The transfer portal has indeed been a game-changer for college football. One of the most critical positions on any team’s offense is the quarterback, and this offseason, we witnessed a significant number of quarterbacks enter the transfer portal and find new homes. With that in mind, I’m going to share my top five quarterbacks who have transferred to new schools this season.
Honorable Mentions
Kyle McCord (Ohio State to Syracuse)
Brock Vandagriff (Georgia to Kentucky)
Maalik Murphy (Texas to Duke)
Dante Moore (UCLA to Oregon)
Riley Leonard (Duke to Notre Dame)
5.) Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina to NC State)
The former three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year transfers to NC State, which is the best-case scenario for the Wolfpack. McCall has thrown for 10,005 passing yards in his career, with an impressive 88 to 14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has completed just under 70 percent of his passes and has a 33-7 record in 40 career starts.
This was a smart move for McCall as he prepares to enter the NFL Draft next season. Playing for NC State demonstrates that he is capable of competing at a higher level, which will only boost his draft stock. The Wolfpack gain a proven winner at the quarterback position, giving them a strong chance to compete for the ACC title. With a solid defense and McCall leading the offense, they are going to be a tough team to beat this season.
4.) Malachi Nelson (USC to Boise State)
A fresh start for Malachi Nelson was just what he needed and he went to the best place for him. Nelson was a former five star recruit that was hampered by injury last season. He was suppose to learn while being behind Caleb Williams, but Miller Moss ended up starting in the bowl game and looked to be the Trojans starter moving forward. Nelson now moves to Boise State which is a less pressure situation for him.
He is just what Boise State needs to unlock their offense in 2024. Malachi Nelson has talent and with the talented group surrounding him, the Broncos are going to be a threat to make the College Football Playoff in 2024 despite Nelson not having success at the collegiate level just yet.
Update on the Boise State QB competition:
3.) Cam Ward (Washington State to Miami)
Cam Ward was one of the most electrifying athletes at the quarterback position in the transfer portal. He was a two-year starter at Washington State, where he threw for 6,968 passing yards and posted a 48 to 16 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Ward has a 13-13 record as a starter, but without him, the Washington State offense wouldn’t have been nearly as effective over the last two seasons.
Ward’s move to Miami is a big boost for head coach Mario Cristobal. With a talented group of wide receivers, Ward has the potential to put up career-high numbers in this Hurricanes offense. Expect Cam Ward to make a significant impact for a Miami team that is eager to get back to competing for conference titles.
2.) Will Howard (Kansas State to Ohio State)
Ohio State was looking for someone to elevate their offense to the next level. Enter Will Howard at quarterback, and suddenly this offense will be tough to stop. In his career, Howard has thrown for 5,786 passing yards, with 48 passing touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He also adds 921 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns to his resume.
Howard is a game manager who can control the game from start to finish, exactly what the Buckeyes need. In his last 17 games as a starter, he has a 12-5 record. We saw him split time in his first three seasons at Kansas State, but once he became the full-time starter, the Wildcats improved significantly. Ohio State needed a veteran quarterback like Howard, and he was the best-case scenario for them.
1.) Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma to Oregon)
By far the best quarterback to enter the transfer portal was Dillon Gabriel. Now heading to his third team, Gabriel is aiming to play in the College Football Playoff for the first time. Over his career, Gabriel has thrown for 14,865 passing yards, along with 125 passing touchdowns and 26 interceptions. Whenever he’s played ten or more games in a season, Gabriel has thrown for at least 3,000 passing yards.
He has a 33-16 record in his career and completes 63.1 percent of his passes. Last year, Gabriel put up career numbers for Oklahoma. Now in Eugene, with the weapons he has around him, he should be able to surpass 4,000 passing yards this season. Expect Gabriel to be in Heisman contention all season long—he’ll be the best overall quarterback to come out of the transfer portal.
