Ranking the Top 25 transfers in the B1G for 2024

The era of the transfer portal and mass player movement continues to shape college football like never before. In the process, it makes the annual Top 25 transfers piece increasingly difficult and complex.

For example, Oregon alone added 14 players via the transfer portal this offseason. Ohio State only added 7 players, but a case can be made that all 7 deserve recognition on this list.

So, before we get to the official list, let’s get some of the criteria out of the way. The biggest criteria in play: Chances to make a major impact in 2024.

Quarterbacks Julian Sayin (Alabama to Ohio State) and Dante Moore (UCLA to Oregon) could eventually prove to be the most impactful players to transfer during this cycle. Then again, neither Sayin nor Moore is expected to play a major role this fall barring injuries or other unforeseen circumstances.

Talent is the other main criteria to consider, and it stands to reason that a more talented player has a better chance at being impactful. But a player does not have to have future stock for the NFL Draft to be considered on this list.

With that being said, let’s get to the list!

25. Jack Velling, TE, Michigan State

Previous school — Oregon State

Jack Velling was developing into the next great tight end to come out of Oregon State after earning 2nd-team All-Pac-12 honors and setting the single-season program record for touchdowns by a TE with 8. He went for 29 catches with 438 yards to go with those touchdowns and has 719 yards across his first 2 seasons in college. Along with Aidan Chiles (more on him in a bit), Velling is among a trio of ex-Beavers who will try to reshape the Spartan offense a bit in 2024.

24. Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana

Previous school — JMU

Curt Cignetti is not shy about bringing key pieces of his 2023 James Madison program with him to Indiana, and for good reason. Elijah Sarratt was a game-changer for JMU, going for 82 catches with nearly 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns. That’s on top of going for 700 yards as a freshman at the FCS level. Sarratt has produced and gotten better every step of his journey, and he’ll be a key to Indiana’s offense.

23. JC Davis, OL, Illinois

Previous school — New Mexico

After beginning his career in the JUCO ranks, JC Davis started 24 games for New Mexico. This past offseason, he was among the top offensive tackles in the transfer portal, and he’s in line to be a cornerstone piece for the Illini offensive line this fall.

22. Dante Dowdell, RB, Nebraska

Previous school — Oregon

Dante Dowdell was an impact RB in the 2023 recruiting class as a 4-star prospect. When he saw the field for Oregon, Dowdell rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown with 5.3 yards per carry. Instead of fighting for carries in the Ducks’ backfield, Dowdell will look to carve out a role with a Nebraska. I tend to think he’ll be a significant factor in the 2024 offense for the Huskers.

21. Terrance Brooks, CB, Illinois

Previous school — Texas

Bret Bielema became accustomed to elite secondary play while Ryan Walters was on staff as defensive coordinator. Unfortunately, things went south for the Illini defense last year without Walters, including giving up 228.1 passing yards per game. (That mark ranked 11th in the B1G.) Terrance Brooks is a major piece to address that secondary with over 20 appearances in 2 seasons at Texas. He was an All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2023 while recording 20 tackles, 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups.

20. Josh Priebe, IOL, Michigan

Previous school — Northwestern

Michigan’s offensive line was among the best in the country for 3 years running, and that culminated in a deep group heading to the NFL after the 2023 season. The interior of the line has been addressed, in part, by Josh Priebe. He’s a 4-year letter winner from Northwestern with 29 career starts (36 total appearances). Priebe was productive in 2023 with a 3rd-team All-B1G selection and provides stability for first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.

19. Tanner Miller, IOL, Michigan State

Previous school — Oregon State

Michigan State’s offensive line has been varying levels of a train wreck for a while now, even going back to Kenneth Walker III’s magical 2021 campaign. Jonathan Smith has the pedigree to fix that in the long term, and Tanner Miller is a plug-and-play veteran who followed the coach from Oregon State to jumpstart the process. Miller mainly appeared at guard last season, though he did make 3 starts at center while earning 2nd-team All-American honors from ESPN.

RELATED: Can the Spartans get over their preseason win total which is set at 4.5 per ESPN Bet? Use Tradition’s Michigan sportsbook apps to track the latest odds and offers.

18. Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon

Previous school — Washington

Oregon grabbed a familiar face to help replace the production of Khyree Jackson for the 2024 season, grabbing former Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad from the portal. Muhammad was a first-team All-Pac-12 nominee last season with 3 interceptions and 16 pass breakups for the Huskies.

17. Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana

Previous school — Ohio

Indiana might be the biggest wild card in the B1G under Curt Cignetti, but there’s no denying Kurtis Rourke stabilizes what was an ugly QB situation. Rourke was the 2nd-leading passer in the MAC last season with 200.6 yards per game, and he has all the experience in the world with parts of 5 college seasons under his belt. A 2nd-team All-MAC performer in 2023, Rourke was also the MAC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

16. Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

Previous school — Arizona

Jedd Fisch needed some reinforcements to jumpstart his tenure at Washington after the Huskies lost a wealth of talent to the NFL. That includes the RB position where Dillon Johnson rushed for 1,195 yards in 2023. Jonah Coleman will help the transition after 871 rushing yards as a sophomore at Arizona. His 6.80 yards per carry ranked 3rd in the Pac-12 last season.

15. Max Brosmer, QB, Minnesota

Previous school — New Hampshire

Max Brosmer is a unique piece to the 2024 B1G season, joining Minnesota for 1 season after a prolonged career at the FCS level with New Hampshire. Don’t let that distinction fool you. He was highly productive across 36 career games with over 8,700 yards and 80 total touchdowns. He was a 2nd-team FCS All-American in 2023 and performed well enough to earn a 4-star transfer ranking from 247 Sports. Brosmer will be tasked with providing balance to the Gopher offense and turning things around after the program’s worst full-length season under PJ Fleck since 2017.

14. Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers

Previous school — Minnesota

Few QBs will make a list like this with a 53.3% completion percentage. Admittedly, I’m going with the expected impact Athan Kaliakmanis will have for Rutgers compared to the work of 2023 starter Gavin Wimsatt. Kaliakmanis will not be asked to throw the ball as much as Dillon Gabriel, and he will not have the pressures of distribution that Will Howard will face at Ohio State. Instead, he will be an upgrade and big bonus for the Scarlet Knights if he can simply open up the running lanes a bit more for Kyle Monangai.

13. Tackett Curtis, LB, Wisconsin

Previous school — USC

Tackett Curtis made an immediate impact with 40 tackles, 4 TFL and 2 sacks as a true freshman at USC. He didn’t hang around for Lincoln Riley’s attempt at a defensive overhaul, and Wisconsin will be better for it. He brings depth and an ability to see the field immediately for a Badger defense that was already solid with 20.2 points per game allowed a season ago.

12. Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State

Previous school — Ohio

Ohio State has an unusually young wide receiver room for its standards this fall, and that’s what makes the addition of Will Kacmarek so intriguing at tight end. With Cade Stover off to the NFL, Kacmarek steps into the picture as a plug-and-play piece in the passing game. He’s also a potential matchup nightmare at 6-6 and 260 pounds with 507 receiving yards combined across the past 2 seasons.

RELATED: Ohio State is primed to compete for the B1G and national titles this fall with Kacmarek one piece of a stacked roster. Use Tradition’s DraftKings Ohio bonus to get the best offers for the season ahead.

11. Jaishawn Barham, LB, Michigan

Previous school — Maryland

A freshman All-American in 2022 and 23-game starter for Maryland, Jaishawn Barham transferred to Michigan as a replacement for some of the production left behind by Michael Barrett and Junior Colson. Barham will get plenty of opportunities to impact games this fall, and he should feel right at home in another elite defense for the Wolverines.

10. Aidan Chiles, QB, Michigan State

Previous school — Oregon State

Michigan State had one of the worst QB situations in the entire country last season, using all 3 scholarship players and a walk-on without much success. All 3 scholarship QBs from that room are now elsewhere, but new head coach Jonathan Smith was able to pull Aidan Chiles with him from Oregon State. Chiles does not have any starting experience yet but did produce 7 total touchdowns while completing 68.6% of his passes as a true freshman backup. Even if there are some growing pains, Chiles is the future of the position in East Lansing with highlight reel potential.

