The NCAA’s second transfer portal window, a 15-day period from April 15 to April 30, provided programs a final opportunity to shore up any remaining holes on their roster at the conclusion of spring football. Sure, it wasn’t near as chaotic as the massive movement coinciding with the end of the 2022 regular season, but some of the players who switched schools in April will play meaningful snaps this upcoming year.

Whether they project to be a Day 1 starter, a key rotational player or a quality backup, here are the five picks for the most impactful transfers who’ll arrive for summer strength and conditioning.

SMU WR Jordan Hudson (TCU)

Arguably the nation’s headliner among summer transfers, Jordan Hudson decided to traverse across the metroplex and jump from Fort Worth’s reigning national runner-up to Rhett Lashlee’s Air Raid offense in Dallas. Hudson, a one-time SMU commit when he starred at Garland, showed flashes as a freshman of the smooth route running and sure hands that earned him the No.17-overall ranking in the 2022 DCTF Top 100. He compiled 14 catches for 174 yards and three touchdowns, but he never broke out while stationed behind future first round NFL Draft selection Quentin Johnston. 

Now he’ll have a chance to start on an SMU attack that ranked seventh in the nation with 316.7 passing yards per game and introduces the highest-rated recruit in school history at quarterback in Preston Stone. Hudson will help fill the hole left by departing 1,355-yard receiver Rashee Rice, along with presumed senior starters Jordan Kerley and Jake Bailey. SMU will need to figure out how they’ll balance play time between Hudson and former Texas transfer Moochie Dixon, who was third on the team in receiving last season and had a solid spring football session. Dixon has track star speed over Hudson, but Hudson’s route running is more polished at this time.

Texas DT Trill Carter (Minnesota)

The Longhorns went portaling to find replacements for departing NFL Draft picks Keondre Cobrun and Moro Ojomo along the defensive line and reeled in 6-foot-2-inch, 300-pound defensive tackle Trill Carter. A All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2022, Carter started 24 games for the Golden Gophers and racked up 55 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. But he will instead be a key rotational piece along Texas’s defensive line in 2023 and beyond. 

Texas has beefed up in the trenches in preparation for their move to the SEC next season. T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II have starting spots locked in, but the reinforcements behind them are plenty capable. Along with Carter, Texas welcomes 6-foot-6-inch, 359-pound tackle Sydir Mitchell to pair with returners Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. Texas was second in the Big 12 last season surrendering just 125.7 yards per game.

Texas A&M CB Josh DeBarry (Boston College)

It’d be difficult to find a unit with more collegiate experience than Texas A&M’s secondary in 2023. Safety Demani Richardson is back for a fifth season with 43 career starts under his belt, as is his backfield mate Jardin Gilbert and cornerback Tyreek Chappell. The Aggies added former five-star corner Tony Grimes, who appeared in 37 games at North Carolina, in an effort to shore up the nation’s No.1-ranked pass defense after Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones left for the NFL. But they decided they needed to nab more playmakers in the second transfer portal window.

Enter Josh DeBarry, who started 39 games for Boston College and played all over the secondary. The All-ACC honorable mention natural home is at nickelback, where he’ll likely see the most time this season at A&M, but he’s also proven himself at cornerback and safety should the Aggies suffer any injuries. He will have one season of eligibility.

TCU WR Dylan Wright (Minnesota)

The Horned Frogs may have lost a first round pick in Quentin Johnston and an intriguing youngster in Jordan Hudson, but they’ve attacked the transfer portal to rebuild their wide receiver room. JoJo Earle (Alabama) is a former blue-chipper from Aledo, Jack Bech (LSU) has 59 career catches in SEC ball and JP Richardson (Oklahoma State) was a team captain last season. But none of those guys have the physical makeup of Dylan Wright, who at 6-foot-3-inches, 210 pounds has the physicality to be a deep threat.

Wright leveraged that size to rack up 18.4 yards per reception in his 24 games at Minnesota, but he elected to transfer after seeing his playing time diminish in 2022. This will be Wright’s third team in his college career. A former four-star in the class of 2019, Wright originally spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring up north.

Texas State QB TJ Finley (Auburn)

Texas State seemingly has its quarterback of the future in former Fort Bend Marshall standout and Arkansas transfer Malik Hornsby, but that hasn’t stopped the program from trying to bring in competition through the portal. The Bobcats were heavily flirting with former Texas and Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson, and when he ultimately went another direction they snagged 6-foot-7-inch Auburn transfer TJ Finley.

Finley’s physical tools haven’t matched his production up to this point. He has put up 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go with a 57 percent completion percentage in three seasons as a backup and spot starter. But new head coach GJ Kinne has transformed a quarterback before. Former UIW standout Lindsey Scott threw for 2,073 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2021. When Kinne took over in 2022, Scott completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 4,657 yards and tossed for an FCS single-season record 60 touchdowns. Finley and Hornsby will battle for the starting job and hopefully a similar stats bump.