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College football's top 2025 newcomer classes

Related Topics: Solomon Thomas, Ryan Williams

While annual College Football Playoff contenders like Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State are ace recruiters, elite recruiting isn't the only path to becoming a top program.

The transfer portal has changed how programs build rosters. Some schools go all-in every offseason to overhaul their rosters through the portal, while others use the portal to add depth to a position or target major transfers who could take a team from great to national champion.

And now that spring football and the spring transfer portal period are over, we can look at the best groups of newcomers. When looking at modern roster development, it's important to consider the combination of recruiting class and success in the portal.