Ranking the 10 biggest portal announcements from Thursday
The transfer portal opened on Monday with a flurry of activity. Here are the biggest transfer announcements from day four of the 2025 transfer portal cycle.
1. DE WILLIAMS NWANERI
When Missouri was able to get Nwaneri to sign and stay in-state it was one of the biggest wins of the 2024 recruiting cycle. However, a lackluster freshman season that featured limited playing time was clearly not what Nwaneri was expecting so he entered the transfer portal. His name finally showed up in the portal on Thursday but was reportedly listed with a “do not contact” indicator. Nwaneri’s transfer recruitment didn’t last long and a few hours later he had announced his commitment to Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers desperately needed reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball after a number of key players transferred this week. Nwaneri will have a chance to play early and the year of experience at the college level should allow him to be more effective in the upcoming season.
2. DE DA’SHAWN WOMACK
It didn’t take long for Womack to find his next home. The LSU transfer took an official visit to Ole Miss this week which culminated in his commitment. With two years of eligibility remaining, Womack still has time to reach the potential he showed as a high school prospect. The Maryland native was a top-100 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class and a fresh start might be exactly what he needs to get back on track.
3. OL AIDAN BANFIELD
Bill Belichick had barely started his introductory press conference at North Carolina when news broke that Banfield had withdrawn from the transfer portal. The true freshman offensive lineman from Georgia started nearly every game this season for the Tar Heels. It was a tough blow for North Carolina when he entered the transfer portal on Monday but the chance to play for Belichick was apparently too much for him to pass up.
4. DL SYDIR MITCHELL
It was a very big deal for Texas when Mitchell announced on Wednesday that he would be entering the transfer portal. The Longhorns were already prioritizing defensive tackles in the transfer portal because they are losing a few after the season. The 6-foot-6, 350-pound redshirt freshman has a bright future ahead and Texas really wants to keep him in Austin. There are reports that he has backtracked on his decision to transfer but he hasn’t made any announcement yet. It’s also important to note that Mitchell hasn’t officially entered the transfer portal. Mitchell’s situation is worth monitoring but it seems like he is trending towards staying with Texas.
5. DB SAGE RYAN
LSU will be without Ryan next season. The former five-star from Louisiana nearly transferred last offseason but decided to remain with the Tigers for this season. The redshirt junior seems intent on playing elsewhere this time around and there should be plenty of teams interested in the experienced safety. This season Ryan allowed just 16 receptions for 204 yards in 553 snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus.
6. QB MALACHI NELSON
Nelson made headlines when he left USC last offseason. The former five-star seemed like the heir-apparent to Caleb Williams but he decided that transferring to Boise State would give him a better chance at being successful. Instead, he didn’t win the starting job with the Broncos and only played in three games this season. Now Nelson is back in the transfer portal hoping to land somewhere he can get on the field.
7. WR BRENEN THOMPSON
Thompson signed with Texas in the 2022 class and expectations were extremely high for the Rivals250 prospect. The speedy receiver was only in Austin for one season before transferring to Oklahoma. Thompson wasn’t able to stay on the field consistently during his two seasons at Oklahoma and now he’s looking for a new team with his last year of eligibility.
8. WR NATHAN LEACOCK
With the transfer announcement from Leacock on Thursday, Tennessee has now lost four receivers to the transfer portal. The North Carolina native chose the Vols over NC State, Michigan, and many others when he committed in July before his senior season. Leacock, a top 100 prospect in the 2023 class, is an NC State legacy and the Wolfpack did just lose star receiver KC Concepcion to the transfer portal. It will be interesting to see if he decides to follow in his family’s footsteps and run with the pack.
9. OL JACQAWN MCROY
McRoy signed with Oregon in the 2024 class but used this season as his redshirt year. He’s not sticking around in Eugene for another year so the 6-foot-8, 375-pound offensive lineman is heading back closer to home. Arkansas landed his commitment on Thursday after he visited the Fayetteville campus. He is a welcome addition for head coach Sam Pittman after the Razorbacks lost a few offensive linemen to the transfer portal earlier this week.
10. DE WILL HELDT
Usually a player’s visit isn’t one of the biggest news items of the day but it’s not often that Clemson gets involved with a transfer prospect. Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are expected to host Heldt in the next few days, making the former Boilermaker a prime candidate to be the first defensive player Clemson has taken from the transfer portal. Heldt had a breakout sophomore season, racking up 54 tackles (35 solo), five sacks, nine tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery this season. LSU and Texas A&M are also involved with Heldt but Clemson’s involvement is of particular note.
