During college football’s transfer portal season, the quarterbacks get much of the attention, and understandably so. They can change a team’s fortunes in a hurry.

But there are plenty of other talented players who will be available when college football’s transfer portal opens on Friday. Coming into this week, there were already more than 120 starters (who started five games or more in 2025) from Power 4 programs who had made known their intentions to enter the portal, and that list is growing by the day. There are even more key starters from Group of 5 programs who will transfer, many of whom populated their league’s all-conference teams and some of whom played in the College Football Playoff.

We know who the top quarterbacks on the move are. But what about the rest of the players? Here’s a handy position-by-position guide of the best available non-quarterbacks from the FBS ranks so far. Keep in mind that these players are not officially in the portal yet and this list only includes those who have declared their intentions to enter.

Running back
Hollywood Smothers, NC State, R-So.
Caleb Hawkins, North Texas, Fr.
Cam Cook, Jacksonville State, Jr.
Quintrevion Wisner, Texas, Jr.
Carson Hansen, Iowa State, Jr.

Cook (1,659 yards, 16 TDs) and Hawkins (1,434 yards, 25 TDs) ranked No. 1 and No. 4 in total rushing yards this season, and Smothers (939 yards, 6 TDs) was a first-team All-ACC selection. Wisner was the SEC’s third-leading rusher in 2024 before injuries interrupted his 2025; Hansen has led the Cyclones in rushing the last two seasons. Wayne Knight, an undersized but explosive back who led Sun Belt champion James Madison in rushing, is also worth watching.

Receiver
Cam Coleman, Auburn, So.
Nick Marsh, Michigan State, So.
Omarion Miller, Colorado, Jr.
Danny Scudero, San Jose State, R-So.
Wyatt Young, North Texas, So.

Coleman, a five-star prospect in the class of 2024, is arguably the best player available regardless of position. Marsh (59 catches, 662 yards, six touchdowns) has proven his abilities in the Big Ten. Miller, who became the Buffs’ leading receiver in the program’s first year post-Travis Hunter, has an NFL body and skill set. Scudero and Young were both highly productive in the Group of 5 ranks in pass-heavy offenses but are plenty talented. Other intriguing options at wideout include Reed Harris (Boston College), DeAndre Moore (Texas), Terrell Anderson (NC State), Chase Hendricks (Ohio) and Jayce Brown (Kansas State).

Tight end
Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State, Jr.
Brody Foley, Tulsa, R-Jr.
Hayden Hansen, Florida, R-Jr.
Jayvontay Conner, East Carolina, R-So.
Dorian Thomas, New Mexico, R-So.

Brahmer caught 37 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns and was a second-team All-Big 12 selection; he could soon be following Matt Campbell to Penn State. Foley, an All-AAC first-team selection, had 37 catches for 528 yards and seven touchdowns. Conner averaged more yards per reception (14.5) than any currently portal-bound FBS tight end. Thomas had zero drops this season on 76 targets and more receiving yards (560) than any known transfer tight end.

Offensive tackle
Josh Atkins, Arizona State, R-Sr.
Nick Del Grande, Coastal Carolina, R-Jr.
Jimarion McCrimon, East Carolina, R-So.
Xavier Chaplin, Auburn, Jr.
Carius Curne, LSU, Fr.

Atkins has been the Sun Devils’ starting left tackle for the last two seasons and has 39 career starts. Del Grande was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Chanticleers and a two-time All-Sun Belt pick. Chaplin started for two seasons at Virginia Tech before spending this fall at Auburn. McCrimon was a first-team All-AAC selection as a second-year starter for the Pirates. Curne was a 2025 five-star signee who started four games at left tackle and one at right tackle for LSU.

Interior offensive linemen
Shadre Hurst, Tulane, R-Jr.
Carter Miller, UCF, R-Jr.
Josiah Chenault, Kennesaw State, R-So.
Coen Echols, LSU, R-Fr.
Connor Stroh, Texas, R-So.

