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College football transfer portal rankings: Big Ten’s 25 highest-rated newcomers in 2024

The list of 25 highest-rated transfers newcomers to the Big Ten is loaded with elite talent that expects to make an immediate impact on the conference title race in 2024. Expansion has the Big Ten positioned alongside the SEC as the two super-power conferences in college football with the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. That also means league members are an attractive destination for prospects that want to compete alongside the best of the best.

Almost 25% of the top-100 transfer portal prospects from the winter window are on the move to the Big Ten. That should not be much of a surprise given eight teams comprise the current list of top-25 transfer portal hauls in 2024. Ohio State and Oregon are among the big winners, even on the national landscape, with five of the 10 highest-rated transfers suiting up for either the Buckeyes or Ducks next season.

pects that want to compete alongside the best of the best.

Ranking on the 247Sports Transfer Portal: 4-star, 91 rating, 77th overall, and fourth linebacker

Prior institution: Oregon State

The best tackler at Oregon State in 2023, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, plans to finish his senior year on the West Coast before joining USC

in 2024 as the school enters the Big Ten. The 5’11, 228-pound linebacker saw action in 106 games last season while starting for Oregon State. In five games, Marscarenas-Arnold recorded double-digit tackles, twice topping 13 stops against UCLA and San Diego State.

247Sports Transfer Portal ranking: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 75 overall | No. 17 WR

Previous school: Notre Dame

Chip Kelly landed an impressive young talent at receiver in former Notre Dame freshman Rico Flores. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound wideout saw action in all 12 games for the Fighting Irish this past season and expects to serve a key role in the UCLA offense in 2024 as it matches up against opposing Big Ten defenses. Flores caught 27 passes for 392 yards and one touchdown while averaging 14.5 yards per reception.

Drew Azzopardi was committed to Washington as a transfer before the departure of coach Kalen DeBoer, but remains with the Huskies and the new staff under Jedd Fisch. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound tackle brings much-needed experience to a Washington offensive line that lost most of its starters from the Joe Moore Award-winning unit in 2023. Azzopardi played in 12 regular season games this past season and made six starts as a redshirt freshman.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon staff pieced together one of the top transfer portal hauls from the winter window. The Ducks actually landed two quarterbacks that make up this list of top incoming Big Ten transfers with former Oklahoma and UCF standout Dillon Gabriel on the move to Eugene in 2024. The sixth-year senior expects to be the starter at Oregon next fall with 37 career starts. Gabriel fits the mold of what the Ducks are looking for at quarterback with 14,865 passing yards, 125 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in his career. He also has 1,060 yards rushing and 26 additional scores on the ground.

Tackett Curtis was heavily recruited by Wisconsin coming out of high school, but that was before Luke Fickell became head coach ahead of the 2023 season. The former USC linebacker joins the Badgers after playing in all 12 regular season games with the Trojans as a true freshman. Curtis contributed with 40 total tackles, including four for loss with two sacks, while also recording two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound soon-to-be sophomore looks to continue a line of talent linebackers to go through Wisconsin.

Not even bitter cross-town rivalries can get in the way of transfer portal moves in college football. Former UCLA safety Kamari Ramsey is now at USC after following his defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to the Trojans. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound redshirt freshman started in all 11 games played for the Bruins this past season. He finished with 40 total tackles, including 2.5 for loss while also grabbing an interception in the regular-season finale against California. Ramsey is one of seven incoming transfers on that new USC defense.

Julian Fleming ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2020 recruiting class, but never quite reached his full potential in a loaded room of pass-catchers at Ohio State. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound fifth-year senior will remain in the Big Ten next season as he joins rival Penn State. Fleming made 37 appearances in four seasons with the Buckeyes, hauling in 80 passes for 990 yards and seven touchdowns. However, his production decreased during his final year in Columbus.

Ohio State landed a one-year rental at quarterback in former Kansas State star Will Howard for the 2024 campaign before its young group of passers battle for the job down the road. The 6-foot-5, 242-pound fifth-year senior has 27 career starts and looks to bring more consistency to the Buckeyes offense, which took a big dip last season with first-year starter Kyle McCord. Howard has 5,786 passing yards and 48 touchdowns throws to go along with 921 rushing yards and 19 additional scores on the ground in his career.

Jabbar Muhammad had two of his better performances against Oregon this season, which could have led to the Ducks’ heavy pursuit of the former Washington cornerback in the portal. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound junior earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors, leading the Huskies in passes defensed (14). Muhammad snagged three interceptions while recording 46 total tackles and a pair of sacks. He allowed 42 receptions on 82 targets in coverage. Muhammad is a two-time transfer that spent the first two years of his college career at Oklahoma State.