Ranking the Top 15 FCS Transfer Portal Safeties for the 2026 Season

With the transfer portal window and National Signing Day in the rearview, it's time to turn our focus to analyzing all the great talent that signed with FCS programs across the country.

We continue with our positional rankings for the top FCS transfers ahead of the 2026 season. It will culminate in our annual FCS transfer portal rankings, which will be released next week.

There are many different ways to evaluate players and prospects, and these rankings are not meant to guarantee that a player will be successful, but to give an indication of how much value and potential they bring for the 2026 season.

We move on to defensive backs, focusing on Division I transfers from the FCS and FBS. We will circle back and take a look at some of the top Division II transfers later this offseason. This edition will highlight players who primarily play safety or the nickel position.

These rankings blend proven production with player potential. For the FCS, production is valued much more than potential; however, a large amount of value and consideration is given to the level of competition they have faced.

For example, we will be comparing players who may have experience in the Big Ten to players who found success in the NEC or Pioneer League, and that has to be factored in. The last thing we consider is the potential upside of a player.

Below are the Top 15 transfer safeties across FCS football ahead of the 2026 season, along with some notable honorable mentions.

15. Nate Lindsey-Gill (Indiana State)

Lindsey-Gill worked his way into a starting role over the past three seasons at Fordham. He finally won the job in 2025, finishing with 45 tackles and 3 pass breakups. He graded out as one of the better coverage safeties in the FCS, while showing improvement as a tackler later in the year.

14. Kamrin Canterbury (Prairie View A&M)

Canterbury is familiar with the FCS landscape, spending his true freshman season at Long Island in 2023. He was a Freshman All-American, finishing with 44 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, and 3 pass breakups. Last season, he started 6 games at Louisiana-Monroe, finishing with 31 tackles and 1 pass breakup. Canterbury was also a key contributor at West Florida in 2024, where he added 49 tackles and 4.5 TFLs in 10 games.

13. Tyson Grimm (Rhode Island)

Grimm is a super-experienced defensive back who played in nearly every game for Dartmouth over the past two years. He has posted over 100 career tackles with 2 INTs and 6 pass breakups. He's expected to play an important role for the Rams in 2026, who need to replace some major pieces in the secondary.

12. Kevin Dodard (South Dakota)

Dodard was outstanding as a sophomore at Lafayette, where he started 12 games for the Leopards. He finished with 52 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, and 9 pass breakups. He'll be taking a small step up in competition in the MVFC, but Dodard has all the tools to be a Day 1 contributor for the Coyotes.

11. Plae Wyatt (Abilene Christian)

Wyatt was one of Rice's best players in 2023, leading the team with 81 total tackles, while adding 3 TFLs and 6 pass breakups. He suffered an injury in the first game of 2024, which sidelined him for the entire season. He struggled to find his rhythm in 2025, posting 10 tackles and 1 INT. If he can find a way to get back to that pre-injury production, Wyatt could be a force in the UAC next season.

10. Kael Kolarik (South Dakota)

Kolarick played in all 13 games the past two seasons at Iowa, getting plenty of experience in one of the best conferences in college football. He's expected to push for a larger role at South Dakota, bringing much-needed experience to a projected young secondary for the Coyotes.

9. Cam Smith (Youngstown State)

Smith is a former 3-star recruit who spent three seasons at Iowa State, playing in nearly 30 games for the Cyclones. He graded out extremely well in the Big 12, making his potential extremely high next season with Youngstown State. He's returning to his home state, where he was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

8. Joshua Tarver (Furman)

Tarver has been a key starter for Yale since 2023, helping the Bulldogs win 2 Ivy League titles over the past three seasons. He's posted 94 career tackles, 6 INTs, and 18 pass breakups for the Bulldogs. He also adds value as a kick returner, where he had 495 yards with an average of 27.5 yards per return. Tarver was an All-New England selection this season as a return specialist.

7. Jalen Foster (Jackson State)

Foster played over 250 snaps at Louisiana-Monroe last season, starting the final five games of the year. He ended the year with 29 tackles and 2 pass breakups, but graded out as an elite tackler, which flashes on film. He was also a standout at Highland CC, where he had 78 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 9 pass breakups. Foster should compete for immediate playing time in a revamped Jackson State secondary.

6. Colin Douglas (East Texas A&M)

Douglas had a breakout season as a sophomore at St. Francis. He had 76 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 INTs, 7 pass breakups, and 3 forced fumbles. He finished as one of the highest-graded defensive players in the FCS, posting a 90.9 overall defensive grade and a 90.5 coverage grade via Pro Football Focus.

5. Virgil Marshall (Jackson State)

Marshall played over 700 snaps over his career at Western Kentucky, including 8 starts for the Hilltoppers. He has the ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, but really thrived at STAR in 2023, starting 7 games that year. He recorded 39 career tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 4 pass breakups. His skill set should translate very well to the SWAC.

4. Avyonne Jones (Stephen F. Austin)

Jones has played in 33 career games at Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt over the past three years. He had the best season of his career in 2025, posting 52 tackles, 1 INT, and 2 pass breakups in 13 games. Jones is a great hybrid player who should be an immediate impact addition for the Lumberjacks.

3. Hayden John (UC Davis)

John played over 550 snaps for the Vandals as a redshirt sophomore last season. He finished with 53 tackles, 1 INT, and 5 pass breakups in 11 games. He graded out as one of the best tackling safeties in the Big Sky, posting a 90.1 tackling grade via PFF. His familiarity with the Big Sky makes this an even more impactful addition for the Aggies, who need immediate starters in the secondary.

2. Shoes Brinkley (Northern Arizona)

Brinkley started all 12 games for McNeese last season, earning third-team All-SLC honors from Phil Steele. He led the Cowboys with 81 tackles, while also adding 4.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 3 INTs, and 4 pass breakups. He started his career at Delaware, where he played 11 games as a true freshman, before spending a season at Los Angeles College. Brinkley should be an instant impact player for the Lumberjacks.

1. Dillon Williams (Abilene Christian)

Williams has been an elite playmaker for Central Arkansas, playing over 1,600 snaps for the Bears since 2022. He has 163 total tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 3 INTs, and 11 pass breakups over the past two years. Williams was a second-team All-UAC selection in 2025. He graded out as one of the best safeties in the country and brings All-American potential to the Abilene Christian secondary.

Honorable Mentions:

Anthony Busa (Tennessee Tech)
David Spruiells (East Texas A&M)
Ta'Ron Haile (Austin Peay)
Devin Hunter (ETSU)
Caleb Williams (South Carolina State)
Isaac Redford (Portland State)
Ryan Barrett (Stony Brook)
Jason Duclona (Florida A&M)
Alex Dawkins (Tennessee Tech)
Raleigh Collins (Youngstown State)
Kaden Mackey (Austin Peay)
DJ Estes (Bryant)
Sherrod Hudson (Delaware State)
Ashton Paine (Montana)
Tommy Ramano (Weber State)
William Tackie Jr. (Holy Cross)
Rondell Carter (Prairie View A&M)
Tevin Tucker (North Carolina Central)
Lynard Harris (Nicholls)
Devin Dunn (Montana)
Jaylyn Monds (Duquesne)
Jouvenson Romulus (Western Illinois)
Arison Walker (Indiana State)
Amare Townsend (Bryant)

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