2026 ACC Football Transfers:
Enrollees/Signees/Commitments
(Incoming)

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Jan. 6, 2026)

(Details on the ACC’s 2026 OUTGOING transfers can be found HERE.)

Thanks to the NCAA’s creation of the transfer portal in 2018, then the organization’s revolutionary 2021 rule change that allowed first-time transfers to be immediately eligible at their new school, the manner in which college football teams are built and sustained has changed dramatically.

Just on Jan. 2, the first day of the shortened (Jan. 2-16) 2025-26 transfer window, more than 4,000 players at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) levels entered the portal. That action enabled other schools to initiate official contact and for players to arrange one or more official campus visit, if desired.

Last year, during the 2024-25 cycle, more than 8,000 FBS/FCS players entered the portal. That marked another new record, as did the numbers from 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the time they occurred.

Meanwhile, all across college football, the percentage of players who joined their program as a major college transfer (rather than straight from the high school ranks) has reached unprecedented levels. Accordingly, the percentage of transfers on all-conference squads has never been higher.

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, for example, roughly half of the first-team All-ACC selections from the 2024 and 2025 seasons were transfers.

Among the 13 offensive players on the 2025 All-ACC first team, for example, nine were major college transfers: Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (Texas A&M), NC State running back Hollywood Smothers (Oklahoma), Virginia running back J’Mari Taylor (NC Central), Florida State wide receiver Duce Robinson (Southern Cal), NC State tight end Justin Joly (UConn), Cal all-purpose back Jacob De Jesus (UNLV), Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge (Middle Tennessee), SMU guard Logan Parr (Texas) and Florida State center Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest).

NCAA rules previously provided for two transfer windows in football each year. For the 2024-25 cycle, the early window ran from Dec. 9-28. (The Dec. 28 deadline was simply for portal entry; the timeline for selecting a new school — then and now — is tied more practically to universities’ spring semesters, which typically begin in mid-January.) The late window, designed to follow spring practice, ran from April 16-25. Both windows were shortened from those in the 2023-24 transfer cycle.

Reminder: The incoming transfers below are listed with their class/eligibility for the upcoming (2026) season. Under recently revised NCAA rules, virtually all major college transfers are immediately eligible at their new school.

2026 ACC Transfer Commitments/Signees
(Enrolled/Incoming)

Boston College (6)

Buffalo DE Demetrius Ballard, r-So. (backup; 12 career tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks; 6-6, 256 pounds)
North Carolina WR/PR Javarius Green, r-So. (backup; 14 career catches, 162 yards; 9 PR, 65 yards)
Jacksonville State RT Reggie Jackson, r-Jr. (starter; 6-5, 300 pounds; ex-Tusculum)
Saginaw Valley State/D2 QB Mason McKenzie, r-Jr. (GLIAC POY; 351-603 career passing, 4,301 yards, 31 TD, 17 INT; 296-1,673 rushing, 18 TD)
Washington State LB Anthony Palano, r-So. (starter; 65 career tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks)
Florida State DT KJ Sampson, r-Jr. (backup; 26 career tackles, 1.5 TFL; 6-3, 318 pounds)

California (6)

South Dakota/FCS OT Jacob Arop, r-So. (part-time starter; 6-6, 300 pounds)
Oregon S Kingston Lopa, r-So. (backup; 13 career tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack; 6-5, 210 pounds; 4-star CA HS prospect)
Washington RB Adam Mohammed, Jr. (backup; 2 career starts, 148 carries, 716 yards, 5 TD; 6-0, 220 pounds)
Rutgers WR Ian Strong, Sr. (2x HM All-Big Ten; 2-year starter; 111 career catches, 1,668 yards, 12 TD; 6-3, 211 pounds)
New Mexico TE Dorian Thomas, r-Jr. (starter; 56 career catches, 560 yards, 4 TD; ex-Arizona)
Texas A&M DE Solomon Williams, r-So. (backup; 11 career tackles, 4.5 TFL; 6-1, 250 pounds)

