CFB portal analysis: LSU, Oregon land big-time QBs

The NCAA transfer portal is officially open. Follow along for analysis of all major transactions.

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Lane gets his next star QB

After a dogged recruitment, Lane Kiffin has his quarterback for his debut season with LSU. Sam Leavitt - the top transfer target for a number of schools - committed to Kiffin and the Tigers on Monday, giving their offense a significant boost.

Leavitt is rated as 247 Sports' top transfer in the country regardless of position, and it's easy to see why when looking at his career with Arizona State. He led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024 with over 3,200 yards of total offense and 29 touchdowns. He was on a similar trajectory this season before undergoing season-ending foot surgery at the end of October.

Leavitt's a lethal dual-threat option who should be a perfect fit with Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr.'s offense. The last two quarterbacks to play in the system were Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss. The former is already a first-round NFL pick, and the latter will likely join that list should he lose his appeal to play another season with the Rebels.

Raiola the latest to enter Oregon QB factory

Dylan Raiola is the latest quarterback to subscribe to the "join Oregon, boost stats for NFL draft" theory. Raiola follows in the footsteps of Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore by transferring into the passer-friendly system in Eugene. Oregon's worst offensive ranking under Dan Lanning was 17th in the country, while Nebraska's best in that same time span was 59th this year. The results suggest the offensive units are rarely even playing the same sport.

Raiola gets his fair share of criticism for what can sometimes seem like a poor Patrick Mahomes impression, but there's no question he has the arm talent and skill to be an NFL quarterback. However, the Cornhuskers' offense is arguably one of the worst places in the Big Ten to attempt to showcase those abilities. That won't be the case with Oregon: A Ducks quarterback ranked inside the top 10 nationally in passer rating in each of the last four seasons.

Oregon's draw was so strong for Raiola that he committed without a guarantee to start in 2026. Shortly after he made his decision, Moore announced he's returning to the Ducks next season. That puts Raiola in line to start in the 2027 campaign after spending a year to learn the offense in Eugene.

Texas adds electric Coleman, flips Hollywood

Free trading advice: Buy all the Arch Manning stock you can heading into next season. The addition of Cam Coleman in the transfer portal won't just help Texas - it should send Manning's passing stats through the roof. Outside of Jeremiah Smith, there isn't a more talented receiver in the country. Don't be fooled by Coleman's somewhat pedestrian stats. Accumulating 708 yards through the air is an immense feat given Auburn's severe allergy to passing the ball successfully last year.

That won't be an issue in Austin, with Steve Sarkisian's offense ready and willing to attack through the air. Coleman gives the Longhorns a much-needed big body, and the 6-foot-3, 201-pounder should complement speedster Ryan Wingo to give Manning a lethal 1-2 punch. He should also significantly help the team's middling red-zone offense, which ranked 49th in touchdown percentage last season.

Sarkisian wasn't done there, as he added a commitment from running back Hollywood Smothers. The former NC State rusher boosts Texas and also weakens SEC foe Alabama by withdrawing his prior commitment to the Crimson Tide. Smothers and Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown should flip the fortunes of the Longhorns' 84th-ranked rushing attack.

Knight is Chambliss insurance

Ole Miss is certainly hoping Trinidad Chambliss' appeal for another year of eligibility is successful and the sensational quarterback remains in Oxford. However, if that fails, the Rebels appear set for the future with the addition of Deuce Knight from Auburn.

Knight joined the Tigers as one of the top passers in the 2025 class but saw limited action with only one start in his freshman season. However, that lone start presented a strong case for Knight's star potential. Yes, he faced FCS-level Mercer, but Knight threw for 239 yards and two scores while piling up an astonishing 162 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Not a bad backup plan for Pete Golding.

Baylor bets on upside with Lagway

With the Big 12's leading passer Sawyer Robertson graduating, Dave Aranda needed a big swing in the portal to keep the Baylor offense cooking. He landed DJ Lagway, a man who threw the second-most interceptions in college football last year with 14. So why is Lagway's transfer from Florida arguably one of the most impactful in this year's market? Upside, baby. Upside.

Interceptions aren't the only thing Lagway has in spades; the former five-star recruit is among the most talented passers in the portal. Thanks to his electric freshman campaign, he went into last year with plenty of Heisman buzz. Yes, there's plenty to question on his tape - notably, a five-interception showing at LSU - but Lagway can make every throw on the field and entered last season as a tantalizing future NFL prospect. However, he was injured in the spring and missed a significant portion of fall camp as a result. That was obvious in his early-season struggles, and it was also clear that Billy Napier wasn't exactly making life easier for the quarterback.

Now Lagway heads to Baylor to work with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. The Bears' defense may have been a trainwreck last season, but Spavital's offense showed plenty of promise. Robertson threw almost 80 more passes on the year than the next quarterback in the Big 12, suggesting Lagway will get plenty of chances to impress the NFL scouts once again.

'Extreme Makeover: Arizona State Edition'

"Extreme Makeover: Arizona State Edition" is fully underway for the Sun Devils' offense. Leading receiver Jordyn Tyson is off to the NFL. Star quarterback Sam Leavitt is being wined-and-dined by half the SEC as he looks for a new home, and top running back Raleek Brown is now at Texas. Kenny Dillingham has been very busy plugging those holes, securing a new set of weapons to keep Arizona State among the Big 12's top programs.

Cutter Boley is the new quarterback, arriving after a strong finish to the season at Kentucky to give Dillingham a solid passing option. The receiving room is also fresh out the portal, with Colorado's Omarion Miller, Boston College's Reed Harris, and Washington's Raiden Vines-Bright all coming over. Miller and Harris are top-five transfer receivers in the country, according to 247 Sports, and should play massive roles in a passing offense that essentially took a "Jordyn Tyson's down there somewhere" approach last year.

