The switch portal presents hope. Possibly new additions will enhance a struggling place group. Possibly a couple of gamers can elevate an in any other case pedestrian offense or protection. Possibly some transfers can dramatically enhance your favourite group.
Typically that hope could be misplaced, although, and the transfers who had been celebrated through the offseason find yourself having little affect on the sector. There have already been a number of high-profile instances of this state of affairs in 2025.
Now that we’re 5 weeks into the season, we are able to begin to assess the unlucky facet of the portal: Essentially the most disappointing transfers of the faculty soccer season.
RB Jaydn Ott (Oklahoma by way of Cal)
Ott rushed for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore at Cal in 2023 and solidified himself as one of many extra underrated gamers within the nation. In 2024, he was hampered by an ankle damage, limiting him to 385 yards on 116 carries.
However the promise Ott displayed early in his faculty profession made him a extremely coveted participant when he entered the portal this previous spring. He was ninth in The Athletic’s rating of the highest 100 transfers. And the imaginative and prescient was clear when he transferred to Oklahoma: Ott and quarterback John Mateer would be part of forces to present the Sooners one of the dynamic backfields within the nation.
The imaginative and prescient has not come anyplace near changing into a actuality. Ott has rushed solely 9 instances for 17 yards, although he has been slowed by a shoulder damage.
“You would like he was a bit additional alongside in each method,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables mentioned after Ott carried the ball 4 instances for 11 yards towards Temple on Sept. 13. “No matter alternatives you have got, you get in there, you’re prepared, you’ve bought good juice, power, aggressiveness, you have got an assault mindset, all these issues. Every little thing provides up. Every little thing issues. We’d like to get him going. If all issues are good in that regard that I simply mentioned. … (He) could be a actual weapon.”
That was the final time we noticed Ott in motion. He didn’t document a carry within the Sooners’ SEC opener towards Auburn.
Mateer, who underwent surgical procedure for a hand damage final week, needed to carry a heavy load for Oklahoma’s operating assault when he was wholesome. The Sooners may desperately use a expertise like Ott to emerge as a gamebreaker, however he’s been a whole non-factor in a dashing assault that’s among the many worst within the nation.
Oklahoma ranks 114th nationally in yards per rush (3.58). It has produced simply two runs of 20-plus yards (a hundred and fifteenth) and solely 15 of 10-plus yards (one hundred and fifth).
Ott ranks fourth in makes an attempt amongst tailbacks, behind Tory Blaylock (42), Jovantae Barnes (19) and Xavier Robinson (13).
It is going to be fascinating to see what Ott’s future seems like contemplating he’s on monitor for back-to-back underwhelming seasons. He has performed in solely three video games and has not utilized a redshirt throughout his faculty profession. He has one season of eligibility left if he redshirts this 12 months.
RB Makhi Hughes (Oregon by way of Tulane)
Hughes’ 1,401 dashing yards ranked tenth nationally final season. That was coming off a 1,378-yard marketing campaign in 2023. So it made sense that his switch to Oregon generated quite a lot of buzz and optimism within the offseason.
However Hughes has carried the ball simply 17 instances for 70 yards this season and has had no actual presence in Oregon’s offense. It reached the purpose the place he didn’t even journey with the group for this previous weekend’s recreation at Penn State, per The Oregonian’s James Crepea.
Amongst Oregon’s 74-man journey squad is 5 QBs, together with 2 walk-ons. However preseason All-American and 2x 1,000-yard RB just isn’t. At least, this wasn’t the plan for Makhi Hughes. Geese nonetheless greater than high quality at RB although.
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) September 27, 2025
Whereas Oklahoma’s operating recreation has struggled, the Geese are nonetheless a lot adequate (tenth nationally at 6.27 yards per carry) even with out Hughes being a serious contributor. True freshman Dierre Hill Jr. displayed his expertise towards Penn State this previous weekend with 82 yards dashing to associate with a landing reception. The Geese even have veterans Noah Whittington and Jayden Limar, in addition to one other proficient true freshman, Jordon Davison, who rushed for a landing within the win towards the Nittany Lions.
It might be potential that the bounce in competitors — not on the sector, however on the depth chart — might need been an excessive amount of for Hughes to beat.
One of many causes Hughes transferred to Oregon was to play together with his half-brother Na’eem Offord, a five-star cornerback signee within the Geese’ 2025 recruiting class. What Hughes, a fourth-year junior who has already utilized his redshirt, decides to do after this season can be price monitoring.
OL Ethan Onianwa (Ohio State by way of Rice)
A Energy 4 offensive coordinator instructed The Athletic that Onianwa possesses “first-round expertise.” He allowed only one sack over 341 pass-blocking snaps for Rice final season, in response to TruMedia, making him one of the standard offensive linemen within the switch portal this offseason.
Onianwa didn’t win a beginning job out of coaching camp, however he rotated at proper guard through the season-opening win at Texas and performed some towards Grambling and Ohio. However Onianwa, a redshirt senior, didn’t play within the Buckeyes’ highway win at Washington this previous weekend.
Ohio State has allowed simply two sacks this season, so the road has been high quality, however this isn’t actually how anybody anticipated Onianwa’s season to go.
