College football transfer portal tracker: Former Northwestern TE Hunter Welcing signs with Ohio State
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The college football transfer portal window opened Jan. 2 and will stay open until Friday.
The Tribune is tracking some of the key portal moves for local teams and players.
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Tuesday
Former Northwestern TE Hunter Welcing signed with Ohio State.
What it means: Welcing will spend his seventh college season with the Buckeyes after having a breakout year for Northwestern in 2025.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound tight end from Lake Zurich had 28 catches for 296 yards and two touchdowns this season, his sixth. Before that at Northwestern, he had only one 20-yard catch in 2024, though he played in all 12 games that season.
Welcing didn’t play in his first season in 2020, redshirted in 2021 and missed 2022 with an injury. He played primarily on special teams in 2023.
Former Washington State DL Connor Sullivan is among Illinois’ recent additions.
What it means: Sullivan is a former Loyola Academy player who played three games in one season at Washington State.
The Illini also added Colorado State linebacker Robert Edmonson, who had 49 tackles, four tackles for a loss, a sack, an interception and six quarterback hurries in 2025. He spent his first two seasons, one of them a redshirt year, at Prairie View A&M.
Georgia State defensive back Deuce Fillmore also joins the Illini with one year of eligibility left.
Monday
Former Alabama DE Keon Keeley and former Ohio State WR Quincy Porter committed to Notre Dame.
What it means: Both Keeley and Porter, who announced their commitments on social media, were five-star recruits coming out of high school.
Keeley was the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2023, per the 247 Sports composite rankings, and the top-ranked edge rusher. He played in 13 games for Alabama as a redshirt sophomore in 2025, totaling 16 tackles, three sacks, a quarterback hurry, a pass breakup and a blocked punt.
Porter was the nation’s fifth-ranked wide receiver and the No. 1 player from New Jersey in the 2025 class. He had four catches for 59 yards in four games as an Ohio State freshman after missing some time with an injury.
He joins a Notre Dame wide receivers room in need of more talent, though the Irish will return 2025 leading receiver Jordan Faison.
Notre Dame also received commitments from cornerbacks DJ McKinney of Colorado and Jayden Sanders of Michigan, they announced on social media.
McKinney spent two seasons at Oklahoma State, including a redshirt year, and two seasons at Colorado. He started 22 games for the Buffaloes, totaling 97 tackles, 14 pass breakups, four interceptions, four tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Sanders had 23 tackles and a pass breakup for Michigan as a freshman in 2025.
Oklahoma State OT Grant Seagren is among multiple players to commit to Northwestern.
What it means: Seagren started at right tackle for the Cowboys in 2025 after two years at Nebraska. He joins new offensive line coach Tim Drevno, who also got commitments from Alabama reserve tackle Arkel Anugwom and Saginaw Valley State tackle David Anchondo.
The Wildcats also added a pair of tight ends in Connecticut’s Alex Honig and Division II All-American Luke Dehnicke of Minnesota-Duluth to help out new quarterback Aidan Chiles.
Northwestern has a new kicking operation with former Bowling Green kicker Jackson Kleather and former Michigan long snapper Evan Boutorwick.
On defense, the Wildcats added Weber State cornerback Montae Pate, according to ESPN, Central Florida edge rusher Jamaal Johnson and Central Michigan cornerback Brenden Deasfernandes to go with the previously reported commitment of Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie.
Friday
Former Simeon and Illinois WR Malik Elzy committed to LSU, On3.com reported.
What it means: Elzy left Illinois’ program in September with the intention of eventually transferring.
Once thought to be in the running to make a major impact in 2025, he had just seven catches for 84 yards in four games this season. He finished his three-year Illinois career with 16 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
Now he joins LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin for a fresh start. George McDonald, LSU’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, was Elzy’s position coach at Illinois in 2023.
Jan. 8
Former Florida International WR Alex Perry is among Illinois signees.
What it means: Perry, a senior, joins the Illini after a first-team All-Conference USA season for FIU. He had 56 catches for 840 yards and nine touchdowns in his lone season there. He previously spent three seasons at Hawaii.
He joins a wide receiver corps that needs to replace senior Hank Beatty and Justin Bowick, who entered the transfer portal.
The Illini also signed former Ball State wide receiver Ty Robinson, who had 11 catches for 113 yards last season.
