Twelve of the Top 100 Football Transfers Headed to Pac-12 in 2021

More than 2,000 players entered the football transfer portal this year, and 247Sports ranked the top 100 transfers (the top 5 percent) to give us an idea of where the best talent is headed.

Twelve of the top 100 transfers are coming to Pac-12 schools, seven are leaving Pac-12 schools and two are going from one Pac-12 school to another. That sounds impressive, but if you break it down further, just two of the top 50 transfers are headed for Pac-12 schools and five of the top 50 are leaving the Pac-12.

None of the nine former Cal players who entered the transfer portal are on this top-100 list, but the one transfer Cal landed -- former Florida State defensive back Raymond Woodie III -- is ranked No. 56. Woodie is already enrolled at Cal and participated in the Golden Bears' spring football. (I would have expected wide receiver Makai Polk, who transferred from Cal to Mississippi State, to be on this top-100 list.)

The top-ranked transfer coming into the Pac-12 is running back Zach Charbonnet, who is ranked No. 16 and is transferring from Michigan to UCLA.

The highest-ranked player leaving the Pac-12 is linebacker Palaie Gaoteote, who is departing from USC but has not chosen a new school yet.

The player transferring into the Pac-12 expected to make the biggest impact is quarterback Charlie Brewer, who is moving from Baylor to Utah. He is only No. 86 in the 247Sports rankings, and we believe he should be ranked considerably higher, at least in the top 50. The fact that he has only one year of eligibility remaining may have something to do with his low ranking.

The two most significant players who left the Pac-12 are quarterback Tyler Shough (No. 53, from Oregon to Texas Tech) and quarterback Grant Gunnell (No. 46, from Arizona to Memphis).

Here are the top 100 transfers who are coming into the Pac-12, leaving the Pac-12 and transferring within the Pac-12. They are listed in order of their ranking, with a 247Sports description for top-50 transfers.

TOP-100 TRANSFERS COMING INTO PAC-12

16. Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA (from Michigan):

Huge freshman season for the Wolverines then battled injuries. Charbonnet has high-end ability that UCLA could benefit from.

29. Keaontay Ingram, RB, USC (from Texas):

Injuries and inconsistency kept Ingram from reaching his high ceiling at Texas, but a change of scenery should do him well.

54. Brendan Radley-Hiles, DB, Washington (from Oklahoma)

55. Xavion Alford, DB, USC (from Texas)

56. Raymond Woodie III, DB, Cal (from Florida State)

58. Ishmael Sopsher, DT, USC (from Alabama)

60. Jalin Conyers, WR, Arizona State (from Oklahoma)

66. Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington (from Texas Tech)

69. Chris Thompson Jr., DB, USC (from Auburn)

71. Tahj Washington, WR, USC (from Memphis)

73. Cameron Johnson, DB, UCLA (from North Texas)

86. Charlie Brewer, QB, Utah (from Baylor)

TOP-100 TRANSFERS LEAVING PAC-12

10. Palaie Gaoteote IV, LB, Uncommitted (from USC):

Still deciding on a school, with Ohio State and Texas in the mix. Injuries have limited the one-time five-star, but he's a ferocious downhill linebacker if he stays healthy.

14. Puka Nacua, WR, BYU (from Washington):

Nacua might get better QB play at BYU than he did at Washington. The All-American Bowl's Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 can fill up the stat sheet.

39. Stephen Carr, RB, Indiana (from USC):

Versatile running back in need of a change of scenery. The former five-star can aid the Hoosiers in the passing game.

41. Markkese Stepp, RB, Nebraska (from USC):

Has flashed over the years, still hasn't fully tapped into his ceiling as the bruising, 230-pound back he can be.

46. Grant Gunnell, QB, Memphis (from Arizona):

A top-25 QB in 2019 by many metrics, the best is yet to come for Gunnell.

53. Tyler Shough, QB, Texas Tech (from Oregon)

96. Jordan Wilmore, RB, Fresno State (from Utah)

TOP-100 TRANSFERS MOVING WITHIN PAC-12 (They can play for their new school immediately)

24. Ethan Garbers, QB, UCLA (from Washington):

Dorian-Thompson Robinson is the current starter for the Bruins, but Garbers — a former top-150 recruit — might very well be the future.

65. Bryan Thompson, WR, Arizona State (from Utah)

Cover photo of Raymond Woodie III by Ivan Pierre Aguirre, USA TODAY Sports

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