8In today’s version of college football, it has been made the new normal that players have increased mobility, and can make decisions that benefit them and their future, rather than the institutions that they play for.
With the flexibility offered through the transfer portal, and the new world of name, image, and likeness, college football has its own version of free agency in 2022; if a player is unhappy with his situation, he can look for a better place on the open market and potentially go to where he’s going to find the best fit, or find the most money.
Whether you disagree with the notion or not, that’s the world that we live in. For the Oregon Ducks, getting involved in this world has been a lucrative endeavor, landing them some of their top players this season under Dan Lanning and his new coaching staff. Guys like QB Bo Nix, RB Bucky Iriving, and CB Christian Gonzalez all came to Eugene this year from the transfer portal, and they’re three of the most important players on Oregon’s roster.
To help paint the picture of how impactful this world has been, ESPN recently ranked the top 50 transfers in the nation based on their performance this season. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be in their first year with the new team, though many are. While that’s too many for us to bore you with, we did want to look closer at specifically those guys in the Pac-12 who have made the biggest difference this season. Here are the most impactful transfers out west in the 2022 season, according to ESPN: