With the transfer portal window just a week away, top college football programs are getting aggressive, using their financial muscle to line up elite talent. And in this cycle, nowhere is the spending making more noise than the defensive line market. Amidst this, the one player perfectly positioned to cash in is Wake Forest defensive lineman Mateen Ibirogba.

“Sources have told On3 that Wake Forest’s Mateen Ibirogba is expected to command a seven-figure payday,” On3’s Pete Nakos reports. “Winning in the trenches continues to be paramount to winning championships.”

This isn’t a joke anymore. The defensive line market is exploding like anything. After quarterbacks, DLs are now the hottest commodity in the transfer portal, with deals commonly falling in the $500K to $1.5 million range. Some even go higher.

Just look at last year: Stanford edge rusher David Bailey hit the portal, landed at Texas Tech. He reportedly locked in a deal north of $2 million. That set the tone. Now that Mateen Ibirogba has entered the market, programs are expected to go all-in on him again.

Ibirogba’s 2025 season at Wake Forest was a legit breakout. He went from an under-the-radar high school recruit to one of the ACC’s most disruptive defensive linemen. In 12 games, he registered 21 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, a pass breakup, and even blocked a kick. The sack numbers surely aren’t that impressive, but the impact is absolute.

The advanced stats tell the real story. Ibirogba racked up 26 quarterback pressures and earned an 82.6 PFF defensive grade. Even without being a full-time starter early on, he found ways to create havoc. In a portal cycle where teams are desperate for proven trench help, Ibirogba is exactly the kind of interior defender programs are willing to spend big on.

Ibirogba just finished his redshirt junior season and will have one year of eligibility remaining. If he moves again, this would be his third jump in five seasons. His journey began at the FCS level with the Georgetown Hoyas, where he first got his feet under him. From there, he went to Wake Forest but ended up redshirting after appearing in just four games. Now, with a breakout season behind him and one year to cash in, Ibirogba hits the portal at the perfect time.

The attention naturally turns to where he could land next.

Suitable destinations for Mateen Ibirogba

Mateen Ibirogba is already turning heads as the No. 1 defensive lineman and the No. 3 overall transfer prospect in the 2026 cycle. His size, versatility, and experience make him a premium target. So now it’s all about which programs are willing to spend big to land him.

Notre Dame makes a lot of sense. The Irish are about to lose a chunk of their interior defensive line, with Gabriel Rubio and Jared Dawson out of eligibility, and Jason Onye likely done as well. That creates a big hole in the rotation.

While Notre Dame has some younger options like Sean Sevillano Jr. and Donovan Hinish, none have fully proven they can be impactful. What they need is impact size and interior disruption. At 6-foot-3 and 296 pounds, Ibirogba fits perfectly as a three-technique tackle who can collapse the pocket.

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Auburn is another strong contender. The Tigers are basically hitting reset up front. Both starting edge rushers, Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford, are off to the NFL. And things got even tougher when Malik Blocton, their only major interior returner, unexpectedly entered the transfer portal.

Auburn did sign a solid 2026 recruiting class. But most of the interior depth is still young and unproven. Ibirogba’s 1,322 career snaps would instantly bring veteran leadership. Plus, Auburn has the resources to meet a seven-figure price tag.

Then there’s Alabama. The Tide is actively tracking high-level defensive linemen in the portal as they prepare for key losses to the 2026 NFL Draft. They need plug-and-play veterans who can hold the line in the trenches right away. Analysts have pointed out that finding power-conference experience like Ibirogba’s doesn’t come often, and that makes him a top priority for Alabama as well.