What defines winning and losing in the transfer portal?

Sometimes, winning means simply retaining your best players. Really, though, it all depends on what your immediate goals are as a program and what shape the roster was in before changes were made.

Curt Cignetti proved at Indiana the last two years that you can build a championship contender overnight — even with a Power 4 program that entered the 2025 season with more losses than any school in history. That kind of jump also requires elite coaching and the right positional fits, both from a talent and team culture standpoint.

Can another coach replicate what Cignetti accomplished in two quick years? We’ll find out.

Here’s a look at some early winners and losers from the 2026 portal cycle.

WinnersLSU

The Tigers signed a highly rated class a year ago, but the team underachieved and Brian Kelly was fired eight games into the season. Lane Kiffin is in the first year of a seven-year, $91 million deal and probably doesn’t have to worry about job security if his first portal class in Baton Rouge doesn’t produce a national championship right away. Still, he should be able to eclipse last season’s seven wins with the roster he’s assembled.

LSU added 40 players from the portal, headlined by eight starters from Power 4 programs and another four from the Group of 6 ranks. The newcomers include two high-end quarterbacks in Sam Leavitt (Arizona State) and Husan Longstreet (USC), 10 wide receivers and eight offensive linemen. Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton, a former five-star prospect, should slide into a starting role at left tackle on an O-line that lost four starters to the portal.

Four of the 10 additions on defense were full-time starters at the FBS level: linemen Malik Blocton (Auburn) and Stephiylan Green (Clemson), linebacker TJ Dottery (Ole Miss) and safety Ty Benefield (Boise State). Top SEC edge rushers Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss) and Jordan Ross (Tennessee) are also part of the portal class.

Sam Leavitt, who signed with LSU, was one of the top QBs in the portal. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

Indiana

Cignetti doesn’t often take young, inexperienced players whom he believes he can simply “coach up.” All but one player in his first two portal cycles started at least one game before arriving in Bloomington, and most played much more than that.

With the exception of former Miami tight end Brock Schott, a redshirt freshman who played nine snaps with the Hurricanes, Cignetti has basically done the same thing with the 17 players in his third portal class in Bloomington.

Five of the six additions on offense started 11 games or more last season, including quarterback Josh Hoover, whose 71 touchdown passes over the last three seasons at TCU are just as many as Fernando Mendoza threw over the same span. Former Boston College running back Turbo Richard caught 30 passes for 213 yards and ran for 749 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 and is set to fill the shoes of leading rusher Roman Hemby. Yes, receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt are gone, but Cignetti has replaced them with Nick Marsh (Michigan State) and Shazz Preston (Tulane). Former Wisconsin left guard Joe Brunner will help fill one of the holes on the offensive line.

Addressing the gaps on defense could prove to be more difficult, but all eight additions on that side of the ball are experienced players. Edge rushers Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State) and Joshua Burnham (Notre Dame) are quality replacements for Mikail Kamara and Stephen Daley, and cornerback A.J. Harris (Penn State) and safety Jiquan Sanks (Cincinnati) will help make up for losses in the Hoosier secondary.

Indiana lost only one starter to the portal: defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler (Baylor).

Miami

Mario Cristobal wasn’t able to turn Miami into an overnight sensation like Cignetti did with Indiana, but the former Hurricanes offensive lineman did get his team into the national championship in his fourth season in Coral Gables. His roster build has a two-pronged approach: elite high school recruiting and player development with an injection of experience from the portal.

Miami wouldn’t be on this list if Cristobal had not managed to wrangle a commitment from one of the top returning quarterbacks: Darian Mensah, who, along with Duke’s 1,000-yard receiver Cooper Barkate, committed to the Hurricanes on Tuesday night. They join 1,200-yard receiver Malachi Toney and 1,100-yard rusher Mark Fletcher Jr. on an offense that needs to replace four starters on the O-line, but has capable recruits from the last three cycles who have been waiting to take over.

Cristobal knows replacing NFL-bound edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, star nickelback Keionte Scott and standout safety Jakobe Thomas will not be easy. But there are talented holdovers, and the Hurricanes landed elite edge rusher Damon Wilson Jr. from Missouri, veteran defensive lineman Keona Davis, a 13-game starter at Nebraska last season, and former Boston College starting safety Omar Thornton.

As far as portal losses, receiver Jojo Trader (NC State) and linebacker Popo Aguirre (NC State) were the only two who started a game or were part of the rotation in 2025.

Oklahoma State

There’s really nowhere to go but up in Stillwater after a 1-11 season and the end of the Mike Gundy era. New coach Eric Morris has overhauled the roster. The Cowboys have seen 60-plus players leave via the portal and brought in more than 50 transfers as well as 15 high school recruits. The additions appear to be more talented than the departures.

Like Cignetti, who brought over 13 players from James Madison in his initial portal class at Indiana, Morris is bringing a haul (17 players) from North Texas. Eight were full-time starters, including six on offense: star quarterback Drew Mestemaker, 1,400-yard rusher Caleb Hawkins, 1,200-yard receiver Wyatt Young, receiver Miles Coleman, left tackle Braydon Nelson and right guard Johnny Dickson.

The additions on defense aren’t as notable. The Cowboys, however, were able to bring in five FBS full-time starters from other programs: defensive lineman Saadiq Clements (North Texas), edge rusher James Williams (Florida State), cornerback Christian Bodnar (Liberty) and linebackers Ethan Wesloski (North Texas) and Isaiah Chisom (UCLA).

Texas

Here’s the best way to describe the Longhorns’ approach to the portal: Steve Sarkisian punted on some of his own guys — including high-end recruits from recent classes — to go after proven star power from elsewhere.

