Projecting the 10 Most Impactful SEC Football Transfers in 2026

The LSU Tigers and Texas Longhorns spent close to or potentially over $40 million on their rosters for the 2026 College Football season. LSU, the Ole Miss Rebels, and Texas finished with the top-three ranked portal hauls, respectively, after January's transaction action.

The SEC is ready to break up the Big Ten's sprouting monopoly on the sport. Not only is the money being thrown around by mega-donors across the SEC, but there's a push to lock players into longer deals at the federal government level.

Here are the 10 transfers who can help their teams take a leap during a high-stakes 2026 season in the SEC's nine-conference game debut.

Sam Leavitt (Arizona State to LSU, QB)

Lane Kiffin's aggressive bid to turn the Bayou Bengals into a force to be reckoned with in his Baton Rouge debut starts at the top with Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt.

As the only PFF-graded QB as a passer and rusher to be over an 80 by their scale, Leavitt helped ASU stay relevant in 2025 despite not getting the Sun Devils back to the CFP for a second time. Leavitt comes to LSU with all the tools to lead the Tigers to their first CFP since Joe Burrow won it all in the 2019-20 season.

Jordan Seaton (Colorado to LSU, OT)

Leavitt will have one of the most talented linemen in the game, Colorado Buffaloes transfer Jordan Seaton, covering his blindside during his likely one-and-done season in Baton Rouge. As for Seaton, after two years in Boulder, the 2026 season is his likely springboard to the top of the draft.

As a freshman, Seaton anchored the Buffs' offensive line, giving up just three sacks in over 612 pass-blocking snaps. Shedeur Sanders was empowered to go from the most-sacked man in the sport to a 4,100-plus-yard passer. Leavitt might be the best QB Seaton has ever protected, so his name will become even more of a household one. If there's one head coach who can top Deion Sanders with the spotlight, it's Kiffin.

Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss to LSU, EDGE)

Perhaps the most personal poach Kiffin took from his former Ole Miss Rebels underling, defensive coordinator-turned-head coach Pete Golding was his best pass-rusher, Princewill Umanmielen. As a nine-sack nightmare for opposing QBs last season in Oxford, Mississippi, Umanmielen may have been the best defensive player to join a new roster this coming fall. He'll be the heart and soul of LSU's attack.

Carius Curne (LSU to Ole Miss, OT)

As for players who went the other way, Carius Curne could help enable another massive season for running back Kewan Lacy. If Curne could improve enough under OC John David Baker and OL coach John Garrison to be a consistent source of blindside protection for Trinidad Chambliss, Curne could take a massive step forward in his sophomore year. We know Curne's six-foot-six, 320-pound frame will hold up against SEC physicality based on what he showed his freshman year.

Jay Crawford (Auburn to Ole Miss, CB)

Jay Crawford was one of the bright spots on a strong Auburn Tigers defense that didn't get its due because Hugh Freeze couldn't guide the offense to 20 points most nights. Crawford had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions across 22 appearances with Auburn. While AU always provided strong position coaching, Crawford has the chance to play in more relevant games and increase his visibility for the 2027 NFL draft on The Grove.

Byrum Brown (USF to Auburn, QB)

Byrum Brown was the crown jewel of Alex Golesh's talent care package for the Tigers following the head coach's jump to the Plains from a successful two-year stint with the USF Bulls. Having surpassed 3,000 yards in his last two fully healthy seasons, Brown figures to raise the ceiling in Auburn's QB room to a degree it hasn't seen since Bo Nix left in 2021.

Amaris Williams (Auburn to Georgia, EDGE)

Amaris Williams left a good system under DJ Durkin for a legendary one under Kirby Smart. The Georgia Bulldogs have sent an edge rusher to the top two rounds of the NFL draft in four of the last five drafts.

CJ Allen is about to make that five of the last six in April, though he is more of a thumping run-stopper than an elite EDGE. Williams has the chance to be the next great pass-rusher in Athens as a freak athlete who'll be playing alongside the most similarly pedigreed players of his football career.

Cam Coleman (Auburn to Texas, WR)

The Texas Longhorns gave Arch Manning a second potential WR1 to pair with Ryan Wingo in Auburn transfer Cam Coleman. Originally a Texas A&M Aggies commit, Coleman's shine was dimmed under Freeze, who gave him Payton Thorne and Jackson Arnold as his QB1 selections.

There may not be a better QB to play with than Arch Manning, who took his bumps at the start of the 2025 season before morphing into everything we thought we'd see by November. There's a very strong chance Coleman is on the end of the majority of Manning's highlight-reel deep balls in 2026.

Hollywood Smothers (NC State to Texas, RB)

What could make the Longhorns the most well-oiled offensive machine in 2026 is a great run game. Hollywood Smothers comes to Austin with explosive abilities in the open field. For the NC State Wolfpack in 2025, Smothers broke out for runs of 65, 59, 51, and 42 yards. Steve Sarkisian stealing him from the Alabama Crimson Tide could go down as one of the biggest swings of the portal, since Ryan Grubb and Kalen DeBoer's offense could've badly used Smothers' talents.

Raleek Brown (Arizona State to Texas, RB)

Texas did everything possible to ensure that Manning's potential last ride with the Horns goes as well as possible. Not only did Sark and Co. bring on Smothers, but they brought in a workhorse back in Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry and broke a Sun Devils program record in November with 255 yards rushing against Colorado. Brown and Smothers could be the next Quinshon Judkins/TreVeyon Henderson in Central Texas this year.