College footballs 2023 All-Portal Team: Colorado, FSU, Oregon tout multiple top transfers

The busiest week of the year for the transfer portal is far from finished. More than 1,400 FBS players are currently on the market. Coaches are scrambling to get them evaluated, offered and committed. These next few weeks will define this current portal cycle and help clarify who the real contenders are for the 2024 season.

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But who found the true difference-makers in 2023? It’s time for The Athletic’s third annual All-Portal Team.

The All-Portal Team recognizes the most productive and impactful transfers in college football. Only newcomers who joined their current program in 2023 were eligible to make this team. This squad features many of the highly touted transfers whom everybody wanted a year ago but also quite a few surprising under-the-radar finds who became all-conference performers.

These picks are never easy when there are more than 1,500 FBS players to consider, and many more deserve recognition. Here’s a closer look at some of the best transfer portal pickups of the year.

Offense

QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: It’s fair to say few players were more valuable for their programs than Coach Prime’s budding superstar of a son. Sanders helped turn the Buffaloes into the biggest story in the sport in September with his terrific play during their 3-0 start and proved the transition up from Jackson State wasn’t going to be a problem for him. No Power 5 quarterback had less help when it came to pass protection (56 sacks allowed), run game (worst rushing offense in the FBS) or defense (bottom five scoring defense among Power 5 programs). Sanders faced a ton of pressure this season but just kept dealing, finishing No. 9 nationally with 293.6 passing yards per game and scoring 31 total touchdowns with only three interceptions over 11 games.

RB Ray Davis, Kentucky: Kentucky hoped Davis could be a quality successor to NFL-bound back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and found a real gem in the transfer from Vanderbilt. The SEC’s third-leading rusher produced 1,066 rushing yards plus 317 receiving yards and is tied for third nationally in touchdowns scored with 20. Davis had five 100-yard performances on the year, including a 289-yard day against Florida.

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RB Quinton Cooley, Liberty: Cooley was the No. 3 back at Wake Forest in 2022 and moved on to Liberty to try to earn more of a leading role. Here’s what Cooley did what that opportunity: 1,322 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns for a 12-0 squad that’s going to the Fiesta Bowl. The Conference USA Newcomer of the Year teamed up with quarterback Kaidon Salter to give the Flames the No. 1 rushing offense in the country and scored three touchdowns in their conference title game win against New Mexico State.

WR Malik Washington, Virginia: The grad transfer from Northwestern proved to be one of the biggest portal steals of the year. Washington broke the ACC single-season record for receptions with 110 and ranks No. 3 nationally in receiving yards behind only LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, with 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns. The talented slot receiver saw a whopping 138 targets and surpassed 100 yards in 10 of his 12 games.

WR Keon Coleman, Florida State: Coleman didn’t have the stats to be a Biletnikoff Award finalist but passed the eye test week after week as one of the most impressive wideouts in the country. The Michigan State transfer led the Seminoles with 50 catches for 658 yards and led the ACC in touchdown catches with 11. Coleman, a first-team All-ACC pick, delivered the go-ahead touchdown in overtime to beat Clemson and scored three times in his debut against LSU.

WR Elijah Sarratt, James Madison: The first-team All-Sun Belt selection transferred up after beginning his career at FCS Saint Francis and was an instant difference-maker for the Dukes with 74 catches for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns. Sarratt went over 100 yards in five of his last seven games to help James Madison pull off a remarkable 11-win season and a trip to its first-ever FBS bowl game.

TE Dallin Holker, Colorado State: Holker began his career at BYU in 2018 before going on his mission and didn’t catch 20 or more passes in any of his three seasons in Provo. The veteran pass catcher turned himself into a Mackey Award finalist after transferring to Colorado State. Holker leads all FBS tight ends in receiving yards with 767 and six touchdowns on 64 catches. His best catch of the year was a game-winner on a Hail Mary to stun Boise State.

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OT Ajani Cornelius, Oregon: Coaches loved what Cornelius put on tape at FCS Rhode Island and made him one of the most coveted players in the portal in last year’s cycle. He did not disappoint for the Ducks, starting all 13 games at right tackle and allowing zero sacks while playing in the No. 2 scoring offense in the country. The Ducks’ O-line only gave up five sacks, the fewest in the FBS.

OT Walter Rouse, Oklahoma: Rouse was one of the most experienced linemen in the portal as a four-year starter at Stanford and made the Sooners better during their big turnaround season. He made all 12 starts at left tackle and allowed just six pressures and one sack, according to Pro Football Focus.

G Logan Parr, SMU: After playing a reserve role for three years at Texas, Parr joined SMU as a grad transfer and had a strong year that earned him first-team All-AAC honors. He established himself as the Mustangs’ starter at left guard and graded out as the fourth-best starting lineman in the conference over his 651 snaps, per PFF, with six pressures and zero sacks surrendered.

G Luke Kandra, Cincinnati: Kandra transferred back home to Cincinnati to play for his Louisville coaches and was a key leader for this program in Year 1 who picked up second-team All-Big 12 recognition. He logged 895 snaps over 12 starts and was the No. 1 run blocker among all starting linemen in the conference in PFF grading.

C Drake Nugent, Michigan: Another multi-year starter at Stanford who hit the portal after the Cardinal’s coaching change and had an excellent year. Nugent replaced one of the nation’s top centers in Olu Oluwatimi and succeeded in playing up to the Wolverines’ extremely high standards for their O-line. The first-team All-Big Ten selection and Rimington Trophy finalist started all 13 games and hasn’t given up a sack all year.

