10 SEC Intraconference Transfers To Watch in 2026

Upon the opening of the college baseball transfer portal, you often see the SEC dip into other conferences to re-tool for the ensuing season. There are always a handful of names who choose to transfer within the conference, too.

More than 20 players have made the move from one SEC program to another for the 2026 season, all of whom are eager to break out in their new digs. Some saw plenty of action on the diamond last season, while others are hoping the change of scenery will lead to an uptick in innings.

Below are 10 of the most intriguing intraconference transfers to keep an eye on across the SEC for the 2026 campaign.

Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order

OF Sam Christiansen (Oklahoma to Alabama)

2025 stats: 55 G, 11 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 46 BB, 57 K, .255/.455/.467

After beginning his college career at South Mountain CC in Phoenix, Christiansen made the big jump to the SEC last season, landing in Norman. While the numbers weren’t jarring, he was an on-base machine for Oklahoma, finishing seventh in the SEC in walks and 11th in OBP.

He now makes the move to Alabama and is one of the headliners for a transfer portal class that ranks sixth nationally, according to 64Analytics. A 6-foot-1 left-handed bat that’s capable of slotting in seamlessly anywhere in a lineup, Christiansen made 51 starts last season at right field and first base. He’ll strike out plenty, but the K/BB rate still sat at just 1.24 in 2025.

With seven of Bama’s nine portal additions coming from the mid-major ranks, there will be a wealth of unknowns for Rob Vaughn’s squad when SEC play rolls around. Christiansen should serve as a ready-made addition to a stouthearted roster that’ll look to crack a Regional for the fifth time in six seasons in 2026.

LHP Ashton Crowther (South Carolina to Alabama)

2025 stats: 19 G (2 S), 37 IP, 4.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 10 BB, 28 K

The other intraconference addition for the Crimson Tide is an imposing left-hander who’s looking to take the next step at his third stop in the college ranks. Crowther checks in at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and comes to Alabama after one season at South Carolina.

Beginning his career at Miami, the Trinity, Fla. native struggled across 15 appearances as a redshirt freshman for the Hurricanes in 2024. He made seven starts in midweek action and finished with a 7.36 ERA, walking 29 batters in 36.2 innings. His move to the SEC panned out, though.

It was a mixed bag at times for the Gamecocks, but Crowther showed vast improvement, highlighted by issuing just 10 walks. He was thrust into a larger role as the USC staff endured injuries and a general lack of length from the rotation. He tallied 11.1 innings across his last three outings in SEC play, allowing just four earned runs while striking out eight.

Vaughn and the Bama staff showed last season that they’ll give each of their arms a fair shake early on in the year, so opportunities should be ample for Crowther to make a big splash with his dynamic slider and low-to-mid-90s heater.

OF Ashton Larson (LSU to Texas)

2025 stats: 34 G, 3 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 9 BB, 14 K, .256/.423/.487

A former top-100 prospect out of Overland Park, Kan., Larson signed with LSU despite going in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. His two years in Baton Rouge were up and down.

As a freshman for the Tigers, he made 40 starts and showed some serious promise, compiling an .827 OPS with nine doubles, three homers and 16 RBIs. He led LSU with a .337 average in SEC play, too. He primarily manned right field and didn’t make an error all season.

Instead of taking the next step last spring, though, Larson fell down the pecking order in a crowded outfield and made just five starts, totaling 39 at-bats all year.

While that could provide some cause for concern, Larson is now coming off a second impressive summer at the Cape Cod League. After hitting .316 in 31 games for the Chatham Anglers in 2024, the 6-foot-2 lefty returned this year and had 20 hits in 19 games, driving in 11 runs. His hand speed is what jumps out on film.

Larson profiles as the perfect candidate for a change of scenery and will now get a chance to flourish in Austin under Jim Schlossnagle and Co., though he’ll have to earn his keep as the Longhorns will boast another loaded roster in 2026.

