Here are the top five transfer portal grabs that could have the biggest impact on area colleges for the upcoming 2025 NCAA season.
5. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
The first entry has perhaps the coolest name of the bunch.
The Aggies added Kevin “KC” Concepcion out of North Carolina State after last season’s leading receiver Noah Thomas transferred to Georgia, leaving A&M and QB Marcel Reed without a top target on offense.
Concepcion was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023 after catching 71 passes for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman. The Wolfpack offense struggled in 2024, however, Concepcion going for 460 yards on 53 catches for a team that finished 6-7.
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The speedy wideout will instantly add some playmaking ability to the Aggie offense, along with fellow transfer portal wide receiver Mario Craver.
4. Cole Brevard, Texas
The Longhorns had some big shoes to fill — literally — and they did so with Brevard.
After the departure of Texas defensive standout Alfred Collins, who was a second-round pick of the 49ers in April’s NFL draft, the Horns had a 333-pound hole to fill on their defensive front. Enter Brevard, coincidentally also listed at 333 pounds.
The 4-star transfer from Purdue posted a career-high 19.5 tackles last year for the Boilermakers and should serve as a strong plug-and-play run stopper on the Texas D-line.
3. Micah Hudson, Texas Tech
We’re gonna go ahead and count this one. Technically, Hudson did enter the transfer portal. Heck, he even committed to Texas A&M at one point.
But the former 5-star who joined Tech last year as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Texas pulled a transfer portal U-turn and will be back in Lubbock for 2025.
Hudson couldn’t find consistent playing time during his freshman season with the Red Raiders, catching just eight passes for 123 yards and suffering a lower leg injury that impacted his effectiveness and playing time.
But the Lake Belton native still has his proponents and was ranked as the 15th-best receiver in the portal during the winter.
Related:Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire sheds light on situation with star WR Micah Hudson2. David Bailey, Texas Tech
It’s no accident that the Red Raiders are on this list twice: They had the second-ranked transfer portal haul in the country, according to 247Sports.
Bailey is a 6-3, 250-pound pass rusher who entered the portal from Stanford as a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. That makes for a good add to a Tech team stocking up for a run at a Big 12 championship this season and, thus, their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Bailey was Freshman All-Defense in 2022 after starting nine games with 2.5 sacks. He’s improved on that number each season, totaling five sacks in 2023 and seven last year. He’s also got a knack for forcing fumbles, causing five last season alone.
Bailey’s the No. 12-ranked portal signing for 2025 according to 247, Tech also landing Nos. 14 (OT Howard Sampson), 27 (OLB Romello Height) and 39 (OL Hunter Zambrano) on that list.
1. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Landing Mateer may have saved the Sooners’ season even before it began, and, likewise, maybe the job of their head coach as well.
The former Little Elm standout spent last season tearing up the Pac-12 for Washington State, passing for 3,139 yards in 12 games and rushing for nearly 1,000 more while leading the nation in total touchdowns. He comes to Norman along with Cougars coach Ben Arbuckle, who signed on as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator in December.
The No. 6-ranked transfer hit the portal shortly after and landed with the Sooners, who were kind of without a quarterback heading into the 2025 season. Last year’s starter Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn and Michael Hawkins Jr. didn’t exactly look ready for SEC competition as a freshman last season.
Mateer gives the Sooners a shot at a legitimate duel-threat star, one who could perhaps help chill the sizzling-hot seat of Brent Venables if Oklahoma can find early success in 2025.
Texas A&M lands third 5-star commit from Class of 2026 in Georgia DL Bryce Perry-Wright
Perry-Wright is ranked as the No. 3 defensive lineman in the country in the Class of 2026.
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Check out where each of Texas’ top 10 recruits will play their freshman seasons.
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