It’s been nearly a week since the transfer portal opened, and a lot of surprising and expected names have moved about since then. On Tuesday, Missouri and Alabama lost some elite talent from the roster. Here’s a list of the top 5 portal entries on January 6.

Missouri: Edge rusher Damon Wilson II

Missouri is losing a key talent in Damon Wilson II. The edge rusher is now in search of his 3 CFB home, after stints with the Tigers and Bulldogs. He spent two seasons under Eli Drinkwitz, but truly broke out as a DE in 2025. Wilson hauled 20 total tackles and leads the Tigers with 9 sacks. He has a year of eligibility left before heading to the NFL, and is looking to make an even bigger impact elsewhere.

Wilson was an elite high school recruit who went to Georgia as a 5-star talent and the No. 3 EDGE in the country. Despite being unable to break through the Bulldogs’ packed depth chart at his position, he emerged as a Top 10 prospect in the transfer portal. Wilson then chose Drinkwitz over Ryan Day.

The Tiger HC now has a big reason to worry, because both of his starting edges are no longer with the program. Zion Young has run out of eligibility, which is why Missouri was counting on Damon Wilson’s return.

Wilson is currently in the midst of a legal showdown with the Bulldogs. The program sued the DE in December 2025 for transferring to Missouri weeks after signing an NIL deal with UGA’s NIL collective. Wilson has countersued the Bulldogs.

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Alabama: Defensive lineman James Smith

Not a lot of players are convinced that Alabama football is the place to be, like DL James Smith. He became the 20 player to leave the Tide, following the humiliating loss in the Sugar Bowl to Ole Miss. Smith is the 3 starter to depart from Alabama’s D-line; LT Overton and Tim Keenan have exhausted their eligibility.

Smith made 17 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks as a junior and started in 12 games. He was on track to have a bigger role next season, coming up third in the team with 6.5 TFLs. He also created 11 pressures, finishing 6 in the leaderboard. A reason why a lot of teams will line up to score Smith’s commitment is his elite potential. The DL was a 5-star recruit for Alabama and was the 2 best player at his position.

He joins his former high-school teammate and equally elite recruit Qua Russaw in the portal. Given their connection, Smith might follow the LB to his new team.

Tennessee: Running Back Peyton Lewis

Peyton Lewis is officially seeking a fresh start after two seasons with Tennessee. The RB caught a lot of attention for his sophomore production, despite bringing in only 290 yards. Lewis was still able to rush to the end zone for 7 scores, which shows the potential that Josh Heupel and Co. are losing.

Lewis played in 10 games this season, but is known for his heroics against Arkansas. Stepping in for an injured DeSean Bishop, he brought home two scores and 33 yards on 8 carries.

The talented RB has also kicked off his recruiting. He is set to pay a visit to his home team, Virginia. The Cavaliers are on a good momentum after achieving a historic 11-3, and are looking for more names in the offense. Sports Illustrated also tabbed nearby Colorado as a landing spot for Peyton Lewis.

Louisville: Kicker Cooper Ranvier

Team shopping for an elite kicker in the portal will make a beeline for Cooper Ranvier. He played in all 13 games this season, and kicked up quite the storm. Ranvier was able to land 39 of his 41 PAT attempts and 21 of his 25 field goals. He now holds the Louisville record for most kicks made by a freshman. Ranvier only missed one of his 20 field goals under 50 yards

One team to watch out for here is Ohio State, which offered Ranvier out of high school. The Buckeyes have no kickers with them for the 2026 season and need one desperately in the transfer portal.

Iowa: Safety Koen Entringer

There was a lot of back and forth in Koen Entringer’s plans for the future. Ahead of the ReliaQuest Bowl, the safety announced that he will spend his last year of eligibility at Iowa. Not even a full week later, he entered the transfer portal. Entringer is one of the most surprising entries into the portal.

He spent 4 seasons with the Hawkeyes, and stuck around despite not getting to contribute a lot in the past three. But this year, he was given a chance to start in all 13 games. Entringer made good of the increased responsibility, finishing second on the team with 73 tackles. He also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, 1 quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 2025. Iowa is losing a key leader in Entringer, who was also the defensive captain for the Hawkeyes this season.