Trinidad Chambliss’ success in making the jump from Division 2 football to the FBS level has coaches continuing to sift through the deep well of talent in the lower divisions of college football.

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Chambliss, who transferred from Ferris State to Ole Miss, was not the first lower-division player to move up and succeed in Division I. But he remains part of a relatively small group to make that leap and produce at a premium position.

Since 2021, the transfer portal has dramatically reshaped roster building across the sport. In the 2025-26 cycle alone, more than 10,500 college football players across all NCAA levels entered the portal, according to the NCAA, including the athletes below.

FloCollege was uniquely positioned to witness Chambliss’ rise. Here are seven more athletes headed from D2 to FBS who could make an impact.

TJ Chukwurah, WR

Black Hills State → North Texas

TJ Chukwurah started the season red hot for the Yellow Jackets, totaling 291 yards, 22 receptions, and six touchdowns through two games, including a 182-yard, three-touchdown effort against Grand Valley State. By the end of the season, Chukwurah led Division II in touchdown receptions with 16 and averaged 100 yards per game. He heads to a UNT team fresh off a 12-2 season and a bowl-game win.

Luke Dehnicke, TE

Minnesota Duluth → Northwestern

Luke Dehnicke was not on the national radar when he began his redshirt freshman season at Minnesota Duluth, but by the end of 2025, he was the most prolific Division II tight end in the country and had earned multiple first-team All-America honors. On the season, Dehnicke collected 61 receptions for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Braeden Fuller, QB 

Angelo State → Arkansas

Braeden Fuller’s 2025 season was marred by injury. After a fantastic 2024, he was only able to play in eight games for Angelo State. But the talent is there. In 2024, Fuller played 12 games, throwing for 2,318 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 678 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns with only two interceptions. He was also a Harlon Hill finalist that year.

Marcus Stokes, QB

West Florida → Memphis

Marcus Stokes was highly recruited out of high school and was a Florida commit at one point before the team withdrew his offer. Stokes eventually joined West Florida, and over his two seasons on the field there, he passed for 4,837 yards, added 505 rushing yards, and accounted for 57 total touchdowns. He capped off 2025 as a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist.

Carson Gulker, ATH

Ferris State → Michigan State

In some ways, Carson Gulker helped set the stage for Trinidad Chambliss. Both spent multiple seasons in the Ferris State system, and when Gulker totaled 24 touchdowns in 2023, he was expected to take the helm at quarterback. 

An injury forced him out early in the 2024 season, and Chambliss stepped in. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, Gulker has been used at quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver, and on gadget plays. He heads to Michigan State.

Leonard Farrow, RB

Fairmont State → Florida Atlantic

Leonard Farrow broke out at Fairmont State in 2025, rushing for 1,438 yards and 14 total touchdowns while averaging more than 130 yards per game. Farrow’s biggest moment came in the first game of the season, when the workhorse ran 25 times for 274 yards and two rushing touchdowns against Seton Hill while also catching a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Tyree Holloway, WR

West Florida → LSU

Tyree Holloway was one of Marcus Stokes’ favorite targets at West Florida. He was not the volume receiver Corey Scott was, but Holloway was the more explosive option, with 34 catches for 661 yards, eight touchdowns, and 19.4 yards per catch in 2025.

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