9 Position Player Transfers Making an Early Impact in the SEC

The 2026 college baseball season is now two weekends old, and while it’s still too early to fairly label teams as good, bad or something in-between, opinions are being formed.

Of the top 100 players to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal last offseason per 64Analytics, 57 landed in the SEC. Plenty of diamonds in the rough were found, too. New faces are making impressions throughout all 16 programs.

We’ve seen a slew of teams lean on some of their new weapons in the outfield, while a couple of first basemen and a catcher have gotten right to business. Here’s nine position players that have wasted no time making their presence felt in their new digs.

CF Aiden Robbins — Texas

Stats (7 G): .357/.529/.846, 10 H (3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR), 9 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 2 SB

Expectations for Aiden Robbins were through the roof entering this season. He was a Just Baseball Preseason Third Team All-American and Preseason All-SEC selection. There was still a level of unknown with the Seton Hall transfer, though.

He slashed .422/.537/.652 for the Pirates last season, but how would he handle the transition to the next level? Through seven games…so far so good.

Coated in eye black with a big leg kick, big swing and even bigger personality, Robbins already feels like the heart of this Longhorns team. He’s already propelling them to wins, too.

In Texas’ 3-1 win over Michigan State on Saturday, the junior hit for the first cycle in program history since April 19, 2015, when C.J Hinojosa accomplished the feat. Early in that game, Robbins also made his best play of his short career in burnt orange.

While he showed he can do it, Robbins doesn’t have to be a one-man army in Austin, because he’s surrounded by one of the best lineups in college baseball. He’s hit third every game, sandwiched between shortstop Adrian Rodriguez and catcher Carson Tinney — another one of head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s major additions via the portal.

What’s really stood out about Robbins is his passion. He clearly loves the stage and it’s safe to assume that he’ll be chomping at the bit to play elite competition in the SEC. Texas has a firecracker roaming center at Disch-Falk Field.

1B Zach Yorke — LSU

Stats (8 G): .360/.514/.720, 9 H (3 HR), 7 RBI, 8 BB, 6 K

Just Baseball has written plenty about Zach Yorke and what he’s bringing to the table in Baton Rouge, so it’s no surprise to see he’s already making a major impact for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder is roasting the ball when he gets ahold of it and has already drawn eight walks. Yorke has hit cleanup or fifth every game for LSU (8-0) thus far.

He helped the Tigers break through against Indiana at the Jax Classic on Friday with a walloped three-run homer to deep right-center field. The ball just soars off his bat.

I’ll remind everyone that Yorke is not a three-outcome hitter, either. He kept a sub-14 percent strikeout rate in each of his three seasons with Grand Canyon and his career high for homers is 13. Yorke also moves really well for an athlete his size and already has one of, if not the best fanbase in college baseball behind him.

He’s one of a few transfers making waves early for the Tigers alongside a host of marquee returnees. LSU is averaging over 12 runs per game and looks worthy of holding the No. 1 ranking heading into week three of the season.

C Deiten Lachance — Oklahoma

Stats (6 G): .429/.600/.619, 9 H (4 2B), 10 RBI, 8 BB, 3 K

Heading into the season, Oklahoma (7-0) head coach Skip Johnson made it very clear that he was high on his new catching duo of Deiten Lachance and Brendan Brock, both of whom transferred from the junior college ranks.

But when the Sooners unveiled their first starting lineup of the season on February 13 and it was Lachance that was batting third, it still came as a bit of a surprise. Two weeks in, it’s easy to understand why Johnson and Co. are so high on the former McLennon CC star.

Not only has Lachance gotten a hit in all six games he’s played in, he’s also drawn a walk every game. The 6-foot-5 junior out of Quebec has four doubles and has generated plenty of hard contact. In OU’s first four games, Lachance’s average exit velocity sat over 97 mph and cleared 100 mph five times.

He’s also played tremendous defense early on. He had five assists in the Sooners’ 3-0 weekend against Big 12 competition at Globe Life Field to open the year.

Oklahoma has scored at least 10 runs in each of its first seven games for the first time in program history. After demolishing Coppin State three times over the weekend, it has now outscored opponents 99-13.

Brock (.400/.556/.700), to his credit, has also been terrific at the plate. He and Lachance are playing big roles in the Sooners’ surprising onslaught to start the year.

LF Henry Allen — Georgia

Stats (5 G): .500/.619/1.250, 8 H (3 2B, 3 HR), 12 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K

Georgia (6-1) head coach Wes Johnson has made it clear through the first two weekends of the season that he’ll be toying with lineups and giving every piece of his top-ranked transfer portal class a chance to earn their keep.

Henry Allen didn’t start in UGA’s first two games of the season, but he’s going to be awfully hard to take out of the lineup now that he’s had a chance to show what he’s made of.

The Northwest Florida State College transfer was turning heads in Athens upon his arrival and it’s easy to see why. In five games, Allen has done nothing but eradicate baseballs. He’s got an extra-base hit in every game and went yard twice in UGA’s dominant sweep of Samford over the weekend.

It looks easy for the 6-foot-4 sophomore. He may benefit from playing at Foley Field, but with the way he uncoils, it frankly doesn’t matter how far back the wall is. Allen can spray the ball all over the field.

