Prime gamers from the Soccer Championship Subdivision have develop into large success tales at school soccer’s highest stage due to the benefit of upward mobility within the switch portal. The 2025 NFL Draft serves as enough proof of the potential advantages that await FCS gamers able to take that soar. 

Prime general decide (Miami quarterback Cam Ward) and No. 2 decide (Heisman winner Travis Hunter) began their respective careers on the FCS stage — granted, from wildly totally different beginnings. Ward was an unranked, calmly recruited prospect when he signed with Incarnate Phrase in 2020. Hunter was the No. 1 general prospect within the Class of 2022, and was a historic signing day story when he flipped from Florida State to Jackson State. 

However their manufacturing at that stage made for a fast rise to the FBS ranks. After two seasons and 71 touchdowns at Incarnate Phrase, Ward transferred to Washington State (following coach Eric Morris), after which grew to become a Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami in 2024. Hunter adopted Deion Sanders to Colorado the place he is a program legend. 

Not each participant can have these magnificent ascents, however transitioning to school soccer’s prime tier should be fruitful. The FCS’s greatest have gone on to realize extra publicity and draw extra curiosity from NFL personnel. This is a glance forward on the prime FCS-to-FBS transfers for the 2025 season. 

Earlier faculty: Campbell | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 259 OVR, No. 45 WR 

Brown had curiosity from different main applications like Texas A&M, Michigan and North Carolina earlier than touchdown on Colorado, so he is a major win. It is not laborious to see why Brown was so coveted. He has prototypical dimension at 6-foot-5 and flashed some big-play means at Campbell whereas hauling in 61 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Earlier faculty: Idaho | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 40 OVR, No. 12 WR

TCU has develop into an underrated huge receiver manufacturing facility in recent times, and Dwyer appears to be like like the subsequent dynamic playmaker to go by way of Fort Value. The 6-footer had a breakout 2024 with 78 catches for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 14.3 yards per reception. He eclipsed 100 yards in 5 video games and had a career-best 189 yards and two touchdowns in Idaho’s FCS playoff quarterfinal spherical sport towards Montana State. He offers the Horned Frogs and quarterback Josh Hoover a legit deep menace along with his means to stretch the sphere. 

Earlier faculty: Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 210 OVR, No. 37 WR

Gibson did endure a damaged leg throughout spring apply that required surgical procedure, however coach Brent Venables stated that the previous Arkansas-Pine Bluff star needs to be able to go by the point the 2025 season rolls round. The Sooners definitely want him. He is recent off a redshirt sophomore marketing campaign by which he caught 70 passes for 1,215 yards and 9 touchdowns. He is a giant wideout at 6-foot-3 with an immense catch radius, nice arms and the power to get behind opposing secondaries. 

Earlier faculty: South Dakota State | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 377 OVR, No. 26 QB 

Although Gronowski missed most of spring apply resulting from a surgical process that may have him out till the summer season, Brendan Sullivan’s resolution to switch out of Iowa indicators that the previous South Dakota State star will lead the Hawkeyes in 2025. Few quarterback transfers come as completed as Gronowski. He gained two FCS nationwide titles with the Jackrabbits and was back-to-back sport MVP in 2023-24, and he was the 2023 Walter Payton Award because the FCS’s prime offensive participant. He additionally brings 10,330 yards and 93 touchdowns passing plus 37 touchdowns speeding to Iowa. 

Earlier faculty: South Dakota State | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 188 OVR, No. 30 DL 

In 2024 — his first full season as a starter — Hawthorne amassed a formidable 4.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He is brings loads of disruption from the inside and has the positional versatility to slip out to a defensive finish spot in sure packages, ought to Iowa determine to combine it up. He additionally has three years of eligibility with the Hawkeyes. The expectation is that he’ll proceed to develop after a formidable redshirt freshman marketing campaign at South Dakota State. 

Earlier faculty: Penn | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 268 OVR, No. 17 RB

Hosley was a finalist for the 2024 Walter Payton Award after speeding for 1,192 yards and 9 touchdowns on 191 carries. Although he was a workhorse at Penn, he’ll should take advantage of his alternatives at Georgia Tech, which returns top-of-the-line working backs in faculty soccer in Jamal Haynes. Each Hosley and Haynes ought to profit from no matter timeshare that Tech’s teaching workers settles on. 

Greatest uncommitted faculty soccer switch prospects accessible as 2025 spring window closes

Will Backus

Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, EDGE, Kentucky 

Earlier faculty: South Dakota | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 60 OVR, No. 9 EDGE

The 6-foot-4 and 265-pound Humphrey-Grace involves Kentucky with an SEC-ready body. He additionally has verifiable manufacturing after tallying 9.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss whereas incomes FCS All-American honors final season. One of the best half for Kentucky is that Humphrey-Grace nonetheless has two seasons of eligibility, so there’s progress potential as he will get used to the soar in competitors. 

Earlier faculty: Central Connecticut State | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 95 OVR, No. 11 OT

Maryland misplaced just a few offensive linemen to the switch portal, so including Perry was crucial. He was a 2024 All-NEC first crew choice after beginning all 13 video games  and, most impressively, didn’t permit a single sack in CCSU’s video games towards Central Michigan and UMass, two FBS opponents. Although he’ll definitely face stiffer competitors within the Huge Ten, that is signal for Perry’s means to acclimate with the Terps. 

Earlier faculty: Western Carolina | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 100 OVR, No. 14 OT

Oklahoma had one of many worst Energy 4 offensive traces final season, however additions like Simmons ought to go a good distance in the direction of fixing that. He began all 10 video games for the Catamounts final season and didn’t permit a single sack in 417 pass-blocking snaps, per Professional Soccer Focus. 

Cole Wisniewski, DB, Texas Tech 

Earlier faculty: North Dakota State | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 148 OVR, No. 4 S 

There are some damage considerations with Wisniewski. He spent your entire 2024 season on the sidelines after present process foot surgical procedure and missed the primary seven video games in 2022 whereas recovering from a torn Achilles. At his greatest, he is a dynamic participant within the secondary with the power to affect a number of positions. He spent his first three seasons at North Dakota State as a linebacker earlier than changing to security in 2023 and incomes consensus FCS All-American honors with 92 whole tackles, eight interceptions — which led all Division I gamers and tied the Missouri Valley Convention single-season report — and 13 passes defended.  

Earlier faculty: Illinois State | 247Sports Switch Rating: No. 39 OVR, No. 5 IOL

Zambrano suffered a season-ending damage simply two video games into the 2024 marketing campaign, however he was an FCS Preseason All-American previous to the 12 months’s begin. From 2021-23, he began 24 video games at left deal with for Illinois State and in 2023 was a second-team All-MVFC choice. He has the flexibility to play both deal with or guard for the Crimson Raiders and the body — at 6-foot-5 and 305 kilos — to carry up within the Huge 12.