The case against the Transfer Portal in College Football has been the fact that the bigger programs can practically buy whoever they want from a lower level program. We often see a star break out at the Group of 5 level and everyone knows as they're watching the breakout that the big name brands in College Football will come calling in the offseason.
One of the best examples of this issue came as Tulane Running Back Makhi Hughes had a pair breakout seasons for the Green Wave. After rushing for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, Hughes entered the Transfer Portal becoming one of the most sought after transfers as On3's 13th ranked transfer and top ranked running back.
Hughes picked the Oregon Ducks which seemed like an obvious choice between the fact that they're very aggressive in the portal along with the chance he'd have to play with his brother. When the season started, it appeared that everything wasn't going to plan for the Ducks and Hughes.
Oregon has heavily featured several other running backs to start the season despite the fact that everyone expected Makhi Hughes to be the team's featured back. Through 5 games, Hughes has only been given 17 carries which he took for 70 yards but, he didn't appear in the Penn State game.
Makhi Hughes' redshirt ends a cautionary transfer tale
On Wednesday, Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning revealed that Makhi Hughes asked to redshirt the rest of the season, bringing a disappointing run for both sides to an end.
NEW: Oregon RB Makhi Hughes has requested a redshirt for the remainder of the 2025 season, Dan Lanning announced.
— On3 (@On3sports) October 1, 2025
Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Tulane. https://t.co/DYYAxIEASZ pic.twitter.com/BOIMflPItR
While many will cite money as the reason that Hughes chose to transfer to Oregon, he simply took a chance on himself moving to a bigger school and it didn't pan out. Hughes competed for a role in the offense but, it didn't pan out which was always a risk for him and for Oregon when they went in the portal to add him.
Hughes and Oregon may end up parting ways after this season, and it'll end up being an example of the less glamorous side of the Transfer Portal. There's always a risk for the players taking a jump from a program where they're a star to a bigger program and for Hughes, he wasn't able to beat out some of the more talented backs on the roster.
Going forward, it'll be interesting to see what happens between Oregon and Makhi Hughes but, it seems more likely than not that he'll be on the move this offseason.
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