The college football transfer portal opens Jan. 2. Here's 10 elite programs in search of a quarterback and who might be their best options.
The opening of the college football transfer portal will trigger a game of musical chairs at quarterback guaranteed to impact next year’s race for the national championship.
As evidence, just look at this year’s College Football Playoff, where over half the teams in the field started a transfer under center - Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Miami and Tulane.
One team that could influence how things unfold is Oregon, which is waiting on Dante Moore’s NFL draft decision. If he leaves, the Ducks will be near the top of the list for every high-profile transfer, potentially shaping plans for other contenders searching for a new starter.
As the portal heats up, let’s connect 10 Power Four programs with the best possible transfer fit:
Miami
Should Moore return, Miami’s recent success with Cam Ward and Carson Beck will make Coral Gables the most desirable destination for this year’s transfer class. One strong match is former Arizona State starter Sam Leavitt, who burst onto the national scene in 2024 but struggled through an injury-marred redshirt sophomore year. After a pair of one-year rentals, Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes could be enticed by the chance to secure someone who could be a multiple-season solution.
Texas Tech
Texas Tech is waiting on Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, a native Texan who has starting experience, Big 12 experience and a dual-threat skill set that fits nicely in the Red Raiders’ scheme with Behren Morton moving on. Sorsby, however, could choose to forego his final season for the NFL if he receives a strong draft grade.
Indiana
Look for Curt Cignetti’s search for Fernando Mendoza’s replacement to land on TCU transfer Josh Hoover, who blossomed over two-plus years as the starter in Sonny Dykes’ scheme. While he’ll need to trim his turnovers, the rising senior has the makeup to help maintain the Hoosiers’ evolution into a Power Four powerhouse. As a high school recruit, Hoover was verbally committed to Indiana before flipping to the Horned Frogs.
Penn State
Drew Allar has exhausted his eligibility and replacement Ethan Grunkemeyer has an uncertain future. This one isn’t complicated: New coach Matt Campbell should be reunited with rising senior Rocco Becht, who started 39 games for Campbell at Iowa State and would ease his transition to the Big Ten.
LSU
Portal options might be tripping over themselves to get to the front of the line to play for Lane Kiffin at LSU. One is DJ Lagway, who oozes talent but never put things together in his two years at Florida. But Kiffin and the Tigers are likely waiting on a possible eligibility waiver for current Ole Miss starter Trinidad Chambliss, who has petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year. If he’s successful, Baton Rouge would be the obvious fit.
Florida
With Lagway gone and new coach Jon Sumrall in, the Gators could be in the market for multiple transfers to add to what is currently a thin quarterback room. One immediate connection is with Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo, who impressed in eight appearances over the past two years under new Florida coordinator Buster Faulkner. In his one start in 2025, Philo completed 21 of 28 passes for 373 yards against Gardner-Webb.
Auburn
Like Penn State, Auburn likely won’t look far for its new quarterback. As a first-year starter in 2025 under new coach Alex Golesh at South Florida, Byrum Brown threw for 3,158 yards, ran for 1,008 yards, had 42 combined touchdowns and might’ve been the nation’s most unheralded player. Landing Brown would really help speed up Golesh’s rebuilding project.
Clemson
Clemson could ignore the portal and roll with rising junior Christopher Vizzina, who threw for 406 yards in an uneven 2025 season as the primary backup, or redshirt freshman Chris Denson. But the Tigers really have to increase their options in what might be a make-or-break year. They should be in the mix for Sorsby, Lagway and others. One transfer who could bring some valuable athleticism to the competition is former Old Dominion starter Colton Joseph, who joined Brown as the only quarterbacks to throw for at least 2,000 yards and run for another 1,000 this season.
Tennessee
The idea of handing the keys to redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or incoming freshman Faizon Brandon should demand the addition of at least one experienced passer. Should the Volunteers be looking for a one-year rental before handing the keys to MacIntyre or Brandon in 2027, one option who checks the boxes is James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett III, a rising senior with the legs to bring an interesting new dimension to Josh Heupel’s offense.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers will be looking for an offensive reboot built around a more athletic option. Rising sophomore TJ Lateef replaced an injured Dylan Raiola in early November and helped land the team in the Las Vegas Bowl, though he played poorly after an impressive debut against UCLA. One player who matches what Matt Rhule is looking for is Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, a rising junior who pushed for the starting role this past summer and has looked very good in his limited opportunities.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 college football teams needing QBs in transfer portal
Category: General Sports