WR Nic Anderson (LSU by way of Oklahoma)
Anderson caught 38 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma in 2023 however was restricted to 1 recreation in 2024 because of damage. LSU clearly thought it was getting a participant who would add big-play potential to a receiving corps that returned Aaron Anderson and likewise added Barion Brown from Kentucky.
However Nic Anderson ranks fifth amongst LSU’s receivers in each catches (eight) and receiving yards (72), and he wasn’t even the supposed goal on his most significant play of the season — a 7-yard landing reception off a deflection at Ole Miss this previous weekend.
Ricochet TOUCHDOWN
📺 ABC | @nicanderson04 pic.twitter.com/KJ1Euz9N7h
— LSU Soccer (@LSUfootball) September 27, 2025
The Tigers are actually struggling on offense and are trying to find playmakers. They haven’t scored greater than 23 factors towards an FBS opponent and rank 71st nationally in move performs of 20-plus yards, with simply 13 — and just one belongs to Anderson.
LB Elo Modozie (Georgia by way of Military)
Modozie was a really intriguing switch within the spring window after he notched 6.5 sacks for Military in 2024. At SEC media days, Georgia coach Kirby Sensible mentioned, “Persons are going to know that identify earlier than the 12 months is over.”
However it’s been a gradual begin for Modozie. He performed simply eight defensive snaps towards Alabama this week, per TruMedia, and solely 13 within the Bulldogs’ earlier recreation towards Tennessee. He has generated only one strain in his 49 defensive snaps by means of 4 video games.
Georgia may actually use some juice on the sting proper now, too, as a result of its move rush is missing. The Bulldogs have recorded simply 5 sacks this season, which is tied for 121st nationally, they usually have allowed a mixed 651 passing yards of their final two video games.
OL Xavier Chaplin (Auburn by way of Virginia Tech)
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze talked about Chaplin as a possible All-SEC performer this offseason. However Chaplin allowed a mixed eight pressures within the Tigers’ first two SEC video games (towards Oklahoma and Texas A&M), per TruMedia. General, he’s allowed 10 pressures by means of 5 video games after permitting 13 in 12 video games final season at Virginia Tech.
Auburn tried to remake its sort out spots by means of the portal with the additions of Chaplin and USC switch Mason Murphy, nevertheless it’s been an actual battle. The Tigers have allowed 21 sacks this season, which ranks final nationally.
Chaplin has had points with penalties, too. In the course of the Auburn-Texas A&M broadcast on Saturday, ESPN sideline reporter Katie George mentioned Freeze thought-about benching Chaplin after Chaplin instructed his coach that he couldn’t hear the cadence due to the noise at Kyle Subject. Chaplin was known as for a expensive holding penalty late within the third quarter as nicely and was crushed for a sack within the fourth.
Quarterbacks who went to shaky offensive conditions
It’s been some time since Iowa has had a very good offense. UCLA lacked the ability group and offensive line for any quarterback to be actually profitable. And North Carolina was a whole wild card after a lot roster turnover.
These circumstances had been tough for any quarterback to stroll into, however Mark Gronowski (Iowa), Nico Iamaleava (UCLA) and Gio Lopez (North Carolina) haven’t actually elevated issues.
Gronowski has thrown three landing passes and two interceptions this season. His statistics have improved over the previous few weeks, however the Iowa offense scored simply 13 factors in a loss to Indiana final week. Gronowski can also be averaging simply 6.0 yards per try, which doesn’t rank within the prime 100 nationally. He’s scored seven dashing touchdowns however is averaging solely 2.8 yards per try (sacks included) on a team-high 54 carries. So it’s been robust sledding for the South Dakota State switch who was anticipated to breathe life into Iowa’s offense.
Everybody who adopted the game carefully knew how tough the transition from Tennessee to UCLA could be for Iamaleava. The Bruins offensive line has allowed pressures on 40.8 p.c of dropbacks this season, per TruMedia, rating 132nd nationally. Iamaleava has not obtained a lot time to throw. He’s additionally needed to play a big function within the operating recreation, main the group in carries (44) and yards (204). No UCLA operating again has produced greater than 150 dashing yards this season. The Bruins don’t have a lot to help Iamaleava at receiver both.
Iamaleava, who has thrown 4 touchdowns and three interceptions, remains to be uncooked and growing as a passer, too. Taking part in in Tennessee’s QB-friendly offense can masks {that a} bit. UCLA’s can not.
Lopez was injured in a loss to UCF two weeks in the past, however neither he nor the Tar Heels offense had carried out nicely earlier than the damage. North Carolina ranks 106th in scoring offense (21.0 ppg) and 121st in yards per play (4.90). Lopez didn’t prime 155 passing yards within the three full video games earlier than the damage and has thrown for as many touchdowns as interceptions (three).
Lopez was one of many headlining additions throughout Invoice Belichick’s first offseason at North Carolina, nevertheless it’s clear the Tar Heels have extra work to do when it comes to expertise acquisition to enhance this offense.
(Photograph of Makhi Hughes: Ben Lonergan / USA At this time Community by way of Imagn Pictures)
