Saturday Out West continues its annual Top 25 preview week with a ranking and analysis of the best transfers to join Pac-12 rosters for the 2023 season.

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When schools like Arizona State and Colorado take an unprecedented approach to roster flipping, narrowing down a massive crop of newcomers to just the top 25 is a bear of a task. But that’s what we’re here to do.

Here’s a look at the top 25 transfers in the Pac-12 for the 2023 season:

25. QB Sam Jackson V, Cal

The most speculative placement on the list, I’ll admit. Jackson is as close to an unknown as you’ll get at quarterback. He played receiver as a high school sophomore (with 14 touchdowns) and transitioned to quarterback ahead of his junior season (2019). That was his only year of prep ball playing the position, as the 2020 campaign was postponed because of COVID. Jackson enrolled at TCU before his senior season could be played, and he has thrown a grand total of six passes in live action since. But he’s an explosive athlete — albeit a bit undersized to play quarterback — and quickly won the starting job at Cal in the spring. He and new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital are tasked with giving what was a plodding offense last season a jolt, and a backfield partnership of Jackson and Jaydn Ott has the potential for fireworks.

24. WR Traeshon Holden, Oregon

Traeshon Holden had 25 catches for 331 yards and six touchdowns (third-most on the team) last fall for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He had 239 yards on 21 receptions as a redshirt freshman in 2021. The 6-foot-3 Holden saw his Oregon career get off to a rocky start — February arrest and a brief dismissal from the team — but Holden appears set to start for the Ducks this season in a seasoned pass game. He’s one of two Oregon receivers on this list. Had the exercise been to rank newcomers instead of transfers, Oregon may have had three receivers in play for the top 25 spots. The Ducks should have one of the top receiver groups in college football.

23. DB Miles Battle, Utah

When you get a defensive back who appears in 45 games across five seasons with one team, but only draws four total starts, it’s fair to question why they were never able to win a full-time starting job. But that question isn’t really worth asking now; former Ole Miss cornerback Miles Battle is in line to start in the Utes secondary this fall. He has huge shoes to fill, too. Utah hit the transfer portal to try and replace All-American Clark Phillips III and brought in Battle, who had 61 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and 16 pass breakups during his Rebel career. A converted wide receiver, Battle has incredible length for the corner spot (6-foot-4) and hopes to show NFL scouts he can be a successful cover corner.

22. LB Justin Flowe, Arizona

I’m still a believer in Justin Flowe. When a player possesses that much raw ability, you have to be willing to wait for the switch to flip. Development isn’t always linear. And for Flowe, the hope is a change of scenery can help him make good on the 5-star potential he had as a recruit. A big, giant ball of chaotic energy, Flowe was limited to only two games in his first two seasons at Oregon. Last year, he played in 10 of Oregon’s 12 regular-season games, making two starts, before hitting the transfer portal. He really struggled to find himself in Dan Lanning’s scheme and fell out of the rotation by the end of the year. Flowe has shown flashes of his heat-seeking ability as a linebacker, but his reps last year featured a lot of inconsistency. How motivated a player is Arizona getting?

21. WR Jordyn Tyson, Colorado

Perhaps the lone bright spot of the 2022 Colorado football season was the play of freshman receiver Jordyn Tyson. The 6-foot-2 wideout from Allen, Texas, played in arguably the worst offense in college football and still managed 22 receptions for 470 yards and five scores in nine games before suffering a season-ending injury. He averaged 20.3 yards a catch, an average that was the third-best among Power Five receivers with at least 40 targets. At ASU, he joins a remade room that returns a star (Elijhah Badger). He’s not expected to be available to start the year, so Tyson feels a bit like a forgotten man, but look out when he returns to full health. He has serious big-play ability in an offense that hunts for the big play.

