College football transfer portal: Kadyn Proctor, Jason Zandamela headline top Day 1 entrants in spring window (2024)

Transfer Profile: 3-Star | 87 Rating | No. 626 Overall | No. 58 QB

After spending the first two years of his career at USF, Timmy McClain made a quick appearance at another in-state program, playing the 2023 season at UCF. He made seven appearances and three starts with the Knights and strung together a handful of productive showings in September and October, throwing for at least 136 yards and two touchdowns in four-straight games. McClain topped out at 321 yards in a terrific performance against FCS foe Villanova. He gained national attention for a remarkable fourth-down conversion against Baylor in which he displayed outstanding athleticism.

Transfer Profile: 3-Star | 88 Rating | No. 448 Overall | No. 23 OT

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Payton Kirkland left the Texas football program after one season with the Longhorns, during which he did not receive any playing time in the team's run to the College Football Playoff. The former four-star recruit suffered a knee injury in the fall and entered the spring in the middle of his recovery. The 6-foot-6, 366-pound tackle from Orlando, Fla. will make his debut elsewhere after arriving at Texas as a prized prospect and the second-highest-rated lineman in the program's 2023 haul.

Transfer Profile: 3-Star | 88 Rating | No. 444 Overall | No. 43 RB

As the projected No. 3 option in a loaded Ohio State backfield, Dallan Hayden expressed his interest last week in entering the transfer portal and officially landed in the database Tuesday as one of the nation's premier available ballcarriers. Hayden saw limited action in three games for the Buckeyes last season but displayed tremendous ability during his freshman campaign in 2022, posting three 100-yard games and rattling off a career-best 146 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Maryland.

Transfer Profile: 3-Star | 88 Rating | No. 443 Overall | No. 22 OT

Andrew Chamblee started at left tackle for Arkansas last season and landed on the SEC All-Freshman team at the end of a strong debut campaign. Finding instant success at a key position in such a physical league bodes well for the former Top247 recruit's future, and he already has interest from a handful of power conference schools. UCLA, Kansas State, Colorado and Virginia Tech are all expected to get the tackle on campus for visits, according to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy.

Transfer Profile: 3-Star | 89 Rating | No. 278 Overall | No. 27 DL

Teams in the market for a veteran on the defensive line should be clamoring for Dayon Hayes, who enters his fifth and final season of eligibility on the heels of his best campaign to date. Hayes logged at least two sacks in each of his four years at Pittsburgh but took his all-around game to another level in 2023, logging career-highs with 45 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble during his first season as a starter. A trajectory that saw Hayes develop year after year puts him on pace to make noise at a high-level program this fall.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 90 Rating | No. 173 Overall | No. 17 DL

Rayyan Buell could return to the power conference ranks for the first time since signing with Rutgers in 2019 as a three-star prospect. The veteran made stops after his time with the Scarlet Knights at Northwest Mississippi C.C. and Ohio, climbing the ladder back to college football's highest level with continuous development across a five-year career. Buell's sixth season will be his most highly anticipated given that he broke out in a major way last fall, racking up 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks with the Bobcats.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 91 Rating | No. 101 Overall | No. 22 WR

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Tyler Williamsplayed in two games during his lone season at Georgia and made an impact at last year's spring game, logging two catches for 16 yards just months into his college career. The No. 111 overall prospect in last year's recruiting class held more than 40 offers and could garner interest from receiver-needy programs during his second recruitment. 247Sports director of scouting called Williams a "potential big-play machine" coming out of Lakeland (Fla.) High.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 91 Rating | No. 99 Overall | No. 12 Edge

Miami edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly officially showed up in the transfer portal Tuesday, one week after his intentions to leave the Hurricanes surfaced. He did not participate in any of the team's spring practices and had his 2023 season cut short due to injuries, but Kelly was productive during his last appearance on the field as he tallied eight tackles, one tackle for loss and six quarterback pressures across four games during his sophom*ore campaign. Kelly was a premier pickup for head coach Mario Cristobal in his first recruiting haul at Miami, ranking as the No. 87 high school prospect in the 2022 class.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 92 Rating | No. 69 Overall | No. 6 S

Former four-star signee and projected Texas A&M starter Jacoby Mathews departed from the Aggies program with his Tuesday transfer portal entrance. Mathews landed in College Station under former head coach Jimbo Fisher and will not play a snap for Mike Elko after he appeared in 21 games with 12 starts over two years. The defensive back should have a large Power Four market, as he holds plenty of productive experience in the SEC with 67 career tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 94 Rating | No. 14 Overall | No. 3 CB

Colorado coach Deion Sanders issued some tough love to prized freshman Cormani McClain early in his college career, but the 2023 class' top-ranked cornerback responded well and ultimately turned himself into a reliable option for a Buffaloes defense that desperately needed help during the second half of the season. McClain made four starts across nine total appearances by the end of his first and only campaign in Boulder, tallying 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and a pair of pass breakups. The former five-star recruit still has elite potential as a lockdown corner.

Transfer Profile: 4-Star | 97 Rating | No. 7 Overall | No. 1 IOL

First-year college football players do not often enter the transfer portal before embarking on their freshman seasons, but USC four-star 2024 signee Jason Zandamela did just that in the middle of the Trojans' spring practice slate. Zandamela was the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the most recent signing class and followed in classmate Julian Sayin's footsteps, seeking a new school well in advance of his first college snap. The 6-foot-3, 306-pound lineman is still relatively new to football after spending much of his youth in his native Mozambique but could develop into a standout over the coming years.

Transfer Profile: 5-Star | 99 Rating | No. 2 Overall | No. 1 OT

Kadyn Proctor is not the first player to experience a change of heart upon hitting the transfer portal, but he is certainly the highest-profile prospect to do so. The former five-star recruit left Alabama two months ago amid the Crimson Tide's coaching change, but after an extremely brief stay at Iowa, he jumped back into the portal Tuesday and is now expected to re-join his former program. Proctor landed the starting left tackle job at Alabama as a true freshman last season and improved as the season progressed, and he figures to slot back into that immensely important role upon his arrival back in Tuscaloosa.