He spent the 2024 fall at Mississippi State before going to NWFSC and slugging 13 homers while driving in 52 runs last year. Upon transferring to UGA, it looked like Allen was going to try and battle for time somewhere on the infield. Instead, he’s settling in at left field.

With the way he’s swinging it, he’ll be a fixture in the middle of the order regardless of where he’s playing.

RF Tristan Bissetta — Ole Miss

Stats (8 G): .520/.586/.960, 13 H (2 2B, 3 HR), 14 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 SB

Tristan Bissetta appeared in 87 games and made 58 starts over the course of the three seasons at Clemson, but his introductory eight-game spurt at Ole Miss (8-0) is as good as he’s looked at the college level.

He’s already notched six multi-hit games and leads the Rebels in RBI. Bissetta was moved up to third in the order in Ole Miss’ final two games against Missouri State over the weekend.

In a midweek win over Jackson State last week, the senior blasted two home runs in the same inning, the latter of which was a laser that left the bat at 108 mph.

He’s done a bulk of his damage to the pull side, but he’s also shown power to the opposite field and is crushing off-speed. Even more encouraging than his five extra-base hits is his five strikeouts. Last season for Clemson, he struck out 29 percent of the time.

After battling injury last year, he looks to be enjoying a clean bill of health and the change of scenery. If Bissetta is able to keep his scorching start going, then he adds even more thunder to an Ole Miss lineup that’s already full of pop.

LF Blaine Brown — Tennessee

Stats (7 G): .310/.344/.690, 9 H (2 2B, 3 HR), 7 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K

Scouts are salivating over what they’ve seen from Rice transfer Blaine Brown through two weeks at Tennessee (5-2). The sophomore went hitless over the weekend as the Vols dropped two of three at home to Kent State, but his debut on opening weekend was loud enough to keep him on this list.

In three games against Nicholls, he racked up eight hits, including three no-doubt homers, the first of which was 111 mph off the bat. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame is impressive and he hits everything flat-out hard.

Brown is also an intriguing left-handed pitcher. He made his debut on the mound in the midweek vs. UNC Asheville and threw a flawless inning, striking out three batters while flashing a fastball sitting in the mid-90s.

It’s unclear what kind of role he’ll eventually play on the bump for the Vols, but we know Brown will be one of new head coach Josh Elander’s most important players this season. He and coveted Virginia transfer Henry Ford (.379/.455/.793) are leading the way thus far.

CF Jayce Tharnish — Kentucky

Stats (7 G): .321/.406/.536, 9 H (1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR), 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 6 SB

With the absence of star shortstop Tyler Bell looming large, Kentucky (5-2) needs an uptick in offense from some of its other regulars. So far, Jayce Tharnish has delivered.

The junior St. Bonaventure transfer has played center field and hit second for the Wildcats in all seven games this season. Over the weekend at Evansville, Tharnish had five hits and got on base seven times. In UK’s 9-2 win on Friday, he jumped all over a fastball in his first at-bat and sent a laser over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season.

On opening weekend at UNC Greensboro, Tharnish was a primary culprit in the Cats’ barrage of 22 stolen bases, swiping five bags. He stole 32 bases and was caught stealing just once for the Bonnies last season.

Tharnish hit .403 and had a 1.058 OPS last year, dominating the Atlantic 10 and earning Second Team All-Conference honors. While a majority of Kentucky’s games haven’t been televised thus far, it’s clear that he’ll be a key cog in a lineup full of table-setters.

RF Logan Johnstone — Vanderbilt

Stats (8 G): .375/.595/.833, 9 H (2 2B, 3 HR), 10 RBI, 12 BB, 4 K

It didn’t take long for Vanderbilt (6-2) head coach Tim Corbin to move Logan Johnstone to the top of the order. The Washington State transfer has now batted leadoff in each of the last five games after spending opening weekend in the eight or nine hole.

Johnstone has walked in seven of eight games and all three of his home runs have been torched. He’s showcased quick hands and the ability to get on base, which makes it much harder to pitch around star third baseman Brodie Johnston.

Vandy’s power kick didn’t let up through the weekend as it now has 22 total homers after sweeping Marist in convincing fashion. Johnstone is one of five Commodores that’s already hit three or more.

Last season in Pullman, he hit nine homers, drove in 40 runs and walked 30 times. A career year looks to be on tap for the grad transfer out of Los Gatos, California.

1B Jase Woita — Missouri

Stats (6 G): .385/.484/.615, 10 H (2 HR), 11 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K

Anyone wishing success for Mizzou (5-2) likely let out an audible groan after it dropped its season-opener to Mount St. Mary’s. The Tigers have responded well since and South Carolina transfer Jase Woita has been one of the best bats in the lineup early on.

The grad transfer, who originally began his career at Kansas City Kansas CC, brings a welcomed veteran presence to the Tigers. He’s made three starts at first base, three as the designated hitter and has gotten on base in all but one game.

He was in on the fun during Mizzou’s incredible 34-3 series-clinching win over Mount St. Mary’s, going 4-7 with a homer and eight RBI. He then went deep again the following game at Florida Atlantic.

Woita has notched three multi-hit games and will continue to feature in the top half of the Tigers’ lineup. In 45 games (31 starts) for South Carolina last season, he had 12 extra-base hits and drove in 20 runs. Those numbers will likely be surpassed this spring.