The Oklahoma Sooners saw their fair share of movement in the 2026 NCAA transfer portal window back in January. In all, OU gained 18 players via the transfer portal, and lost a total of 28 players to the portal, with 26 of those players finding new homes so far. The Sooners also had two players enter their names in the portal, but withdraw them and come back to Oklahoma.
So, who was the best addition that the Sooners made during this cycle? That's what ESPN's Max Olson tried to figure out. He identified each of ESPN's preseason Top 25 teams' best portal add on Tuesday, and chose former Virginia wide receiver Trell Harris as the top incoming transfer for Oklahoma.
"The Sooners were looking to upgrade their weapons in the passing game around John Mateer during the portal window and got a lot accomplished with the addition of wideouts Harris, Parker Livingstone (Texas), Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State) and tight ends Rocky Beers (Colorado State), Hayden Hansen (Florida) and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee). Harris comes in with 113 career catches for 1,604 yards and nine TDs over his time at Virginia and Kent State and was the No. 1 receiver for an 11-win Cavaliers squad last season, earning third-team All-ACC honors after putting up a career-high 847 receiving yards." - Max Olson, ESPN.
Harris is a player that the Sooners hope can help make their passing game more dangerous in 2026. As the leading target for a team that was one win away from making it to the College Football Playoff in the ACC, Harris should be an impact addition right away for Oklahoma. In total, he logged 59 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns for the Cavaliers last season.
In 2025, OU's undeniable top target was Isaiah Sategna III, who is back for one more year in 2026. His return, along with the arrivals of Harris and Livingstone, and the upgrades at tight end, should give Mateer and the Sooners a more diversified passing game and, ideally, a more consistent offensive presence overall next season.
With the rules changing in 2026 to consolidate to one transfer portal period, thereby eliminating the spring portal window, the major roster pieces are already set for just about every team across the FBS ranks. Winter workouts are underway across the country, which will be followed by spring ball and spring games. That will lead into summer workouts, then media days, and then fall camp will be here before we know it, leading into the beginning of the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Who does ESPN believe the best portal addition was for the Sooners?