2022 College Football: Hottest Transfer Players of September

After an offseason of free-agent frenzy, college football transfers finally got the chance to hit the field and introduce themselves to their newest programs. The transfer portal has helped teams rebuild, bringing in instant-impact players with the ability to help compete for a conference title or a national title if they're already established.

Some of the most significant transfers came at the quarterback position, but each of the players listed have shown improvement in their games and consistent playmaking ability that's led to early-season success for their programs.

There's also been a handful of young stars who have received recognition for single-game performances with awards in their respective conferences. Only a small percentage of transfers have immediately clicked with their teams and produced in winning atmospheres, and these players have lifted each program into new heights.

Much of these success stories has to do with pure skill, but there are also factors of trusting a new coaching staff and building quick momentum with new teammates that have awaken these performances.

There hasn't been a quarterback who has suffered countrywide scrutiny like Bo Nix. With doubtful coaching staffs and fans across the nation, he's constantly had to prove himself in every game.

Nix started his Oregon Ducks career against the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs, and there was nothing pretty about his performance. After a game with two interceptions and a 56.8 completion percentage, Nix had his mind set on vengeance.

They were searching for their identity after getting mauled 49-3 in Week 1, and a 70-14 victory over Eastern Washington the following week may have lit a new fire into Oregon. Nix was phenomenal against the Eagles, putting up five touchdowns and 277 yards.

He's proved that Oregon made the right decision in recruiting him and that Week 1 was a fluke. Since his performance against the Bulldogs, Nix has had three straight games with over 220 passing yards and two touchdowns. He's thrown for 10 touchdowns and 1,100 yards with an 83.6 quarterback rating. Nix has clearly grown comfortable in the Ducks' offensive scheme as he continues to become a more consistent signal-caller.

Nix looks to have revived a talented roster in Eugene, but the Ducks will need to keep improving to compete against highly ranked opponents. The senior is already on pace to exceed his career-high season totals and averages with a 72.0 percent completion rate and 8.3 yards per attempt. The Auburn transfer was considered to be a solid quarterback option before he moved to Oregon, but he's slowly climbing in the higher tier of signal-callers.

The Sooners spent most of the offseason revamping a program that lost its quarterback and head coach in the span of a couple of months. They needed to find a way to reload instead of rebuild, and it looks like their search ended when UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel decided to take his talents to Norman, Oklahoma. The junior was tasked with keeping the program within the College Football Playoff conversation, which is a heavy load for any transfer.

Oklahoma can be considered one of the most slept-on teams in the nation, but Gabriel's arm is a big reason for their optimism. He's thrown for over 200 yards in every game this season, with at least two touchdowns in every performance. The 3-1 Sooners haven't faced the toughest schedule by any means, but even against their loss to Kansas State, he gave his team a chance to win.

Head coach Brent Venables has always had a masterful defensive squad, so most of the focus for Oklahoma this summer was bolstering its offense. It seemed like Gabriel was given the keys to the program and trusted with his decision-making from day one. He spent most of the 2021 season sidelined with a broken clavicle, but it looks like he hasn't skipped a beat, even with a brand-new playbook.

Gabriel was named the Big-12 Co-Newcomer of the Week after his performance against Kent State in Week 2, when he notched three touchdowns and 296 yards. Those numbers seem like a career game for some college quarterbacks, but for Gabriel, it was just another game. His road to being in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the conference has been remarkable.

There are several players who were overlooked in the transfer portal last summer, but wide receiver Jacob Cowing was especially underrated.

He's constantly progressed every season in his collegiate career, and the UTEP transfer is off to a hot start with the Arizona Wildcats. This is Cowing's fourth year in the CFB scene and his first year in Tucson.

He introduced himself to the UA fanbase with three touchdowns and 152 yards in his first game. Cowing has always been a deep-ball threat, and that didn't change in his move to the desert. He has averaged 13.8 yards per catch, building off a great connection with his transfer quarterback.

Cowing and former Washington State QB Jayden de Laura seem to have been on the same page through four games. The separation that Cowing has been able to get and his knack at beating his defender to the next spot are impressive. He seems like he's been with the Wildcats for years with the looseness he's playing with. The junior is Arizona's No. 1 target, finding the end zone six times this season.

A former 2-star prospect transferring to a Power Five school and putting on a scoring clinic doesn't happen often. Whenever the Wildcats need a spark on offense, Cowing's name is called. In his first year with Arizona, he's already considered one of the best receivers in the Pac-12.

Caleb Williams' start to the 2022 season has been nothing short of flawless. The Oklahoma transfer has led USC to a 4-0 record with nine touchdowns and 1,054 yards. The Trojans have been tested multiple times this year, especially in conference play, but they're heading into the midway point of the season with their highest AP poll ranking since 2017.

