Top 5 transfers SEC teams acquired through winter window of portal ft. John Mateer 

As usual, the SEC was the conference with the most top-end talent received in the transfer portal. Three of the top five transfers according to 247Sports signed with a school from the Southeastern Conference.

While this will be the second straight year the SEC won’t have a team in the championship game, the conference is probably the best top to bottom in the country. The talent is still there after the transfer portal.

Top 5 transfers acquired by SEC teams

Eric Singleton Jr. led Georgia Tech in receiving the last two seasons. - Source: Imagn

Not only did three of the top five transfers make their way into SEC schools, but the conference also has three of the top-ranked teams in the portal. LSU leads the way, followed by Ole Miss.

As for the players, among the names that did not make this top five list are edge Princewill Unmamielen (Ole Miss), lineman Patrick Kutas (Ole Miss), and wide receivers Nic Anderson (LSU) and KC Concepcion (Texas A&M). Here are the top five.

#5. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia Bulldogs

Zachariah Branch and his brother Zion will be making the cross-country trip and transfer to Georgia. Both are talented, but Zachariah might be the most impactful.

He comes in after catching 78 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons at USC. He added 406 yards and a touchdown on 29 punt returns. Branch added 547 yards and another score on 29 kickoff returns.

Georgia’s receiving corps struggled with inconsistency in 2024. Zachariah Branch would instantly boost that department for a team that can still compete for an SEC and national title.

#4. Luke Kromenhoek, QB, Mississippi State Bulldogs

The third-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal is going to Mississippi State. Luke Kromenhoek is expected to compete for the starting spot in 2025, but Blake Shapen is staying in Starkville and could retain his spot.

Kromenhoek started the last two games of the season for Florida State. He went 44-for-84 for 502 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has three years of eligibility left.

#3. Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn Tigers

The top wide receiver in the portal is going to the Auburn Tigers. The former Georgia Tech player will be going to the Tigers after leading the Yellow Jackets in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons.

The sophomore caught 104 balls for 1,468 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons in Atlanta. Eric Singleton Jr. will play for a revamped Auburn squad that will look to bounce back after going 5-7 in 2024. The wide receiver room will be loaded with Singleton, Horatio Fields, and Cam Coleman.

#2. Patrick Payton, Edge, LSU Tigers

After a disappointing 2024 season, Patrick Payton entered the transfer portal and joined LSU. It’s not just that Florida State had a terrible year, but Payton’s production decreased from the season before.

In his three-year career at FSU, he racked up 109 tackles, 12 passes defended, 16 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He will look to bounce back in Baton Rouge for an LSU team that has to remake its defensive front.

#1. John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma Sooners

Before Carson Beck entered the portal, John Mateer was the top quarterback available. Like Cam Ward last year, Mateer is leaving Washington State for a Power 4 conference team. The Little Elm, Texas native is coming off a 3,139-yard, 29-touchdown, seven-interception season at Wazzu.

In Oklahoma, he will enter a program in flux, with two losing seasons in the last three years. In 2024 their passing offense struggled with the 121st attack in the nation. Jackson Arnold is now gone, which means Mateer is fully expected to take the starting position and build a competitive team in the SEC.