Former Utah State outside linebacker Will Holmes is a notable signing on defense after he had 45 tackles, 6½ tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and six quarterback hurries as a sophomore in 2025.
Holmes, who is 25 years old, was a pitcher and outfielder in the Los Angeles Angels system from 2018-21.
Offensive tackle Christian Martin, who started 12 games at left tackle for Colorado State last season, and former Arkansas long snapper Zach Haber are other recent signings.
Jan. 7
Northwestern DE Anto Saka has committed to Texas A&M, On3.com reported.
What it means: In three seasons at Northwestern, Saka totaled 41 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
He was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection in 2025, when he had 13 tackles, four tackles for a loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He’s the most notable Wildcats player to transfer out so far in this cycle.
Jan. 6
Former Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles reportedly committed to Northwestern.
What it means:ESPN reported Chiles has committed to Northwestern, where he will work with new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel.
The Wildcats needed a quarterback to replace 2025 starter Preston Stone, who is out of eligibility. They picked Chiles, who threw for 3,807 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions over two seasons at Michigan State. He rushed for 452 yards and nine touchdowns. He spent his freshman season at Oregon State.
Chiles lost his starting job after eight games in 2025 — in which he had 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions — and battled a foot injury late in the year. He was among the players to transfer out after new Spartans coach Pat Fitzgerald took over.
Northwestern also reportedly has a commitment from Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie.
Jan. 5
Illinois signed former Wisconsin center Jake Renfro
What it means: Renfro, who started 13 games for Cincinnati in 2021 and 12 games for Wisconsin in 2024, arrives at Illinois for a seventh year of college due to a few injury-marred seasons.
The Providence graduate played in just four games for the Badgers in 2025 while battling ankle and knee injuries. The Illini needed a new center with starter Josh Kreutz out of eligibility.
The Illini also added wide receiver depth with Florida Atlantic’s Jayshon Platt, who had 46 catches for 720 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games this past season as a junior.
Other portal signees are Division II Chowan quarterback Maurice Smith — whom the Illini list as an “athlete” — Penn defensive lineman Carter Janki and East Texas A&M defensive back Lavon Williams.
Illinois safety Matthew Bailey and cornerback Juice Clarke announced they will return next season
What it means: Bailey, an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 2025, announced on social media he would return. He had a team-leading 76 tackles (including 59 solo), four tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one quarterback hurry and two pass breakups in 12 games before missing the Music City Bowl to have shoulder surgery.
Clarke, a junior, also was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection after totaling 30 tackles, eight passes defended and a fumble recovery in eight games.
Notre Dame backup QB Kenny Minchey reportedly flipped his commitment to Kentucky
What it means: Minchey originally had committed to Nebraska, but a day later ESPN reported he changed course and committed to join new Kentucky coach Will Stein instead.
Minchey was the backup to CJ Carr this past season after losing a training camp battle.
Illinois kicker David Olano reportedly signed with Texas A&M
What it means: Olano, who made the winning field goal in Illinois’ Music City Bowl win over Tennessee, announced Thursday he was hitting the transfer portal.
On Monday, the Naperville North alumnus signed with Texas A&M, according to On3.com. He made 37 of 43 field-goal attempts the last two seasons, including the winner against USC this season.
Jan. 4
Former East Carolina and Michigan State QB Katin Houser signed with Illinois
What it means: Illinois needs a new quarterback with three-year starter Luke Altmyer out of eligibility. Houser arrives in Champaign after throwing for 6,438 yards and 43 touchdowns with 22 interceptions over four seasons at Michigan State and East Carolina.
In his second season at East Carolina this year, Houser completed 65.9% of his passes for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and nine touchdowns.
‘Tough as nails’ Luke Altmyer puts a fitting finish on one of Illinois’ most successful QB tenures
Notre Dame backup QB Kenny Minchey and DE Josh Burnham are moving to the Big Ten.
What it means: Minchey, the backup to CJ Carr this past season, has committed to Nebraska, ESPN reported. Minchey, who was at Notre Dame for three seasons, lost a close training camp battle to Carr in the summer. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 196 yards in 2025.
Carr will return for his second season as the starter in 2026, but the Irish will need a new backup.
Burnham announced on social media he committed to Indiana. Over 40 games at Notre Dame, he had 65 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, six sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two passes defended.
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