The transfer portal changed how college football rosters were built. Before the portal, teams were forced to count on a breakout player or be patient and develop a freshman. Now, you can hop in the portal and find impact players.
Rebuilds aren’t long-term projects anymore. Done right, a program can turn its roster around in a single offseason. We saw what Curt Cignetti did with Indiana last year.
At LSU, head coach Brian Kelly landed several impact transfers upon arriving in 2022. Kelly’s year one looks a lot different without the addition of star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Even teams that aren’t rebuilding take advantage of the portal. Ohio State wins double-digit games every year, but that didn’t stop the Buckeyes from adding Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, and Caleb Downs last off-season. It culminated in a national championship.
Moral of the story: If you use the portal effectively, you will win football games.
Today, will take a look at SEC teams that effectively addressed needs in the 2025 transfer portal cycle. This is not a ranking of the conference’s top classes. But it should offer some insight into which programs added value where needed.
Texas A&M – Defensive line and wide receiver
The Aggies entered the offseason with two key needs: defensive line and wide receiver.
Up front, Texas A&M is losing Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton to the NFL. Both were among the SEC’s most impactful defenders in 2024. That’s a lot of value to replace.
A&M is counting on Colorado DE transfer Dayon Hayes to supply a significant amount of that production. Hayes only played four games with Colorado before an injury put an end to his 2024, but this will be his sixth-year of college football, and he has 83 career pressures and 14 sacks at the P4 level. He has the talent to be an NFL prospect this time next year.
Arriving with Hayes is former Iowa State DE Tyler Onyedim. At 6-4, 295-pounds, he has the size to fill Shemar Turner’s role. In four years with Iowa State, Onyedim was one of the Big 12’s top run defenders while also notching 48 career pressures.
On offense, A&M will showcase a revamped wide receiver core. Former NC State WR KC Concepcion was one of the top playmakers available. He was inconsistent in 2024 but was one of the ACC’s most productive wide receivers in 2023. Former Mississippi State WR Mario Craver joins the Aggies after an impressive freshman campaign in Starkville.
Missouri – Offensive line
The offensive line was a key piece of Missouri’s back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, but the Tigers are losing a big chunk of production from that unit, including the loss of all-conference tackle Armand Mebou.
It’s hard to find offensive linemen in the portal, but Missouri signed three with upside. Missouri added Keagan Trost from Wake Forest and Johnny Williams from West Virginia. Trost will be in his sixth year of college football after beginning his career at the FCS level. Williams didn’t play a ton at WVU, but he graded out well when he got the chance.
Joining them is former Michigan center Dominic Giudice. He began the year as the Wolverines’ starting center before Michigan made a change. His exact role in Columbia is unclear, but in a world where it’s hard to maintain depth at this position, adding a player with starting P4 experience is never a bad thing.
Missouri will be breaking in a new quarterback with Brady Cook gone. The Tigers need the transfers to produce upfront to make the QB transition as seamless as possible.
LSU – Defensive end
When the season ended, the cupboard was bare for LSU at defensive end. Sai’Vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson are moving to the next level while Da’Shawn Womack transferred to Ole Miss.
LSU’s transfer class was strong across the board, but the focus on edge defenders was evident. LSU signed former Florida State DE Patrick Payton, along with former Florida DE Jack Pyburn and former Nebraska DE Jimari Butler.
All bring major conference experience, talent, and versatility to LSU’s defensive front.
With Swinson and Jones gone, LSU is losing 103 combined pressures and 14 sacks from 2024. Womack had 11 pressures and one sack. Between the three, that’s a ton of production to replace. But LSU added three defensive ends with a track record of production.
Payton had 20+ pressures in each of the last three seasons. Butler reached that mark in each of the last two seasons. Pyburn didn’t excel as a pass rusher in 2024 but made 13 stops and forced a fumble. He posted a 78.9 grade defending the run, according to PFF.
All three will see significant time for LSU this fall.
South Carolina – Interior offensive line
In 2023, South Carolina’s offensive line struggled. The Gamecocks infused the unit with talent last year and took major strides. The Gamecocks have a handful of young and talented tackles on the roster, but needed help on the interior. South Carolina may start transfers at both guard spots and center.
At center, the Gamecocks added former Troy center Boaz Stanley. He was unranked out of high school in 2022, but impressed as a first-year starter last fall.
Former Western Kentucky guard Rodney Newsom arrives after posting a 79.9 PFF pass block grade in 2024 with the Hilltoppers. Boaz and Newsom are joined by Wake Forest transfer Nick Sharpe.
South Carolina has a mix of young talent and experience and could see its best offensive line of the Shane Beamer era.
Ole Miss – Defensive backs
Ole Miss may have a completely new secondary in 2025. The Rebels had one of the best defenses in the sport last year, the staff will be tested with a slew of newcomers on the backend.
The good news: talent is on the way.
Ole Miss added former Arkansas DB Jaylon Braxton, who dealt with injuries in 2024 but was one of the SEC’s top defensive backs in 2023. The Rebels also signed former LSU defensive back Sage Ryan.
LSU fans had mixed feelings when Ryan hit the portal. He was a five-star recruit in 2021 and played a lot of football at LSU. He showed flashes but never quite found stability at a position. He played all over — safety, nickel, traditional cornerback.
If Braxton is healthy and the change of scenery pays off for Ryan, both are solid additions.
Antonio Kite arrives after spending two years at Alabama and a season at Auburn. This is Kite’s third stop, but he reunites with defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Ole Miss is hoping that familiarity leads to a breakout for the four-star safety.
Ole Miss adds needed experience with the signing of former Washington State DB Kapena Gushiken. After playing 1,263 snaps in two years with Wazzu, Gushiken is jumping to the SEC. He had a pick and three pass-breakups in 2024.
There’s a chance all four starters claim starting roles. There’s risk in building a position group entirely on transfers, but we’ve seen Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin do it before.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: 5 SEC football teams that addressed key needs in transfer portal
