1,100-Yard RB Ranked No. 1 College Football Transfer to Watch in Spring Games

The transfer portal delivers everything from superstars to depth players. But a running back on his third school and fresh off a massive 2025 is one of the most-anticipated transfers to see in 2026.

In a recent ranking, Bleacher Report marked this standout running back as their top player to watch in the upcoming 2026 spring games. With spring practice already underway at Nebraska and Clemson, the run-up to spring games will be rolling soon. And there's a big-time running back worth watching.

Top Transfer to Watch

Texas picked up Arizona State transfer Raleek Brown in the portal and he's perhaps the player to watch. Brown was a four-star running back recruit out of high school who went to USC. Brown saw some action with the Trojans as a true freshman in 2022, running for 227 yards and three scores while catching three more touchdowns.

Brown's History

But in 2023, Brown only played in two games and after the season, he transferred to Arizona State. Similarly, in 2024, he played in two games and again only saw the football a handful of times. But in 2025, Brown took off for an epic season. After a quiet opener, Brown topped 100 rushing yards in three of ASU's next four games.

His ultimate game to remember came against Colorado, when Brown ran for 255 yards. For the 2025 season, he totaled 1,141 yards on the ground and added another 239 receiving yards. Brown would likely have reached 1,500 total yards had he not opted out of the Sun Devils' bowl game.

Bleacher Report's Brad Shepard calls Brown a "home-run hitter" and terms him "probably the best addition to an SEC offense you don't know a lot about." While there are other running backs who might have ranked higher in transfer portal evaluation, Brown combines a big-play skill set and an opportunity to shine.

Texas QB Arch Manning will likely benefit from Brown's addition to the Longhorn backfield in 2026. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

It is noteworthy that Brown rushed for progressively move yards per carry in each succeeding quarter. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry in the fourth quarter in 2025. Brown also popped a dozen 20+ yard runs in 2025. That's exactly the same total that Texas reached as a team last season in terms of 20+ yard rushes.

The Longhorns struggled with the running game, with some constantly shifting personnel. CJ Baxter was the expected star, but he battled injuries and didn't top 40 yards in a game after Week 2. Tre Wisner missed three games due to his own injuries, but ended up as the best Longhorn rusher. Texas had a streak of four straight 1,000 yard seasons, but Wisner led Texas with 597 yards.

Texas's Tre Wisner had a rough 2025 season and has transferred to Florida State. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images