From Fernando Mendoza to Texas Tech's d-line: These are the top 25 transfers in the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff is just a week away, and many of the players primed to star in December and January are former transfers. That's the reality of college football in 2025 where thousands of players change teams each offseason and many of the signature players of the sport are on their second (or third) school.

So, who are the best transfers in the playoff field? Let's run through them, starting with a potential Heisman winner:

No. 1 | Fernando Mendoza | QB, Indiana

Former School: Cal

The catalyst of the first No. 1 Indiana team in history, Mendoza's thrust himself into the conversation for the Heisman and to be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's thrown for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns while completing 71.5% of his passes for the 13-0 Hoosiers.

No. 2 | David Bailey | Edge, Texas Tech

Former School: Stanford

Texas Tech paid big -- $2 million plus -- to lure Bailey to Lubbock. It's been worth the investment. He's posted a Big 12-high 17.5 TFLs and 13.5 sacks. His 74 pressures are the most in college football and 13 more than the next-closest Power Four player.

No. 3 | Caleb Downs | S, Ohio State

Former School: Alabama

Downs has been in the conversation for best safety in college football since his freshman season at Alabama, and he remains one of the elite players of the sport. He's posted 60 tackles, five TFLs and two interceptions this season for an Ohio State defense that allows the fewest passing yards per game in the FBS. 

No. 4 | Julian Sayin | QB, Ohio State

Former School: Alabama

Another former Alabama player who's found a ton of success in Columbus, Sayin had a very brief tenure (weeks) with the Tide before he moved on following Nick Saban's retirement. He's emerged as one of the premier passers in college football as a sophomore, throwing for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 78.6% of his passes. That completion percentage would be a NCAA record if it holds through the playoff. 

No. 5 | Dante Moore | QB, Oregon

Former School: UCLA

A smooth passer with pinpoint accuracy, Moore's been excellent for the Ducks this year. He's thrown for 2,733 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 72.5 CMP%. Despite a rash of wide receiver injuries, Oregon ranks in the top 10 nationally in terms of yards per play and points per game.

No. 6 | Cashius Howell | Edge, Texas A&M

Former School: Bowling Green

From Bowling Green to College Station, Howell's emerged as one of college football's premier edge rushers. He ranks fourth nationally with 11.5 sacks to go along with 14 tackles for loss. He's the biggest reason the Aggies rank 12th nationally in pressure rate.

No. 7 | Trinidad Chambliss | QB, Ole Miss

Former School: Ferris State

Chambliss isn't a stranger to a playoff setting. He led Ferris State to a Division II national title last season. He was the best player on the field then. He's still arguably the best player now despite the leap to the Power Four. He's thrown for 3,016 yards and 18 touchdowns this year while completing 65.5% of his passes. He's also run for 470 yards and six scores. Making the switch from Austin Simmons to Chambliss changed Ole Miss' season.

No. 8 | Romello Height | Edge, Texas Tech

Former School: Georgia Tech

The other half of college football's premier edge rush tandem -- with apologies to an excellent one in Coral Gables -- Height finished this season with 33 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and nine sacks. He'd be the most skilled pass rusher on almost any team. It's just that he plays opposite Bailey.

No. 9 | Emmanuel Pregnon | OG, Oregon

Former School(s): Wyoming, USC

Pregnon is a two-time transfer. He began his career at Wyoming, transferred to USC and found his way to Oregon this season. In Eugene he's emerged as one of the best interior linemen in the sport. Pregnon did not allow a sack this season and paced the nation's No. 5 run offense in terms of yards per play.

No. 10 | KC Concepcion | WR, Texas A&M

Former School: NC State

Concepcion, a weapon Texas A&M moves around frequently from the outside to the slot, consistently creates chunk yardage. He has 40 catches of 10-plus yards this season, ranking eighth nationally, and is averaging 15.5 yards per catch despite a high target volume. He's also the best punt returner in the playoff field with two return touchdowns this season.

No. 11 | Akheem Mesidor | Edge, Miami

Former School: West Virginia

A burley edge at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Mesidor is perhaps the playoff's best edge setter. He's an elite run defender (90.7 PFF run grade) but also creates plenty of backfield havoc with 44 pressures this season to go along with 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

No. 12 | Kewan Lacy | RB, Ole Miss

Former School: Missouri

The SEC's leader in rushing touchdowns with 20, Lacy does so much on his own as a runner. He leads the Power Four with 86 forced missed tackles in just 12 games and has 858 yards after contact among his 1,279-yard rushing total.

