College Football Giant Crowned Transfer Portal Kings Following 2026 Draft

Fresh NFL Draft data settles a long-running debate about which program turns transfer additions into professional football careers.

The Oregon Ducks lead college football with 17 players acquired via the transfer portal who were later drafted into the NFL since 2023. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Roster construction in college football has been completely rewritten in five short years, and the receipts are finally piling up at the NFL level.

The 2026 draft saw 117 transfer players selected, according to a deep dive from On3's Andy Staples, more than double the figure from just three cycles earlier. That surge has turned the league into a real-time scoreboard for evaluating which programs actually develop the talent they import.

One school sits atop that scoreboard with no real challenger in sight.

Why Oregon leads college football's transfer-to-NFL pipeline

Since 2023, the Ducks have sent 17 former transfers into professional football. The next closest programs, Miami and Ole Miss, trail by five.

That gap has built quietly because Oregon doesn't dominate any single draft cycle. Instead, the program produces transfer draftees in steady waves, hitting at least three every year of the sample. No other school has managed that kind of yearly consistency.

Before joining the New England Patriots via the 2023 NFL Draft, former Oregon defensive back Christian Gonzalez (0) joined the Ducks via the transfer portal after two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The names tell the story. Current New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez left Colorado after two seasons, played one season in Eugene, then went 17th overall in 2023. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Derrick Harmon followed a similar arc, joining the Ducks after a few years with the Michigan State Spartans. The 22-year-old first-rounder heard his name called at No. 21 in the 2025 draft. Former Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman went 25th in last month's draft to round out another first-round portal hit.

Bo Nix took the longer route, spending two seasons as the Ducks' starter before becoming a 2024 first-rounder.

Dan Lanning's transfer strategy, 2026 portal outlook

Plenty of coaches spend big in the portal. The harder skill is spending precisely.

Lanning's program has paired its transfer success with healthy high school recruiting, signing 14 future draftees out of prep ranks during the same window. That depth lets the staff treat the portal as a scalpel rather than a shovel, plugging specific holes instead of rebuilding entire position groups every offseason.

Retention has become the third pillar. Quarterback Dante Moore turned down likely top-five draft money to come back for 2026. Defensive linemen Bear Alexander, Matayo Uiagalelei and A'Mauri Washington all bypassed the draft as well.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks brought in more than a dozen portal players this offseason. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning credited a candid culture for the buy-in, telling Oregon Ducks on SI, "this place has been a place that's really open and honest and provides opportunities."

This winter's class ranked just 25th nationally on paper, yet the additions look targeted: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, Minnesota All-Big Ten safety Koi Perich, UAB receiver Iverson Hooks and North Carolina defensive tackle D'Antre Robinson. Each fills a defined need rather than padding star totals.

Full list of Oregon transfers drafted into the NFL since 2023

2023 NFL Draft (2 transfers)

Christian Gonzalez, CB — Round 1, Pick 17 (New England Patriots) — transfer from Colorado
Jordon Riley, DL — Round 7, Pick 243 (New York Giants) — transfer from Nebraska

2024 NFL Draft (4 transfers)

Bo Nix, QB — Round 1, Pick 12 (Denver Broncos) — transfer from Auburn
Khyree Jackson, CB — Round 4, Pick 108 (Minnesota Vikings) — transfer from Alabama
Evan Williams, S — Round 4, Pick 111 (Green Bay Packers) — transfer from Fresno State
Bucky Irving, RB — Round 4, Pick 125 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — transfer from Minnesota

Former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix played for three years at Auburn before landing with the Ducks and eventually becoming the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2025 NFL Draft (6 transfers)

Derrick Harmon, DT — Round 1, Pick 21 (Pittsburgh Steelers) — transfer from Michigan State
Jordan Burch, EDGE — Round 3, Pick 78 (Arizona Cardinals) — transfer from South Carolina
Jamaree Caldwell, DT — Round 3, Pick 86 (Los Angeles Chargers) — transfer from Houston
Dillon Gabriel, QB — Round 3, Pick 94 (Cleveland Browns) — transfer from Oklahoma
Ajani Cornelius, OL — Round 6, Pick 204 (Dallas Cowboys) — transfer from Rhode Island
Tez Johnson, WR — Round 7, Pick 235 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — transfer from Troy

2026 NFL Draft (5 transfers)

Dillon Thieneman, S — Round 1, Pick 25 (Chicago Bears) — transfer from Purdue
Emmanuel Pregnon, OL — Round 3, Pick 88 (Jacksonville Jaguars) — transfer from USC
Jadon Canady, DB — Round 4, Pick 109 (Kansas City Chiefs) — transfer from Ole Miss
Malik Benson, WR — Round 6, Pick 195 (Las Vegas Raiders) — transfer from Florida State
Alex Harkey, OL — Round 6, Pick 206 (Los Angeles Chargers) — transfer from Texas State

NEW: College football teams with the most transfer portal players drafted since 2023👀

(via @AndyStaples) https://t.co/gRjFiNc5x9 pic.twitter.com/XUffC8xf3s

— On3 (@On3) May 7, 2026