Joining in on a Crystal Ball pick for Ohio State
Entering the transfer portal elicits a wide range of emotions: Frustration, grief, intrigue, wonder. Jordy Bahl and Oklahoma softball felt all of it and then some. Bahl entered the transfer portal just days after leading Oklahoma to another national championship. The sophomore pitcher was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women’s College World Series after hurling 24 innings of scoreless softball. She stepped into the circle and carved up some of the top lineups in the country. She flew around the base paths to kickstart rallies and seal victories. She was the face of Oklahoma softball.
Bahl is leaving a powerhouse Oklahoma program that has won three straight national titles and set the record with an unconscionable 53-game winning streak in 2023. She's leaving a team that would've been a favorite to win it all again because of her. Bahl was at the center of all of it. She was the best recruit in the country in 2021. She became one of the best pitchers in the sport for a historic team that will live in the record books forever.
And now Bahl is saying goodbye.
“My heart is full of gratitude and love for the girls, coaches, and people at the University of Oklahoma," Bahl wrote. "I am excited to return home and be Jordy Bahl the softball player, but more importantly the person. I am excited thinking about growing the game that has provided me so many opportunities for growth, in the home state, a current overlooked state for girls in softball at all ages, and I am excited to finish the softball journey right where it began."
Bahl, a Nebraska native, is expected to land at the University of Nebraska where she was once committed. The Bahl family has deep ties to Nebraska, but it's still a "bittersweet" inflection point.
Bahl is arguably the most accomplished player to ever enter the transfer portal in any sport since the NCAA unveiled it in 2018. This prompted us to search through the previous transfer portal classes to circle the most-accomplished players in their respective sports to ever enter the portal. Very few transfers have meant more to their teams than Bahl and plenty of players have found stardom after entering the transfer portal. But the common link between Bahl and the rest of these stalwarts is that they were all outstanding pillars in their programs' histories before entering the portal.
Jordan Addison, Pitt to USC (Football, 2022)
"There have been several headliner moves in recent years across college football’s transfer portal. But when the ACC’s best player abruptly left Pitt after winning a conference championship to conclude the 2021 season with the Biletnikoff Award in hand, eyebrows were raised. Addison led the nation in touchdown receptions (17) as a sophomore for the Panthers and was a consensus All-American with 100 catches for 1,593 yards. Soon thereafter, USC came calling and the allure of starring for Lincoln Riley out west while catching passes from Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams nullified Pat Narduzzi’s best efforts to keep him. Addison would go on to be a First-Team, All-Pac-12 honoree with the Trojans and was a first-rounder in April's NFL Draft." — Brad Crawford, 247Sports national college football writer
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville to LSU (Women's basketball, 2023)
"Honestly, trying to find the most accomplished women’s basketball player to hit the transfer portal just speaks to the incredible job Kim Mulkey is doing at LSU. Because the quest to pinpoint that star athlete boils down to two current LSU transfer commits: Ex-DePaul star Aneesah Morrow and former Louisville standout Hailey Van Lith.
Morrow might have the slight edge when it comes to their collegiate careers, but one can’t properly examine the game of women’s basketball without discussing international play. It’s in this realm where Van Lith is in a league of her own.
At just 21 years old, the junior guard already has five FIBA gold medals under her belt to go along with a Youth Olympic gold medal. And in addition to being named the MVP of the FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Cup in 2019, Van Lith added to her international success this year when she helped the USA win the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup. When you combine her accomplishments in world play with a lengthy resume that includes an ACC All-Freshman team selection and two conference First-Team honors, then it’s clear to see why Hailey Van Lith is the most accomplished women’s basketball player to ever dive into the transfer portal." — Xavier Hamilton, 247Sports national editor and feature writer
Kaitlyn Hord, Penn State to Nebraska (Volleyball, 2022)
"How many transfers earn All-America honors not once, not twice but three times before joining a new program? That's what Hord did at Penn State with another Honorable Mention All-America selection thrown in on top.
