# 21 College Football Transfers Power 2026 Contenders

> 21 transfers reshape 2026 college football with Miami, UCLA and others rising.
- Title: 21 College Football Transfers Power 2026 Contenders | Shortify
- Summary: 21 transfers reshape 2026 college football with Miami, UCLA and others rising. Miami and UCLA lead 2026 college football with 21 portal additions including…
- Keywords: college football, transfer portal, miami, ucla, darian mensah, ta’shawn james, oregon state, georgia state, missouri state, jordan castell, cam cook, xavier esqillion
- Source: CFB-HQ On SI — https://si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/transfer-portal/best-college-football-transfers-2026-21-portal-additions-making-major-impact
- Published: 2026-10-22T15:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: college football, transfer portal, miami, ucla, darian mensah, ta’shawn james, oregon state, georgia state, missouri state, jordan castell, cam cook, xavier esqillion
## 2026 Transfer Portal Impact
College football’s transfer portal has shaped the 2026 season at every level.
## Miami Climbs AP Poll
Miami climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll this week for the first time since 2002.
## UCLA 6-0 Record
UCLA is 6-0 under first-year coach Bob Chesney with three transfers on this list.
## Alphabetical Order Note
The players are not ranked below, the list is in alphabetical order.
## Braden Atkinson
Braden Atkinson, QB, Oregon State with 2,604 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.
## Kaleb Beasley
Kaleb Beasley, S, Louisville with five interceptions including Walter Camp honors.
## Muaaz Byard
Muaaz Byard, LB, UAB with 69 tackles and 27 defensive portal additions.
## Jordan Castell
Jordan Castell, S, Kentucky with four interceptions and 21-13 win against Oklahoma.
## Cam Cook
Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia with 833 rushing yards and 72-yard first play.
## Xavier Esqillion
Xavier Esqillion, LB, Georgia State with seven sacks and two forced fumbles.
## Xavier Gilliam
Xavier Gilliam, DL, Tennessee with five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
## Ethan Grunkemeyer
Ethan Grunkemeyer, QB, Virginia Tech with 1,984 yards and 15 touchdowns.
## Sione Hala
Sione Hala, LB, San Diego State with 69 tackles and 64 tackles at Weber State.
## Michael Hawkins Jr.
Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia with 103 rushing yards and 464 passing yards.
## Ta’Shawn James
Ta’Shawn James, DB, UCLA with four interceptions and 39-yard pick-six.
## Wayne Knight
Wayne Knight, RB, UCLA with 10 rushing touchdowns and 7.7 yards per carry.
## Kingston Lopa
Kingston Lopa, S, Cal with five interceptions and 6-foot-5 frame.
## Gio Lopez
Gio Lopez, QB, Wake Forest with 1,946 yards and 17 touchdowns.
## Darian Mensah
Darian Mensah, QB, Miami with 326 yards and three touchdowns in win over Florida State.
## Drew Mestemaker
Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State with 4,379 passing yards and 39-31 upset win.
## Key takeaway

Miami and UCLA lead 2026 college football with 21 portal additions including Darian Mensah and Ta’Shawn James.