For a complete list of this year’s transfers, follow Rivals.com’s tracker.
Washington lost Kalen DeBoer this offseason, but it won’t lost quarterback Will Rogers.
Rogers, who transferred to the Huskies in December after four years at Mississippi State, announced Tuesday he would remain in Seattle after entering the transfer portal.
Rogers’ decision is an early win for new head coach Jedd Fisch, whom Washington hired from Arizona earlier this month. With starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of eligibility and heading to the NFL, Washington had tapped Rogers as the heir apparent under center. Rogers was even in attendance in a Washington uniform for the College Football Playoff championship game.
Rogers left Starkville as the No. 2 player on the SEC’s all-time passing leaderboard and first in completions. He missed a large chunk of last season with a shoulder injury.
Former Alabama signee Julian Sayin joining Caleb Downs at Ohio State
Julian Sayin is heading to Ohio State.
The former five-star Alabama signee told ESPN on Sunday that he’s transferring to Ohio State. Sayin was the only five-star member of Alabama’s 2024 recruiting class and signed with the Crimson Tide in December before Nick Saban’s retirement on Jan. 10.
Sayin was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2024 and joins fellow top QB recruit Air Noland at Ohio State. Noland is the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. The only pro-style QB ranked above both Sayin and Noland in Rivals’ rankings was Nebraska signee Dylan Raiola.
The California native’s transfer to Ohio State comes days after defensive back Caleb Downs transferred from Alabama to OSU. Downs was Alabama’s leading tackler as a freshman. The addition of Sayin is yet another recruiting win for Ohio State and coach Ryan Day as the Buckeyes push to win the Big Ten and more after three consecutive losses to Michigan.
Ex-Alabama LT Kadyn Proctor commits to Iowa
Kadyn Proctor, one of the shiniest jewels to come out of post-Nick Saban Alabama, announced Saturday he will head back to his native Iowa to play for the Hawkeyes.
Proctor, ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall player in the Class of 2023, started 14 games at left tackle for Alabama last season and earned first-team SEC honors. He was born in Des Moines, went to high school in the area and will now bring three years of eligibility to Iowa City.
The 360-pounder was in Iowa on Saturday and made the rather questionable admission that Hawkeyes coaches were in contact with him during the season at Alabama, telling reporters “they hit me up” during some on-field struggles.
Proctor isn’t the first Alabama star to head to the Big Ten, as safety Caleb Downs committed to Ohio State the previous day.
Alabama star safety Caleb Downs commits to Ohio State
Alabama’s post-Nick Saban loss was Ohio State’s massive gain on Friday, as star safety Caleb Downs committed to the Buckeyes, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Downs led the Crimson Tide in total tackles last season with 107, 40 more than the second-place Deontae Lawson. Add in 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and Downs was a menace all over for offenses, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and first-team All-SEC honors.
Now, the former five-star recruit heads to Columbus, where Ohio State has also added Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, in addition to an unusually large number of returning stars. Downs has three years of eligibility remaining, but is already a major NFL Draft prospect.
Alabama gets a Kalen DeBoer recruit
Washington quarterback Austin Mack is following Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.
Mack confirmed news that he was transferring from Washington to Alabama on social media Thursday afternoon. The portal pickup is the first for DeBoer since he left Washington to replace Nick Saban at Alabama last week. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile have seen an exodus of players leaving in the portal since Saban announced his retirement.
A four-star recruit from Folsom, California, Mack skipped his senior year of high school and reclassified from the class of 2024 to join Washington as a redshirt freshman last season. He did not see any game action in 2023.
Mack was expected to compete for the starting job in Washington following the exit of Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr., who’s expected to declare for the NFL Draft after exhausting his college eligibility. Mack will instead join a crowded quarterback room in Alabama that’s expected to return 2023 starter Jalen Milroe and backup Ty Simpson, a four-star prospect who will be a sophomore next season.
The Tide also have a commitment from five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, an elite prospect ranked fourth overall in his class by Rivals. Sayin has not given any public indication whether he’s considering staying or leaving in the wake of Saban’s retirement.
