The transfer portal not only dents coaches, but also sometimes the players seeking better opportunities. The portal is a serious check on a player’s loyalty, especially if they emerge as stars. A classic case of this transpired in 2024 when Ashton Jeanty stuck it out at the G5 level. But Makhi Hughes made the leap to Oregon, for a huge paycheck. Now, we know how that one decision changed both their lives.

Word is that Hughes transferred to NIL powerhouse Oregon in the offseason for a paycheck of $700,000. It’s a number too good to pass on, and the opportunity to play on a P4 level was hard to put down. Now, that number doesn’t seem so attractive for the RB. Makhi Hughes will be redshirting for the rest of the season after a surprising drop in the depth chart. Hughes was once touted to be a leader in the rushing attack, but Lanning has instead assigned that job to freshman Dierre Hill Jr. Hughes is languishing at No. 4 in the chart, despite hauling in a whopping 2,779 rushing yards during his Tulane career.

Ashton Jeanty’s situational counterpart.

One stayed at his G5 school, went #6 overall and signed a $35.9 million contract

The other transferred from his G5 school to a P4 for $700k in NIL, and ended up as RB4 on the depth chart.

The grass isn’t always greener https://t.co/8c881kGhY3

— WILL (@willmbetts) October 3, 2025

Hughes was the one of the best RBs in the portal when he entered in the market. It was a big win for Oregon and the RB. But he failed to impress coaches, which kept him from being on the field. He was not even part of the away party that travelled to Penn State. At Oregon, Makhi Hughes has hauled in only 70 yards in 17 carries, and zero TDs. While at Tulane, he used to follow Jeanty and North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton with his production. That’s how elite Hughes can be.

In 2023, Ashton Jeanty was the leading rusher in the Mountain West, with 1,347 yards on the board. Makhi Hughes had actually rushed more than the star RB, pitching in 1,378 yards. As long as the Oregon RB was still in the G5 level, Jeanty and him could be called contemporaries. But Ashton Jeanty stayed loyal to Boise State to script history. “I told those (schools), ‘You guys overlooked me three years ago. Now you want me?’” he told USA Today, during his last season as a Bronco. Schools definitely lined up for Jeanty, with an offer rumored to be reaching 1 million even.

Jeanty became a reason for the Broncos’ success in 2024, being the only G5 squad to make the playoffs. Not only that, but he is also earning a nice paycheck at Las Vegas. If that’s the trajectory a G5 RB is having, imagine what Makhi Hughes is missing out on.

Oregon decision affected Makhi Hughes’ draft hopes

Ashton Jeanty was a surefire top-round pick, that much we knew. And experts were proven right when he went to Raiders at No. 6. In his first season in the NFL, Jeanty is already hurtling past everyone in the rushing leaderboards with 242 carries. A career like this came to Jeanty because of his success with Boise State. Makhi Hughes took a step in the right decision after being ignored in Oregon. Because this could be Hughes in the NFL had it all worked out for him at Eugene. If he lands at the right program afterwards, maybe he’ll find his way back here.

Makhi Hughes’ Tulane numbers were enough to project him as a Day 2 pick, per The Sporting News. This year, his drop in performance was never going to put him ahead of the P4 star RBs. Nobody gets past Nic Singleton and Kaytron Allen. And then there’s Jeremiyah Love, Justice Haynes and Darius Taylor. Had Hughes not redshirted, he was either going as a Day 3 pick, or he could even slip into the UDFA category. It would’ve been a disappointing turn of events for Hughes, when his production is on par with one of the NFL’s best rookies this year. Talk about paying up for a price!

Makhi Hughes passed on a goldmine-like opportunity by transferring to Oregon. But just because the big ones come calling, it doesn’t mean there’s a need to listen. Now, Hughes is staring at nothing despite having earned $700,000 at Oregon. In the NFL, on the other hand, Jeanty is earning well above $50 million