The transfer game has changed. Forever.

No longer is the SEC in a position wherein its undergraduates are forced to sit a year to transfer within the conference. Waivers are a thing of the past.

It’s never been easier to transfer for college athletes. The process is now more fluid than it was even just 5 years ago.

What does that mean? There are going to be some big-name, high-profile transfers in the SEC for years to come.

In continuing with Top 25 week, here are the top 25 transfers in the SEC:

25. Jamire Calvin, Mississippi State WR

Previous school — Washington State

A reunion with Mike Leach could allow Calvin to thrive from the jump. The former Washington State receiver had 75 catches for 797 yards in 2 seasons playing in Leach’s offense. MSU struggled to find go-to targets in Year 1 of the Air Raid last year. At least until Jaden Walley broke out down the stretch. Having someone who knows the system well to complement Walley could be a nice lift for the Bulldogs.

24. Eku Leota, Auburn DL

Previous school — Northwestern

Not a lot of people are talking about Leota, but perhaps they should be. In 8 games last year, he had 5.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks playing on a Northwestern defense that finished No. 1 among Power 5 teams. Leota will add some needed experience to an Auburn defensive line that’s had a lot of turnover the past couple of years.

23. Demetris Robertson, Auburn WR

Previous school — Georgia

The former 5-star recruit is entering his 6th season at his 3rd Power 5 program. He never quite broke out at Georgia in the way that many believed he could. But Robertson is still a dynamic, speedy receiver who showed back in 2016 (at Cal) that he could take the top off a defense. He’ll try to replace the Anthony Schwartz role for a team in desperate need of pass-catcher help.

22. Elijah Blades, Florida CB

Previous school — Texas A&M

It’s been a long, winding road for Blades to end up back at Florida after he committed to Jim McElwain’s program in 2017. A commitment to Nebraska ended with him enrolling at Arizona Western (JUCO) for 2 years until he spent 2019 at Texas A&M, where he became a starter for 6 games. But after opting out of the 2020 season, Blades announced he was heading to Florida. The Gators would love to find an outside shutdown guy to complement Kaiir Elam.

21. Demarkcus Bowman, Florida RB

Previous school — Clemson

The former 5-star tailback surprisingly left Clemson in 2020 just months after enrolling. Instead of replacing Travis Etienne, Bowman will try to carve out a role in a Florida backfield that needs a shot of life. Bowman was a 5,000-yard rusher in high school, and he averaged a whopping 11.4 yards per carry. Now with a chance to play closer to home, Bowman will try to become that game-changing back the Gators have lacked in recent memory.

20. Jacquez Jones, Kentucky LB

Previous school — Ole Miss

Once a key piece of the Ole Miss defense as an immediate impact underclassman, Jones left for the Blue Grass State to join a talented front 7. He’s a tackling machine with 182 stops in 3 seasons in Oxford, 75 of which happened last year. He’s a 2-year starter with plenty of SEC experience, not that the Wildcats are lacking that.

19. Jahmir Johnson, Texas A&M OL

Previous school — Tennessee

Johnson left Tennessee in the wake of the Jeremy Pruitt fallout, and he found a home playing for a top-10 team in College Station. With 4 new starters, the 2021 version of the Maroon Goons needs Johnson to solidify the right tackle spot. Johnson struggled in 2020 playing in what was a completely forgettable offense. He graded out much better in 2019 (72.5 overall compared to 44.9 in 2020), which is why A&M took a chance on him stepping in and immediately filling a need.

18. Joe Milton, Tennessee QB

Previous school — Michigan

Milton was all the rage after a dominant opening performance against Minnesota last year, but accuracy issues led to the Orlando native losing his job in Jim Harbaugh’s offense. He picked a crowded quarterback room to join in Knoxville, though he did so on the same day of Tennessee’s spring game. Could that suggest Milton is the favorite to start in Josh Heupel’s offense? It appears he’ll have a decent shot.

17. Will Levis, Kentucky QB

Previous school — Penn State

There was a small window for Levis to become the guy at Penn State. Sean Clifford got off to a horrendous start and Levis got his shot against Nebraska, where he nearly led a comeback win. But the offense failed to take off with Levis on board, and he lost his chance to replace a multi-year starter. Levis elected to enter the competition to run Liam Coen’s offense at Kentucky, where he’ll have some nice surroundings after enrolling over the summer.

