The college football transfer portal officially opened on January 2, 2026, and it did not take long for a good portion of one team’s roster to test the waters. Fresh off a coaching change, one SEC powerhouse may be forced to transform the team’s roster ahead of next season.
Florida saw a massive 22 players enter the college football transfer portal just hours after it opened, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The Gators are on the verge of a complete overhaul after firing Billy Napier and hiring former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.
“22 Florida players officially in the transfer portal but no Jadan Baugh,” Nakos detailed in a January 2, message on X.
Starting quarterback DJ Lagway headlines the list of Florida players expected to enter the portal. Other notable players include pass rusher Jayden Woods, wide receiver Eugene Wilson and running back KD Daniels, among others.
Here’s a rundown of the latest college football news you need to know amid all the transfer portal movement.
Florida QB DJ Lagway Is Being Linked to LSU & Miami in the College Football Transfer Portal
It is worth noting that Lagway and others are able to remain with their current teams despite entering the portal. Perhaps Sumrall can work some magic and retain some of the Gators’ key players. Lagway is already generating interest from several notable programs, including LSU and Miami.
“The former five-star recruit has been tied to Baylor, LSU, Miami and Louisville, among other schools,” Nakos detailed in a January 2, story titled, “Transfer Portal Intel: Day 1 brings early QB moves, visit schedules.” “Expect Lagway to watch how the market plays out on the opening day of the portal before making any decisions.”
Could Lane Kiffin look to work a reclamation project on Lagway as the first quarterback in his LSU tenure? The Tigers and others will need to be prepared to pay a premium as Lagway’s projected NIL value is $2 million, per On3.
Oklahoma State Leads College Football With 41 Players Expected to Enter the Transfer Portal
Florida is not the only notable team being forced to revamp their roster, especially with a historically active college football coaching carousel. According to 247Sports’ Grant Hughes, Oklahoma State leads all of college football with 41 players expected to enter the transfer portal.
Like Florida, Oklahoma State made a coaching change, firing the program’s longtime leader Mike Gundy. Former North Texas coach Eric Morris was hired to bring Oklahoma State back to relevance.
College Football Transfer Portal Rumors: Florida Predicted to Poach Georgia Tech QB Aaron Philo
As for Florida, Sumrall may already have a plan to replace Lagway with another portal quarterback. Florida is predicted to land Georgia Tech signal-caller Aaron Philo, who could follow his former offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Gainesville.
“Sources tell On3 that Florida is the school to watch at this point for Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Aaron Philo,” Nakos wrote in a January 2, story titled, “Predicting where top transfer portal targets commit.”
“If Philo landed in Gainesville, he would play for his former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, who took the role with the Gators earlier this month. Philo would fit in Faulkner’s offense, with plenty of experience from the last two years at Georgia Tech. Philo was a backup to Haynes King in 2024 and 2025, appearing in eight total games.”
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