The college football offseason has seen constant activity in the transfer portal,providing fans with plenty to discuss this spring.

While the most recent portal window was less active than the one at the end of the season, it still offered plenty of storylines and engaging moves.

Here are some superlatives for the more uncommon moments from the spring portal, moving beyond just the best player or overall hauls:

Most NFL Trade Deadline-Esque Move

nico iamaleavaTennessee to UCLA; Joey AguilarUCLA to Tennessee

The biggest story of the spring portal was Nico Iamaleava‘s departure from the Tennessee Volunteers. The starting quarterback from the Vols’ 10-3 College Football Playoff campaign left in mid-April, beginning a saga that reached a bizarre conclusion. Iamaleava, a Southern California native, landed with the UCLA Bruins.

But that wasn’t the end. Just days later, Joey Aguilar, who had been expected to compete for the starting job with the Bruins, announced he would transfer to fill the void left by Iamaleava with the Tennessee Volunteers. It was a rare, direct swap of quarterbacks between two major programs.

Most Devastating Running Back Room Exodus

Cal Golden Bears

The cal Golden Bears experienced a complete overhaul of their running back roster during the spring transfer portal window. After losing star running back Jaydn Ott to the NFL draft, the team saw a mass departure of talent.

Byron Cardwell Jr. (24 carries in 2024) and Justin Williams-Thomas (three appearances in 2024) also hit the portal in that stretch as the Cal roster recoiled.

All told, the Golden Bears currently have three running backs currently listed on the team’s rosterwith just six career carries between them (all by redshirt freshman Jamaal Wiley).

Busiest Class Schedule

Breylan ThompsonYale to Stanford

Transferring from a school like Yale frequently enough implies a decrease in academic rigor.Though,Breylan Thompson’s case is different.the freshman defensive back transferred to Stanford Cardinal, another of America’s elite universities, located in Palo Alto, California.

Thompson recorded 31 total tackles, three tackles for loss and six passes defended in his onyl season with the Bulldogs.

Most Likely to Spice Up a Rivalry

kennedy UrlacherNotre Dame to USC

kennedy Urlacher, son of NFL Hall of Famer Brian urlacher, will play at Notre Dame Stadium next season, but for just one game, on the opposite side of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish–USC Trojans rivalry. Urlacher committed to the Trojans on April 19, and will aim to bring the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy to Los Angeles next season.

The rising sophomore safety isn’t the only player to switch sides in the historic rivalry. Former USC defensive lineman Elijah Hughes transferred to Notre Dame during the winter portal window.

Best Two-For-One Deal

Brent Helton and Wade HeltonIowa State to Arizona State

Who doesn’t appreciate a package deal? The Arizona State Sun Devils acquired offensive linemen Brent and Wade Helton, twin brothers who transferred together from the Iowa State Cyclones to Arizona.

The Helton brothers both redshirted during their freshman year in 2024 with the Cyclones.

“The biggest story of the spring portal was Nico Iamaleava’s departure from the Tennessee Volunteers.”

transfer Portal Explained