Texas’ revamped running back unit is led by Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State), and the Horns added a legitimate star receiver in Cam Coleman (Auburn) to pair with Ryan Wingo. They should all help Arch Manning in his second year as the starting quarterback take the offense to a higher level. The Longhorns finished seventh in the SEC in scoring (30.5 ppg) and 10th in rushing yards per carry (4.19). Not all of Texas’ questions on the offensive line have clearly defined answers, but adding two full-time starters in Melvin Siani (Wake Forest) and Laurence Seymore (Western Kentucky) will help.

Will Muschamp’s defense, meanwhile, has several key starters to replace, including linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., cornerback Malik Muhammad and safety Michael Taaffe. Four Power 4 starters via the portal will help — 6-foot-5, 389-pound defensive tackle Ian Geffrard (Arkansas), cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) and linebackers Rasheem Biles (Pittsburgh) and Justin Cryer (Florida State).

LosersAlabama

This could end up being one of those situations where Kalen DeBoer looks like a genius by identifying players like offensive lineman Racin Delgatty (Cal Poly) and cornerback Carmelo O’Neal (Mercer) who come into Tuscaloosa as unheralded FCS starters and become stars. Or, it could be the beginning of the end for DeBoer, who, despite leading the Crimson Tide to a College Football Playoff win in 2025, has a lot of Alabama fans concerned he’s not the right fit to replace Nick Saban.

The bottom line: The last of Saban’s recruits are headed out the door, and this has really become DeBoer’s roster heading into the fall. Alabama said goodbye to 22 players via the portal, and key among them were starting receiver Isaiah Horton (Texas A&M), starting right tackle Wilkin Formby (Texas A&M) and starting defensive tackle James Smith (Ohio State).

Four of the imports were starters at Power 4 programs last season: receiver Noah Rogers (NC State), right tackle Jayvin James (Mississippi State) and defensive linemen Devan Thompkins (USC) and Kedrick Bingley-Jones (Mississippi State).

Throw in the fact that Alabama wasn’t able to hold onto running back Hollywood Smothers — who committed to DeBoer before flipping to Texas — and it just feels like the Crimson Tide didn’t do enough to maintain the standard.

Duke

It’s hard to blame Manny Diaz for what happened at the end of the cycle, with Mensah and Barkate leaving in the 11th hour to play for Miami. But the defending ACC champions are undoubtedly in a pickle now.

Former San Jose State starting quarterback Walker Eget is in line to replace Mensah, but he still needs a waiver to be eligible to play next season. Eget finished 74th nationally in passing efficiency and was productive in his 11 starts in 2025, but he’s not Mensah.

There were other key losses, aside from Mensah and Barkate. No. 2 receiver Que’Sean Brown left for Virginia Tech, and safety Terry Moore — a 13-game starter in 2024 before missing 2025 with an injury — signed with Ohio State.

Iowa State

New Cyclones coach Jimmy Rogers inherited a mess from Matt Campbell, who took 23 players to Penn State, including 12 starters. In all, 16 players who started at least six games for the Cyclones during an 8-4 season landed at new destinations following the coaching change.

Rogers has signed 47 players from the portal, including 17 transfers from Washington State, his former school, to try to fill gaps. Only nine of the new roster additions come from Power 4 schools. Among the few key new players with FBS starting experience: quarterbacks Jaylen Raynor (Arkansas State) and Zane Flores (Oklahoma State), receiver Omari Hayes (Tulane), tight end Tyler Fortenberry (Arkansas State), offensive tackle Maasai King (Akron), and cornerbacks Jaheim Singletary (Arkansas) and Keyon Washington (Bowling Green).

Michigan State

Pat Fitzgerald enjoyed a successful run at Northwestern, going 110-101 until he was let go in 2022. He inherits a program from Jonathan Smith that lost 44 players from a 4-8  team. Among the notable departures are receiver Nick Marsh (Indiana), quarterback Aidan Chiles (Northwestern), running back Makhi Frazier (Ole Miss), left tackle Stanton Ramil (Auburn) and defensive linemen Alex VanSumeren (USC) and Jalen Thompson (Arizona State).

The additions, on paper, don’t appear to be nearly as talented as the losses. To start with, linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. (NC State) and cornerback Tre Bell (Iowa State) are only two Power 4 starters among the 27 imports. Running back Cam Edwards (UConn), guard Ben Murawski (UConn), offensive tackle Robert Wright Jr. (Georgia Southern), linebacker Dion Crawford (Buffalo) and safety Michael Richard (Louisiana Tech) are the other FBS starters in the class.

How they’ll translate to the tough Big Ten remains to be seen.

North Carolina

The first season of Chapel Bill ended with a disappointing 4-8 record and another offseason roster overhaul. After bringing in 41 transfers in Year 1, general manager Michael Lombardi reversed course in Year 2 and inked the second-largest high school recruiting class in the country (39 signees).

UNC’s portal class includes 19 newcomers and features only one starter from a Power 4 school last season: receiver Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin). The Tar Heels, meanwhile, have to replace 15 starters. The tough-to-stomach part is why some of the good pickups from last year were not retained, such as defensive linemen CJ Mims (Texas A&M) and D’Antre Robinson (Oregon) along with linebacker Khmori House (Arkansas). Those guys are being replaced by players from FCS programs.

Quarterback also remains a question mark on the roster with 11-game starter Gio Lopez off to Wake Forest. The Tar Heels brought in Texas A&M backup Miles O’Neill and former Maryland and Wisconsin starter Billy Edwards Jr. to compete for the job.