Around this time last year, Trinidad Chambliss was a relatively unknown D-II quarterback at Ferris State who flew mostly under the radar as the No. 843 overall player and No. 60 quarterback, per the 247Sports rankings, of the 2025 transfer cycle.
One year later, he’s a superstar after leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff.
That’s the type of out-of-nowhere surprise that’s possible in the transfer portal era, where teams evaluate thousands of players on every level in an effort to unearth gems. And Last year’s crop of surprise successes went well beyond Chambliss.
Danny Scudero ranked as the No. 311 overall wide receiver of the cycle and led the FBS in receiving yards. Stephen Daley emerged as an All-American for Indiana. He ranked as the No. 829 overall player of the cycle exiting Kent State. Nadame Tucker led the FBS in sacks for Western Michigan after ranking as the No. 42 edge of the cycle.
There’s value in the portal if teams dig deep enough.
In order to identify some of the under-the-radar steals from this year’s portal window, CBS Sports surveyed dozens of front office staffers asking for their value picks from the transfer 2026 portal cycle.
Hundreds of players were recommended – and you can find 247Sports’ full 100-player list here – but these are 15 names for Power Four programs to watch ahead of this fall.
They might be reasonably anonymous now, but they could be stars by the time the 2026 season concludes.
Luke Dehnicke, TE, Northwestern
Previous School: Minnesota Duluth
Transfer Rank: No. 244 overall, No. 20 TE
A 6-foot-4, 240-pound Division II standout, Dehnicke finished the 2025 season with an eye-popping 61 catches for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns. It’s a huge jump to the Big Ten, but those across the FBS believe the 6-foot-4, 240-pound TE will do so ably.
“He is unbelievable,” a MAC source said. “Best receiving tight end I’ve ever seen. He’ll be a first-team All-American.”
Michael Masunas, TE, Texas
Previous School: Michigan State
Transfer Rank: No. 598 overall, No. 41 TE
Masunas is considered a plus blocker with upside as a pass catcher. Michigan State didn’t use him a ton in that role given the presence of Jack Velling, but he was very effective when given the chance with 19 catches in 21 targets for 232 yards and three scores. Given that Jack Endries earned 45 targets for Texas last year, there’s a good chance Masunas could see a much higher volume of targets if he’s TE1.
Devin McCuin, WR, Ohio State
Previous School: UTSA
Transfer Rank: No. 533 overall, No. 97 WR
There are two things you want in a portal addition: 1. Production. 2. Athletic upside. McCuin brings both. McCuin’s caught 152 passes for 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career. The 6-foot, 195-pound junior is also FAST, hitting a 10.54-second 100-meter time in high school. He’s a playmaker in space who brings needed experience as a senior to the Buckeyes’ room.
Mason McKenzie, QB, Boston College
Previous School: Saginaw Valley State
Transfer Rank: No. 1,176 overall, No. 69 QB
McKenzie came up so often asking people recommendations for this list that I wonder if he really qualifies as under the radar. But I don’t think people were grinding Saginaw Valley State tape from last year, so let’s make a quick introduction. He’s a D-II QB from the same conference Chambliss came from in 2024. He’s a dynamic runner (942 yards, 5.9 ypc in 2025) and a productive passer. The early returns at Boston College are very strong, too. He’ll be a fun Saturday watch for college football diehards.
“Sick arm, great runner, my sneak pick for this year’s Trinidad Chambliss,” said a MAC source.
Kenny Ozowalu, Edge, Oklahoma
Previous School: UTSA
Transfer Rank: No. 497 overall, No. 58 edge
Ozowalu is exactly what teams look for in edges out of the portal. He’s got good size (6-foot-4, 270 pounds), excellent burst off the line of scrimmage and production (6 TFLs, 3 sacks as a sophomore in 2025). He was a popular choice for front office staffers when asking for names.
“The speed and burst (he) plays with — really, really good,” said a source.
Aaron Philo, QB, Florida
Previous School: Georgia Tech
Transfer Rank: No. 157 overall, No. 17 QB
Philo is more projection than certainty. He’s thrown 102 passes in his two-year career for 938 yards on 9.2 yards per attempt. He’s also averaged 5.9 yards per carry in limited action. Those are intriguing stats, and several front office staffers feel Florida got a relative steal with Philo compared to paying top dollar for the higher-ranked QBs of the cycle.
“Philo to UF is a huge win, and I think he will perform better than a good chunk of other transfer QBs ranked above him,” an ACC assistant GM said.
