The spring window for college football players to enter the NCAA transfer portal is closed with Sunday marking the deadline for entry. Though many notable players submitted their names with plenty of time to spare, and have since committed to new homes, a handful of transfer portal entries this cycle have yet to announce where they will take their talents next season.
There is no hard deadline for players in the transfer portal to commit to a new program, but time is still of the essence for players and schools alike as roster holes are filled -- and some schools have more holes to plug than others. No program is undergoing a roster overhaul this offseason quite like Colorado as more than 40 Buffaloes players entered the transfer portal in the spring window alone as the first enters its first season under coach Deion Sanders.
Sanders and Colorado are not short on top-rated transfer talent to replace those departures from the 2022 roster, but some of the outbound Colorado players make for hot names in the transfer portal that remain uncommitted. Wide receivers Jordyn Tyson and Montana Lemonious-Craig were Colorado's top most productive pass-catchers a year ago, and both remain on the transfer market entering the week.
As coaching staffs nationwide finalize their rosters for the 2023 college football season, here are some of the best players still up for grabs with the spring transfer portal window having come and gone.
1. Zakhari Franklin, WR
Previous school: UTSA
Franklin posted prolific numbers each of the past two seasons as UTSA captured back-to-back Conference USA championships. The Dallas-area native caught 81 passes for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021, and increased his production in 2022 to 93 catches for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns. The latter earned him Phil Steele honorable mention All-America honors. With four years of experience under his belt, and the production previously mentioned, he can immediately boost any offense in need of veteran pass-catcher.
2. Keon Coleman, WR
Previous school: Michigan State
When it comes to experienced Power Five wide receivers still in the transfer portal, Coleman tops that list. Coleman led all Michigan State players in 2022 with 58 catches for 798 yards and seven touchdowns, and still has two years of eligibility as he seeks a new home. 247Sports ranked Coleman as a top 50 WR in the 2021 recruiting cycle with more than 40 schools extending him offers. Expect the Louisiana native to receive plenty of interest from schools looking to add a reliable target to their offense.
3. Isaac Ukwu, DE
Previous school: James Madison
A seventh-year senior, Ukwu battled injuries early in his James Madison career but started every game for the Dukes the past two seasons. He earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors after recording 40 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2022, JMU's first at the FBS level after leaving the Colonial Athletic Association for the Sun Belt. Ukwu was a Second Team All-CAA selection in 2021 after registering 44 total tackles and nine sacks. For any schools looking to significantly bolster their pass rush, Ukwu may very well be the answer.
4. Jordan Hudson, WR
Previous school: TCU
There is buzz of Hudson landing at SMU, the school Hudson committed to as a four-star prospect before flipping to TCU as Sonny Dykes' regime left Dallas for Fort Worth. Initially a verbal commit to Oklahoma, Hudson still has a healthy amount to prove compared to some others on the list, but he showed flashes as a true freshman during TCU's run to the College Football Playoff National Championship last season. Hudson ended his lone season as a Horned Frog catching just 14 passes, but three of those receptions went for touchdowns.
5. Cam'Ron Johnson, OL
Previous school: Houston
The third transfer portal entry from a Texas school to make the list, Johnson rose to the occasion on the Houston offensive line in 2022. He started all 13 games for the Cougars at left guard and allowed one sack all season, earning him First Team All-American Athletic Conference honors. 247Sports reported in mid-April that Johnson was down to USC and Missouri as transfer options, and either school should benefit tremendously from him in the trenches. Arkansas was also reportedly among those to pursue Johnson after his transfer portal entry.
6. Alton McCaskill, RB
Previous school: Houston
McCaskill is only a bit of gamble because he missed all of 2022 due to injury, but he came firing out of a cannon at full strength two years ago. McCaskill rushed for 981 yards and 16 touchdowns over 189 carries for Houston as a true freshman in 2021, also catching 21 passes for 113 yards and two scores as the Cougars roared to 12 wins. There is noise of Deion Sanders and Colorado making a strong push for Texas native as the Buffaloes overhaul their roster. 247Sports ranked McCaskill 28th among all running back prospects in the 2021 recruiting cycle.
7. Xzavier Henderson, WR
Previous school: Florida
Henderson brings not only healthy SEC experience but versatility to the table. The former four-star prospect and Miami native made 14 starts for the Gators across the past two seasons at wide receiver and doubled as a return specialist. The 2022 season was Henderson's most productive with 38 receptions for for 410 yards and two touchdowns. Throughout his three-year Florida career, Henderson tallied 75 receptions for 835 yards and five touchdowns, adding 137 yards in kickoff returns and 270 yards in punt returns. Henderson entered the transfer portal in the spring window, so he won't be able to transfer to any SEC institutions without forgoing eligibility for the 2023 season.
8. Casey Thompson, QB
Previous schools: Nebraska (2022), Texas (2018-21)
If Thompson can stay healthy, he will add serious depth to next quarterback room he joins. Thompson was the primary starter at Texas in 2021 and Nebraska in 2022, but injuries plagued both of those tenures. Thompson battled a thumb injury with the Longhorns -- he still threw for 24 touchdowns that fall -- and then suffered a shoulder injury with the Cornhuskers last year that required surgery in the offseason. Over the past two seasons, Thompson completed 535 passes for 4,520 yards with a 41-19 touchdown-to-interception ratio and rushed for nine additional touchdowns. Auburn is reportedly on his visit list.
9. Jordyn Tyson, WR
Previous school: Colorado
Colorado's leading receiver in 2022, Tyson was hitting his stride before suffering a season-ending injury against Oregon in early November. Tyson registered 115 yards and a touchdown against Arizona State and then went for 135 yards and a touchdown in the aforementioned contest against the Ducks. If he bounces back from the injury setback that cut last season short, the Allen (Texas) High School product can be an instant-impact transfer at his next stop. TCU, who hosts Colorado in Week 1, was reported as showing interest shortly after Tyson's transfer portal entry.
10. Payton Thorne, QB
Previous school: Michigan State
Along with Thompson, Thorne makes for one of the most notable quarterbacks still on the market. Michigan State's starter of two years was plagued by inconsistencies in 2022 as the Spartans stumbled to a 5-7 mark, but Thorne was a centerpiece of an offense in 2021 that guided MSU to an 11-2 finish and New Year's Six bowl win. Thorne completed 60.4% of his passes that season for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. For teams looking to add a signal-caller with Power Five experience, he checks the boxes.
Honorable mention: Montana Lemonious-Craig, WR (Colorado); Tre'Quon Fegans, CB (Alabama); Jalil Tucker, CB (Oregon); T.J. Finley, QB (Auburn, LSU)
