Special to Sports News Highlights

Rejoice, college football fans. We are just a few months away from the start of the 2024 college football season.

NIL and the transfer portal have altered the college football landscape. Unlike years past, teams can now add players via the portal and not have to worry about them sitting out for a season. Players can now also be compensated for their name, image, and likeness, which gives a leg up to schools with large fanbases and donors.

What this has created is an NFL free agency-style offseason in which the top colleges are competing to land the top players via the portal.

Naturally, this offseason has been an interesting one. Several five-star players have switched schools due to playing time or coaching changes. The balance of power in college football could be affected by some of the moves that took place this offseason. Today, let’s identify the three schools that improved the most from the transfer portal this offseason.

Ole Miss Rebels

If we’re talking about transfer classes, the Ole Miss Rebels have to be mentioned. Lane Kiffin and his crew wasted no time diving into the portal and added several immediate contributors.

In December, the Rebels added 5-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen, 4-star linebacker Chris Paul Jr., 4-star wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr., and 4-star edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, among others. While those players alone would give the Rebels an incredible class, the team was not done there.

In January, the Rebels added 4-star defensive back Yam Banks, 4-star running back Logan Diggs, and 4-star corner Trey Amos. Overall, the Rebels added 20 players via the portal and earned the highest-rated class via 247Sports. The Rebels added one 5-star, seven 4-stars, and 12 3-stars.

Not only did the Rebels greatly improve their roster, they also hurt many of their rivals. Nolen, Paul, Umanmielen, Wells, Diggs, and Amos were all lured away from SEC rivals. This class is the cream of the crop.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ transfer portal class has gone under the radar when compared to others. However, the Buckeyes are the only team to add multiple 5-star recruits in this cycle. Perhaps the two most talented transfers in this class, quarterback Julian Sayin and defensive back Caleb Downs, both committed to the Buckeyes. Ryan Day’s squad now has a star QB for the future and one of the highest-recruited DBs in recent memory to add to a stacked roster.

The Buckeyes went for a “quality over quantity” approach, only adding six transfers. However, the other four transfers could also be big contributors in 2024. Quinshon Judkins gives the team a deadly one-two punch at running back with incumbent TreVeyon Henderson. Seth McLaughlin is an experienced starter on the interior offensive line who can play guard or center. Will Kacmarek is a receiving threat at tight end. And finally, Will Howard is contending for the starting QB job for this season.

The Buckeyes’ class isn’t the highest-rated due to the low number of additions. However, from an impact perspective, this may be the best class of all.

Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks are entering the Big Ten conference this season. The conference will be a major step up for the Ducks who are leaving the basically defunct Pac-12. Now, the Ducks have to prepare for the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, while still being in the same conference as Washington and USC. In response, the Ducks absolutely killed it in the portal.

The Ducks added one 5-star, six 4-stars, and six 3-stars. The most notable addition is wide receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M. The speedy receiver gives the Ducks a legitimate number-one option on the outside. The team also added a replacement for departing QB Bo Nix in Dillon Gabriel. 4-star DLs Jamaree Caldwell and Derrick Harmon, along with 4-star CBs Cam Alexander and Jabbar Muhammad highlight the rest of the class for the Ducks.

If the Ducks want to prove that 2023 is repeatable, this is the type of class to do it with. It would not be a surprise to see the Ducks competing with the likes of the Buckeyes, Wolverines, and Huskies for the Big Ten Championship.

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