushed for 1,141 yards and Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State) ran for 939 yards this season. Rasheem Biles produced 101 tackles --- 17 for loss --- at Pittsburgh this season. Smothers was a first-team pick and Biles was a second-team selection on the Associated Press all-Atlantic Coast Conference team. The Longhorns also brought in Melvin Siani, who was Wake Forest's starting left tackle this season. The secondary adds cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection from the league's coaches and media. Texas Tech Texas Tech's new quarterback is Brendan Sorsby, who threw for at least 2,800 yards each of the last two seasons at Cincinnati. Texas Tech stockpiled its defensive front seven by adding lineman Mateen Ibirogba from Wake Forest, edge rusher Adam Trick from Miami (Ohio) and linebacker Austin Romaine from Kansas State. Romaine had more than 160 tackles over the last two seasons. Trick delivered 8 sacks and forced three fumbles this season. Oklahoma State Oklahoma State is hoping it can bounce back from a 1-11 season by bringing in plenty of guys from a North Texas team that went 12-2. More than a dozen players followed new Cowboys coach Eric Morris from North Texas. Drew Mestemaker threw for an FBS-leading 4,379 yards this season. Other arrivals from North Texas include Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young. Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. Young had 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 scores. Louisville Offensive linemen Cason Henry (South Carolina), Johnnie Brown (Georgia Southern), Anwar O'Neal (Delaware) and Eryx Daugherty (Boston College) were all starters at their former schools. Edge rusher Tyler Thompson (North Carolina) had seven sacks and safety Koen Entringer (Iowa) recorded 73 tackles this season. Wide receiver Tre Richardson (Vanderbilt) and tight end Brody Foley (Tulsa) each caught seven touchdown passes. The Cardinals also added two quarterbacks in former Ohio State backup Lincoln Kienholz and West Georgia starter Davin Wydner. Texas A&M The Aggies rebuilt an offensive line that loses four starters by landing Tyree Adams (LSU), Trovon Baugh (South Carolina), Coen Echols (LSU) and Wilkin Formby (Alabama). All were starters at their former schools. C.J. Mims (North Carolina), Brandon Davis-Swain (Colorado) and Anto Saka (Northwestern) should help the defensive front. Isaiah Horton (Alabama) caught eight touchdown passes this season. The Aggies boosted one of their major weaknesses by adding David Olano, who went 37 of 43 on field-goal attempts at Illinois the last two seasons. Wisconsin Wisconsin found its new quarterback in Sun Belt offensive player of the year Colton Joseph, who threw for 2,624 yards and rushed for 1,007 at Old Dominion. Abu Sama rushed for 1,933 yards the last three seasons at Iowa State. Safety Marvin Burks Jr. (Missouri), and cornerbacks Javan Robinson (Arizona State) and Bryce West (Ohio State) should provide immediate help. Burks and Robinson both started multiple seasons at their former schools. Ole Miss Linebacker Keaton Thomas (Baylor) had more than 100 tackles each of the last two seasons. Thomas was a second-team AP all-Big 12 pick this season. Defensive lineman Michai Boireau (Florida) and defensive backs Joenel Aguero (Georgia), Jay Crawford (Auburn), Sharif Denson (Florida) and Edwin Joseph (Florida State) all were starters at their former schools. Darrell Gill Jr. (Syracuse) had five touchdown catches and Jonathan Maldonado (Nevada) had five sacks this season. Offensive linemen Carius Curne (LSU) and Troy Everett (Oklahoma) bring more Power Four experience. Quarterback Deuce Knight (Auburn) is unproven, but he's a former five-star recruit. LSU Incoming LSU coach Lane Kiffin rebuilt the Tigers' quarterback room by signing Sam Leavitt (Arizona State) for the present and Husan Longstreet (Southern California) for the future. Leavitt got Arizona State to a CFP berth last season. Longstreet was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Kiffin also upgraded LSU's passing game by bringing Winston Watkins Jr. with him from Ole Miss and signing several other wideouts, including Eugene Wilson (Florida), Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Tre Brown (Old Dominion) and Jackson Harris (Hawaii). Harris had 49 catches for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Tre Brown had 762 receiving yards and Jayce Brown had 712. Virginia Tech/Penn State These two schools are a package deal because of their coaching connection. New Virginia Tech coach James Franklin has added about a dozen of his former Penn State players. That list includes quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who took over for the injured Drew Allar as Penn State's starter the second half of this season. WR Que'Sean Brown caught 10 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in Duke's Sun Bowl win over Arizona State. New Penn State coach Matt Campbell brought nearly two dozen players with him from Iowa State. Rocco Becht headed to Penn State after throwing for 64 touchdowns and more than 9,200 yards for Campbell's Iowa State teams over the last three seasons. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football |