16. TJ Finley, Auburn QB

Previous school — LSU

It seems tough to judge Finley for what he did as a starter in 2020. He was a true freshman coming off a bizarre offseason in Baton Rouge. Clearly, he needed more time. Finley showed he’s excellent with a clean pocket — I’m not sure South Carolina ever touched him that night — but he didn’t process quickly enough. Most true freshman don’t. Hence, why he lost his starting job to Max Johnson. Finley is still a project at Auburn, but it was a smart move for Mike Bobo and Bryan Harsin to make with the instability of Bo Nix combined with the upside of the LSU transfer.

15. Blaze Alldredge, Mizzou LB

Previous school — Rice

Replace Nick Bolton? No problem. Well, maybe that’s easier said than done. Alldredge will try to prevent Mizzou from taking a step back. It was a savvy, under-the-radar pickup for Eli Drinkwitz. In his last full season (2019), he led Rice with 102 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He was twice a team MVP, too. Alldredge might not have Bolton-level upside, but he’s plenty capable of stepping into a big role in the SEC.

14. Chance Campbell, Ole Miss LB

Previous school — Maryland

Campbell reunited with DJ Durkin at Ole Miss, and he’ll do so fresh off a season in which he led Maryland in tackles en route to All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. Can Campbell fuel a defensive turnaround in Oxford? It’s needed, especially after the loss of Jones. Ole Miss is going to rely heavily on Campbell to improve a run defense that ranked No. 101 last year.

13. Dare Rosenthal, Kentucky OL

Previous school — LSU

Rosenthal ran out of chances at LSU, but when he was on the field, he was a productive player. In 2020, Rosenthal graded out as the No. 8 SEC offensive tackle. He’s going to solidify a tackle spot opposite of Darian Kinnard. Rosenthal is a proven pass-protector, which bodes well for the more balanced approach under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

12. Jordan Strachan, South Carolina DL

Previous school — Georgia State

Did you know that Strachan tied for the FBS lead with 10.5 sacks last year? He had PFF’s No. 13 pass-rushing grade among edge rushers. Doing that in the Sun Belt is different from doing that in the SEC, but Strachan will have a prime opportunity to operate alongside JJ Enagbare.

11. Daquan Newkirk, Florida DT

Previous school — Auburn

Back in his home state, Newkirk and fellow Power 5 transfer Antonio Shelton (more on him in a minute) allowed Florida to address a major need at defensive tackle. The Auburn transfer has 30 games of SEC experience, and he’s coming off his first season as a starter. Newkirk and Shelton can play on the nose or more of a 3-technique, and Todd Grantham will likely use them interchangeably or together.

10. Karon Prunty, South Carolina CB

Previous school — Kansas

The Gamecocks got creative in their approach to replace the dynamic cornerback duo of Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu. Prunty wasn’t the reason Kansas was a disaster. As a true freshman, he was a full-time starter at the outside corner spot (he played 93% of his snaps there). He was a freshman All-American corner at Kansas, where he didn’t allow a touchdown all year and surrendered a completion on 38.5% of the time he was targeted.

UPDATE: Hours after this story was published, Prunty entered the transfer portal and is no longer on South Carolina’s roster.

9. Antonio Shelton, Florida DT

Previous school — Penn State

Shelton was a major addition for a Florida defense that, as I said with Newkirk, needed defensive tackle help after losing Kyree Campbell and Tedarrell Slaton. Shelton has 5 years of experience at Penn State, the last of which was an All-Big Ten season that he graded out as the conference’s No. 5 defensive tackle. Shelton not only has a new home in Gainesville, he also has a new name (Valentino). His middle name will go across the back of his No. 55 jersey.

8. Mookie Cooper, Mizzou WR

Previous school — Ohio State

They love them some Mookie Cooper at Mizzou. Connor Bazelak told me he’s never thrown to someone with speed quite like Cooper’s. Mizzou needs to be able to stretch the field vertically more. Cooper, though he didn’t really see the field in his only season at Ohio State, should give the Tigers a chance to do that. Can Eli Drinkwitz perhaps use the St. Louis native to do that and also provide a Rondale Moore-like impact in Columbia? That would allow the Tigers to keep their heads above water in 2021.

7. Jameson Williams, Alabama WR

Previous school — Ohio State

What’s the only downside of recruiting the receiver position at a higher level than anyone in America? Guys like Williams can bolt and find new homes elsewhere. The fact that Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson return as the top receiver duo in America might’ve had something to do with that, as well. Even though he didn’t get the looks he was hoping for — he had 9 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2020 — Williams already had success on the big stage. He was on the receiving end of one of those Justin Fields bombs against Clemson.

