The next era of the college football transfer portal officially opens Jan. 2, but make no mistake -- the 2026 cycle is already underway. Behind the scenes, portal boards have been set for months. Agents are working phones. As one source put it, "Deals are being struck." And players are now, in in droves, announcing their intent to enter.

For the last several years I have been putting out my numbers-based transfer portal rankings. The job of doing it has gotten harder as there are more entries every year but I’ve done my best to figure out ways to streamline the process.

Valencia are set to sign Villarreal's winger Arnaut Danjuma on a permanent deal. The 28-year-old, who scored three goals in 33 appearances during a loan spell at Girona last season, has an agreement to join Carlos Corberan's squad ahead of 2025-26.

Perennial All-Pro Myles Garrett is on his way to winning his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in his star-studded career in 2025. His 22.0 sacks through 15 games are just half a sack behind the NFL's single-season record and one away from breaking the all-time single-season record.

Kennesaw State starting quarterback Amari Odom will enter the Transfer Portal, his agents Carl Reed, Christopher Coy and Aaron Henderson of Klutch Sports tells On3. Odom led his team to a 10-4 record this past fall throwing for 2,594 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Key transfers include quarterbacks John Mateer to Oklahoma and Carson Beck to Miami, both expected to significantly impact their teams' offenses. Other notable transfers include Dillon Thieneman (Oregon), David Bailey (Texas Tech), and Darian Mensah (Duke).

The most recent defections are mostly in the trenches. Long snapper Drew Clausen will be moving on, announcing that he is entering the transfer portal. He has held that position with Iowa State for the last two years and has one year of eligibility remaining.