5 college football transfers who can boost their 2026 NFL Draft stock like Cam Ward

With the addition of the transfer portal into the world of college football and NFL Draft scouting, it’s become a pretty fun thought exercise to figure out which players are going to boost their draft stock the most in a new location. Miami QB Cam Ward dazzled scouts en route to being the first overall pick in 2025, but had to transfer from Incarnate Word to Washington State before his final stop in Coral Gables. Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse was formerly at Albany before transferring up to Florida State, and Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels was at Arizona State before winning the Heisman at LSU.

There was a lot of portal movement both in the winter and spring window of college football this season, with a lot of big names changing places. Which guys have the chance to boost their draft stock the most at their new schools?

Mateer is trying to follow in the footsteps of Ward, going from Washington State to a bigger school and flourishing. While Mateer and Ward are different in many ways on the field, they both share the same level of recklessness that comes from playing in a hyper version of the Air Raid offense. At Oklahoma, I’m hoping to see Mateer cut down on the chaotic plays and use his athletic tools to keep his offense on schedule. It could be the one thing that makes his draft stock jump.

World is a really intriguing prospect, just off athletic tools alone. At 6’8 and 309 pounds, he looks less like an offensive tackle and more like Gregor Clegane. He’s got the length and movement skills to really grow into being a special prospect at tackle, especially in Oregon’s offense which prioritizes special movement skills at the position. World has a ways to go when it comes to technical refinement, but you don’t find many guys that big who can move that well, so he could be a fast riser.

Bailey was one of my favorite players to watch on tape last season at Stanford. He’s a hard charging and explosive edge defender who can win with power or turning the corner on his opponents. Texas Tech spent a LOT of NIL money in their athletic department this offseason, and Bailey was one of the most prominent benefactors of that. In a new location, he could end up playing his way into first round conversations.

Anderson’s college career has been as snakebitten as they come. Dazzling in 2023 for Oklahoma with 10 receiving touchdowns, Anderson dealt with a myriad of injuries before entering the portal and finding himself at LSU, who could shake a leg and drop an NFL WR into the NFL. This wide receiver class is as open as they come, so there’s a lot of room for a big bodied guy like Anderson to play his way to the top of the class.

Another guy I’m really fascinated by, Thomas is another big/tall/fast receiver that could play his way into the conversation for top receiver in this draft class. He moves from Texas A&M to Georgia, where the Bulldogs have needed anyone with sure hands or separation skills at the position, and Thomas brings strong hands combined with fun above the rim ability for a big bodied guy.