20. LB Levani Damuni, Utah

Former Stanford linebacker Levani Damuni was at the heart of a very bad Cardinal defense, so his decision to move to Utah might not register high on the national scale. But in what should be a deep and tenacious Utah front seven, Damuni has a chance to really help the cause as Utah seeks a three-peat. He was one of the Pac-12’s best linebackers in coverage last fall and was a relatively sure-handed tackler. Damuni led the Cardinal in tackles each of the last two seasons and should pair nicely with Lander Barton in the middle of Utah’s defense. How does he hold up in run support? That’s a question I have. But playing behind Utah’s defensive line should be very beneficial for him.

19. RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC

An ACL injury in fall camp robbed MarShawn Lloyd of his true freshman season at South Carolina in 2020, but he bounced back with 64 carries for 228 yards and a score in 12 appearances in 2021. The 5-foot-9, 212-pound tailback started in eight of his nine appearances last fall while running for 573 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 176 yards and two scores through the air. That versatility is a must in a Lincoln Riley offense. He’s also difficult to bring down — forcing 39 missed tackles last season, the ninth-most among SEC runners. He might begin the year in a timeshare with Austin Jones, but I like Lloyd to establish himself as a force out of the USC backfield.

18. DB Tysheem Johnson, Oregon

Oregon’s struggles on defense last fall — particularly on third down — led to an overhaul of the backend of the defense. The Ducks figure to have transfers starting at one of the two safety spots, one of the two corner spots, nickel, and linebacker. I’m penciling Johnson in at nickel after a strong spring. He was one of the better-graded safeties in the SEC last fall (top-20 in coverage and run defense, per PFF) and closed out the season third on Ole Miss’s tackle leaderboard with 78 stops.

17. OL Jarrett Kingston, USC

Washington State struggled as a unit to protect quarterback Cameron Ward last season, but those struggles weren’t because of Jarrett Kingston. A tackle for the Cougs, Kingston allowed just three quarterback hits in nearly 400 snaps as a pass-blocker (per PFF). As a result, PFF gave him the third-best grade as a pass-blocker among Pac-12 tackles. Even more impressive: it was Kingston’s first full-time season as a collegiate left tackle. He saw more than 1,000 snaps as a left guard for the Cougs prior to the 2022 season. With Jonah Monheim playing left tackle and Florida transfer Michael Tarquin filling in at right tackle, Kingston is expected to move back to guard.

16. Edge Jordan Domineck, Colorado

Arkansas turned the 6-foot-3 edge rusher loose last year to great success. He finished with 7.5 sacks to tie for fourth in the Pac-12. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders had to overhaul his whole roster, but the defensive front was certainly an area of emphasis. CU needed to get bigger and deeper along the line. Domineck ticks both boxes.

15. RB Carson Steele, UCLA

UCLA’s last transfer running back to hold the reins was a smashing hit. Why not see if you can strike gold twice? Chip Kelly went back to the portal for Carson Steele, a former All-MAC First Teamer at Ball State. A 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back, Steele ran for 1,556 yards (the ninth-most among all FBS players) and 14 touchdowns last season. Bijan Robinson was the only running back in America last year who forced more missed tackles than Steele (96). He got a top-20 offensive grade from PFF among qualified backs and was one of the 10 best Group of Five runners. TJ Harden is also in the picture at running back, but I expect Steele to be heavily involved. He’s too talented to be left on the sidelines.

14. DB Patrick McMorris, Cal

Defense hasn’t been the primary issue at Cal; coach Justin Wilcox knows how to develop on that side of the football. Of late, Wilcox has done just as well supplementing his defensive two-deep with the portal. Former San Diego State standout Patrick McMorris could follow the same path as Jackson Sirmon. Transfer to Cal, land a spot on an All-Pac-12 team in Year 1. The Santa Ana native was a two-time All-Mountain West selection and was named the league’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Last fall, he was one of the best coverage safeties at the Group of Five level.

