The CBS Sports experts select the top players who came out of the transfer portal
By Isaac Trotter Mar 31, 2026 at 12:26 pm ET • 3 min read 
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports design The 2025 transfer class was billed as one of the most talented free agency crops in the portal era, and it certainly lived up to the hype in 2025-26. You could make a real case that close to 60 of the top-100 transfers met or outperformed their contracts. Building an outstanding club solely from the portal feels impossible, but UConn, Illinois and Michigan all waded into the waters in some capacity to fill specific roles. It has manifested in runs to the Final Four.
Selecting the best five transfers was no easy task. 10 names were seriously considered, but only half made the cut.
The votes have been cast.
2025-26 CBS Sports All-Transfer team
Yaxel Lendeborg | Michigan | F | Gr. | 6-9 | 240
Transfer from UAB
Lendeborg is the LeBron of college basketball and a five-tool player in every facet. The No. 1-rated transfer exceeded all the hype thanks to plenty of patience and some tweaks from Dusty May. Lendeborg's open-floor dunks shake the stanchion, and he's engineered a shooting season very few could have predicted. After draining just 37 triples in two years at UAB, Lendeborg has deposited 64 treys at a 37% clip for Michigan. He's utterly unguardable and one of the top defensive players in the sport. Lendeborg was a worthy Big Ten Player of the Year selection.
Bennett Stirtz | Iowa | G | Sr. | 6-4 | 190
Transfer from Drake
If Lendeborg gets the LeBron comparison, Stirtz gets the Cal Ripken Jr. moniker. The Iowa star never came off the floor and helped engineer the Hawkeyes' magical run to the Elite Eight. Stirtz answered the bell every night despite loads of attention from Big Ten defenses that didn't respect his supporting cast for long stretches this season. Stirtz didn't just stat-pad against the bad teams, either. The former Division II product shot 62% on 2s, 37% from 3-point range and 84% from the charity stripe in Big Ten play. He was held under 12 points just twice in a 25-game sample size against top-100 competition. Oh, and Stirtz posted a 2.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with good defense. Warrior.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie | Tennessee | Sr. | 6-1 | 188
Transfer from Maryland
Gillespie posted one of Tennessee's best individual seasons in the program's proud history. The first-team All-SEC product drained 103 triples to become just the fourth Tennessee player to ever crack the century mark. Gillespie's counting stats were terrific, but he also won everyone over with his gamer mentality. He just competed every trip on both ends.
Gillespie wanted to come home and ball out for his home-state Vols. Tennessee doesn't sniff the Elite Eight without Gillespie.
Nick Boyd | Wisconsin | Grad student | 6-3 | 177
Transfer from San Diego State
Boyd scored 415 points for Wisconsin in Big Ten play. It's the second-best season from a Badger since Michael Finley in 1992-93. Pretty, pretty good company. The lefty point guard dazzled all year with hesitation drives, unguardable pull-up jumpers and a nasty handle. Boyd was unstoppable most nights, and he became the engine of a Wisconsin offense that rated 10th nationally in efficiency.
Plus, he had the Wisconsin faithful at his beck and call in every arena in the country. Boyd's swagger was impossible to ignore, and he could ignite any building in a flash with his snarl.
Silas Demary | UConn | Jr. | 6-4 | 195
Transfer from Georgia
UConn desperately needed a point guard, and Demary has filled the void admirably. The 6-foot-4 guard has been a do-it-all machine for Dan Hurley this year, notching one triple-double and coming razor close multiple other times. Demary defends, runs the team, pressures the rim, makes open 3s and rebounds extremely well for his position. Even after suffering a painful Grade 2 high ankle sprain in the Big East Tournament, Demary has courageously gotten back on the floor for the NCAA Tournament. Demary is an all-out gladiator every single day of the week and twice on Sundays.
u - unanimous selection
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