These college football teams are off to a hot start in the 2023 transfer portal

As the famous saying once said, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

Since the college football transfer portal has opened, teams are snatching up as many players as possible before it closes again on January 18 to improve their 2023 season roster.
Since the college football transfer portal has opened, teams are snatching up as many players as possible before it closes again on January 18 to improve their 2023 season roster.  © Collage: MICHAEL HICKEY / DAVID BERDING / ANDY LYONS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The college football transfer portal has been open for quite some time now and teams are snatching up as many transfer players as possible before it closes again on January 18.

Although hundreds of players and counting have yet to land elsewhere, many of the top-tier athletes have already narrowed their options or committed to schools, giving fans an early look at the 2023 season.

It's still early in the portal, and with some teams preparing for big Bowl games at the end of the month, including the College Football Playoff, the portal is definitely on the back end for some programs.

For others, however, the transfer portal is a hot commodity many teams need to improve their roster.

In no specific order, here are the schools experiencing the most success in the portal in the early days of this window period.

Iowa Hawkeyes

If there were any changes made to the Iowa Hawkeyes football, it needed to start with the team's offense. Luckily, that change came in two Michigan star players, former quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All.

McNamara and All are headed to Iowa City after hooking up dozens of times on the field in 2021 and 2022 as two-time reigning Big Ten conference champions.

The duo will serve as the foundation of the reconstruction of the Hawkeye offense that ranked 123rd nationally in scoring and 122nd in passing in all FBS schools.

With the return of Hawkeye Luke Lachey in the offense room as well, Iowa is off to a great start in the transfer portal.

Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines have arguably the best haul from the transfer portal so far! Michigan ranks as the top team in the nation with the best transfers, including three of the top seven offensive linemen.

While the Wolverines are replacing a pair of graduates, including center Olu Oluwatimi, from the best offensive line in college football, they will do so with the addition of three Pac-12 starters in Myles Hinton, Drake Nugent (Stanford), and LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State).

Michigan has also picked up Nebraska linebacker Ernest Hausmann, the second-best player in the portal behind Jackson State's Travis Hunter, and Josaiah Stewart from Coastal Carolina.

Kentucky Wildcats

Thanks to the transfer portal, Kentucky has the No. 1 available quarterback in Devin Leary and a solid defensive backfield to build around.

The Wildcats have been making huge improvements along their offensive line, which was among the nation’s worst last season, with the addition of former Alabama offensive tackle Tanner Bowles.

With former NC State quarterback Leary stepping in as starter next year, the Wildcats picked up former Vanderbilt running back Ray Davis, the third-best available player at the position, who rushed for 1,042 yards this season.

On their defensive side of the ball, safety Jantzen Dunn from Ohio State and Cincinnati’s JQ Hardaway will now join SEC football as Wildcat players.

Cover photo: Collage: MICHAEL HICKEY / DAVID BERDING / ANDY LYONS / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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