Power of the portal: 10 transfers who will help shape the 2019 season
In college football circles, 2019 might be remembered as the year of the transfer portal.
The NCAA's new database made it easier for student-athletes to move from one school to the next. Many players - including some huge names - did just that.
It isn't free agency, but the shake-up will have a similar effect for casual fans who recognize old names in new uniforms. And talented transfers will surely affect the 2019 season.
Here are 10 - all immediately eligible - transfers who will help shape the narrative of the upcoming campaign:
QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (from Alabama)
With apologies to Russell Wilson, it's not hyperbolic to call Hurts the most prolific graduate transfer of all time.
Hurts departed Nick Saban's Alabama juggernaut to join Lincoln Riley's offensive machine at Oklahoma, continuing a trend for the Sooners. Oklahoma's last two quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, transferred in, won the Heisman Trophy, and went No. 1 in the NFL draft.
Now Hurts is rising as one of the Heisman favorites this season before fall camp begins. No pressure.
Over three years at Alabama - two as the starter - Hurts threw 48 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. As the backup to Tua Tagovailoa in 2018, he completed 72.9 percent of his passes (51 of 70).
QB Justin Fields, Ohio State (from Georgia)
Hurts wasn't the only player to transfer between schools that reached the College Football Playoff in recent years.
Fields, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the 2018 class, could be Ohio State's starter for the next three seasons. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound sophomore is the likely replacement for Dwayne Haskins.
Though Fields failed to take the starting quarterback job from Jake Fromm at Georgia last season, he did appear in 12 games. He went 27-of-39 passing for 328 yards while running for 266 yards.
One of the best skill-position groups in the country will be at his disposal, including running back J.K. Dobbins.
QB Kelly Bryant, Missouri (from Clemson)
How transformative was this offseason? Bryant and Hurts squared off two years ago in the College Football Playoff semifinals, with Bryant quarterbacking Clemson and Hurts leading Alabama.
Now both will play the final year of their collegiate careers for different programs.
Bryant enters 2019 to less fanfare. He joins a Missouri program attempting an appeal of a bowl ban issued by the NCAA for this season.
Still, the Tigers should be competitive again with Bryant replacing Drew Lock. In 2017, Bryant completed 65.8 percent of his passes and rushed for 665 yards.
QB Brandon Wimbush, UCF (from Notre Dame)
Wimbush lost his starting job at one of the top programs in the country last year when Ian Book pushed him aside at Notre Dame.
He resurfaces at UCF, where Wimbush will compete for the top job as McKenzie Milton continues to rehab from a gruesome leg injury.
As Notre Dame's starter in 2017, Wimbush threw for 1,870 yards, helping the Fighting Irish to a 10-3 record. But he threw six interceptions over just 102 attempts last season, causing Brian Kelly to make the quarterback change.
A former four-star recruit, Wimbush will get a chance to recapture his form under second-year UCF head coach Josh Heupel. The Knights are 25-1 over the last two seasons.
QB Tate Martell, Miami (Fla.) (from Ohio State)
A domino effect resulted in Martell going to Miami. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound sophomore left Ohio State after Fields committed to the Buckeyes.
With the Hurricanes, he'll play for first-year head coach Manny Diaz and offensive coordinator Dan Enos (formerly at Alabama).
Unlike the quarterbacks above, Martell lacks starting experience. He threw just 28 passes during three blowout wins last season, completing 23.
WR Juwan Johnson, Oregon (from Penn State)
There were more than just quarterbacks going through the portal. One of the most talented playmaking transfers was Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound graduate transfer projected to start for Oregon.
Johnson will give veteran quarterback Justin Herbert a big, experienced target. His best season came in 2017, when he caught 54 passes for 701 yards. He posted 25 receptions for 352 yards and a touchdown in 10 games last season.
OG Parker Braun, Texas (from Georgia Tech)
Texas hopes to unseat Oklahoma in the Big 12 after the Sooners won their fourth consecutive conference title in 2018. Fortifying the offensive line with a three-year starter in Braun will certainly help.
Braun projects to start at right guard for Texas, bringing 32 career starts for Georgia Tech with him.
Texas returns quality starters at left tackle (Samuel Cosmi) and center (Zach Shackelford), so the Longhorns' offensive line should be a strength.
LB Jonathan Greenard, Florida (from Louisville)
The 6-foot-4, 263-pound graduate transfer is a safe bet to produce during his one season with the Gators.
Greenard was a team captain for Louisville in 2018, but he missed the season after injuring his wrist on the first defensive series of the year.
It was an unfortunate incident for a player who broke out in 2017. Greenard led the Cardinals that campaign with 15.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.
LB Manny Bowen, Utah (from Penn State)
Penn State saw several significant players depart through the transfer portal this offseason. That includes Bowen, even though he last played for the Nittany Lions in 2017.
Bowen was dismissed from the program after the 2017 season. He then returned in training camp the following summer before leaving the program again, ESPN reported.
He graduated from Penn State in December and elected to play his final season at Utah.
The Utes are a trendy pick to win the Pac-12, and Bowen could be a reason why. In 2016, his best season, he recorded 68 tackles, including 8.5 for loss.
DT Darrion Daniels, Nebraska (from Oklahoma State)
The Cornhuskers must improve defensively to meet lofty expectations during Scott Frost's second year, and a former four-star recruit in Daniels should help.
The 6-foot-3, 320-pound tackle started 14 games for Oklahoma State over the last two seasons. His 2018 campaign was cut short after four games because of a finger injury suffered in practice.
He took advantage of the NCAA's new redshirt rule, which allows players to appear in up to four games and still claim a redshirt season. Daniels graduated from Oklahoma State and transferred to Nebraska, where his brother, Damion, is also a lineman.
Other notable transfers: QB Tommy Stevens, Mississippi State (from Penn State); QB Josh Jackson, Maryland (from Virginia Tech); QB Alex Delton, TCU (from Kansas State); QB Austin Kendall, West Virginia (from Oklahoma); QB Shane Buechele, SMU (from Texas); WR Tabari Hines, NC State (from Oregon); RB James Gilbert, Kansas State (from Ball State); LB Kylan Johnson, Pittsburgh (from Florida); CB Cameron Watkins, Vanderbilt (from Illinois); S Bubba Bolden, Miami (from USC)
Mark Cooper is theScore's NCAA writer.