Unfortunately for the Group of Six, many of those schools lose a lot of their best players to the transfer portal. And some of those athletes become stars at Power Four schools and go on to be highly-rated NFL prospects.
But that also provides opportunities for G6 schools, as they can offer playing time for backups at P4 schools and give them chances to shine on the field rather than sit on the sideline.
The transfer portal is open just once this year, which is a change from years past and makes the upcoming days a bit more urgent for all college football programs.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant recent moves in the transfer portal:
Chase Hendricks To Cal
Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi is adding a few standout players from the G6, including Ohio wide receiver Chase Hendricks. With four stars, he’s the 54th-ranked transfer prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports, and is the 13th-best wide receiver.
Hendricks, a 6-foot, 203-pound junior last year, was 16th in the country with 1,037 receiving yards and 20th with 71 catches while hauling in seven touchdowns. He recorded 1,616 yards and eight touchdowns on 122 catches in three years at Ohio.
Dorian Thomas To Cal
Dorian Thomas, a HERO Sports Group of Five All-American tight end, is joining Cal as well from New Mexico. He’s the fifth-best tight end in the transfer portal and, with four stars, is the 110th overall transfer prospect.
Thomas was second in the country among tight ends with 56 receptions and eighth with 560 yards through the air while tallying four touchdowns. At 6-4, 239 pounds, he was a sophomore in 2025 after spending his previous two seasons at Arizona.
Braden Pegan To Utah
After a breakout season at Utah State, wide receiver Braden Pegan is heading to Utah. At 6-3, 210 pounds, he’s the 22nd-best wideout and the 78th overall transfer prospect with a four-star rating.
Pegan was an All-Mountain West first-team selection in 2025 as a junior, leading Utah State with 926 yards on 60 receptions and scoring five touchdowns through the air. He played at UCLA the previous three seasons, appearing in 13 games and starting one.
Adam Trick To Texas Tech
Adam Trick, a 6-4, 249-pound defensive lineman from Miami (Ohio) is transferring to Texas Tech. He’s the 16th-best EDGE in the transfer portal and is the 106th-best overall transfer prospect.
Trick, a four-star transfer, was a second-team G5 All-American as a redshirt junior in 2025. He recorded 59 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks – a number that ranked 24th in the country – with three passes defended, three forced fumbles, and one interception. Over the past three years, he’s tallied 102 tackles, 18 TFLs, 13 sacks, six passes defended, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
Owen Long To Arizona State
After leading the country with 151 tackles, Colorado State linebacker Owen Long is transferring to Arizona State.
Long was a G5 All-American last year as a sophomore. Along with his 151 tackles, he recorded five TFLs, two sacks, five passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 2025. The previous season, he tallied 45 tackles and two passes defended.
Long, a four-star prospect, is the fifth-highest ranked linebacker and the 99th-best transfer prospect.
