These incoming transfers could define the Big Ten football season.
Carter Bahns
The Big Ten is a talent destination for premier college football players, and the 2024 transfer portal cycle continues to provide the conference with high-end playmakers for the upcoming season. In fact, seven of the top 25 transfer classesreside within the Big Ten, and many of the most prized players in the portal selected new homes within the league's borders.
While the spring window does not boast the same elite talent that headlined the winter window, Day 1 of this 15-day period saw countless potential starters leave their programs in search of a new team. With the Big Ten acting as a magnet for impact transfers, some of those new entrants could be on their way to one of college football's two best conferences.
Oregon and Ohio State headline the most successful teams from this league in transfer portal recruiting, but they are not the only schools with notable newcomers. Many of the names called on Big Ten game days this fall will have started their careers elsewhere.
Get the latest football and basketball transfer portal news from 247Sports.
Here are the top 25 transfer portal players who landed in the Big Ten thus far in the 2024 cycle:
25. WR Jahmal Banks, Nebraska
24. QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota
23. QB Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin
Husker247's Michael Bruntz states that "Banks was one of the Huskers' two big wide receiver additions out of the portal, and they need him to be productive from the jump." The veteran Wake Forest standout gets an opportunity this spring to develop an early connection with true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who projects as Nebraska's day-one starter. If those two click, Banks could close his college career with a bang.
22. IOL Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State
21. QB Will Rogers, Washington
20. LB Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
Rogers has big shoes to fill at Washington, which said farewell to two-time national passing leader Michael Penix Jr. at the end of his second season on Montlake. The heir to the projected first-round NFL Draft pick has a strong track record of his own in a pass-heavy scheme, though, setting the SEC record for completions and re-writing the Mississippi State record books. Rogers takes over a UW offense that replaces essentially every major contributor.
19. LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, USC
18. WR Rico Flores, UCLA
17. OT Drew Azzopardi, Washington
Mascarenas-Arnold, the top tackler at Oregon State in 2023, remains on the West Coast for his senior season but joins USC as it makes its move to the Big Ten. The linebacker from nearby Mission Viejo (Calif.) racked up 106 total stops last season, logging double-digit tackles in five contests. He and his brother, safety Akili Arnold, are a prolific duo that could help USC make much-needed improvements on the defensive side of the ball.
16. LB Wayne Matthews III, Michigan State
15. QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
14. LB Tackett Curtis, Wisconsin
Gabriel becomes a rare sixth-year college football player next season when he closes out his career at a third different school. The southpaw earned two extra years of eligibility due to the pandemic and a 2021 season-ending injury and elected to spend his final campaign at Oregon, aiding in the Ducks' transition to the Big Ten. Gabriel never threw for fewer than 3,168 yards and 25 touchdowns in a full season across his stints at UCF and Oklahoma and is a Heisman Trophy candidate entering 2024.
13. S Kamari Ramsey, USC
12. WR Julian Fleming, Penn State
11. QB Will Howard, Ohio State
Howard comprises part of the nation's second-best quarterback room, slotting in as Ohio State's projected starter. His pairing with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and the Buckeyes' need for improvement at the signal-caller position makes him arguably the most impactful super senior in college football next fall. The 2023 season was Howard's first as a season-long starter, and he tied the Kansas State single-season passing touchdown record during his best year to date. As a true dual-threat weapon, he adds a new element to the Ohio State offense, which could be destined for a national championship.
10. DL JAMAREE CALDWELL, OREGON
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 93 Rating | No. 26 Overall | No. 2 DL
Previous School: Houston
Jamaree Caldwell put together one of the best overall performances by an interior defensive lineman in the Big 12 last season. The redshirt senior is set to take his talents to Oregon and the Big Ten in 2024. Caldwell recorded 26 total tackles, including 8.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks (which ranked fifth-most in the Big 12) despite playing in only 11 games. The former junior college prospect spent two seasons in Houston after a one-year stint at Independence Community College in Kansas. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
9. CB JABBAR MUHAMMAD, OREGON
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 94 Rating | No. 16 Overall | No. 3 CB
Previous School: Washington
Oregon went behind enemy lines to find a new starting cornerback, prying an All-Pac-12 defender away from rival Washington. Jabbar Muhammad led the Huskies with three interceptions in his lone year on Montlake and now heads south down I-5 to Eugene as a two-time transfer. Muhammad played in five games during the 2020 season and improved on an annual basis thereafter, flourishing in his third year at Oklahoma State before making the move to Washington. He has All-American upside on a Ducks defense that churns out NFL talent on the regular.
8. CB A.J. HARRIS, PENN STATE
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 95 Rating | No. 13 Overall | No. 2 CB
Previous School: Georgia
With All-Big Ten Second Team cornerback Kalen King declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, Penn State needed to find a replacement to cover the perimeter. Former five-star prospect A.J. Harris fills that void. He saw limited action as a true freshman at Georgia in 2023, recording eight tackles over seven games, behind a stacked depth chart. The upside remains for Harris, who ranks No. 2 among the best transfer cornerbacks in the cycle.
7. CB NYLAND GREEN, PURDUE
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 95 Rating | No. 12 Overall | No. 1 CB
Previous School: Georgia
Purdue punched above its weight class in this transfer portal recruitment, receiving an upgrade in its secondary courtesy of Georgia. Former five-star cornerback Nyland Green left his home state for a fresh start with the Boilermakers in 2024. The defensive back played primarily on special teams during his time with the Bulldogs, but Green competed for a starting role in the preseason and should face less competition to work his way into the starting lineup at Purdue under second-year coach Ryan Walters.
6. QB DANTE MOORE, OREGON
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 95 Rating | No. 10 Overall | No. 3 QB
Previous School: UCLA
Dante Moore is the second incoming transfer quarterback for Oregon on this list and joins the Ducks after originally committing to them but signing with UCLA. The former five-star recruit projects to serve as a backup behind Dillon Gabriel in 2024 as he further develops, and he could take the reins following Gabriel's departure. The athletic passer played in nine games as a true freshman last season at UCLA, completing 53.5% of his throws for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He split time as the Bruins' starter during an up-and-down debut college football campaign.
5. RB QUINSHON JUDKINS, OHIO STATE
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 96 Rating | No. 9 Overall | No. 1 RB
Previous School: Ole Miss
Quinshon Judkins could aid Ohio State in thriving more as a power-rushing team in 2024, as the transfer portal's top-ranked ballcarrier already has a track record of dominance as a volume rusher. The former Ole Miss star skyrocketed near the top of the Rebels' all-time leaderboards in essentially all rushing categories over the short span of two years, racking up 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns on 545 carries across his freshman and sophom*ore seasons.
4. QB AIDAN CHILES, MICHIGAN STATE
Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 96 Rating | No. 8 Overall | No. 2 QB
Previous School: Oregon State
Michigan State got a package deal when it hired Jonathan Smith. The former Oregon State head coach brought with him a touted young transfer quarterback in Aidan Chiles, who impressed in his limited but productive action last season. The prized recruit made five appearances with the Beavers, often handling the third offensive series of each game. He completed 69% of his passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns in that backup role. Chiles is likely a plug-and-play starter for the Spartans after they lost their top three quarterbacks from the 2023 campaign.
3. QB JULIAN SAYIN, OHIO STATE
Transfer Profile: 5-Star | 98 Rating | No. 6 Overall | No. 1 QB
Previous School: Alabama
Julian Sayin is a rare example of a college football player who entered the transfer portal before his freshman season. The five-star recruit and No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 class enrolled early at Alabama but elected to leave the program when Nick Saban retired, committing shortly thereafter to Ohio State. Sayin was among the early Ohio State newcomers to have his black stripe removed, and despite his up-and-down spring practice, he could emerge as the Buckeyes' No. 2 quarterback and the program's potential signal-caller of the future.
2. WR EVAN STEWART, OREGON
Transfer Profile: 5-Star | 98 Rating | No. 5 Overall | No. 2 WR
Previous School: Texas A&M
Former five-star recruit Evan Stewart ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver in the 2022 class but has yet to reach the sky-high potential that followed him to the college game. He dealt with inconsistent quarterback play and injuries of his own during two seasons at Texas A&M and caught 38 passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns across eight games last year. Now in an Oregon offensive system that produced a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback last season, Stewart could be in for a breakthrough. He already made an impression on the Ducks in spring practice.
1. S CALEB DOWNS, OHIO STATE
Transfer Profile: 5-Star | 99 Rating | No. 1 Overall | No. 1 S
Previous School: Alabama
Caleb Downs grabbed headlines in the wake of Nick Saban's retirement when he announced his intentions to leave Alabama. The former five-star signee was touted at the time as a "million-dollar plus" player after his terrific freshman season in Tuscaloosa. Downs finished his explosive first year of college football with a team-high 107 tackles to go with 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He earned a spot on the 247Sports True Freshman All-American Team as one of the sport's best overall safeties. Downs will be a day-one starter at Ohio State.
