The transfer portal giveth and taketh in modern college football. That appears true for the 13 FBS programs in Texas ahead of the spring semester. We used data at 247Sports to compile the best transfer portal classes in the Lone Star State as of Jan. 18. 

1. Texas A&M Aggies

No. of incoming transfers: 23
No. of outgoing transfers: 23
Top signees: Edge Nic Scourton (Purdue), CB Will Lee III (Kansas State), CB Dezz Ricks (Alabama)
Top losses: WR Evan Stewart (Oregon), DL Walter Nolen (Ole Miss), DL LT Overton (Alabama) 
Overview: The Aggies have the top-ranked transfer portal class, according to 247Sports. Texas A&M has attacked need positions by signing five cornerbacks, three safeties, and two edge players as part of the current 23-man portal class. At least half of those players should appear in the two-deep by August. Texas A&M played its bowl game with roughly 50 scholarship players and needed to rebuild the roster after a coaching change in the offseason. Mike Elko should receive an A for the work him and his staff have done in the first month on the job. 

2. Texas Longhorns 

No. of incoming transfers: 6
No. of outgoing transfers: 13
Top signees: WR Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Edge Trey Moore (UTSA), S Andrew Mukuba (Clemson)
Top losses: Maalik Murphy (Duke), S Jerrin Thompson (Auburn), S Kitan Crawford
Overview: The Longhorns are in the enviable position of needing to restock at a few key spots rather than rebuild a whole roster through the portal. That’s what happens when you recruit well from the high school ranks and then develop those players accordingly. Texas did add instant impact players on both sides of the ball, especially with wide receivers Bond, Matthew Golden, and Silas Robinson. Moore and Mukuba should see starter snaps in 2024. Texas didn’t lose a single significant member of the football team to the portal after reaching the College Football Playoff and winning the Big 12. 

3. TCU Horned Frogs 

No. of incoming transfers: 19
No. of outgoing transfers: 11
Top signees: WR Braylon James (Notre Dame), Edge Devean Deal (Tulane), LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr (Cal)
Top losses: Chandler Morris (North Texas), S Chace Biddle, WR Cordale Russell (Colorado)
Overview: TCU revamps itself after a disappointing 2023 season. That includes changes on the defensive staff and nearly 20 new faces through the transfer portal. 247Sports ranks TCU’s portal class as the 11th-best in America. Seven of the 19 transfers play in the secondary. Eleven of the 19 play defense. Ken Seals was brought in from Vanderbilt to compete with Josh Hoover at quarterback. Baylor transfer Drake Dabney will make an impact at tight end. 

4. Houston Cougars 

No. of incoming transfers: 18
No. of outgoing transfers: 12
Top signees: QB Zeon Chriss (Louisiana), TE Maliq Carr (Michigan State), LB Corey Platt Jr. (Tulane)
Top losses: WR Matthew Golden (Texas), DL Jamaree Caldwell (Oregon), OL Tyler Johnson (Colorado)
Overview: New head coaches face extreme challenges in the modern landscape of college football. The Houston roster was raided by other teams following the dismissal of Dana Holgorsen. Willie Fritz has done a solid job of building back the backbone of the roster by adding 18 players through the portal. The portal class ranks 18th in the country and includes transfers from power programs such as Georgia and Ole Miss. Three players are following Fritz to Houston from Tulane, including Platt and defensive lineman Keith Cooper. 

5. Texas Tech Red Raiders 

No. of incoming transfers: 11
No. of outgoing transfers: 17
Top signees: TE Jalin Conyers (Arizona State), WR Josh Kelly (Washington State), OL Davion Carter (Memphis)
Top losses: Edge Steve Linton, QB Tyler Shough (Louisville), WR Jerand Bradley (Boston College)
Overview: The Red Raiders added firepower to the offense through the transfer portal as Joey McGuire hopes to build Texas Tech into a Big 12 title contender in year three. Texas Tech signed the top recruiting class in the conference for 2024 on top of adding the 26th-best portal class in the FBS ranks. The program also added three offensive linemen through the portal. Only three of the 11 transfers play defense. 

6. SMU Mustangs 

No. of incoming transfers: 11
No. of outgoing transfers: 8
Top signees: WR Ashton Cozart (Oregon), DL Jonathan Jefferson (Georgia), OT Savion Byrd (Oklahoma)
Top losses: DL Daemian Wimberly (UTSA), DL Dylan Frazier (Sam Houston), LB Kamryn Farrar
Overview: The Mustangs are gearing up for their first foray into major college football since the Southwest Conference dissolved. SMU was 0-3 against Power Five teams last year and 10-0 against the G5. To compete in the ACC, SMU needed to continue its improvement on the lines of scrimmage and Rhett Lashlee & Co. did just that with players like Jefferson on defense and Byrd on offense. SMU signed five defensive linemen and two offensive linemen through the portal. 

