More than 1,500 college football players transferred to FBS programs for the 2023 season. Only 27 of them could make this list. It’s time for The Athletic’s third annual midseason All-Portal team.
We put this team together to honor the transfer players who have made the greatest impact on their new team and this season. As always, the focus for this team is newcomers who transferred within the past year and joined their current program in 2023.
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Last year’s midseason team featured 14 players who are on NFL rosters today. This year’s squad has big-name players who’ve lived up to the hype and lesser-known transfers who’ve surprised and exceeded expectations. There were many other players who merit recognition for their accomplishments and could still make our end-of-season All-Portal team in December.
| Pos | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
QB | Shedeur Sanders | |
RB | Ray Davis | |
RB | Ismail Mahdi | |
WR | Keon Coleman | |
WR | Jamari Thrash | |
WR | Malik Washington | |
TE | Dallin Holker | |
OT | Ajani Cornelius | |
OT | Walter Rouse | |
G | Willie Lampkin | |
G | Luke Kandra | |
C | Matt Lee |
QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: After two years of starring at Jackson State, Sanders made the move to Colorado with his father and has proved himself all over again as one of college football’s most exciting playmakers.
Sanders leads the nation in passing yards with 2,420 and has accounted for 24 total touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has been a 72 percent passer despite facing constant pressure and taking an FBS-high 33 sacks and has shown impressive poise and toughness every week. Any questions or doubts about his ability to play at a high level against Power 5 defenses were instantly erased during Colorado’s season-opening stunner at TCU, part of a 3-0 start.
Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman is another deserving candidate for this spot, but Sanders has had to do it all for the Buffaloes and has exceeded expectations in leading them to four wins and a shot at bowl eligibility.
RB Ray Davis, Kentucky: Davis began his career at Temple, spent two years at Vanderbilt and is on pace for his best season yet as a midseason All-American at Kentucky. The 5-foot-10, 216-pound senior leads the SEC in rushing and ranks sixth nationally with 781 yards and eight touchdowns on 7 yards per carry. He has 193 receiving yards and five TDs on 15 catches. His 13 touchdowns rank second nationally, and Davis is the only player to score at least eight TDs from scrimmage for three different FBS schools in the past five years.
RB Ismail Mahdi, Texas State: New Texas State coach G.J. Kinne and his staff have done a remarkable job with a 5-2 debut record thanks to a long list of impactful portal pickups. Mahdi, an FCS transfer from Houston Christian, is putting up ridiculous numbers in his sophomore season: 726 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 7.4 yards per carry, 183 receiving yards and another TD on seven catches and 280 yards and one more score as a kick returner. He’s averaging 169.9 all-purpose yards per game, second-most in FBS, which earned him a spot on The Athletic’s midseason All-America first team as an all-purpose player.
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WR Keon Coleman, Florida State: The talented 6-4, 215-pound wideout made the right call by leaving Michigan State for a chance to prove himself with a College Football Playoff contender. Coleman has had some big moments for the Seminoles and boosted his NFL Draft stock with 29 catches for 418 yards and seven touchdowns so far. He opened his junior season with three TD catches in a rout of LSU and also scored the game winner in overtime to beat Clemson.
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WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville: Thrash, an All-Sun Belt playmaker at Georgia State, ranks No. 2 in the ACC in receiving yards with 39 catches for 639 yards and seven total TDs. The go-to receiver for Jack Plummer and the 6-1 Cardinals has scored in five of seven games and has produced 320 yards after the catch, ninth nationally, according to Pro Football Focus.
WR Malik Washington, Virginia: The ACC’s leading receiver is a Northwestern graduate transfer who has 100-yard performances in four of his past five games. Washington, a 5-8, 194-pound fifth-year senior, has caught 44 passes for 668 yards and five touchdowns and has picked up 130 yards as a kick returner.
TE Dallin Holker, Colorado State: After transferring from BYU to Colorado State, Holker has emerged as one of college football’s top tight ends. The 6-5, 235-pound junior ranks No. 2 among all tight ends nationally in receptions (39) and receiving yards (497), behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers, and has scored seven touchdowns. None were more memorable than the 33-yard Hail Mary with time expiring to defeat Boise State on Saturday.
OT Ajani Cornelius, Oregon: The former no-star recruit from New York became one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal in December after an impressive stint at FCS Rhode Island. The move up to Power 5 ball hasn’t been a problem for the 6-5, 308-pound offensive lineman. In his six starts at right tackle for the No. 9 ranked Ducks, Cornelius has been responsible for only one pressure allowed on 242 snaps in pass protection, according to PFF.
OT Walter Rouse, Oklahoma: Rouse was a four-year starter at Stanford before he joined Oklahoma, and that experience has been invaluable for one of the top scoring offenses in the country. The 6-6, 323-pound super senior has started all six games at left tackle for the undefeated Sooners and has allowed just three pressures and one sack. He made a heroic play on Oklahoma’s go-ahead touchdown to beat Texas, taking on two pass rushers at once and buying time for Dillon Gabriel’s game winner.
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G Willie Lampkin, North Carolina: The 5-11, 290-pound lineman was a three-year starter at guard and center at Coastal Carolina and continues to prove his size isn’t a problem in the ACC. Lampkin has two starts at left guard and two at right guard for the No. 10 Tar Heels and has graded out as the No. 2 guard in the conference, according to PFF.
G Luke Kandra, Cincinnati: Kandra began his career at Louisville and went home to Cincinnati, following his coaching staff. The 6-4, 314-pound junior has been a valuable leader in the transition and one of the top guards in the Big 12, surrendering only one sack and helping pave the way for a top-20 rushing offense.