LHP Ethan McElvain (Vanderbilt to Arkansas)

2025 stats: 16 G (5 S), 27.1 IP, 7.24 ERA, 2.16 WHIP, 28 BB, 45 K

A touted prospect out of Thompson’s Station, Tenn., McElvain stayed home and signed with Vanderbilt. His freshman season in 2024 was a solid one, holding opposing hitters to a .227 average, striking out 29 while walking 15 in 25 innings across 11 appearances. His sophomore campaign was…forgetful, to say the least.

His ERA inflated four entire points to 7.24 in just 2.1 more innings last season. He began the year at the back of the weekend rotation for the Commodores but quickly fell out after issuing three or more walks in all five outings.

The command was too big of an issue to cancel out his effective swing-and-miss stuff that led to plenty of strikeouts — though teams still hit .284 against the lefty. McElvain completed three innings just twice all season.

So why is his stock back on the rise following a move to Arkansas? Well, the stuff is that good when he’s on. The fastball runs into the high 90s and generates lots of swing and miss, as does a low-80s slider that has become his clear No. 2 offering. There’s other off-speed action in the arsenal, too, but it all starts with cutting down on free passes for the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder.

If the staff in Fayetteville can unlock a new level of command for McElvain, then the Razorbacks may have one of the top lefties in the conference at their disposal in 2026.

RHP Alex Philpott (Florida to South Carolina)

2025 stats: 22 G (3 S), 37 IP, 7.30 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 18 BB, 44 K

Philpott is a similar story to McElvain. The Tampa native chose Florida and played two seasons for the in-state Gators. It never quite clicked across 35 appearances.

After starting the 2025 season strong, Philpott tapered off in mid-March and never got back on track. He had a tough stretch where he allowed an earned run in 14 of 15 appearances. He was tasked with eating some innings in SEC play and did show flashes. After all, Philpott is 6-foot-6 and possesses an impressive arsenal.

The fastball has life and is capable of sitting in the mid-90s, while the changeup played a big role in helping him average over 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Unlike McElvain, Philpott has shown he can stay in the zone and has a 2.00 K/BB ratio thus far. The flip side of that coin, of course, is that teams have crushed the right-hander at times and have a lifetime OPS over .860 against him.

Not much went right for South Carolina in year one of the Paul Mainieri era. A woeful 6.41 team ERA was ahead of only Mizzou in the SEC. The Gamecocks are bringing in a hefty portal class, but opportunity will be ample for Philpott to make an impact in Columbia.

RHP Tyler Pitzer (South Carolina to Mississippi State)

2025 stats: 19 G (2 S), 28.1 IP, 6.99 ERA, 2.08 WHIP, 28 BB, 32 K

Pitzer is another arm you could lump into the same category as McElvain or Philpott, but the 6-foot-3 righty boosted his stock in a big way this summer and will likely compete for a weekend rotation spot at Mississippi State this season.

In 26.1 innings across eight appearances for the Y-D Red Sox, Pitzer allowed just one earned run while fanning 36 and walking nine. He was named the Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year for his efforts. Perhaps that momentum will benefit Pitzer as he turns the page on his time at South Carolina.

As a freshman for the Gamecocks, Pitzer racked up 57 strikeouts across 43.2 IP, good for an impressive 29-percent strikeout rate. In his first-ever start, he threw 6.1 innings against Vanderbilt, allowing just three hits and two runs (zero earned), striking out nine.

That kind of form has eluded him since. He completed four innings twice last season and saw his walk rate increase nine percent in 15 fewer innings of work as a sophomore.

Pitzer’s delivery brings some aggression once he plunges into it. His devastating slider looks like the clear money pitch, while the fastball can ride throughout the mid-90s. He may not be listed at the top of Mississippi State’s No. 3 portal class — per 64Analytics — but it’ll be hard for new skipper Brian O’Connor to deny Pitzer if this summer is any indication of what’s to come in Starkville.