7. Baylor Bears 

No. of incoming transfers: 8
No. of outgoing transfers: 7
Top signees: QB Dequan Finn (Toledo), TE Michael Trigg (Ole Miss), WR Ashtyn Hawkins (Texas State)
Top losses: TE Jake Roberts (Oklahoma), TE Drake Dabney (TCU), QB Blake Shapen (Mississippi State)
Overview: The future is now for the Baylor Bears. Retaining Dave Aranda after his third losing season in four tries was controversial. If he wants to be in charge come 2025, his Bears must post a winning record in 2024. Finn arrives to run new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital’s offense, but the real improvements need to be made on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears allowed over than two touchdowns more per game in 2023 than they did during the Big 12 championship run in 2021. The only two defensive players brought in through the portal so far are safeties Cameron Jenkins (UNLV) and Kendrick Simpkins (Western Kentucky). 

8. North Texas Mean Green 

No. of incoming transfers: 19
No. of outgoing transfers: 24
Top signees: QB Chandler Morris (TCU), OL Landon Peterson (Texas Tech), S B.J. Allen (Texas)
Top losses: QB Chandler Rogers (Cal), WR Ja’Mori Maclin (Kentucky), OL Ethan Milner (Mississippi State)
Overview: The G5 level is when the exports start outweighing the imports, at least on paper. North Texas lost its top passer, rusher, and receiver to the portal after a strong offensive campaign in year one of the Eric Morris era. Chandler Morris arrives from TCU to lead the high-octane offense. The Mean Green did a solid job along the offensive line and the defense should be more talented next season thanks to portal additions like Allen, safety Isheem Young, and edge rusher Jake Shipley. 

9. Texas State Bobcats 

No. of incoming transfers: 12
No. of outgoing transfers: 13
Top signees: QB Jayden de Laura (Arizona), TE Blake Smith (Oklahoma), Edge Steven Parker (Incarnate Word)
Top losses: QB TJ Finley, QB Malik Hornsby (Arizona State), WR Ashtyn Hawkins (Texas State)
Overview: Texas State rode a strong transfer class to its best season in FBS history under first year head coach G.J. Kinne. He won’t need as many reinforcements in his second season, but the Bobcats made headlines by bringing in de Laura, which forced Finley to transfer after leading them to the program’s first ever bowl victory. 

10. UTSA Roadrunners 

No. of incoming transfers: 8
No. of outgoing transfers: 10
Top signees: OL Jaylen Garth (Houston), WR DJ Allen (TCU), OL CJ James (New Mexico)
Top losses: CB Kam Alexander (Oregon), Edge Trey Moore (Texas), LB Avery Morris (New Mexico State)
Overview: Jeff Traylor has never relied heavily on the transfer portal and that’ll continue for the Roadrunners, but every team in the country uses the portal to build depth and add some frontline playmakers. UTSA did that at wide receiver and potentially along the offensive line. The losses of Moore and Alexander from the defense hurt. 

11. Sam Houston State Bearkats 

No. of incoming transfers: 4
No. of outgoing transfers: 0
Top signees: TE Fernando Garza III (Texas A&M), QB Jase Bauer (Central Michigan), DL Dylan Frazier (SMU)
Top losses: N/A
Overview: Sam Houston hasn’t lost any significant pieces from its team to the portal. Bauer arrives to jumpstart the offense. Garza is a big target from Katy. 

12. UTEP Miners 

No. of incoming transfers: 16
No. of outgoing transfers: 21
Top signees: LB Dorian Hopkins (Tulsa), LB Dylan Brown-Turner (Florida State), RB Calvin Hill (Texas State) 
Top losses: WR Tyrin Smith (Cincinnati), WR Kelly Akharaiyi (Mississippi State), OL Justin Mayers (Colorado)
Overview: New head coach Scotty Walden must replace a lot of production and depth for the Miners in year one. Expect UTEP to be aggressive in the spring portal session, as well. 

13. Rice Owls 

No. of incoming transfers: 4
No. of outgoing transfers: 1
Top signees: Edge Michael Daley (BYU), QB E.J. Warner (Tulane), OT Spencer Cassell (Harvard
Top losses: DT De’Braylon Carroll 
Overview: The loss of Carroll, who led the Owls in tackles for loss last year, was the first real portal causality for Rice. The addition of Warner at quarterback gives the Owls hope to return to a bowl game in 2024.