It’s one thing to lose a player to the transfer portal. It’s another thing when you’re almost guaranteed to face that player on a yearly basis.

It used to be that players rarely if ever transferred within the same conference. Now it’s a merry-go-round. And there are some clear winners and some clear losers so far.

Here are my top 10 intraconference transfers for 2023 … so far:

WR Dorian Singer

Old school: Arizona

New school: USC

Significant stats: 66 catches, 1,105 yards, 6 TDs

Richter scale: 9.2

Role playing: It’s not quite on the scale of Jordan Addison, who would’ve ranked a 9.5 on my made-up scale (Caleb Williams is a 10.0, by the way). But snagging the top wide receiver in the conference in terms of 2022 production from an offense that was on the rise makes for another fantastic addition for the Trojans. Williams needed a new weapon with Addison moving on to the NFL after one season, and Singer — who teamed with Jacob Cowing to become the first Arizona tandem to top 1,000 yards in a season — fits the bill.

LB Justin Flowe

Old school: Oregon

New school: Arizona

Significant stats: 35 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss

Richter scale: 8.5

Role playing: The former 5-star recruit was one of the top prospects in Oregon history, but he didn’t quite live up to the massive expectations. Injuries sidelined him for a while, but even on the field, he wasn’t the impact player Ducks fans hoped he would be. A change of scenery will be good for a kid with huge expectations on him, as now in Tucson he has the chance to be the focal point of a defense that will need to make a big improvement to help the Wildcats get back to the postseason.

OL Bram Walden

Old school: Oregon

New school: TBD

Significant stats: N/A

Richter scale: 8.1

Role playing: This is purely based on projection, but Walden was one of the country’s top offensive line recruits in 2021 and sat behind arguably the best offensive line in the country in 2022. It’s clear the Ducks know and knew what they were doing up front. But now Walden has announced his intention to leave, and he very well could end up in his hometown back in Arizona with the Sun Devils. If he does, it would be the pickup of the offseason for former Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.

LB Ralen Goforth

Old school: USC

New school: Washington

Significant stats: 43 tackles, 1 interception (returned for touchdown), 1 fumble recovery

Richter scale: 7.9

Role playing: Goforth got lost in the transfer shuffle of last season, which saw USC add former Arizona State stud Eric Gentry and former Alabama ‘backer Shane Lee to the mix. Goforth still got meaningful run, particularly when Lee was sidelined briefly midway through the year, but he was looking for a bigger role and he finds one with the Huskies, who have a need at the position. Goforth was productive for the Trojans, finishing with 149 career tackles with 4 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble and 1 interception, that he returned for a touchdown.

LB Travion Brown

Old school: Washington State

New school: Arizona State

Significant stats: 49 tackles, 1.5 sacks

Richter scale: 7.7

Role playing: New ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham went to quick work filling  out his staff, and one of his most notable hires was former Washington State defensive coordinator Brian Ward into the same role with the Sun Devils. Ward brings along with him Brown, an active and heady player for the Cougars. Brown split time with Francisco Mauigoa but still managed 49 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss this year, finishing his Cougar career with 119 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception.

OL Ben Coleman

Old school: Cal

New school: Arizona State

Significant stats: N/A

Richter scale: 7.5

Role playing: Coleman started 22 games for the Bears the past 2 seasons, and he figures to contend for a starting role with the Sun Devils, who are looking for a replacement for standout LaDarius Henderson, who transferred to Michigan. His loss is a huge blow to Cal, which had a weak offensive line in 2022 and can ill afford to lose any talent.

CB Christian Roland-Wallace

Old school: Arizona

New school: USC

Significant stats: 58 tackles, 6 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles

Richter scale: 7.2

Role playing: The Trojans did it again, plucking a highly talented cornerback from a bad defense. If Roland-Wallace is anything like Mekhi Blackmon, who starred for USC this year after transferring from Colorado, the Trojans will again have themselves a steal. USC is building a very nice defensive backs room, with returning starter Ceyair Wright, former 5-star recruit Domani Jackson hopefully returning healthy and former Husky Jacobe Covington adding skill and depth. Roland-Wallace will have to earn a starting gig, but if he does, that says something.

LB Levani Damuni

Old school: Stanford

New school: Utah

Significant stats: 76 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, 1 sack, 1 interception

Richter scale: 6.5

Role playing: A team captain for the Cardinal in 2022, the Utes are getting one of Stanford’s most reliable players, and he figures to slot only into a starting linebacker role but also into a leadership role for Utah. With the Cardinal bidding goodbye to David Shaw, you had to expect Stanford to suffer some losses, but this one isn’t so surprising, as Damuni hails from the Beehive State.

LB Oluwafemi Oladejo

Old school: Cal

New school: UCLA

Significant stats: 91 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

Richter scale: 6.2

Role playing: Oladejo was a big weapon for a bad Cal defense, and he figures to make an immediate impact with the Bruins — and will have 2 years of eligibility. This year, UCLA hit it big with former Washington linebacker Laiatu Latu, who had 11 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

P Edward Czaplicki

Old school: Arizona State

New school: USC

Significant stats: 49 punts, 46.7 yards-per-punt average

Richter scale: 6.0

Role playing: In 2022, USC punter Aadyn Sleep-Dalton wasn’t used all too often — just an average of 2.5 times per game — and he didn’t do much with his opportunities either, averaging just 40.3 yards per punt. Czaplicki is a huge upgrade at the position, a sneaky good poach for portal king Riley.