Defense

DL Elijah Roberts, SMU: Coach Rhett Lashlee and his staff brought in seven Miami transfers as part of their portal haul for 2023 and hit the jackpot with Roberts. The edge rusher started all 13 games and was credited with a ridiculous 64 pressures on the year by PFF, second-most in the FBS. The second-team all-conference selection finished with 29 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, 10 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles for the AAC champs.

DL Austin Booker, Kansas: Booker was one of the best finds of the portal cycle. The redshirt sophomore edge defender played just 23 snaps in his two seasons at Minnesota, but the Jayhawks brought out the best in him. Booker produced 56 tackles, 36 pressures, 12 TFLs, eight sacks and two forced fumbles to earn not just Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors but also a first-team all-conference selection.

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DL Braden Fiske, Florida State: The Seminoles won a big-time battle for Fiske after the Western Michigan defensive lineman entered the portal. The sixth-year senior was as good as advertised with 43 tackles, 27 pressures, nine TFLs and six sacks over 12 starts. The second-team all-conference selection looked unstoppable against Louisville and racked up three sacks in the ACC title game victory.

DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech: Powell-Ryland took his game to another level at Virginia Tech after playing three seasons at Florida. The second-team All-ACC pick recorded 9.5 sacks, second-most in the conference, and was credited with 39 tackles, 46 pressures, 13.5 TFLs and three forced fumbles on the season.

LB Nick Jackson, Iowa: The grad transfer from Virginia started all 13 games for one of the toughest defenses in the country and ranked second on the team in tackles (99), tackles for loss (eight) and sacks (four) while also contributing three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Jackson picking up third-team All-Big Ten honors this season made him a four-year all-conference performer, an achievement you rarely see in the FBS.

LB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami: The Washington State transfer moved down to Miami with his younger brother, Freshman All-America starting tackle Francis Mauigoa, and had a very productive year for the Hurricanes with 70 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to earn second-team All-ACC recognition. His 17 TFLs ranked fifth-most among all Power 5 defenders.

LB Jalen McLeod, Auburn: McLeod got off to a slow start due to a preseason ankle injury, but the Appalachian State transfer eventually emerged as an excellent pass rusher for the Tigers. He recorded 44 tackles, 35 pressures, 9.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks on the year and was especially impressive against Arkansas, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after lighting up the Razorbacks for nine tackles, four TFLs, three sacks and a forced fumble.

DB Khyree Jackson, Oregon: Oregon’s terrific transfer portal class paid off in a big way in 2023. Jackson, a backup at Alabama, joined the Ducks and developed into a first-team All-Pac-12 cornerback who logged seven pass breakups, three interceptions and two sacks. According to PFF, Jackson allowed catches on 19 of 38 targets and was only beat for 200 yards and one score on 520 snaps.

DB Jabbar Muhammad, Washington: The Oklahoma State grad transfer came in and bolstered Washington’s secondary during its run to a Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff. Muhammad recorded 42 tackles, 12 pass breakups and two sacks and nabbed three interceptions for the Huskies to take home second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

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DB Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia: Bishop, a sixth-year senior who previously played at Western Kentucky and Minnesota, was a key transfer addition who helped West Virginia pull off a nice turnaround from 5-7 to 8-4 in 2023. The first-team All-Big 12 selection led the country in pass breakups (20), led all Big 12 cornerbacks in tackles (59) and grabbed four interceptions for the Mountaineers.

DB Kam Pedescleaux, Tulane: The versatile 5-foot-9 safety transferred from Louisiana to Tulane after the spring and was a playmaker for the Green Wave defense. Pedescleaux recorded 52 tackles, four TFLs, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble to earn second-team All-AAC recognition.

DB Travis Hunter, Colorado: The Buffaloes’ one-of-a-kind talent lived up to the five-star hype as a receiver and a cornerback and won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football. After watching Hunter produce 721 receiving yards and five TDs on offense and 30 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions on defense, Pac-12 coaches had enough respect for him to make him a first-team all-conference selection. According to PFF, Hunter played a grand total of 1,074 snaps over nine games.

Specialists

K James Turner, Michigan: The Louisville transfer had the tall task of replacing Jake Moody on a squad chasing a national championship and has had a great year. Turner has converted 13 consecutive field goals for the Wolverines and is 16 for 18 on the year with three makes from 50 yards, earning him second-team All-Big Ten honors.

P Riley Thompson, Penn State: Thompson, an Aussie who transferred in from FAU, is averaging 45.4 yards per punt and has dropped 18 of his 45 kicks inside the 20-yard line. He’s among the top 10 nationally in net punting (42.6), according to PFF, and the Nittany Lions have allowed just 85 punt return yards on the season.

AP Ismail Mahdi, Texas State: Texas State attempted one of the more dramatic roster flips in the country this year under new coach G.J. Kinne, and its huge portal haul paid off with a 7-5 season and the program’s first-ever FBS bowl game. The Bobcats won by finding under-the-radar studs like Mahdi, an FCS transfer from Houston Christian, and knowing how to use them. The 5-foot-9 running back had a monster season: 1,209 rushing yards, 276 receiving yards, 529 more yards as a returner and 12 total touchdowns. His 2,014 all-purpose yards through 12 games ranked No. 1 nationally and earned him second-team All-America honors from The Athletic.

(Top illustration photos: Jamie Rhodes, Ron Chenoy, Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today)

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