Pac-12 football: Transfer portal power rankings for 2023
The transfer portal is closed, for now, and the football recruiting cycle is complete. As of Thursday , the 247 Sports database listed 371 new faces across Pac-12 football rosters.
Two-thirds of them are high school signees (242); the rest (129) are transfers.
Put another way: Approximately 36% of the 2023 roster spots throughout the conference will be filled by new players (if we assume 85 scholarships per team). More newcomers are sure to come after spring practice spurs career decisions.
1. Colorado: The Buffaloes could welcome 28 or 30 transfers once coach Deion Sanders’ first roster is set. Many are destined to be role players, but there are several major talents, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter, who followed their head coach from Jackson State. The Buffaloes fortified their perimeter with edge rushers Taylor Upshaw from Michigan and Jordan Domineck from Arkansas. Attrition was heavy in quantity but not quality. Previous ranking: 1
2. USC: The Trojans grabbed four impact players from the state of Arizona: receiver Dorian Singer, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and defensive lineman Kyon Barrs from the Wildcats, plus all-conference punter Eddie Czaplicki from the Sun Devils. They strengthened the interior lines with Anthony Lucas (defense) from Texas A&M and Ethan White and Michael Tarquin (both offense) from Florida. Previous: 4
3. UCLA: The Bruins have worked the transfer market in expert fashion for years – often with players at the graduate level – and this cycle is producing more of the same, particularly from within the conference. Receivers Kyle Ford (from USC) and J.Michael Sturdivant (Cal) will be prime targets in the passing game, with tight end Moliki Matavao (Oregon) playing a role, as well. Previous: 3
4. Washington: The Huskies lost one of their backup quarterbacks, Sam Huard, late in the transfer window – he’s bound for Cal Poly – but clearly ended the cycle in positive territory. Arizona State running back Daniyel Ngata and Michigan State receiver Germie Bernard bolster the array of playmakers around quarterback Michael Penix. Linebacker Ralen Goforth, from USC, adds to the defensive depth. Previous: 2
5. Oregon State: Hours after the Hotline published our initial transfer portal power ratings, the Beavers found their man: Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, a Southern California native, committed to OSU. He immediately became the highest-profile transfer to enter the Pac-12 this winter and the apparent answer to the quarterback question in Corvallis. Not to be overlooked in the overall calculation, the Beavers lost all-conference linebacker Omar Speights (to LSU). Previous: 9
6. Oregon: The Ducks lost a slew of players, including several frontline contributors. The newcomers are modest in quantity but high in quality. Atop that list is receiver Traeshon Holden, who caught six touchdown passes for Alabama this season, and safety Tysheem Johnson from Mississippi. The Ducks also landed coveted offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius from Rhode Island. Previous: 5
7. Utah: Two important defensive pieces have joined the roster in Levani Damuni, an all-conference (honorable mention) linebacker from Stanford, and Logan Fano, an edge rusher from BYU. The Utes also lost and gained tailback Micah Bernard, who entered the portal, then reversed course. And don’t overlook the arrival of steady placekicker Cole Becker from Colorado. As usual, the attrition was minimal. Previous: 6
8. Arizona State: First-year coach Kenny Dillingham has 26 incoming transfers, tops in the conference. The group features two quarterbacks, Drew Pyne (Notre Dame) and Jacob Conover (BYU). But the Sun Devils have lost several starters, including offensive linemen LaDarius Henderson (Michigan) and Ben Scott (Nebraska). We’re not convinced the fresh faces are more talented than the veterans who have departed. Previous: 7
9. Arizona: One of the big winners from the 2021-22 transfer cycle is seemingly at the other end of the spectrum this winter. Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe, the No. 1 rated inside linebacker in the country two years ago, is perhaps the top arrival. But the talent lost far exceeds the talent acquired to this point. In addition to Singer, an elite receiver, six defensive starters are gone – half of them to Power Five programs. Previous: 8
10. Cal: The incoming class could prove more impactful than this ranking suggests – much depends on quarterback Sam Jackson, who played sparingly at TCU, and linebacker David Reese (from Florida) – but we remain slightly skeptical. The Bears suffered notable attrition, losing both Sturdivant, their gifted receiver, and linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo to UCLA, along with offensive tackle Ben Coleman (to Arizona State). Previous: 10
11. Washington State: Not much has changed on the Palouse since our initial rankings – the Cougars remain in negative territory on a net basis. The losses include linebacker Francisco Mauigoa (to Miami) and receiver De’Zhaun Stribling (to Oklahoma State), while two Mountain West receivers, Josh Kelly (Fresno State) and Kyle Williams (UNLV) stand as key newcomers. We suspect there is more movement to come. Previous: 11
12. Stanford: Few teams (anywhere) have been hit harder. As of this writing, the Cardinal has three inbound transfers (two from the Ivy League, one from Florida International) but has lost more than a dozen. The offensive line was walloped, with two players heading to Michigan (Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent) and one to Oklahoma (Walter Rouse). New coach Troy Taylor is playing the portal game with one hand tied behind his back. Previous: 12