Chip Kelly gets his QB with Chiles

Northwestern shocked the football world last week by announcing Chip Kelly as the program's new offensive coordinator. Now we know who will be running the veteran's vaunted offense, with Aidan Chiles committing to the Wildcats.

The former Michigan State quarterback tantalized with his talent over a three-year career with the Spartans and Oregon State, but his play is too often a feast-or-famine situation. Chiles threw 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in the 2024 season and also lost four fumbles. Although he cleaned things up this past campaign with 10 touchdowns against three picks, his inconsistency led the Spartans to bench him down the stretch.

Despite the struggles in East Lansing, a talented dual-threat quarterback is a dangerous proposition in Kelly's offense. Chiles should help improve the Big Ten's 13th-ranked attack from last year.

Livingstone crosses Red River to Oklahoma

While it's nowhere close to the biggest transfer in the college football world, it might be the most scandalous development of the first couple of days. Texas receiver Parker Livingstone, who doubles as Arch Manning's roommate, announced he was entering the portal earlier this week, with the wording suggesting it wasn't necessarily his decision.

"Never in a million years did I think I would be going into the portal looking for a new home," Livingstone posted on X. "Some things are out of my control. Such is the reality of the ever-changing landscape of college football."

Livingstone didn't just leave Texas, as he's now crossing the Red River to join heated rival Oklahoma in a headline-grabbing switch. Livingstone was very productive in his redshirt freshman season, catching 29 passes for almost 600 yards and six touchdowns. He joins Virginia transfer Trell Harris in beefing up a Sooners passing attack that ranked in the bottom half of the SEC last year.

The move also makes next year's Red River Rivalry extra spicy.

Texas Tech gets its gunslinger in Sorsby

Brendan Sorsby might as well have called Texas Tech after the offense's dismal performance in the Orange Bowl and told them, "The price of the brick going up." The "brick" in this case is Sorsby's transfer portal fee, because being on the wrong end of a playoff shutout on national television is enough to make anyone throw money at the problem.

Not even the best defense in college football - which the Red Raiders had - could overcome what the Big 12 champs trotted out on offense in Miami. Enter Sorsby, fresh off a productive two seasons at Cincinnati. He wasn't cheap, with ESPN's Pete Thamel putting Sorsby on the list of top quarterbacks who could command close to $5 million in the portal.

He's undoubtedly an upgrade on Behren Morton, but the cost is inflated for a player who is 0-8 as a starter in the month of November, when the pressure peaks. Dig deeper, however, and you'll find his defense allowed an average of 34 points per game in that run. Something tells us that won't be an issue with the Red Raiders.

Sorsby's arrival is another sign that Texas Tech needs to be taken seriously among the top programs in the sport in the new NIL/transfer portal era of college football.

Indiana reloads with Hoover

We should probably get used to Indiana lording over the college football universe. Curt Cignetti is busy preparing the Hoosiers for their semifinal matchup with Oregon, but he still found time to dominate the transfer portal competition like it was Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be a top NFL draft pick, so Cignetti nabbed his quarterback for next season in TCU's Josh Hoover. With nearly 7,500 yards passing over the last two seasons, he's another seasoned veteran arriving to lead the offense - an approach that has helped the Hoosiers to an absurd 25-2 record the past two years.

Cignetti ensured Hoover didn't come alone, immediately pillaging conference rival Michigan State for receiver Nick Marsh. The talented second-year player caught 100 balls over two seasons for the Spartans and will replace the graduating Elijah Sarratt as a top target. With Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black's combined 1,900-plus rushing yards also graduating, Cignetti brought in top-15 running back Turbo Richard from Boston College to boost the rushing attack.

The Hoosiers' banner day continued on defense with top-five edge rusher transfer Tobi Osunsanmi coming in from Kansas State and Notre Dame's Joshua Burnham also committing.

Indiana has become a real destination in college football an indication that Cignetti's reign at the top won't be brief.

Penn State becomes Ames East

*Only top six of 14 Iowa State transfers listed

It's a great month to own a moving company in Ames, Iowa. Matt Campbell isn't just going from Iowa State to Penn State - he's bringing damn near half the Cyclones with him. The Nittany Lions have now added 14 players from Iowa State through the transfer portal, headlined by quarterback Rocco Becht.

Importing a significant chunk of the seventh-best team in the Big 12 might not sound thrilling, but there's something to be said for having a number of players who are extremely comfortable in a system. One doesn't have to look far to find evidence of this working, as Cignetti brought 13 players with him to Indiana from James Madison.

Regardless of how the entirety of the class performs, Becht should immediately inject some life into the nation's 105th-ranked passing attack. His top two pass-catchers, Benjamin Brahmer and Chase Sowell, are also coming east.

Expect Campbell to go through some growing pains in State College, but at least the offense should be set for takeoff in Week 1.

Oklahoma State's North Texas reboot

The glory days of Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy featured a passing attack that lit up the skies in Stillwater and sent a healthy amount of offensive players to the NFL. Oh, and of course there was the epic "I'm a man, I'm 40" speech.

However, the air attack was grounded in recent years: Only one season since 2018 featured a quarterback with over 3,000 yards passing. That led to the ouster of Gundy and the hire of Eric Morris from North Texas, with the electric Mean Green offense coming with him.

Almost as important as the Morris hire is the transfer of the nation's leading passer, Drew Mestemaker. Add the other two standouts from the North Texas attack in running back Caleb Hawkins and receiver Wyatt Young and the scoreboards at Boone Pickens Stadium should get ready for a workout.