College football’s 10 most impactful defenders of the transfer portal era, ranked

Drew Sanders ended up at Arkansas after two years of minimal action at Alabama. The touted recruit had a breakout campaign with the Razorbacks, earning First Team All-American honors as one of the best linebackers in the country. Sanders led Arkansas in both tackles (103) and sacks (9.5), while forcing three fumbles and recording an interception in coverage. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the top linebacker in college football. Sanders opted to forgo his remaining eligibility and declare early for the 2023 NFL Draft where the Denver Broncos selected him in the third round.

Tyree Wilson became the highest NFL Draft pick from Texas Tech since 1965 after three standout seasons in Lubbock — yes, even higher than Patrick Mahomes. The disruptive pass rusher recorded 15.5 sacks and 29.0 tackles for loss to go along with 110 total tackles as a Red Raider after transferring in from Texas A&M in 2020. Wilson earned First Team All-American honors despite missing the final three games of the season. The Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Ivan Pace Jr. returned to his hometown of Cincinnati and immediately emerged as one of the best linebackers in the nation during the 2022 season. Pace finished sixth nationally in total tackles (136) and third in tackles for loss (20.5). The former Miami (Ohio) standout also led the Bearcats with 10 sacks. Pace earned unanimous All-American honors and American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season at Cincinnati, where he teamed up with his younger brother, Deshawn Pace. The older Pace went undrafted, but earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.

Christian Gonzalez started every game as a freshman at Colorado in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season and made a significant impact as a sophomore before moving on as a transfer to Oregon in 2022 — the first year under new head coach Dan Lanning. The First Team All-Pac-12 safety led a Ducks’ defense that snagged 16 total interceptions, three of which claimed by Gonzalez. He also recorded 45 total tackles and seven pass breakups in coverage. The New England Patriots selected Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Not only did Marcus Jones make an impact on the Houston defense as a transfer, he also excelled on special teams with five return touchdowns in two seasons. After two standout years at Troy, Jones opted to move on to the Cougars where he was forced to sit out the 2019 season. He played in seven games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign before becoming a consensus All-American in 2021. He racked up a list of honors during his time at Houston, including American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year (2021), two-time First Team All-AAC (2020, 2021) as a return specialist and the Paul Hornung Award (2021) as the most versatile player in college football. The New England Patriots selected Jones in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. 

From one two-way threat to another, Travis Hunter seemingly just scratched the service of his potential at Colorado in 2023 after missing three games due to injury. He finished as the second-leading receiver for the Buffaloes with 721 yards and five touchdowns on 57 receptions while also leading Colorado with three interceptions on defense. Hunter played a total of 1,074 (!!) snaps in nine games. The former Jackson State standout and No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 class earned consensus All-American honors as all-purpose and the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football. 

Jaelan Phillips spent the first two seasons of his college football career at UCLA before medically retiring following an injury accident in December 2018. However, he returned to the field less than two years later as a transfer at Miami in 2020. The defensive end impressed in his lone season with the Hurricanes, earning Second Team All-ACC and Second Team All-American honors. He finished with 45 total tackles, including a team-high 15.5 for loss and eight sacks. He remained in South Florida after the Miami Dolphins selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Jared Verse went from being First Team All-CAA at Albany in the FCS to a two-time First Team All-American at Florida State in the FBS as a transfer. The standout pass rusher totaled 89 tackles, including 29.5 for loss with 18 sacks in two seasons with the Seminoles and made a major impact during an undefeated 2023 regular season that included an ACC championship. Florida State won 19 consecutive games with Verse in the lineup and only lost three times during his two years in Tallahassee. There is a reason why the Los Angeles Rams selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jermaine Johnson II paved a similar path at Florida State the year prior to Jared Verse becoming a menace. The former JUCO prospect and incoming transfer from Georgia was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He recorded 70 total tackles, including 18 for loss with 12 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as one of the most disruptive defensive players in college football that season. The New York Jets selected Johnson in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He earned Pro Bowl honors in just his second season.

Laiatu Latu bounced back from a neck injury at Washington that nearly ended his career and became a unanimous All-American at UCLA two years later. The fierce pass rusher led the FBS in tackles for loss (21.5) and ranked tied for fourth in sacks (13.0) this past season, making a major impact on a Bruins defense that significantly improved from the prior year. Latu earned numerous postseason honors, including the Ted Hendricks Award as the top defensive end in college football. The Indianapolis Colts selected Latu with the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the first defensive player off the board.