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OF Nolan Stevens (Mississippi State to Oklahoma)

2025 stats: 37 G, 6 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 13 BB, 25 K, .320/.414/.500

Stevens made his way to Starkville as a promising two-way player, but after making 14 pitching appearances as a freshman in 2024, he pitched just twice for Mississippi State last season. It’s expected that his focus will turn fully toward the outfield and making an impact at the plate for Oklahoma in 2026.

Stevens, the younger brother of former OU pitcher Grant Stevens, had six multi-hit games last season and made 28 starts. He had just 116 plate appearances, too, so there remains a need for consistent hacks, though he’ll have to earn his role in Norman. Still, his numbers at MSU shouldn’t be soft-pedaled.

Power is not at the top of the scouting report, but the lefty has shown some pull-side pop and could slug double-digit homers across a full season of at-bats. It remains to be seen how big of a role he’ll have for the Sooners, but there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll succeed under Skip Johnson and Co.

INF Ethan Surowiec (Ole Miss to Florida)

2025 stats: 11 G, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, .375/.524/.750

No bat bumped their stock higher than Surowiec this summer. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder comes to Gainesville after bludgeoning baseballs for the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League.

Manning third base regularly, he hit .383 and compiled a 1.252 OPS in 52 games, motoring his way to MVP honors. Surowiec thumped 17 home runs and drove in 68 runs, both of which led the league. He also roped 23 doubles, three triples and even swiped 15 bases. Scouts got to watch him showcase a palatial swing, one that should have Florida fans frothing at the mouth this spring.

Had Surowiec not tyrannized NWL pitching this summer, he’d bring just 11 games as a freshman for Ole Miss last season to the table. The Gulfport, Miss. native was a top-100 prospect, but didn’t fit into the Rebels’ 2025 plans much. He snagged three starts at DH and had minimal time at first base.

UF turned around a wretched start to SEC play last season and found a way to make another regional, finishing 2025 with 39 wins. Kevin O’Sullivan has some holes to fill, and Surowiec is a banner name from a semi-light, yet compelling portal haul.

RHP Nate Taylor (Georgia to Vanderbilt)

2025 stats: 9 G (0 S), 8.1 IP, 1.08 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 2 BB, 17 K

Behind a dynamic arsenal and a great deal of puffery entering his freshman season at Georgia, Taylor looked like an arm that could play a big role for a pitching staff that consistently dug itself into holes early in games. He never quite got that opportunity, making just nine appearances for the Bulldogs in 2025.

Taylor gave up just three hits and issued only two walks in the limited action. This summer, he went to the Cape and made four appearances for the Chatham Anglers. Across 15.1 innings, he struck out 22, walked four and allowed five earned. That included a perfect four-inning debut against Wareham, where he struck out 10.

Buoyed by a mid-90s heater and trustworthy changeup, the 6-foot-2 righty also brings a slurve-ish offering to the table and will chalk up plenty of whiffs in what should be a larger role for Tim Corbin and Vandy. The Commodores brought in just two pitchers via the portal.

DH Jase Woita (South Carolina to Missouri)

2025 stats: 45 G, 5 2B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 17 BB, 27 K, .300/.394/.508

After playing two seasons at Kansas City Kansas CC, Woita made the move to Columbia and made 31 starts for South Carolina in 2025. Checking in at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, the lefty has an imposing presence in the box and brings some thump to the table.

He belted 23 home runs across two seasons at the JUCO level before notching six a season ago for the Gamecocks. In 2025, Mizzou easily finished last in the SEC in homers (53), among other hitting statistics. Woita is one that’s been brought in to remedy some of those woes, as he isn’t likely to impact the game much with his glove.

Slumps can be contagious at the plate, and the Tigers have greatly suffered in the past from taking beatings on end. If Woita brings some much-needed pop from one Columbia to the other, and builds on some of the other facets of his game, then we could see him become a stalwart for Kerrick Jackson.