Kendrick Raphel, RB, SMU
Previous School: Cal
Transfer Rank: No. 480 overall, No. 36 RB
Raphel came up several times when checking with schools about their favorite under-the-radar backs. Raphel started for Cal last season, rushing for 943 yards and 13 touchdowns. Raphael created yards despite one of the worst run-blocking units in the Power Four — Cal finished 132nd nationally in rushing yards before contact — and could look much better in a different offensive context.
“I think he’s going to completely change our team,” said a SMU source. “He might get drafted.”
Ja’Marley Riddle, S, Georgia
Previous School: East Carolina
Transfer Rank: No 400 overall, No. 31 S
Riddle suffered an injury in ECU’s bowl game, which may have contributed to him flying under the radar. But personnel staffers love his tape. The 6-foot, 182-pound safety is a sure tackler, covers a ton of space and has shown excellent ball skills with three interceptions in each of his underclassman seasons.
“Will be a good player (in this league) for a long time,” a Georgia source said.
Brock Riker, C, Penn State
Previous School: Texas State
Transfer Rank: No. 730 overall, No. 45 IOL
Riker emerged as a starter for Texas State as a redshirt freshman, recording a 71.7 PFF grade and not allowing a sack. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Texas native has good size and moves really well.
“I fuc**** loved this tape,” a Penn State source said. “Screams NFL to me. Can bend, is strong and understands leverage and angles. Finishes.”
Flynn Schiele, WR, Cincinnati
Previous School: Colorado School of Mines
Transfer Rank: NA
Now this is an under-the-radar name. Schliele was a dominant D2 receiver between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, totaling 133 catches for 2,208 yards and 22 touchdowns. But then the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder tore his ACL early in the 2025 season. That took him a bit off the radar for teams. But the size and speed are among the best in the portal and some front office staffers consider him a real sleeper.
“Flynn is an NFL player if he comes back from his ACL,” a AAC Director of Scouting said. “D2 film was elite.”
Keaton Thomas, LB, Ole Miss
Previous School: Baylor
Transfer Rank: No. 275 overall, No. 18 LB
Can a player who’s totaled 100-plus tackles each of the last two seasons be under the radar? It’s debatable. But Thomas isn’t nearly as hyped as some other members of Ole Miss’ 2026 transfer class and those in Oxford are really bullish on what he will do next season.
“He could be the best linebacker in the SEC,” an Ole Miss source said.
Alex VanSumeren, DT, USC
Previous School: Michigan State
Transfer Rank: No. 179 overall, No. 20 DL
Under the radar may be a bit of a stretch for VanSumeren, who had a ton of love in the portal this cycle. Yet he’s barely among the top 20 transfers at his position and played for the nation’s No. 107 overall defense last year. A USC source raved about the addition for the Trojan defense.
“He’s 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, dense and mean,” the source said. “That’s one of the reasons we wanted him. At a press conference he said he craves contact like an addict. We had a bunch of 5-techs playing last year and didn’t have enough 300-pound bodies. Our rush defense was in the 80s. He can take on double teams.”
Sahir West, Edge, UCLA
Previous School: James Madison
Transfer Rank: No. 196 overall, No. 24 edge
West is only a secret if you don’t watch Sun Belt football, because he was a monster as a freshman. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound West finished the year with 45 tackles, 14 TFLs and seven sacks. Everyone wanted him. The relationships on James Madison’s staff got him to LA.
“That guy is a dude,” a Big 12 GM said. “He’s going to be a problem. He should be one of the best guys in the portal.”
Jaquez White, CB, Virginia Tech
Previous School: Troy
Transfer Rank: No. 496 overall, No. 45 CB
White came up a ton when asking staffers about their favorite under-the-radar cornerbacks. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Georgia native finished the 2025 season with 67 tackles, 3 INTs and 11 passes defended. He also held opposing receivers to a 55.4% catch rate.
“I didn’t watch all the high-level cornerbacks, but he was the best one I watched,” an AAC GM said.
Preston Zachman, S, Indiana
Previous School: Wisconsin
Transfer Rank: No. 729 overall, No. 69 safety
A name that received multiple votes for this list, Zachman is a little off the radar after an injury caused him to miss all but two games last season. Zachman’s played a ton of football in six seasons (1,484 career snaps) and has seven career interceptions. He’s almost always in the right spot and projects as a really solid football player for Indiana.
“Just a really, really good football player,” a Big 12 Director of Recruiting said. “Finds a way to make plays, smart guy. Always in the right spot at the right time.”
