How recent transfer decisions will impact top 2026 offensive recruits

The transfer portal is open and there has been plenty of activity so far. National recruiting analyst Greg Smith takes a look at the impact of some recent transfer decisions of major offensive players.

Hoffman actually picked up his first Power Four offer from Missouri during his initial recruiting process. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz extended the scholarship after a camp in June 2023. The Iowa Hawkeyes narrowly beat out the Tigers the first time around but now he’s transferring to Missouri.

Hoffman didn’t appear in a game during his time in Iowa City but he’s bigger now and has untapped potential. He’s a redshirt freshman so Hoffman has multiple years of eligibility. Jordon Harris, Jude James and Brett Norfleet all return from last season. Vince Brown II also transferred in and freshman Dakotah Terrell is on the roster.

Missouri doesn’t have a tight end committed for the 2026 recruiting class. It’s a strong year for the position in the region once again. The Tigers have been linked with Colorado native Camden Jensen and Nebraska native Isaac Jensen. But landing Hoffman and having a full room could cause those players to be more of a luxury this cycle than strong need.

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Former Illinois running back Josh McCray announced that he will play for Georgia this coming season after leading the Illini in rushing last year. McCray carried the ball 117 times for a total of 609 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. His physical running style makes an excellent addition to the Bulldogs’ backfield.

The Bulldogs needed another running back after they lost Branson Robinson to the transfer portal recently. They have young talent in the program at running back so they are operating from a strong position on who to potentially add in the 2026 recruiting class.

It’ll surprise no one that coach Kirby Smart is after some big-time prospects at the position. Five-star Derrek Cooper was already committed to the program before and remains a strong option. Local standout Jae Lamar will take an official visit to Athens. The team is battling Clemson and Miami for him. Cooper seems to be the most likely candidate at the position this cycle. The Bulldogs could be done at running back if they land the potential superstar.

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The Boilermakers landed two of the bigger name wide receivers on Monday out of the portal. Former Georgia Bulldogs Nitro Tuggle and Michael Jackson announced their commitments to the team. The Boilermakers have been very active in the portal adding close to 40 players, but receiver has been a big need.

Tuggle was a top-100 prospect out of high school in Indiana. He had offers from coast-to-coast before picking the Bulldogs out of high school. In his freshman season, he appeared in six games on offense tallying three catches for 34 yards.

Jackson brings 30 games of experience to the Boilermakers after spending three seasons at USC and one at Georgia. His career numbers are 47 catches for 508 yards and five touchdowns.

No true No. 1 receiver has emerged so there is opportunity for playing time for both receivers.

The Boilermakers will still search far and wide for receiver talent in the 2026 recruiting class. Jeffar Jean-Noel, BJ Bedgood and Santana Carlos are all intriguing out-of-state candidates. It may be too late but it’s worth the staff circling back on in-state standouts Jerquaden Guilford and Tayshon Bardo. Guilford backed off his pledge to Penn State and Bardo committed to Wisconsin.

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