Clemson (4)

Old Dominion S Jerome Carter III, Jr. (2nd-team All-Sun Belt; 98 career tackles, 2.5 TFL, 6 INT; 6-1, 190 pounds)
Cal LB Luke Ferrelli, r-So. (2025 ACC Defensive ROY, HM All-ACC; 91 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 PD, 1 INT)
Auburn CB Donovan Starr, So. (backup; 5-11, 182 pounds; 4-star TN HS prospect)
Penn State CB Elliot Washington II, Sr. (backup; 1 career start, 53 tackles, 11 PD, 2 INT)

Duke (6)

Coastal Carolina LT Nick Del Grande, r-Sr. (2x HM All-Sun Belt; 3-year starter; 6-4, 302 pounds)
Western Kentucky CB Dylan Flowers, Gr. (part-time starter; 6th-year senior; ex-juco/BYU/Southern Utah)
Louisville TE Nate Kurisky, r-Sr. (2023 starter; 16 career starts, 50 catches, 410 yards, 7 TD)
Montana/FCS CB Kyon Loud, Jr. (starter; 43 career tackles, 2 TFL, 6 PD; 6-2, 175 pounds)
Penn/FCS WR Jared Richardson, r-Sr. (3x All-Ivy; 193 career catches, 2,505 yards, 27 TD; 6-2, 220 pounds)
Penn State DT Owen Wafle, r-So. (backup; 4 career tackles; 6-2, 292 pounds; ex-Michigan)

Florida State (7)

South Alabama CB Nehemiah Chandler, r-So. (1st-team All-Sun Belt; #2 nationally with 13 PD; ex-Georgia Tech)
Auburn QB Ashton Daniels, r-Sr. (part-time starter/redshirt; 2023/2024 Stanford starter; 434-721 career passing, 4,783 yards, 24 TD, 22 INT)
Purdue OC Bradyn Joiner, r-Jr. (starter; 17 career starts; 6-2, 310 pounds; ex-Auburn)
Texas A&M DE Rylan Kennedy, r-Jr. (backup; 1 career start, 40 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks; 6-3, 239 pounds)
Bowling Green OL Nate Pabst, r-Sr. (2nd-team All-MAC; 3-year starter at RG/RT; 6th-year senior; 6-5, 315 pounds)
East Carolina TE Desirrio Riles, Sr. (starter; 15 career starts, 45 catches, 475 yards, 4 TD)
Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner, Sr. (2024 3rd-team All-SEC; 22 career starts, 369 carries, 1,734 yards, 11 TD)

Georgia Tech (6)

Rice P Alex Bacchetta, r-Sr. (3rd-team All-AAC; 2-year starter; 45-yard average; Atlanta HS star; ex-Penn State)
Dartmouth/FCS TE Chris Corbo, r-Sr. (2x FCS A-A, 1st-team All-Ivy; 86 career catches, 912 yards, 13 TD)
Alabama OC Joseph Ionata, r-So. (backup; most PT on special teams; 6-5, 306 pounds)
Alabama WR/CB Jaylen Mbakwe, Jr. (backup; most PT on special teams; 5-star AL HS prospect)
Oklahoma State LT Markell Samuel, Gr. (injured 2025; 2024 HM All-Sun Belt at App State; 7th-year senior; 6-4, 305 pounds)
Rutgers DE Jordan Walker, r-Sr. (part-time starter; 47 career tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5 sacks)

Louisville (12)

