The Transfer Portal opened in college football on Friday as thousands of players officially started their search for a new program. It's still early on in this transfer window, but arguably the most talent rich position is running back. We've already seen several of the best running backs in the country enter the Transfer Portal, and they'll have a strong market with tons of teams needing to make a splash.
On the first day of the Transfer Portal opening, we started to see where prospects are planning to visit which tells us a ton about where they land. While it's still early, when you start to look at the 5 highest ranked running backs in the Transfer Portal, it's starting to become clear where most a heading.
Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal rankings 2026: QB, WR, RB, TE, OL, EDGE, DL, LB, CB, S
Predicting where the Top 5 transfer RBs land in the portal
1. Caleb Hawkins - Oklahoma State
Eric Morris built one of the best offenses in the country, thanks in a massive part to the incredible freshman season Caleb Hawkins had. Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns, averaging a stellar 6.2 yards per carry. Hawkins has already set his visit to Oklahoma State with his former head coach, and it looks like the 3 biggest pieces of the offense all may make the move.
2. Hollywood Smothers - Alabama
This season, running the ball effectively seemed impossible for Alabama, sending the Crimson Tide into the offseason with a massive issue to address. Kalen DeBoer's team would be best suited by landing an experienced workhorse back while the younger backs continue to develop. Hollywood Smothers is already visiting Alabama, and after canceling his visit to Florida State, this looks to be Alabama's recruitment to lose.
3. Isaac Brown - Texas
The moment that Louisville star Isaac Brown entered the transfer portal with a no-contact tag, everyone circled Texas as the team to beat. The Longhorns will need to replace Tre Wisner, CJ Baxter Jr, and Jerrick Gibson as all three backs are in the Transfer Portal. Steve Sarkisian needs to add an elite running back, and Isaac Brown's big-play ability would take a ton of pressure off Arch Manning.
4. Raleek Brown - To early to tell
Raleek Brown announced he was entering the Transfer Portal on Friday when it opened, which came as a surprise as he had just declared for the NFL Draft. It'll be hard to tell where Raleek Brown will go, but he has several ties to programs that need running backs. Brown was once an Oklahoma commit, and he played for USC, while several other programs may turn to him in the coming days.
5. Cam Cook - Houston
The Houston Cougars just capped off an incredible season under Willie Fritz, and it's time to start ramping up the efforts to build this roster. The Cougars were the first team to get a visit from the Nation's leading rusher, and it's likely for good reason. Houston can offer Cook a return to his home state and to the Big 12 while the offense will set him up for a great final season.