13. LB Mason Cobb, USC

Mason Cobb recorded a team-leading 96 tackles for Oklahoma State in 2022, including 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. It was a true breakout campaign as Cobb stepped in to fill the shoes of the departed Malcolm Rodriguez, OSU’s leading tackler in 2021 and an NFL Draft pick. Prior to 2022, Cobb had just 12 career tackles but proved right away he could be a difference-maker in the middle of the Cowboys’ defense. I like the All-Big 12 linebacker as a pass-rusher quite a bit, but USC needs him to be steady next to Eric Gentry. It’s a huge season for Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch. The defense will be under the microscope all season.

12. WR Tez Johnson, Oregon

Tez Johnson will be the latest Group of Five receiver to come west and blossom into a nationally-known name. That’s my bold prediction for 2023. The 5-foot-10 slot receiver was one of college football’s best receivers in the country last year. He earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors in 2021 after bringing in 67 receptions for 735 yards and four scores. As a third-year sophomore last fall, Johnson had 56 catches for 863 yards and another four scores. Johnson was the highest-graded qualified wideout in college football last year, earning a 90.5 receiving grade from PFF. He was fourth among qualified receivers in yards per route run. I think Johnson can be this year’s Jacob Cowing.

11. QB DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State

Oregon State won 10 games on the strength of its run game and its defense last year. Chance Nolan opened the year as the starting quarterback and early on the deep ball was a big element of the offense. When Luke Musgrave got hurt and then Nolan exited the lineup, Oregon State moved to Ben Gulbranson and the Beavs took more of a “game manager” approach to the position. For the Beavs to take the next step, it looked like a major quarterback upgrade was needed. We’ll see if DJ U can be that. The floor might be a little lower, but the ceiling is certainly higher with the former Clemson quarterback running the show. Uiagalelei made 28 starts for the Tigers and threw for 5,681 yards and 36 touchdowns. He went 22-6 as a starter, but tossed 17 interceptions and completed 59.8% of his throws. Clemson was ready to move on to Cade Klubnik. Uiagalelei was ready for a fresh start. This could truly be a “best for both parties” kind of transfer.

10. RB Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State

Consider me a big, big Cameron Skattebo guy. The former Sacramento State back and 2022 FCS All-American enters a tremendous situation at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have been regularly churning out elite tailbacks, and Kenny Dillingham’s last offense featured two runners that cleared 750 rushing yards. Skattebo has fought for everything so far in his football career, and this year could be his reward for that work. In high school, the 5-foot-10 back ran for 6,192 career rushing yards and 69 touchdowns to net just one scholarship offer — from Sacramento State. The Hornets then got the same kind of runner. Last year, Skattebo produced 1,373 yards and 12 total scores (seven rushing, three receiving, one passing, and one onside kick return) to earn the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year award. Pay attention to the Sun Devils’ backfield.

9. DB Evan Williams, Oregon

Williams was one of two captains on a 2022 Fresno State team that made FBS history by becoming the first to open a season 1-4 and end it 10-4. Williams was a key force in the turnaround,  injured early and forced to miss four games. His return helped key a nine-game winning streak to secure a Mountain West Championship. Despite the missed time, Williams had 66 tackles (third on the team), four pass breakups, and a sack. He had 90 tackles the year prior. Both years ended with Williams being selected as an All-Mountain West pick. Williams causes havoc, plays the run well, and should raise the floor in the Oregon secondary.

8. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders — son of CU coach Deion Sanders — is arguably the most intriguing player in the Pac-12 this season. An elite recruit, Sanders played for his dad at Jackson State and went 23-3 with two SWAC championships. Last year, he set a program record for passing touchdowns in a season (40) and his 3,752 passing yards finished just 57 yards shy of another program record. Sanders holds a career 68% completion rate and a strong 1.6% interception rate. He can make things happen with his legs when necessary, too. How does that translate to Power Five football? If Colorado finds itself in a ton of shootouts (possible), how does Sanders handle things? Huge ceiling, but tons of variability here.