Williams has a prime opportunity to step into that No. 2 role alongside John Metchie. If recent history is any indication, being a No. 2 at Alabama usually yields monster production (and NFL riches).

6. Henry To’o To’o, Alabama LB

Previous school — Tennessee

Let’s call it what it is. To’o To’o is an experienced, talented player who didn’t take that next step as a sophomore in 2020 after a banner freshman season with the Vols. If you don’t believe that, perhaps you didn’t see how To’o To’o graded out among SEC inside linebackers (via PFF):

  • No. 31 overall
  • No. 12 vs. the run
  • No. 33 as a pass-rusher
  • No. 34 in coverage

You can also say he’s someone with 2 years of starting experience who led his team in tackles as a sophomore and nearly did so as a true freshman. Is To’o To’o in a better spot to use those next-level instincts and succeed at Alabama? Absolutely. He’s got Christian Harris to work with, along with a loaded front 7. But if you’re wondering why To’o To’o isn’t even the highest-ranked SEC linebacker transfer on this list, that’s why.

5. Mike Jones, LSU LB

Previous school — Clemson

Who? Mike Jooooooones. OK, we’ve all said that at least 10,000 times by now. Just me? OK, moving along. Jones made a name for himself with his ability to cover last year. No Power 5 inside linebacker had a better coverage grade than Jones. Not even his LSU predecessor Jabril Cox had as high of a coverage grade as the Clemson transfer. In a loaded Clemson defense, he saw his role diminish a bit down the stretch, but at LSU, new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones figures to rely on the transfer in a big way to turn around the nation’s last-ranked pass defense.

4. Derion Kendrick, Georgia CB

Previous school — Clemson

Kendrick was an All-ACC cornerback in 2020. The fact that he transferred to Georgia while facing guns and marijuana charges (both were expunged) explained why he needed a new home. The former receiver certainly has the ball skills to line up and play on the outside, which he did on 88% of his snaps in 2020. Kendrick was a major addition for a Georgia secondary that entered the offseason needing to replace Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Richard LeCounte, Tyrique Stevenson, DJ Daniel and Mark Webb. Kendrick should prevent 5-star redshirt freshman corner Kelee Ringo from needing to line up opposite of No. 1 receivers.

3. Tykee Smith, Georgia DB

Previous school — West Virginia

Smith is playing the “Star” position at Georgia and based on what we saw from playing the “Spear” position at West Virginia, stardom could very well be in his immediate future. No FBS safety graded out better in coverage than Smith, who guarded the slot primarily. Georgia’s pass defense finished No. 88 a year ago, and there were legitimate concerns entering the offseason with losing those 6 aforementioned secondary players. Smith and Kendrick might not just prevent a step back in that department. The UGA secondary might actually be bette thanks to those additions.

2. Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky WR

Previous school — Nebraska

You don’t usually see transfers like Robinson. He was arguably Nebraska’s best player for 2 years, he never got in trouble, he didn’t lose his starting job and yet, he left to return to his home state of Kentucky to be closer to his family … and also play in a new offense that won’t have him get a bunch of carries between the tackles. Robinson is the SEC East version of Ainias Smith. He has a D’Andre Swift-like ability to devastate defenders when he drops the dead leg.

We’ll see plenty of that with Robinson now entrenched as a receiver in Kentucky’s new offense. Coen wants Robinson to be the Cooper Kupp in his Los Angeles Rams-inspired offense. Don’t be surprised when Robinson takes the league by storm.

1. Arik Gilbert, Georgia WR

Previous school — LSU (he never enrolled at Florida)

I’ll admit I’m skeptical about Gilbert stepping into George Pickens’ role as an outside receiver. Why? Gilbert only played in that spot on 6.5% of his snaps last year as a tight end at LSU. What I cannot deny is that when Gilbert was on the field, he absolutely lived up to his 5-star billing. Compared to Hunter Henry, Kyle Pitts and Evan Engram, Gilbert had more games with 4-plus catches than all of them combined. He’s the real deal, and if he’s being used primarily as an outside receiver instead of being inline, he’ll have more chances to run routes and do things that 19-year-olds simply shouldn’t be capable of.

Gilbert’s bizarre 6-month stretch — which included an opt-out and 2 well-documented transfer announcements to Florida and then Georgia — could easily precede an All-SEC season. Either way, get your popcorn ready for that showdown in Jacksonville.