Alabama’s Isaiah Bond transfers to Texas
Isaiah Bond didn’t take long to find a new school.
Bond, the first Alabama player to announce he was entering the transfer portal since Saban retired on Jan. 10, announced Jan. 14 that he was heading to Texas.
Bond led Alabama in receptions with 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns. He caught the last-minute 31-yard TD on fourth down to beat Auburn in the regular season finale and keep Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes alive.
It’s a big get for Texas after WRs Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell both announced they were heading to the 2024 NFL draft. Bond’s departure also means that new coach Kalen DeBoer will need to replace his team’s two leading wide receivers. Jermaine Burton is also off to the NFL after posting 798 receiving yards to lead the team.
Will Rogers to transfer again after Kalen DeBoer’s departure
Will Rogers transferred from Mississippi State to Washington to be Michael Penix Jr.’s replacement at quarterback. Now, he’s on the move again.
Hours after Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer was reported to be leaving the program for Alabama, Rogers reportedly re-entered the transfer portal to find a new destination.
It’s an awkward situation, especially because Rogers was on the sideline in uniform during the College Football Playoff championship game against Michigan this week. He was supposed to give the Huskies a capable four-year starter to help navigate the future after a plethora of exits for the NFL Draft, but he apparently didn’t sign up to help them with a DeBoer-less future.
Rogers sits second on the SEC all-time passing yard leaderboard, behind only Georgia great Aaron Murray, and first in completions. He was one of the top names in this year’s class of quarterbacks in the portal and just added a new variable after the action had seemingly settled.
Jayden Maiava chooses USC one day after pledging to Georgia
USC might finally have its next quarterback. Former UNLV starting QB Jayden Maiava reportedly committed to the Trojans on Jan. 9, just one day after he said he was headed to Georgia.
The initial choice seemed odd because Maiava would be competing for a backup job behind 2023 Bulldogs starter Carson Beck, who is returning for the 2024 season.
USC makes more sense for the time being considering the Trojans don’t have a clear starter under center after the departure of Caleb Williams to the NFL.
The program had yet to land a big name in the transfer portal and former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson left the program and transferred to Boise State.
If Maiava sticks with USC, he’ll have a very real shot of earning the starting job. His biggest competition might be redshirt junior Miller Moss, who has been with USC for the last three years.
Maiava was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after throwing for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2023, leading UNLV to a 9-5 record and a spot in the Mountain West title game. It was UNLV’s most wins since 1984.
Star Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins commits to Ohio State
Ohio State could have a seriously loaded backfield in 2024.
The Buckeyes secured a commitment from former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins on Monday night as their rival Michigan was winning the national title over Washington. Judkins visited Columbus over the weekend and could form the best rushing tandem in college football with TreVeyon Henderson if Henderson doesn’t declare for the 2024 NFL draft.
Judkins was an immediate star as a freshman and has led the Rebels in rushing in each of his two seasons with the team. He had 274 carries for 1,567 yards and 16 rushing TDs in 2022 and was an all-SEC performer. In 2023, Judkins dealt with injuries but still played in all 13 of Ole Miss’ games and rushed 271 times for 1,158 yards and 15 TDs. He became the first SEC rusher since Herschel Walker to rush for at least 15 TDs in his first two seasons of college football.
Judkins’ entrance into the transfer portal after Ole Miss’ Peach Bowl win over Penn State was a shock. The Rebels are set to be a top-10 team entering 2024.
If Henderson comes back for his senior season, Ohio State could have two 1,000-yard rushers. Henderson rushed 156 times for 926 yards over 10 games in 2023 as a junior and did play in the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. He averaged nearly seven yards a carry as a freshman in 2021 with 183 carries for 1,248 yards and 15 TDs over 13 games.
Boise State lands ex-USC top recruit
Malachi Nelson is heading to Boise State.
The former five-star recruit said Saturday that he was committing to the Broncos. He immediately becomes the favorite to start for Boise State after Taylen Green announced he was transferring at the end of the season.