Hord was a middle blocker for Penn State and spent four seasons with the Nittany Lions as one of the country's top players. Thanks to the NCAA's COVID-19 blanket waiver, Hord had a fifth season available and used it to transfer to one of the elite programs in women's volleyball and the reigning national runners-up. Despite the addition of Hord helping them become the preseason No. 1 team, Nebraska ended up falling short of expectations by losing to Oregon in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal." — Robbie Weinstein, 247Sports national reporter
Jalen Hurts, Alabama to Oklahoma (Football, 2019)
"There was no more notable figure in college football the last decade than Jalen Hurts. A true freshman supernova for Alabama in 2016, Hurts won SEC Offensive Player of the Year and came a Deshaun Watson-to-Hunter Renfrow walk-off pass away from a 15-0 season and a National Championship. Hurts' career got even wilder from there. He led Alabama to the National Title game again in 2017. But he didn't get to finish the deal as he was benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who led an all-time comeback against Georgia (you probably remember: 2nd-and-26, Tagovailoa to DeVonta Smith). Almost a year later, Hurts had the opportunity to return the favor. He came off the bench for an injured Tagovailoa and led a second-half comeback for an SEC Championship victory over Georgia. Hurts won a National Title, made three College Football Playoff appearances and held a 26-2 record as a starting quarterback before he entered the transfer portal following the 2018 season. Even if you leave out his Oklahoma accomplishments (Heisman finalist, Big 12 champion, playoff appearance), he's still the most important college football transfer of the transfer portal era."— Chris Hummer, 247Sports national college football writer
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan to Kansas (men's basketball, 2023)
“Hunter Dickinson is the most notable men’s college basketball player to ever enter the transfer portal and depart. The former top-50 prospect in the Class of 2020 became a Day One starter for a Michigan team that advanced to the Elite Eight. In his three-year tenure at Michigan, Dickinson turned into a second-team All-American, a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He led Michigan to the second weekend in two of his three years. But his exit was flame-inducing because it was a direct indictment on how the face of Michigan basketball viewed Juwan Howard and the entire UM organization.
Michigan’s iffy commitment to being at the forefront of Name, Image and Likeness was a factor in Dickinson's departure. The academic office shutting down prized potential transfer additions was another straw that broke the camel’s back. Dickinson is now the favorite to be the Big 12 Player of the Year and return to his All-American status for Bill Self and Kansas. He’s a winner at the bank, too.” — Isaac Trotter, 247Sports national college basketball writer
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts to Texas (men's basketball, 2023)
"Hunter Dickinson was the no-doubt No. 1 transfer and looks due for a big season at Kansas. But when comparing résumés, are we entirely sure that Abmas, a lethal scorer who lights up opponents while somehow remaining efficient, can’t match him accomplishment for accomplishment? A two-time Summit League Player of the Year, Abmas has achieved at least honorable mention All-American status in three different seasons from the AP, with the NABC granting Abmas a third-team selection last year. Abmas won the scoring crown in 2020-21 when he scored 24.5 points per game and led the Golden Eagles to the Sweet 16. Since then, all he’s done since is average 22.8 points per game as a junior then 20.8 points and a career-best 4.0 assists per game as a senior. He arrives at Texas with an incredible 2,561 career points and 420 made three-pointers." — Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports national writer
Paul Skenes, Air Force to LSU (baseball, 2022)
"Air Force isn't exactly known as a baseball power, but Skenes established himself as one of college baseball's top players from the very start of his career with the Falcons before transferring to LSU last off-season. Skenes came into Air Force as a true freshman in 2021 and earned All-American honors right away. Then he went and did it again in 2022. Despite pitching at altitude for home games in Colorado, Skenes never posted an ERA higher than 2.73 at Air Force and also hit .367 with 24 home runs over two seasons. Skenes has focused on pitching at LSU, adding multiple miles per hour to a fastball that now gets up into triple digits. Skenes went from a projected first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft to a candidate to go No. 1 overall." — Robbie Weinstein, 247Sports national reporter
Nick Suriano, Rutgers to Michigan (Wrestling, 2021)
"Suriano actually made two high-profile transfers during his college career, but it was his move from Rutgers to Michigan that made the most waves in a tight knit wrestling community. After one season at Penn State in 2016-17, Suriano moved back to his home state of New Jersey where he finished runner-up at 125 pounds in the NCAA Championships in 2018. He moved up a weight class to 133 as a junior, claiming both the Big Ten and NCAA individual titles in 2019. Suriano took an Olympic redshirt during the 2019-20 season. He did not wrestle collegiately in 2021 with the Summer Olympics pushed back a year because of the pandemic. In July 2021, Suriano entered the transfer portal, eventually landing at Michigan that November. In his return to college wrestling, Suriano posted a perfect 16-0 record en route to another NCAA and Big Ten crown at 125 pounds." — Cody Nagel, 247Sports National Staff Writer
