Top players from the Football Championship Subdivision have become massive success stories at college football’s highest level because of the ease of upward mobility in the transfer portal. The 2025 NFL Draft serves as sufficient evidence of the potential benefits that await FCS players ready to take that jump.
Top overall pick (Miami quarterback Cam Ward) and No. 2 pick (Heisman winner Travis Hunter) started their respective careers at the FCS level — granted, from wildly different beginnings. Ward was an unranked, lightly recruited prospect when he signed with Incarnate Word in 2020. Hunter was the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, and was a historic signing day story when he flipped from Florida State to Jackson State.
But their production at that level made for a quick rise to the FBS ranks. After two seasons and 71 touchdowns at Incarnate Word, Ward transferred to Washington State (following coach Eric Morris), and then became a Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami in 2024. Hunter followed Deion Sanders to Colorado where he’s a program legend.
Not every player will have those magnificent ascents, but transitioning to college football’s top tier may still be fruitful. The FCS’s best have gone on to gain more exposure and draw more interest from NFL personnel. Here’s a look ahead at the top FCS-to-FBS transfers for the 2025 season.
Previous school: Campbell | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 259 OVR, No. 45 WR
Brown had interest from other major programs like Texas A&M, Michigan and North Carolina before landing on Colorado, so he’s a significant win. It’s not hard to see why Brown was so coveted. He has prototypical size at 6-foot-5 and flashed some big-play ability at Campbell while hauling in 61 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Previous school: Idaho | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 40 OVR, No. 12 WR
TCU has become an underrated wide receiver factory in recent years, and Dwyer looks like the next dynamic playmaker to pass through Fort Worth. The 6-footer had a breakout 2024 with 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 14.3 yards per reception. He eclipsed 100 yards in five games and had a career-best 189 yards and two touchdowns in Idaho’s FCS playoff quarterfinal round game against Montana State. He gives the Horned Frogs and quarterback Josh Hoover a legitimate deep threat with his ability to stretch the field.
Previous school: Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 210 OVR, No. 37 WR
Gibson did suffer a broken leg during spring practice that required surgery, but coach Brent Venables said that the former Arkansas-Pine Bluff star should be ready to go by the time the 2025 season rolls around. The Sooners certainly need him. He’s fresh off a redshirt sophomore campaign in which he caught 70 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s a big wideout at 6-foot-3 with an immense catch radius, great hands and the ability to get behind opposing secondaries.
Previous school: South Dakota State | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 377 OVR, No. 26 QB
Though Gronowski missed most of spring practice due to a surgical procedure that will have him out until the summer, Brendan Sullivan’s decision to transfer out of Iowa signals that the former South Dakota State star will lead the Hawkeyes in 2025. Few quarterback transfers come as accomplished as Gronowski. He won two FCS national titles with the Jackrabbits and was back-to-back game MVP in 2023-24, and he was the 2023 Walter Payton Award as the FCS’s top offensive player. He also brings 10,330 yards and 93 touchdowns passing plus 37 touchdowns rushing to Iowa.
Previous school: South Dakota State | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 188 OVR, No. 30 DL
In 2024 — his first full season as a starter — Hawthorne amassed an impressive 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He’s brings plenty of disruption from the interior and has the positional versatility to slide out to a defensive end spot in certain packages, should Iowa decide to mix it up. He also has three years of eligibility with the Hawkeyes. The expectation is that he’ll continue to grow after an impressive redshirt freshman campaign at South Dakota State.
Previous school: Penn | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 268 OVR, No. 17 RB
Hosley was a finalist for the 2024 Walter Payton Award after rushing for 1,192 yards and nine touchdowns on 191 carries. Though he was a workhorse at Penn, he’ll have to make the most of his opportunities at Georgia Tech, which returns one of the best running backs in college football in Jamal Haynes. Both Hosley and Haynes should benefit from whatever timeshare that Tech’s coaching staff settles on.
Best uncommitted college football transfer prospects available as 2025 spring window closes
Will Backus
Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, EDGE, Kentucky
Previous school: South Dakota | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 60 OVR, No. 9 EDGE
The 6-foot-4 and 265-pound Humphrey-Grace comes to Kentucky with an SEC-ready frame. He also has verifiable production after tallying 9.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss while earning FCS All-American honors last season. The best part for Kentucky is that Humphrey-Grace still has two seasons of eligibility, so there’s growth potential as he gets used to the jump in competition.
Previous school: Central Connecticut State | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 95 OVR, No. 11 OT
Maryland lost a few offensive linemen to the transfer portal, so adding Perry was imperative. He was a 2024 All-NEC first team selection after starting all 13 games and, most impressively, did not allow a single sack in CCSU’s games against Central Michigan and UMass, two FBS opponents. Though he’ll certainly face stiffer competition in the Big Ten, that’s a good sign for Perry’s ability to acclimate with the Terps.
Previous school: Western Carolina | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 100 OVR, No. 14 OT
Oklahoma had one of the worst Power Four offensive lines last season, but additions like Simmons should go a long way towards fixing that. He started all 10 games for the Catamounts last season and did not allow a single sack in 417 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Cole Wisniewski, DB, Texas Tech
Previous school: North Dakota State | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 148 OVR, No. 4 S
There are some injury concerns with Wisniewski. He spent the entire 2024 season on the sidelines after undergoing foot surgery and missed the first seven games in 2022 while recovering from a torn Achilles. At his best, he’s a dynamic player in the secondary with the ability to impact multiple positions. He spent his first three seasons at North Dakota State as a linebacker before converting to safety in 2023 and earning consensus FCS All-American honors with 92 total tackles, eight interceptions — which led all Division I players and tied the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record — and 13 passes defended.
Previous school: Illinois State | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 39 OVR, No. 5 IOL
Zambrano suffered a season-ending injury just two games into the 2024 campaign, but he was an FCS Preseason All-American prior to the year’s start. From 2021-23, he started 24 games at left tackle for Illinois State and in 2023 was a second-team All-MVFC selection. He has the versatility to play either tackle or guard for the Red Raiders and the frame — at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds — to hold up in the Big 12.
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