No. 13 | Lee Hunter | DT, Texas Tech

Former School: UCF

Yep, another Texas Tech defensive lineman. Hunter is a big 'ol space eater in the middle of Texas Tech's defense at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds. His ability to eat up double teams and collapse the interior allows Bailey, Height and his fellow DT AJ Holmes to pressure the pocket with devastating consistency.  Texas Tech allows a FBS-low 68 rushing yards per game.

No. 14 | Dillon Thieneman | S, Oregon

Former School: Purdue

There isn't much room to throw against Oregon on the second and third level because Thieneman is a space eraser at safety. The former 247Sports True Freshman of the year finished this season with 67 tackles, 1.5 TFL and two interceptions. He rarely misses a tackle in the open field and is one of the elite coverage safeties in the sport. 

No. 15 | Isaiah World | OT, Oregon

Former School: Nevada

There aren't many college football players who look like World, a 6-foot-8, 318-pound anchor on the left side of Oregon's offensive line. He's a future early round draft pick and has surrendered just one QB hit in 685 snaps this season. World is also a big part of a top five Oregon rushing attack.

No. 16 | Aiden Fisher | LB, Indiana

Former School: James Madison

A havoc creator in the middle of Indiana's defense, Fisher is an instinctual, sure tackler and a major reason the Hoosiers have been so strong against the run. He has posted 77 tackles, seven TFLs, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions this season.

No. 17 | Jakobe Thomas | S, Miami

Former School(s): Middle Tennessee/Tennessee

A transformational presence on the backend of Miami's defense, Thomas has helped Miami's secondary go from a bust-ridden unit in 2024 to one of college football's best this season. He's posted 49 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, three sacks and four interceptions on the season as a do-it-all-presence for a top 10 Miami defense.

No. 18 | Mario Craver | WR, Texas A&M

Former School: Mississippi State

The other half of A&M's superstar wide receiver transfer duo, Craver posted 52 catches for 825 yards and four touchdowns on the season. His production has waned some in recent weeks -- he hasn't cleared the 70-yard barrier since mid-October -- but he's a big play waiting to happen, and his early-season production is a huge reason A&M reached the playoff.

No. 19 | Zachariah Branch | WR, Georgia

Former School: USC

Instant offense for the Bulldogs, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Branch is one of the fastest players in college football. Georgia tends to throw it to him short with an average depth of target of just 3.3 yards, and Branch tends to make things happen from there. He averages eight yards after the catch and has 744 yards and five touchdowns total on the season.

No. 20 | Carson Beck | QB, Miami

Former School: Georgia

Beck's been a very productive player with 3,072 yards passing, 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and a 74.7% completion rate. He ranks 11th in ESPN's QBR metric. If Beck can avoid turnovers in the playoff -- he again ranks near the bottom of the FBS in interceptions thrown with 10 -- Miami's got a chance.

No. 21 | Germie Bernard | WR, Alabama

Former School(s): Michigan State, Washington

Ryan Williams gets all the attention, but Bernard is Alabama's leader in catches and yardage. The former Washington transfer lines up a little bit of everywhere for the Tide. He almost always comes through. He's only dropped one pass this season. He's run for 101 yards and two scores. He's even completed both his passing attempts.  

No. 22 | Davison Igbinosun | CB, Ohio State

Former School: Ole Miss

A lockdown corner on the outside for the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound former Ole Miss transfer has had the best year of his career. He's posted 45 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups and is holding opposing receivers to a 41.9% catch rate for a top 10 Buckeyes pass defense.

No. 23 | Isaiah Sategna | WR, Oklahoma

Former School: Arkansas

Sategna has emerged as John Mateer's go-to playmaker this season since transferring in from Arkansas. He's caught 65 passes for 948 yards and seven scores. He was a 10.8-second 100-meter runner coming out of high school and it shows. He ranks fourth nationally in receptions of at least 70 yards.

No. 24 | D'Angelo Ponds | CB, Indiana

Former School: James Madison

There aren't many 5-foot-9, 173-pound corners you'd feel comfortable leaving on an island with any consistency in the Big Ten -- Ponds is an exception. Other than a rough night against Jeremiah Smith in the Big Ten championship game (join the club), Ponds has been exceptional this season holding opposing receivers to a 43.6% catch rate.

No. 25 | Jake Retzlaff | QB, Tulane

Former School: BYU

Retzlaff is a gamer who finds ways to make plays when it matters. He's thrown for 2,862 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to go along with 610 yards rushing and 16 scores on the ground. If the Green Wave don't suddenly pick up Retzlaff during the summer, they aren't in the CFP.