Ranking college football transfers: Best 35 players in portal - ESPN

More than 1,100 college football players have entered the transfer portal since the end of the regular season Nov. 26, and there are no signs things will slow down this week as the portal officially opens for all players.

From top-tier quarterbacks — including Washington State's Cameron Ward, who threw for 3,735 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season — to small-school stars such as 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive lineman Alan Herron from Shorter, there are already some intriguing and potentially valuable transfers on the list.

Who are the biggest names to enter the portal this year? And which transfers will make an instant impact next season? We're ranking the best players in the portal this cycle by past production, interest from major programs and potential to contribute to a new team.

The rankings — which go 35 deep for now — will be adjusted as new players enter the portal, and we'll add notes on what each transfer brings to his new program when they commit. (Last updated: Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET)

coverage:
Stacking transfer quarterbacks

Transferring from: Oklahoma

HT: 5-11 | WT: 204 | Class: Senior

Background: Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma in 2022, coming from UCF, where he started 25 games, including 12 as a true freshman in 2019. He went 17-8 as a starter for the Knights, throwing for 8,037 yards with 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He suffered a season-ending injury in 2021 that limited him to three games, then transferred to Oklahoma for the 2022 season, where he reunited with his former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel led the Sooners to a 16-8 record in his starts over two seasons, throwing 55 touchdown passes with 12 picks. He ranked fourth in the FBS in Total QBR (87.3) this