The No. 6 team in the country has grown to be the best team in the Pac-12 with a high percentage of starters being newcomers. One of the best additions has been wide receiver Jordan Addison, serving as Williams' top target. Addison needs some sort of credit for Williams' success, since he's recorded six touchdowns and 337 yards on 21 receptions.

USC has seen troubles on the offensive line and made mistakes on defense, but the offense has carried the team. Williams had a difficult time competing against an underrated opponent in Oregon State last week, but aside from that matchup, he recorded over two touchdowns and 240 yards in each of his first three games. This earned him the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in early September, highlighting a game against Stanford with four touchdowns and 341 yards.

One of Williams' biggest assets is his ability to take care of the ball and avoid turnovers, with his last interception coming last November. His commitment to pushing USC's program back to contender status has helped everyone on the roster buy into the process, which isn't a difficult process with a Heisman candidate who's only a sophomore.

The Pac-12 adopted a spectacular young talent when quarterback Cameron Ward decided to transfer from Incarnate Word to Washington State. It was a massive jump in opponent skill from FCS, but Ward has always carried a knack for getting the ball downfield. He's led the Cougars to a 3-1 start, just one year after Washington State went 7-6.

Ward has season totals of 10 touchdowns and 1,102 yards, helping the Cougars compete against every opponent they've faced. Their only loss came in Week 4 against the Oregon Ducks when he was successful at moving the ball downfield but had trouble connecting with his receivers, which led to two interceptions. He has five picks on the season, so that needs to be addressed, but Ward has also thrown for at least one touchdown with 200 or more yards in every game.

Despite his inexperience against more talented defenses, Ward is learning faster than many envisioned. In the 44-41 loss against the Ducks, he registered three touchdowns and 375 yards with a season-high 77.1 completion percentage. A week before that matchup, Ward earned four touchdowns and 299 yards against the Colorado State Rams.

The 6'2", 220-pounder looks the part, despite a poor offensive line and backfield. He was one of the best players in the FCS the previous two seasons, and he has the ability to lift this Washington State roster to the top of the Pac-12. If Ward finds a way to be more protective of the ball and choose his chances carefully, he'll make the Cougars a dangerous threat in the conference.

Linebacker Drew Sanders has always been considered a phenomenal talent with a high motor and high IQ. Sanders was a part of Alabama's No. 2 recruiting class in 2020, with 247Sports ranking him as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 athlete in the country.

After two seasons with limited opportunities, he decided to transfer to a rising team in the SEC, the Arkansas Razorbacks. It seems like Sanders made the right decision for his future, as he's piloting the defense for a 3-1 team.

He made an immediate impact in the Razorbacks' first game against Cincinnati, recording one sack and five tackles. Sanders was never missing the playmaking ability; he just needed to see time on the field to show true production. Arkansas may have hit the jackpot with the addition of one of the best linebackers in the country.

The Texas native is tied in the country lead for sacks with 5.5 in four games. He's also tied for fourth nationally with two forced fumbles while stacking up double-digit tackles in two games this season. Despite the loss to Texas A&M in Week 4, Arkansas has had a great start to the season, slowly becoming a force in the nation's best conference.

The loss to the Aggies dropped the Razorbacks to No. 20 in the latest AP poll. Sanders gets to suit up against Alabama on Saturday, which should be exciting since he's watched that offense develop and he was in the same high school class as Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young. Sanders has excelled inside and outside the box, with multiple pass breakups, sacks and tackles to show for his immense athletic ability.

Veteran running back Khalan Laborn has always had the tools to break out in college football, but injuries have delayed his success. He was a part of the 2017 class as a 5-star recruit. After two seasons at Florida State where Laborn was sidelined with knee injuries and released following a team violation, he got a second chance.

Laborn took that opportunity and has run with it. In his first four games with Marshall, he's posted six touchdowns and 540 yards on 97 rushing attempts. He has over 100 yards in every game this season, including the Thundering Herd's win over Notre Dame. The graduate transfer put up one touchdown and 163 yards in one of the program's biggest victories ever.

He's averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, which isn't eye-opening, but it sure is noteworthy with more than 20 carries in three games. This is already Laborn's best season in a college uniform, regardless of the fact that he took time off from football. He's a sixth-year athlete, so Laborn has definitely brought some experience to the Sun Belt Conference.

The Herd haven't found the same early-season surge in the win column, although they started 2-0. They've lost their last two games in tight matchups, but they're clearly heading in the right direction. Marshall has been mediocre for the past couple of seasons, but players like Laborn have taken a step toward changing the culture. He seems to have matured on and off the field, with teams still searching for an answer on how to stop him on the ground.