Hurst, a first-team All-American Conference selection, started all 14 games for the Green Wave at left guard this season and has 37 career starts. Miller and Chenault are centers with 29 and 25 career starts, respectively. Echols started eight games at left guard for LSU, while Stroh started five there for Texas.

Edge rusher
John Henry Daley, Utah, R-So.
Adam Trick, Miami (Ohio), R-Jr.
Wendell Gregory, Oklahoma State, R-Fr.
Anthony Bynum, Middle Tennessee, R-So.
AJ Green, Louisville, R-So.

Penn State freshman Chaz Coleman will be heavily pursued based on his upside, but Trick, Bynum and Green have all proven to be durable pass rushers, and in the portal, GMs pay for production. Daley, who announced his intentions on Tuesday, was in the top five in the FBS in sacks and tackles for loss this year and was a second-team AP All-American.

Trick produced 8.5 sacks and 66 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, third most among front-seven players. Gregory, the Big 12 freshman of the year, had 12 TFLs this season. There are plenty of other talented edge rushers portal-bound, like Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), J’Mond Tapp (Southern Miss) and Sahir West (JMU).

Defensive line
Santana Hopper, Tulane, R-Jr.
Devan Thompkins, USC, R-Jr.
Mateen Ibirogba, Wake Forest, R-Jr.
Jamarrion Harkless, Purdue, So.
Ian Geffrard, Arkansas, R-So.

Hopper, a first-team All-American Conference selection, produced 39 pressures for the Green Wave in 2025, second-most among all interior defensive linemen. The 6-5, 290-pound Thompkins had 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Trojans. Harkless (6-3, 345 pounds) is a run stuffer who shined in 12 starts for the Boilermakers. Ibirogba is an active 296-pounder who showed versatility on the interior for Wake Forest.

Linebacker
Keaton Thomas, Baylor, R-Jr.
Austin Romaine, Kansas State, Jr.
Khmori House, North Carolina, So.
Owen Chambliss, San Diego State, R-So.
Ray Coney, Tulsa, Jr.

Thomas and Romaine each earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and will be heavily targeted by other power conference programs. House produced 87 tackles, a sack, and an interception starring in the middle of Bill Belichick’s defense. Chambliss finished the year with 110 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss for an Aztecs defense that was one of the best in the country. Coney was the eighth-leading tackler in the FBS with 129 stops. Toledo’s K’Von Sherman, a junior who had 14.5 tackles for loss, is another attractive option in this group, as are a couple of SEC veterans in Kobie McKinzie (Oklahoma) and Liona Lefau (Texas).

Cornerback
Jontez Williams, Iowa State, Jr.
Ja’Bril Rawls, Florida State, R-So.
Jay Crawford, Auburn, So.
Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State, Sr.
A.J. Harris, Penn State, Jr.

Williams had a breakout 2024 and was a second-team All-Big 12 pick but had his 2025 thrown off-track by a season-ending injury in September. Rawls was also limited by injury but was a bright spot for FSU in his seven games, with 40 tackles, two pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery. Cooper was a four-year starter for the Cyclones and has eight career interceptions but appeared in only four games this year because of a season-ending knee injury, so he has one year of eligibility left. Harris started 26 games over the last two seasons for Penn State, recording six pass breakups. JMU corner Justin Eaglin, an All-Sun Belt pick who had eight pass breakups and five interceptions this season, should also get some attention.

Safety
Marcus Neal Jr., Iowa State, So.
Ty Benefield, Boise State, Jr.
Lyrik Rawls, Kansas, R-Sr.
Ashlynd Barker, Florida State, Jr.
Jimmy Wyrick, UTSA, R-So.

Neal started all 12 games for the Cyclones and was a third-team All-Big 12 pick this year with a team-high 11 tackles for loss, while adding two interceptions. Benefield has 33 starts in the last three seasons for the Broncos and was a first-team All-Mountain West selection, with 8.5 tackles for loss and two picks. Rawls had 73 tackles and seven pass breakups for the Jayhawks this year and is expected to have a year left based on a medical redshirt. Wyrick, a former Stanford transfer, looks primed for a jump back to a Power 4 school.