Top 3 spring transfer portal targets for Dan Lanning, Oregon football

The Oregon football team had a successful first year in the Big Ten as it went 12-0 in the regular season and won the 2024 Big Ten championship. The Ducks ended up going into the College Football Playoff as the #1 team in the country, so they received a bye into the quarterfinals. Oregon beat Ohio State in the regular season, but the Buckeyes easily cruised past Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Still, it was a great year for Dan Lanning and his program, and they are hoping to keep the momentum going in 2025. The college football transfer portal has already been a big tool for the Ducks, and the spring window is now open.

Oregon has landed some big-time transfers in recent years, and that is a big reason why Dan Lanning has been so successful with the Ducks. When it comes to recruiting resources, there aren’t a lot of programs that are in better shape than Oregon. The Ducks can recruit with anybody in the country.

The Oregon football team already picked up some nice commitments in the winter cycle, but the transfer portal is open once again as the spring cycle got underway last week. Most of the action goes down in the winter, but this is still a good opportunity for teams to address their needs and add depth after going through spring ball and getting a better idea of what the team will look like.

In the spring transfer portal, the Ducks should be looking to add some talent on both sides of the ball. They could use more pieces on the D-line and in the secondary, and getting some more pass-catchers wouldn’t hurt either. Here are a few players to watch:

Beau Atkinson, EDGE, North Carolina

One of the best available defensive players in the college football transfer portal is North Carolina’s Beau Atkinson. Atkinson had a monster year for the Tar Heels in 2024 as he racked up 35 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. He is now in the transfer portal, and he could be a good fit for the Oregon football team. Another team to watch here is Ohio State as the Buckeyes have shown interest in Atkinson, but like we already talked about, the Ducks can compete with anyone when it comes to recruiting.

Trebor Pena, WR, Syracuse

A good WR option in the transfer portal is Trebor Pena, who is leaving Syracuse after four seasons. Pena had an impressive breakout season in 2024 as he finished the year with 84 receptions for 941 yards and nine touchdowns. With a capable QB like Kyle McCord, Pena showed that he can be an elite receiver, and he is now trying to take his talents to a program that is going to compete for championships. He could be a perfect option for the Ducks as he will bring in a lot of skill and experience.

Davon Mitchell, TE, Oklahoma

Lastly, Oklahoma TE transfer Davon Mitchell could be another good pass-catcher option for the Oregon football team. The former four-star recruit is leaving the Sooners after just one season with the program, but he has a ton of potential. He didn’t do anything during his first year in college, but his big 6’3″, 250 LB frame certainly gives him the tools to be successful in college. Mitchell should go on to have a successful college career at his next stop.

Transfer portal overview

One of the biggest parts of the college football offseason is the transfer portal, and the festivities begin before the offseason actually starts. Teams that don’t qualify for the postseason have entered their offseason when the portal first opens, but there are a lot of teams that still have bowl games/playoff games to play. The transfer portal opened up for the first time on December 9th, so it created some issues for players that want to transfer but still have a season going.

The transfer portal is a massive part of college football now, and there are definitely positives and negatives to it. One of the biggest issues that people have with it is the timing of the first window. It is open in early December so players can pick a new school and start the next semester there when January rolls around. However, it does create issues as we have seen players this past season on College Football Playoff teams have to miss out on the opportunity to participate in the CFP because of their transfer.

On the flip side, the transfer portal gives teams a chance to completely rebuild their squad in just one offseason. New head coaches can come in and bring in a lot of experienced players from the jump, and it can make for a quick turnaround. Any team has hope in the offseason because of the transfer portal.

The transfer portal opened up for the first time this season on December 9th and it stayed open until December 28th. This window is the main window where a lot of the action takes place, but the transfer portal is open during the spring as well.

From April 16th until April 25th, the transfer portal will be open. That way, players can go through spring ball and have a better idea of what their upcoming season will look like. If they aren’t satisfied, they can leave. We even sometimes see players that transferred in the first window transfer again in the second window, sometimes back to their original school.

The transfer portal is a crucial part of the offseason, and we will be hearing a lot about it from now until the end of the spring.