College Football’s Fifth-Year Transfer Tracker: Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris Headline Impact Late Additions
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Even though the start of the 2026 college football season is just a few days away, player movement from the transfer portal is still ongoing due to recent lawsuits against the NCAA and its decision not to grandfather in players with a fifth year of eligibility. This recent round of player movement applies to a small group of athletes but has added a layer of roster chaos.
After the NCAA passed a new rule earlier this summer to shift eligibility to five years, a handful of players who originally completed eligibility in ‘25 opted to sue for an extra fifth season. Appeals and the legal fight over this group of players and eligibility are expected to continue into September. But for now, players attempting to land a fifth year of eligibility through the legal system are winning injunctions at the state level to play in ‘26.
Conferences could also take action to prevent players from returning. The Big Ten and SEC passed rules preventing players who declared for the NFL Draft and did not withdraw, appeared on a professional roster, or signed a contract with a pro league from signing with one of the conference’s 18 teams. Could this rule also pass in the ACC, Big 12, or the Group of 6 conferences? Stay tuned.
While the legal fight plays out, a handful of teams seemingly have extra help on the way, including LSU, Texas Tech and Arkansas.
Former Ole Miss safety Wydett Williams and LSU end Jack Pyburn were included in a lawsuit in Louisiana that granted eligibility for the upcoming year. However, both players are still pursuing an NFL spot this preseason and are not currently in the transfer portal.
More players could be added to this list in the coming weeks. Athlon Sports details the late transfers opting to play a fifth season elsewhere in ‘26.
College Football’s Fifth-Year Transfer Tracker for 2026
Thomas Castellanos, QB (Florida State to ?)
Castellanos has been connected to Texas Tech as a potential landing spot to work as the backup and change-of-pace option to Will Hammond. The Georgia native threw for 2,760 yards and 15 touchdowns at Florida State last season. However, his mobility (557 yards and nine scores) is a real asset and would bring a different playmaker (and proven backup) to the Red Raiders.
Blake Cotton, DB (Utah to ?)
After three seasons at Cal Poly, Cotton transferred to Utah prior to 2025. The California native emerged as a key cog in the Utes’ secondary, recording 30 tackles (two for a loss) and seven pass breakups.
Luke Drzewiecki, K (New Mexico to Minnesota)
Drzewiecki was one of the Mountain West’s top kickers last season, nailing 18 of 19 attempts and all 36 extra points. Drzewiecki connected on all six of his attempts of 40 or more yards in 2025.
Brylan Green, DB (Liberty to Arkansas)
Green was a key piece of Liberty’s defense over the last couple of seasons and should be a valuable late addition for an Arkansas secondary that allowed 22 passing scores in ‘25. In 46 games with the Flames, Green collected 141 tackles and six interceptions. He also defended 22 passes in that span.
Anthony Hankerson, RB (Oregon State to ?)
Hankerson started his career at Colorado before transferring to Oregon State in ‘24. The Florida native posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Corvallis, including 15 rushing scores during the ‘24 campaign. Hankerson also caught 49 passes with the Beavers and posted 10 games with 100-plus rushing yards over the last two years.
TJ Harden, RB (SMU to ?)
After stints with UCLA and SMU, Harden is looking for a new place to play in ‘26. Kentucky and Tennessee are rumored to be potential destinations for the California native. In 44 games, Harden rushed for 2,445 yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s also a reliable receiver out of the backfield with 82 career catches for 622 yards.
Zxavian Harris, DL (Ole Miss to LSU)
After working in a reserve role from 2022-24, Harris moved into the starting lineup for the Rebels in ‘25. The Mississippi native shined in that role, playing in all 15 contests and recording 58 tackles (nine for a loss) and three sacks. Harris thrived at stopping the run, recording a 10.4% run disruption rate per Hudl IQ.
Trent Hendrick, LB (James Madison to UCLA)
New coach Bob Chesney brought a handful of players from James Madison to UCLA in the January transfer portal window, and Hendrick has a chance to be one of the top impact additions from that group. From 2022-25, he played in 49 games with the Dukes and accumulated 209 tackles (19 for a loss), six sacks and three forced fumbles. Hendrick earned Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors last year after leading JMU’s defense with 106 tackles.
D’Angelo Hutchinson, DB (Louisville to ?)
Hutchinson shined for Louisville’s defense in 2025, recording 84 tackles and six passes defended over 13 games. The Florida native played in over 1,000 snaps over the last two seasons for the Cardinals and would bring valuable experience for a team looking for safety help.
Ethan Johnson, DB (Appalachian State to South Carolina)
Johnson brings valuable experience to South Carolina’s secondary after playing in 47 games at Appalachian State. The North Carolina native earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors last season after recording 44 tackles and 13 pass breakups.
Weylin Lapuaho, OL (BYU to ?)
Seemingly every team is desperate for more depth up front, so Lapuaho is likely to find plenty of suitors. After starting his career at Utah State, Lapuaho transferred to BYU for three seasons. During that stint, he earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2024 and accumulated over 2,600 snaps overall in his collegiate career.
Myles Rowser, S (Arizona State to Houston)
With previous stops at New Mexico State, Campbell and Arizona State, Rowser brings a wealth of experience to a Houston secondary poised to rank as one of the best in the Big 12. Over 27 games with the Sun Devils, Rowser recorded 182 tackles and defended eight passes.
DQ Smith, DB (South Carolina to ?)
Smith played over 700 snaps in each of his four seasons at South Carolina and accumulated 228 tackles (4.5 for a loss) and three forced fumbles in that span. The South Carolina native was active in coverage with 11 pass breakups and five interceptions in his tenure with the Gamecocks.
Junior Tuihalamaka, DL (Notre Dame to LSU)
SEC teams can never have enough depth in the trenches, and Tuihalamaka can certainly help LSU’s pass rush this season. Tuihalamaka played in 287 snaps and recorded 17 havoc plays last year per Hudl IQ. The California native played in 54 games at Notre Dame from 2022-25 and registered nine tackles for a loss and four sacks in that span.
Dae’Quan Wright, TE (Ole Miss to LSU)
The SEC’s policy against intraconference transfers is a hurdle Wright and LSU still have to work through. But assuming that barrier is removed, Wright can be a key cog in the Bayou Bengals’ passing game this year. In Lane Kiffin’s offense at Ole Miss last season, Wright caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five scores. With familiarity in this scheme, it won’t take Wright long to get acclimated to his new surroundings and team with preseason All-American Trey’Dez Green to form a standout pairing at tight end.
Other Late Transfers for 2026
WR Tray Taylor, Troy to Auburn
DL Eddie Kelly, Georgia Tech to ?
DL Sekou Kromah, Temple to Rutgers
DL Khalil Poteat, Temple to Vanderbilt
DL Victory Vaka, Western Kentucky to Middle Tennessee
DB Monty Hunt, Tennessee Tech to Tennessee
DB Sean Williams, Dartmouth to Arkansas
P Oliver Straw, West Virginia to ?
Related: College Football Transfer Portal FAQ: The Process, Explained
Related: College Football Top 138 Team Rankings for 2026
Related: College Football Bowl Projections for 2026-27
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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