Roundtable on the NCAA football transfer portal: quarterbacks moving, OU, Ohio State leaving, and more
Roundtable on the NCAA football transfer portal: quarterbacks moving, OU, Ohio State leaving, and more
The first day of the college football transfer period was extremely hectic. Over one thousand players have made use of the transfer facility.
A number of well-known teams saw notable exits. The starting quarterbacks for the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oklahoma Sooners made the decision to depart.Double digit players decided to transfer from four Power 5 schools: Cincinnati, NC State, Purdue, and Vanderbilt.
And that’s just since Monday at midnight when the portal opened.
Which move surprised you the most? The quarterbacks might suit in best where? Our analysts on college football comment:
Which Monday move caught you off guard the most?
Tom VanHaaren: Dillon, the quarterback It was a curious move by Gabriel to enter the portal. He followed Jeff Lebby, the offensive coordinator at UCF, to Oklahoma. Lebby recently accepted a position as head coach at Mississippi State, but I believed Gabriel had a chance to complete his tenure at Oklahoma. Being a very prolific quarterback, he will probably have a lot of options, which may include returning to Mississippi State to follow Lebby or perhaps Florida State. Though it was not shocking, it would have been prudent to remain where you were given the limited eligibility remaining.
David Hale No surprises exist in the portal era, and it’s difficult to criticize someone for gauging their worth in the market. In contrast, the 2023 cycle didn’t have too many winners if the 2022 transfer class—which had players like Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., and Caleb Williams—set the standard for success in a new home.DJ Uiagalelei, who returned to the portal following the previous season, had the highest Total QBR of all the players who transferred.
Several of the top names from the previous round, including Tanner Mordecai, Devon Leary, Jeff Sims, Phil Jurkovec, Sam Hartman, Brendan Armstrong, and Payton Thorne, were somewhere in the middle of being a bust and a mediocre business. Thus, although I’m not astonished that anyone jumped through the portal, I’m a little taken aback that more well-known figures didn’t realize that the grass isn’t always greener after seeing the 2023 outcomes.
Which QB fit would be a good fit?
VanHaaren: Florida State might be a fantastic fit for Cameron Ward. Jordan Travis is leaving, therefore the Seminoles will require a new quarterback. With 3,735 passing yards this season, Ward ranked No. 18 among all FBS quarterbacks in passing touchdowns (25), and he also scored eight touchdowns on the ground for Washington State. He has already achieved enormous success, and he would support Florida State in continuing its current championship-winning trajectory. Travis’s leg injury forced FSU backups Tate Rodemaker and Brock Glenn to play in the final two games of the season. Although head coach Mike Norvell would prefer to keep developing quarterbacks in the system, this may be a fantastic fit for Ward if he is interested.
Paolo Uggetti: It’s noteworthy that a former Lincoln Riley commit has just accessed the site as USC looks for a possible Caleb Williams replacement. Brock Vandagriff of Georgia had previously committed to play under Riley at Oklahoma. Although a lot has happened since then, Riley and Vandagriff might be getting back together in some capacity. Riley and USC might be the ideal combination to help Vandagriff, a former four-star prospect with a ton of promise, revive his collegiate career. Vandagriff completed only 21 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in his three years at Georgia.
Who is a quiet transfer that might have a significant effect?
VanHaaren: Among the several Ivy League transfers that have occurred this summer, Harvard defensive tackle Thor Griffith has been most notable. This season, the 320-pound, 6-foot-2 lineman recorded 55 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He is a senior with a ton of productivity and experience, and in addition to UCLA, Michigan State, Oregon State, Cal, and Minnesota, he has already begun to receive offers from a few more schools. When it comes to his transfer process, Griffith has a lot going for him. Disruptive interior defensive linemen are crucial.
Chris Low: Close callDuring a 3-9 season, Justin Joly led UConn with 56 receptions and 578 receiving yards, making him one of the Huskies’ bright spots. The 6-3, 232-pound junior, who has two years left of eligibility, announced on social media on Monday morning that Tennessee had made him an offer shortly after he had formally registered on the portal. This season, the Vols got a close-up look at Joly. In November, he hauled in eight catches for 89 yards against UConn’s 59-3 defeat to Tennessee.
Dave Wilson In terms of evaluation records alone, Brendan Sorsby of Indiana would be worth keeping an eye on. Why? Because at this same time two years prior, two of Tom Allen’s quarterback prospects—Josh Hoover and Michael Penix Jr.—went on to pursue other opportunities. Penix went on to establish himself as a star at Washington, where he helped the Huskies secure a No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, while Hoover abandoned his Indiana commitment to play for TCU and was thrust into the starting lineup this season as a redshirt freshman, recording five 300-yard games following Chandler Morris’s injury.
A few years prior, Peyton Ramsey, a previous starter for Allen who was benched by Penix, transferred to Northwestern, where he was named to the Big Ten third team and the 2021 Citrus Bowl MVP.
In 2024, the quarterbacking hierarchy of the ACC will be significantly altered. In addition to losing its two best quarterbacks for 2023 (Jordan Travis and Drake Maye), the league will also be without Riley Leonard and Tyler Van Dyke. Perhaps the biggest returner for the following season will be Haynes King of Georgia Tech. In an attempt to replace Maye, UNC has already added Max Johnson, a former starter for LSU and Texas A&M.
Both Florida State and Louisville would be attractive destinations for a quarterback, but they also have younger players that they hope to see progress. In the later parts of the season, NC State also displayed glimpses of its offensive ability; the Wolfpack will be considering their options with the departure of MJ Morris. The only other colleges that don’t appear to be looking for a new starting quarterback are Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Boston College, and Clemson. Some of these schools may even be looking for another veteran to back up their younger quarterbacks.– Hale