Georgia Southern RT Johnnie Brown III, r-Sr. (3rd-team All-Sun Belt; 6-3, 315 pounds; ex-Miami)
Boston College OG Eryx Daugherty, r-Jr. (starter; 11 career starts; 6-3, 305 pounds)
Missouri RB Marquise Davis, r-Fr. (backup/redshirt; 34 carries, 200 yards, 2 TD; 4-star OH HS prospect)
Tulsa TE Brody Foley, r-Sr. (1st-team All-AAC; 37 career catches, 528 yards, 9 TD; 6-6, 260 pounds; ex-Indiana)
Purdue DT Demeco Kennedy, Jr. (part-time starter; 27 career tackles, 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks; 6-2, 305 pounds)
Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz, r-Jr. (backup; 21-36 career passing, 250 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT)
Delaware LT Anwar O’neal, r-Jr. (HM All-CUSA; 2-year starter; 6-5, 309 pounds)
Tulane TE Justyn Reid, Sr. (part-time starter; 7 career starts, 25 catches, 358 yards, 3 TD)
Miami DT Daylen Russell, r-So. (career reserve; 6-3, 298 pounds)
Kentucky LB Jacob Smith, r-So. (backup; 1 career tackle; 6-4, 242 pounds; 4-star KY HS prospect)
Kentucky DE Jerod Smith II, Jr. (backup; 34 career tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF; 6-4, 275 pounds; 4-star KY HS prospect)
Kentucky CB DJ Waller Jr., r-Jr. (injured 2025; 2024 starter; 6-3, 203 pounds; ex-Michigan)

Miami (0)

none

North Carolina (11)

Louisiana-Monroe WR Jonathan Bibbs, r-So. (part-time starter; 27 career catches, 448 yards, 4 TD)
Florida DE Tarvorise Brown, r-Jr. (career reserve; 6-7, 296 pounds; ex-juco)
Wisconsin QB Billy Edwards Jr., Gr. (injured 2025; 6th-year senior; 16 career starts, 318-512 passing, 3,435 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT; also WFU/Maryland)
Penn State DE Jaylen Harvey, r-So. (backup; 1 career start, 10 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack)
Wisconsin WR/KR Trech Kekahuna, r-Jr. (part-time starter; 55 career catches, 614 yards, 3 TD)
Texas A&M QB Miles O’Neill, r-So. (backup; 12-20 career passing, 171 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 6-5, 220 pounds; 4-star MA HS prospect)
Richmond/FCS LB Peyton Seelmann, Jr. (1st-team All-Patriot; 129 career tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 7 PD, 2 INT, 1 FF; 6-1, 225 pounds)
Baylor LT Sean Thompkins, r-Jr. (part-time starter; 5 career starts; 6-5, 300 pounds)
Charleston Southern/FCS OL Andrew Threatt, Sr. (1st-team All-OVC/Big South; 3-year starter at LG/RT; 6-3, 315 pounds)
Colorado State TE Jaxxon Warren, r-So. (starter/injured; 24 career catches, 403 yards, 3 TD; 6-8, 245 pounds; ex-juco/North Texas)
Michigan State CB Ade Willie, r-Sr. (starter/injured; 7 career starts, 34 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD; 6-1, 190 pounds)

NC State (2)

East Carolina LT Jimarion McCrimon, r-Jr. (1st-team All-AAC; 2-year starter; 6-5, 307 pounds)
Buffalo WR Victor Snow, r-Sr. (1st-team All-MAC; 119 career catches, 1,479 yards, 18 TD; ex-Nevada)

Pittsburgh (1)

Penn/FCS LT Netinho Olivieri, r-Sr. (2x 1st-team All-Ivy; 3-year starter; 6-5, 315 pounds)

Southern Methodist (4)

Louisiana Tech DT Christian Davis, r-Jr. (backup; 6-3, 328 pounds; ex-Northwestern State)
South Florida S Jarvis Lee Jr., Sr. (starter; 73 career tackles, 14.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 5 FF, 3 PD, 2 INT)
Bowling Green LB Caden Marshall, r-So. (part-time starter; 6 career starts, 38 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack, 3 PD; ex-Tennessee State)
South Florida DE Ira Singleton, Jr. (backup; 1 career start, 28 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 5 sacks)