Transfer Portal Snapshot: SEC Surging as Commitments Lag

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

Eight days into the 2026 NCAA transfer portal, more than 4,000 players have entered nationwide, but fewer than 40 percent of FBS entrants have committed, creating a volatile landscape where rankings shift daily and the SEC continues to add talent faster than it loses it.

By the Numbers

As of Saturday over 4,000 players in college football have entered the portal. That includes 2,743 players at the FBS level. A total of 1,092 FBS players have committed, meaning just 40 percent of the players in the portal have signed or committed to a school so far. Additionally less than one percent have withdrawn their name from the portal with just 18 players rethinking their initial decision to enter. To put that in perspective, that number has hovered around four percent over the last three years.

In the SEC, more players were signed or committed than those that entered the portal for a fourth straight day. From Friday to Saturday we saw 11 players enter the portal and 26 commit or sign to SEC teams.

Teams Soaring

Ole Miss lost eight players, the most of any team, from Friday to Saturday. That didn’t stop them from rocketing up the rankings though. The Rebels jumped into the top five nationally with two more signees. Similarly, Tennessee and South Carolina continued their recent surge.

On Wednesday, South Carolina was ranked 64th nationally. They jumped to No. 31 Friday and are up to No. 17 Saturday. Tennessee became the second SEC team in as many days to climb 30 or more spots in the rankings, jumping all the way to No. 13 from No. 44.

The SEC now has 14 teams ranked in the Top 25 nationally.

Committed NOT signed

That may prove to be a big caveat for several teams around the league over the next week before the portal closes Friday. Two high profile players that committed Thursday have already reportedly sought visits elsewhere. Former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway committed to Baylor on Thursday but was reportedly set to visit Ole Miss this weekend.

The other is former NC State running back Hollywood Smothers. The No. 2 ranked running back in the portal committed to Alabama earlier this week and is currently on a visit to Texas. Smothers was reportedly offered an NIL package of around $650,000 by Alabama but never put pen to paper despite committing to the Crimson Tide. Texas lost four running backs off of last year’s roster and are expected to offer even more.

On the EDGE of a commitment?

The biggest get of the day was from Tennessee who signed prize EDGE rusher Chaz Coleman from Penn State. Coleman was rumored to be a two team race between LSU and Ohio State. There was also speculation that South Carolina could be in the mix after hiring his position coach Deion Barnes to the same role last month. He instead chose Tennessee and will play for his former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles who the Vols hired last month.

Coleman is the highest ranked defensive player in the portal by some services. The other highest ranked defensive player is EDGE rusher Damon Wilson II from Missouri. Wilson was expected to visit Miami this weekend, but instead made a trip to Baton Rouge to visit LSU.

Exodus by SEC Teams

These numbers will fluctuate rapidly, but here are the total players that have entered the portal for each SEC team according to 247Sports as of Saturday evening.

There are 378 players from the SEC that have entered the portal, and 206 players have committed or signed with SEC teams.

SEC Players Entering the Portal