7. OL Emmanuel Pregnon, USC

After not appearing in any games in 2020 and redshirting in 2021, Emmanuel Pregnon moved into the starting lineup at right guard for Wyoming as a redshirt sophomore in 2022 and allowed only three quarterback hits in nearly 300 pass-blocking snaps. Pencil Pregnon in as a starter on the remade USC offensive line, a group that needs to protect the best quarterback in the country. Plenty of pressure, but Pregnon was viewed as one of the top offensive linemen to enter the transfer portal this cycle and, so far, has looked the part in preseason workouts for the Trojans.

6. OL Ajani Cornelius, Oregon

The former Rhode Island right tackle was one of the most sought-after transfers in college football this offseason. Ultimately, Ajani Cornelius opted to transfer to Oregon, where he should slide right in as the team’s new starting right tackle. He played the same spot for Rhode Island, where he started all 22 games over the last two seasons and became one of the best offensive linemen at the FCS level. Oregon’s mid-year run last season was due in large part to its brilliant offensive line play. Quarterback Bo Nix was rarely pressured, let alone sacked. Four of the Ducks’ top five linemen from that group are gone. Cornelius and Co. have big shoes to fill, but the 6-foot-5 tackle is more than capable of holding up his end of the bargain.

5. WR J.Michael Sturdivant, UCLA

J.Michael Sturdivant was a standout receiver in a forgettable Cal offense last year. He had 755 yards and seven touchdowns as a redshirt freshman to earn Freshman All-American honors. He had an issue with drops (11 in 102 targets) but also tied for third among Pac-12 receivers in contested catches. Sturdivant seems likely to start at the X spot for UCLA and word out of Westwood is that he’s been one of the best players on the field in offseason training. His ceiling is a little unclear given the uncertainty at the quarterback spot, but make no mistake, the 6-foot-3 Texas native is an elite receiver.

4. DL Bear Alexander, USC

In his lone season at Georgia, Bear Alexander posted nine tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups in 12 games. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive tackle is a dynamic defender with legit NFL Draft chops. The decision to enter the transfer portal was surprising, but the move to USC made a ton of sense for Alexander. He wanted an opportunity to play, and USC should force-feed him as many snaps as he can handle. The Trojans needed to bulk up their defensive front this offseason, and Alexander certainly helps to accomplish that goal.

3. WR Dorian Singer, USC

At Arizona last year, Dorian Singer made a compelling case for himself as the best receiver in the conference. He produced 1,105 yards and six scores on 66 catches, ranking second to UW’s Rome Odunze in yardage. He was also top-five in the Pac-12 in yards per catch (16.7). Singer stands 6-foot but plays bigger. The catch radius is insane. Caleb Williams simply has to get it near Singer to give him a chance. His highlight tape from last season was filled with some of the best catches made by anyone all year — including one made right in front of Williams. USC has no shortage of options at wideout once again this fall, but Singer might be the most explosive.

2. DL Jordan Burch, Oregon

Jordan Burch was a 5-star recruit and the eighth-ranked prospect in the country out of the 2020 class. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound edge rusher produced 105 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks over his three seasons with the Gamecocks. He finished last season with 56 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. He also led the South Carolina defense with 40 quarterback pressures, which were the sixth-most among SEC defenders. And that’s where Burch makes perfect sense for the Ducks. Oregon needed to improve its pass-rush this offseason. Burch has length, power, and quickness. He has a chance to be an absolute force under coach Dan Lanning.

1. DB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado

Travis Hunter has had a white-hot spotlight on him from the second his college career began. He was the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 high school class and then the top-ranked transfer prospect this offseason. He shocked the world when he flipped from Florida State to Jackson State on signing day. As a true freshman, Hunter played in eight games and won the SWAC Freshman of the Year award. He posted 20 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and two interceptions on defense while adding 18 receptions for 188 yards and four touchdowns on offense. CU expects Hunter to play both ways once again this fall, and the Buffs think Hunter can be one of the best players in college football. I’m curious how he holds up as a corner and receiver at the Power Five level, especially in a conference where he’ll be tested by opposing quarterbacks every single week. If he can play both sides of the ball at a strong level, Hunter has game-breaking ability.