The transfer portal has added another interesting wrinkle to college football, as it has become just as important as recruiting high school players. The benefits are obvious, as you can quickly turn around a program with players who are ready to contribute right away, rather than players who are stepping onto a college campus for the first time and need time to develop.

The Big Ten has seen the ups and downs of the portal already. The league has brought in some great players who paid immediate dividends in Week 1. Kenneth Walker III (Michigan State via Wake Forest), Chez Mellusi (Wisconsin via Clemson), Arnold Ebiketie (Penn State via Temple), Samori Toure (Nebraska via Montana), Stephon Robinson (Northwestern via Kansas) and Art Sitkowski (Illinois via Rutgers) are just a few of the big-time contributors early on.

But man, there have been some terrific players who got away and were headline-grabbers in Week 1. For a conference that lacks elite QBs, it had to hurt seeing a couple transfers light it up in their debuts with their new teams.

With some of these guys below, I wonder if the coaches even knew what they had, because they are clearly capable of posting big numbers.

Here is the definitive ranking of most regrettable transfers from B1G teams in 2021 based on Week 1 performance:

8. QB Ren Hefley (Presbyterian via Michigan)

I had to include Ren Hefley, who tossed an FSC-record 10 touchdowns for Presbyterian in an 84-43 win over NAIA-member St. Andrews. Playing for Kevin Kelly (aka the coach who never punts), Hefley completed 38 of 50 passes for 538 yards.

Michigan looks set at QB with Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy, but hey, this guy can clearly play and could’ve been useful as a backup.

7. WR Jameson Williams (Alabama via Ohio State)

I don’t think Ohio State misses Williams because it still has the most stacked wide receiver room in the country. The No. 1 wideouts of the 2020 class (Julian Fleming) and the 2021 class (Emeka Egbuka) can barely get on the field. But Williams still makes this list because he is strengthening a team that Ohio State could potentially play in the College Football Playoff. Williams had a team-high 126 yards and a TD in the rout of Miami. For a program that has had to replace 4 first-round wideouts over the last 2 years, Williams’ experience and ability to step in right away is a luxury.

6. RB Isaiah Bowser (UCF via Northwestern)

Once Cam Porter went down with a season-ending injury, I knew Northwestern would regret losing Bowser, who was the Wildcats’ leading rusher all the way back in 2018. He got passed up on the depth chart late last season by Porter, a true freshman.

Bowser looked terrific playing in Guz Malzahn’s offense, going off for 172 yards and a TD on 33 carries in the comeback win over Boise State. Northwestern, meanwhile, had just 117 rushing yards against Michigan State, as it really only has Evan Hull as a rushing option.

5. RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA via Michigan)

For whatever reason, Charbonnet fell out of favor with the Wolverines, getting only 19 carries in 5 games last season after leading Michigan in rushing as a true freshman in 2019. Remember that game against Army? Michigan doesn’t win without Charbonnet, who rushed 33 times in just his second college game.

The No. 4 RB in the 2019 class transferred back home and is thriving in Chip Kelly’s offense. He has 223 yards and 4 TDs on just 17 carries through 2 games, including an upset win over LSU.

4. LB Chance Campbell (Ole Miss via Maryland)

If you missed the game on Monday night against Louisville, Campbell was electric in his Ole Miss debut, registering 7 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Campbell was an All-B1G player for Maryland and was second in the conference in tackles per game last season at 10.8.

Maryland looks like it will have a potent offense this season behind Taulia Tagovailoa, but the defense certainly could use a playmaker like Campbell.

3. WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Kentucky via Nebraska)

Nebraska knew what it had in Wan’Dale Robinson, but he transferred to be closer to home and for a different role in an offense. He didn’t want to be used like a running back anymore, a role he often had to fill for the Huskers. He looked great in his first game with Kentucky, going for 125 yards and 2 TDs on 5 receptions. He looks like he is going to thrive in Liam Coen’s pro-style offense.

Nebraska got a good player in Samori Toure via the transfer portal, but I’ll bet the Huskers miss the explosiveness of Robinson. They could’ve used him against Illinois.

2. QB Will Levis (Kentucky via Penn State)

Watching Levis now, it’s baffling that Penn State only used him as a battering ram. He finished his Penn State career with more rushing attempts (133) than passing attempts (102). He told The Athletic that he wasn’t even a running QB in high school, and that he transferred to see if he could make it as a traditional pocket passer.

Well, he won the Kentucky starting QB job despite not getting to Lexington until the summer, and he looked terrific in the opener, completing 18 of 26 passes for 367 yards and 4 TDs with 1 INT — and only 4 rushing attempts! Granted, it was just Louisiana-Monroe and not Georgia, but this has to frustrate Penn State fans. I think Sean Clifford is in for a bounce-back season, but it’s like Penn State didn’t know what it had in Levis, who was PFF’s highest-graded SEC QB and nearly the highest in the country in Week 1.

1. QB Jack Coan (Notre Dame via Wisconsin)

This had to be a tough one for Wisconsin fans to watch on Sunday night. While Graham Mertz struggled to hand the ball off and threw 2 interceptions late in the loss to Penn State, former Badgers starter Jack Coan was dropping dimes against Florida State in his Notre Dame debut.

Coan finished 26-of-35 for 366 yards and a career-high 4 TD passes. Simply put, he was a difference maker for the Irish, which I did not foresee. I labeled him a game manager in 2019 and thought Mertz — Wisconsin’s highest-rated QB recruit in the rankings era — was the answer to take the Badgers to the next level. After Mertz struggled big time against Penn State, I’m guessing Wisconsin wishes it at least had Coan as an option to turn to. Coan never really lost the job, he just got injured in the preseason last year and Mertz took over in his absence.

And to make matters worse, Wisconsin plays Notre Dame on Sept. 25.