C Matt Lee, Miami: Lee earned second-team midseason All-America honors from The Athletic and should be a contender for the Rimington Award as the nation’s best center. The UCF transfer has been everything Miami coaches hoped for and more as a leader and a force up front for the offensive line. He hasn’t allowed a sack and is No. 1 in PFF grading among all FBS starting centers.
| Pos | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
DL | Javontae Jean-Baptiste | |
DL | Elijah Roberts | |
DL | Antwaun Powell-Ryland | |
DL | Jamil Muhammad | |
LB | Jaheim Thomas | |
LB | Nick Jackson | |
LB | Francisco Mauigoa | |
DB | Josh Wallace | |
DB | Jabbar Muhammad | |
DB | Khyree Jackson | |
DB | Alijah Huzzie | |
DB | Daijahn Anthony |
DL Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Notre Dame: The 6-4, 260-pound grad transfer started only four games in his five years at Ohio State but has made a big impression as a starter for the No. 15 Fighting Irish. Jean-Baptiste has a career-high 33 tackles, 22 pressures, three tackles for loss and a pass breakup on 347 snaps.
DL Elijah Roberts, SMU: Roberts was one of seven Miami transfers who joined the Mustangs this offseason to reunite with coach Rhett Lashlee. This staff knew what it was getting in Roberts and has brought out the best in him. The 6-4, 278-pound defensive end has started six games and leads the AAC in pressures with 31, according to PFF. Roberts has been credited with 23 quarterback hurries (third most in the FBS) and has 13 tackles and three sacks.
DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech: Powell-Ryland joined the Hokies after three seasons at Florida and has established himself as one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the ACC. He racked up four sacks last week against Wake Forest to raise his season totals to 25 tackles, 28 pressures, 9.5 TFLs and an ACC-leading seven sacks plus three forced fumbles.
DL Jamil Muhammad, USC: The Trojans brought in a bunch of high-profile players from the portal to try to upgrade their defense, but it was an under-the-radar Sun Belt grad transfer who has been a revelation. Muhammad, a 6-1, 250-pound rush end who transferred from Georgia State, has been USC’s most consistent pass rusher and is No. 2 in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss (10). He has logged 22 pressures and six sacks and has forced two fumbles.
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LB Jaheim Thomas, Arkansas: The SEC’s leading tackler is a talented 6-4, 240-pound junior who transferred after three seasons at Cincinnati. Thomas has 69 tackles through seven games, with double-digit stops in five of those games, and has 15 pressures, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
LB Nick Jackson, Iowa: Jackson, a grad transfer who was a three-year starter and All-ACC defender at Virginia, has been a great addition for one of the toughest defenses in the FBS. The Hawkeyes’ second-leading tackler has 59 stops, 4.5 TFLs, one sack, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.
LB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami: The Washington State transfer joined his brother Francis, a midseason Freshman All-America offensive tackle, down in Miami and has emerged as the Hurricanes’ leading tackler with 28 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, one sack, two forced fumbles and an interception. He’s the No. 1 run-stopper in PFF grading among all FBS starting linebackers so far this season.
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DB Josh Wallace, Michigan: The grad transfer from UMass was a late pickup for the Wolverines since he didn’t hit the portal until the end of May. Wallace caught up quickly and proved he should be on the field with one of the best defenses in the country. He has five starts at corner and has allowed just six catches for 45 yards on 16 targets with two pass breakups, according to PFF.
DB Jabbar Muhammad, Washington: The Oklahoma State grad transfer has been a dependable cover man for the No. 5 Huskies, starting all six games at cornerback and logging three pass breakups, one sack and one interception while allowing catches on just 11 of 29 targets for 116 yards and no scores.
DB Khyree Jackson, Oregon: After two years as a reserve at Alabama, Jackson earned a starting role right away for the Ducks and is putting together a good senior season. The long 6-3, 195-pound corner has four pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack and has allowed 125 passing yards on 22 targets on the year.
DB Alijah Huzzie, North Carolina: Huzzie, a three-year starter at the FCS level at East Tennessee State, has impressed in the Tar Heels’ defense as their Star nickel defender. The 5-10, 200-pound junior has 23 tackles, five pass breakups and three interceptions and scored on a 52-yard punt return against Pitt.
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DB Daijahn Anthony, Ole Miss: Ole Miss has depended on plenty of transfers to make an impact during its 5-1 start. Anthony has played up to expectations on the back end with 23 tackles, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception. The Liberty transfer has been a versatile addition with his ability to line up at safety and in the slot.
| Pos | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
K | Chase Contreraz | |
P | Mark Vassett | |
AP | Travis Hunter |
K Chase Contreraz, Iowa State: Contreraz began his career at Iowa Western Community College, was a walk-on at Nebraska for three years and transferred to prove what he can do at Iowa State. He converted a 56-yarder in his season debut and has made 12 of 16 field-goal tries with six makes from 40-plus yards. He also converted a fake field goal with a 6-yard run to set up a touchdown in a win over Cincinnati.
P Mark Vassett, Colorado: The Louisville transfer is averaging 44.5 yards per punt with a net of 41.2. He has dropped 13 punts inside the 20, second most in the Pac-12, with just one touchback.
AP Travis Hunter, Colorado: Nobody else in college football can do what Hunter does. The Jackson State transfer and former No. 1 overall recruit has played 499 snaps on offense and defense in four games, with memorable performances on both sides of the ball, including two 100-yard receiving games and an impressive debut at cornerback in the Buffaloes’ upset win at TCU.
(Top illustration photos: Christian Petersen, Andy Lyons, Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)