9. Julian Fleming, WR, Penn State

Previous school — Ohio State

It’s not that Julian Fleming never produced at Ohio State, it’s just that he never reached his full potential. That’s something fans are unaccustomed to when it comes to elite receivers working under Brian Hartline. Still, Fleming showed glimpses of what he could do with a breakout 2022 season, even as a receiver down the pecking order of a room that included Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. He’ll be leaned on as Penn State’s likely No. 1 option this fall, and it’s the convergence of a major team need and personal opportunity for the former Buckeye.

8. Will Rogers, QB, Washington

Previous school — Mississippi State

It is possible Will Rogers deserves to be on this list twice. Originally committing to Washington as a transfer for former coach Kalen DeBoer, Rogers re-examined his options and still chose the Huskies under new coach Jedd Fisch. In the process, Rogers gives Washington a veteran QB for the jump to the B1G. If not for a lackluster 2023 campaign in a new offense, Rogers would be even higher on this list. But he is still a QB with 4 seasons of extensive playing time with a 69% career completion percentage and 94 passing touchdowns.

7. Jahmal Banks, WR, Nebraska

Previous school — Wake Forest

It’s hard to find a more textbook fit in terms of team need and transfer addition than Jahmal Banks’ arrival at Nebraska. Last season, the Huskers finished 2nd-to-last in the B1G with 135.9 passing yards per game. A lot of that had to do with the QB situation, but the receiving room was decimated by injuries and featured several young players thrust into the spotlight. Banks brings production and experience to that group with legitimate potential to be a No. 1 option for the Huskers.

6. Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon

Previous school — Texas A&M

Evan Stewart received a 5-star rating coming out of high school and again as a transfer after 2 seasons at Texas A&M. He joins Oregon after combining for 91 catches for 1,163 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2 seasons with the Aggies. Tez Johnson is back to anchor Oregon’s receiving room, but Stewart is a great piece to add to the room after losing Troy Franklin to the NFL.

5. Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Wisconsin

Previous school — Miami

Wisconsin’s quarterbacks were middle of the road in the B1G a season ago, completing 59.9% of their passes as a group. However, their yards per attempt was just 6.1, a mark that tied with Rutgers for 11th in the conference. Tyler Van Dyke was brought on to fix that with an ability to push the ball down the field. If he is able to improve the passing attack in Phil Longo’s offense, a Year 2 jump under Luke Fickell is possible.

4. Will Howard, QB, Ohio State

Previous school — Kansas State

If we’re honest, there are some questions surrounding Will Howard’s ceiling at Ohio State. I think he will be an improvement for Ohio State from last season’s struggles, but Howard also has just 1 complete season and a career completion percentage of 58.8%. His dual-threat ability also adds another layer the Buckeyes were missing last year. And even if Howard isn’t the most talented transfer in the B1G, it’s hard to deny the importance his performance will have on the national title race.

3. Caleb Downs, DB, Ohio State

Previous school — Alabama

Caleb Downs was ranked the top overall player in the transfer portal by 247 Sports, so a case can be made he should be even higher on this list. I think the rationale for the top 2 players on this list is strong regardless, but Downs should have a major season for the Buckeyes. After delivering one of the best freshmen seasons in the history of Alabama football, Downs is poised as the prototypical impact safety in Jim Knowles’ defense. Considering Ohio State did not lose any of its impact players on the defensive line or secondary from last season, Downs’ presence makes the Buckeye defense downright horrifying for the opposition.

2. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

Previous school — Ole Miss

Ohio State added a plethora of impact transfers this offseason. But considering the defense has not been an issue recently, I think the most impactful piece comes on the offensive side of the ball. That player is Quinshon Judkins who is just 2 seasons removed from leading the SEC in rushing as a true freshman in 2022. He did regress slightly as a sophomore, but I fully expect Judkins to rebound with Chip Kelly calling the offense in Columbus.

1. Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Previous school — Oklahoma

The story on Dillon Gabriel is pretty simple. Few transfer players can boast 5 years of experience coming off a career-best 69% completion percentage and career-high 3,660 yards. Gabriel may not be the most talented player to transfer to the B1G this offseason. But considering he’s the favorite to capture the Heisman Trophy this year, it’s not hard to rank Gabriel as the most important transfer piece of the offseason.