None of the 4 remaining teams in the College Football Playoff went all-in on the transfer portal last offseason. But then, none of the 4 would still have a shot at the national championship without the free agents they did pick up.
That was never more evident than in last week’s quarterfinals.
Transfers played pivotal roles in helping Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State and Penn State defeat higher-seeded opponents and advance into this week’s semifinal matchups.
Here’s a look at the portal additions that have made the greatest impact with their contributions in those games and throughout the season for the Irish, Longhorns, Buckeyes and Nittany Lions:
Notre Dame
QB Riley Leonard: The former Duke quarterback chose the Irish with the stated goal of competing for a championship. Thus far he has delivered. His stats aren’t as eye-popping as the other 3 passers still in the Playoff. He’s thrown for 2,383 yards, run for 831 and combined to produce 33 touchdowns. But his leadership, dual-threat ability and innate knack for giving his team what it needs exactly when it needs it – as he did against
Georgia in the Sugar Bowl – make him by far the most valuable player on Notre Dame’s roster.
WR Beaux Collins: Collins got crowded out of Clemson’s receiver room with the emergence of Antonio Williams and the arrival of high-profile freshmen Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore. But he found the right fit with the Irish. He developed an immediate chemistry with Leonard and has become his top target. Collins leads the team with 37 catches for 458 yards. His touchdown grab in the final minute of the second quarter against Georgia was part of the 17-point outburst that sandwiched halftime and helped the Irish advance to the semifinals.
S Jordan Clark: The son of former NFL safety Ryan Clark came to the Irish after 5 seasons at Arizona State to help fill the void left by the departure of another transfer, Thomas Harper, at the slot/nickel position. Clark has recorded 33 tackles and an interception, with 4 pass breakups as part of a unit that ranks No. 5 nationally in pass defense.
WR/KR Jayden Harrison: The speedy senior who started his career at Vanderbilt wasn’t plucked from the portal from Marshall for his skills as a receiver, although he has caught 18 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown this season. His greatest value is as a kick returner. He returned 3 for touchdowns in his 3 seasons with the Thundering Herd. Harrison’s first in a shiny gold helmet came at an opportune time. His 96-yard sprint for a touchdown with the second-half kickoff gave the Irish the separation they needed to put awa7 Georgia.
Ohio State
QB Will Howard: The Kansas State transfer took the brunt of the blame for the loss to Michigan that kept the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Championship Game. But he has more than redeemed himself since the start of the Playoff. Howard has been as sharp as the thorns on a Pasadena rose while throwing for a combined 630 yards and 5 touchdowns in lopsided wins against Tennessee and top-seeded Oregon. For the season, he’s completing nearly 73% of his passes for 3,490 yards and 32 touchdowns.
RB Quinshon Judkins: Judkins has teamed with holdover TreVeyon Henderson to form the best 1-2 backfield tandem in the country. While there were questions about how they would co-exist when Judkins arrived in Columbus following a pair of 1,000-yard seasons at Ole Miss, those fears were quickly erased. They’ve shared the rushing load in remarkably equal fashion, posting nearly identical stats. Compact and powerful at 6-foot, 219 pounds, Judkins has run for 924 yards and 10 touchdowns while Henderson has picked up 925 yards and 10 scores.
S Caleb Downs: Downs was the No. 1 safety prospect in the country last year and he backed up that standing by earning SEC Rookie of the Year honors as a true freshman at Alabama. But he entered the portal after Nick Saban’s retirement and has been even better for the Buckeyes this season. An elite physical presence with ball skills to match, Downs ranked 3rd on the team with 71 tackles to go along an interception and 6 pass breakups to become the first Ohio State transfer to earn consensus All-American honors. He was at his best in the Rose Bowl rout of Oregon with 3 tackles and 3 PBUs.
Penn State
CB AJ Harris: Rated as the No. 1 recruit in Alabama, Harris arrived at Georgia last year with designs on making an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. But that was a tall order even for a 5-star recruit on a team coming off back-to-back national championships. His transition at Penn State, which recruited him heavily out of high school, has been much smoother, He has fit in on one of the nation’s best defenses, showing off his elite coverage skills while recording 45 tackles, an interception and 4 pass breakups.
OT Nolan Rucci: Rucci started the season in a backup role after transferring from Big Ten rival Wisconsin. But he took over as the starter at right tackle after a season-ending injury to Anthony Donokoh and has become a major reason for the success of the Nittany Lions’ running attack. He was Penn State’s highest-graded offensive lineman in its opening-round Playoff win against SMU, according to Pro Football Focus. He followed that up by recording an 86.8 run-blocking grade while allowing no quarterback pressures in last week’s 31-14 Fiesta Bowl win against Boise State.
Texas
Edge Trey Moore: Steve Sarkisian didn’t have to look far in his pursuit of pass-rushing help last offseason. Moore was the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year at Texas-San Antonio in 2023 and he jumped at the opportunity to help the Longhorns make their move to the SEC. Though undersized at 6-3, 245, Moore had no trouble adjusting to the higher level of competition in the SEC. Moore has recorded 6.5 sacks, including 2 in Texas’ double-overtime win against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. He’s added 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 quarterback hurries and a pass breakup while transforming himself into an early round NFL Draft prospect.
S Andrew Mukuba: Mukuba was Dabo Swinney’s first defensive back to start a season-opener as a true freshman on his way to earning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. But after 3 successful seasons with the Tigers, he decided to leave citing that Swinney’s program “wasn’t where it needed to be.” He returned to his hometown of Austin and has made a huge impact in a Texas defense that ranks No. 3 nationally in pass defense. He leads the team with 5 interceptions, 4 more than he had in his Clemson career. The most important pick came in the second overtime against Arizona State, ending the game and punching Texas’ ticket into its semifinal matchup with Ohio State.
WR Matthew Golden: Like Moore, Golden came to Austin from an in-state rival. And he’s lived up to his name. The Houston transfer has been as good as gold, especially in the clutch. The Longhorns wouldn’t be one of the 4 teams still in contention for the national championship if not for Golden’s dramatic 28-yard touchdown catch on a 4th-and-13 play in the first overtime. He also caught a 2-point conversion pass in the second overtime to help hold off the Sun Devils and extend his team’s season. Golden has been the go-to guy for quarterback Quinn Ewers all season, leading Texas with 56 catches for 936 yards and 9 touchdowns.
