Stanford Football's Star Running Back Headed to the Transfer Portal

Portal activity is starting for Stanford football, as they're set to lose a big piece of the offense in the coming days

Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Cole Tabb (33) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Khmori House (7) defends in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Transfer portal activity is picking up steam around the college football world. While players cannot officially start committing to new programs until Jan. 2, players that want to transfer are already making their plans known. And for Stanford football, running back Cole Tabb is latest Cardinal looking for a change, with plans to put his name in the transfer portal coming out earlier this week.

Tabb, a redshirt freshman out of Choctawatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, showed a lot of promise during his time on The Farm but was never able to fully showcase his abilities due in large part to a crowded running back room.

Appearing in 14 total games over two seasons, Tabb rushed for 575 yards and three touchdowns on 141 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry, with most of those stats coming in 2025. Breaking out this season, Tabb ran 114 times for 445 yards and three touchdowns.

But even though Tabb proved that he can be relied on to take a bulk of the carries when needed, the emergence of guys like Micah Ford this season made it impossible for Tabb to get more touches. Bringing a nice combination of speed, aggression and tenacity, Tabb could prove himself to be a superstar at whichever program he decides to join next.

With three years of eligibility left, Tabb's decision as to where he wants to transfer to could be a big one. While he is a little bit undersized for a prototypical running back, standing at only 5-foot-8 and weighing 200 pounds, Tabb will want to find a place where he can compete for the starting job and prove himself to be worthy of NFL consideration.

Many programs in the Power Four will be in the market for a new ball carrier, making Tabb potentially a very intriguing option. He's also shown that he has the grades to get into any college, so he'll be able to explore more opportunities.

A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Tabb was ranked as the No. 6 running back in the state of Florida after a dominant prep career that saw him amass 5,100 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns.

A first-team all-state selection, he was the USA Today 3S Offensive Player of the Year and the 2022-23 Northwestern Florida Daily News Male Athlete of the Year. Tabb finished second in the state of Florida in rushing in the '22 season with over 2,400 yards and set his high school's record for most rushing yards in a game with a 365-yard performance.

The transfer portal window spans from Jan. 2-16, and while there is only one portal window nowadays as opposed to two, expect there to be a lot of activity, with guys like Tabb hard at work on trying to find their next program to call home.

While Stanford will certainly miss Tabb, Tavita Pritchard and company will use the next man up mentality as they look to bring success back to the gridiron on The Farm.