College football, more than ever, is a changing game.
Not just in how it's run, but literally: The era of the transfer portal has made it to where college teams are constantly shuffling and reshuffling with players looking for greener pastures.
That is the case again ahead of the 2022 season, which features perhaps the greatest number of big-time players leaving for the transfer portal. Chief among them: Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams and Pitt wide receiver Jordan Addison, who will both team up and play together under Lincoln Riley (himself a transfer of sorts) at USC.
Those are the biggest, most recognizable names who have entered the transfer portal, but they're not the only ones — not by a long shot. Which of those players makes an impact at their new school remains to be seen, but they should each at least get a shot.
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With that, The Sporting News looks at a position-by-position breakdown of which players stand to have the biggest impact on their new team:
Most impactful transfers of 2022 college football season
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Williams ranks as the top transfer in the portal, per 247Sports, and with good reason. The freshman usurped the starting job from Sooners teammate Spencer Rattler in Oklahoma, leading a 21-7 point comeback over rival Texas and becoming a star freshman in Norman.
Though he had some ups and downs, Williams still put up 1,912 passing yards and 21 touchdowns to four interceptions, showcasing a dual-threat ability to his game with 442 rushing yards and six more scores. His move to USC has been painted as a business decision to get him to the NFL, which makes sense considering he is familiar with Riley's offense.
Williams will be the unquestioned leader in Los Angeles, and should be able to build off what was a tantalizing freshman season.
Honorable mentions:
Quinn Ewers (Ohio State to Texas); Jaxson Dart (USC to Ole Miss)
MORE: Take the SN Transfer QB Quiz!
Travis Dye, RB, USC
It's not often that a player of Dye's caliber — or experience — enters the transfer portal.
But the fifth-year senior clearly is looking to build off an impressive 2021 Oregon campaign in which he rushed for 1,271 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns; he also had 402 receiving yards on 46 receptions, plus two more scores. His 1,672 all-purpose yards in 2021 led the entire Pac-12.
That sort of production and versatility makes Dye a natural fit for Riley's offense, which will have no shortage of weapons among Williams, Dye and the next player on this list:
Honorable mentions:
Zachary Evans (TCU to Ole Miss); Camar Wheaton (Alabama to SMU)
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Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Beginning to see a pattern? No team commanded as much top-end talent in the transfer portal as USC. And Addison absolutely is among the elite players in college football, transfer or not.
The former Pitt receiver is coming off a consensus All-America season in which he won the Biletnikoff Award off a 100-catch, 1,593-yard, 17-touchdown season. Addison, of course, caught his passes from Kenny Pickett, the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Whether he has the same rapport with Williams, himself an NFL hopeful, remains to be seen.
Considering the risk Addison took by leaving Pitt, he feels comfortable he'll have similar results with Williams in Riley's offense.
Honorable mentions:
Jermaine Burton (Georgia to Alabama); Jacob Cowing (UTEP to Arizona)
Jahleel Billingsley, TE, Texas
Billingsley had solid production in two seasons at Alabama, combining for 543 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2020 and 2021 while catching passes from future first-round pick Mac Jones and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, respectively.
But Billingsley missed time at the start of the 2021 season-opener against Miami, with Alabama coach Nick Saban painting his absence as a result of commitment issues. By the end of the season, Cameron Latu was the Crimson Tide's primary tight end.
Billingsley is a big-bodied tight end with some smooth route-running capabilities who — in reuniting with former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian — is looking to produce under the same coach who first helped him experience individual success.
Honorable mentions:
Kemore Gamble (Florida to UCF); Michael Trigg (USC to Ole Miss)
Jahmyr Gibbs, ATH, Alabama
Gibbs could be the standout in a running back room at Alabama that was already stacked with talent. The speedy Georgia Tech back adds an element of explosiveness that was noticeably absent from the team in 2021 as it relied on Brian Robinson, a more traditional power back.
The former Yellow Jacket showed what he's able to do at Alabama's spring game, busting a 75-yard touchdown run that had Crimson Tide fans excited about what he can bring to the table. But his speed and agility are only one facet of his game.
He arguably is among the best receiving backs in college football, which will only mean good things for Young moving forward. Gibbs has combined for 59 receptions and 768 yards in the last two seasons, on top of 1,206 rushing yards. Considering his explosion and versatility, he could next in a long line of Bama greats at running back.
Honorable mentions:
Mar'Keise Irving (Minnesota to Oregon); Shaun Shivers (Auburn to Indiana)
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Victor Oluwatimi, OL, Michigan
It's easy to see why Michigan went after Oluwatimi this offseason. The second-team All-America selection was a Rimington Trophy finalist in 2021 for Virginia and, per Pro Football Focus, was the nation's No. 2 run-blocking center.
Considering how Michigan's offensive front dominated Ohio State 42-27 last year for the Wolverines' first win in "The Game" since 2011, it's clear Jim Harbaugh and Co. wanted to continue investing at that all-important position group. Oluwatimi should step in as an immediate starter at center in 2022, joining a group that returns three starters.
Honorable mentions:
Kingsley Suamataia (Oregon to BYU); Tyler Steen (Vanderbilt to Alabama)
Akheem Mesidor, DL, Miami
Mesidor is coming off two seasons at West Virginia in which he combined for 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks; his five-sack total in 2021 also led the Mountaineers.
Reports indicate Mesidor will slot in as an EDGE defender instead of an interior lineman, which makes sense given his propensity to get at the quarterback. He had 33 quarterback pressures in 2021, ranking him ninth nationally.
Honorable mentions:
Jaxon Player (Tulsa to Baylor); Jared Verse (Albany to Florida State)
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Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Sanders in 2021 had 24 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and a sack while dealing with some injuries. His decision to transfer out of Alabama is not due to a lack of talent — it's that the players ahead of him on the Crimson Tide's defense were Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner.
It's worth remembering that Sanders was at one point the top-rated athlete in the country, who decided to use that athleticism as a linebacker. He reportedly is making strides in a more involved role at Arkansas, and no one — Sanders included — knows yet how good he can be.
Honorable mentions:
Mohamoud Diabate (Florida to Utah); Jackson Sirmon (Washington to Cal)
Brandon Joseph, DB, Notre Dame
Joseph's move to Notre Dame comes at an opportune time for both him and the Fighting Irish.
The 2020 consensus All-America selection should be able to step in and immediately take the starting role at safety vacated by Kyle Hamilton, the No. 14 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Joseph brings elite athleticism and offense-like ball skills to Notre Dame, as evidenced by his nine interceptions, six pass breakups, and 131 tackles the past two seasons.
Honorable mentions:
Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State to Notre Dame); Eli Ricks (LSU to Alabama)
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