Top quarterback transfers playing musical chairs in search of next destinations

There’s no more valuable position each year when the NCAA Transfer Portal opens than the quarterback spot.

Players who were previously part-time starters — or even backups — at Power 4 programs can command half a million dollars in NIL compensation. Starters, even ones who weren’t stars, can command more than $1 million per year depending on their destination. With a shortage of great quarterbacks expected to return to college football next season, teams from the top of the sport to the bottom are hunting for starters and even depth pieces.

And it had led to an interesting phenomenon of trading places. One coach’s disposables are another’s lifeline, or something like that.

Florida State’s early moves set off a chain reaction

The ‘Noles pulled off what was thought to be a massive victory last December when it signed On3 five-star Luke Kromenhoek. The Georgia native was expected to learn for a year behind DJ Uiagalelei before taking the reigns. We know the ending to that story. After an up-and-down freshman season for Kromenhoek, the Seminoles scoured the market for an experience dual-threat quarterback to run in new offensive coordinator Gus Malzah’s system.

They landed on a fellow ACC member’s former signal-caller in Boston College transfer Thomas Castellanos. A day before that, with lots of chatter about FSU landing Castellanos, Kromenhoek entered the portal. The Eagles, meanwhile, dipped into Alabama’s quarterback room to land Dylan Lonergan, who had been recruited to Tuscaloosa by former Tide offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who now leads the program in Chestnut Hill.

The Tide don’t seem to be in the market for a quarterback this cycle, with former five-star Ty Simpson and Washington transfer Austin Mack battling it out with Five-Star Plus+ signee Keelon Russell if Jalen Milroe doesn’t come back.

Auburn appears to be pulling double-duty to cover for Alabama’s decision to stay put. The Tigers beat out Mississippi State for former five-star Jackson Arnold, who was considered somewhat of a foregone conclusion to end up in Starkville. So instead, the Bulldogs landed Kromenhoek. Hugh Freeze and Co. saw two of their own pack their bags, as backup Hank Brown and 2024 signee Walker White both chose to hit the portal as the Tigers looked for what they believed to be better options.

They considered Duke transfer Maalik Murphy, who himself was quickly replaced by Tulane transfer Darian Mensah in the Blue Devils’ lineup. Murphy visited Auburn but for one reason or another didn’t end up on The Plains. (He still remains available and is reportedly visiting Oregon State this week).

With two going out the door, Freeze wants two more in, and the Tigers are considered the heavy favorite for Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, who would join Arnold and five-star 2025 signee Deuce Knight in the QB room.

In a funny twist of fate, former Auburn quarterback TJ Finley — also of LSU, Texas State and Western Kentucky roots — will be replacing Mensah at Tulane … who is replacing Murphy at Duke.

And after losing starter Dillon Gabriel to Oregon last year in the portal and Jackson Arnold after this past season, Oklahoma will have its fourth new starting quarterback in three seasons with Washington State transfer John Mateer, who committed to the Sooners on Wednesday night.

LSU finds its next guy … for now

Across the SEC, LSU was in need of an another arm after the departure of 2023 signee Rickie Collins. So they took a sip out of Mississippi State’s well with true freshman starter Michael Van Buren, who entered the portal when the Bulldogs began pursuing Arnold. Van Buren will likely back up starter Garrett Nussmeier this season before competing for the starting job in 2026. That was expected to be covered by 2025 No. 1 overall quarterback Bryce Underwood, who was a longtime Tigers commit before flipping to Michigan in November.

The Wolverines, meanwhile, are in the market for a bridge quarterback in case Underwood isn’t ready to go Day 1, and were predicted early on to land Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr.

But after the injured Tyler Van Dyke left Wisconsin and opted to enter the portal himself, the Badgers made Edwards their top priority and landed him. In an attempt to build depth, they also poached San Diego State true freshman starter Danny O’Neil, a one-time Colorado commit. (We’ll get back to them in a minute.)

In the ACC, Virginia saw starter Anthony Colandrea leave and replaced him with not one, but two quarterbacks: North Texas-ex Chandler Morris and Nebraska transfer Daniel Kaelin, who was the Huskers’ lone 2024 signee until they pulled Dylan Raiola from Georgia.

The Eagles moved quickly to grab Miami transfer Reese Poffenbarger, who will be on his third school in three years when he arrives to Denton.

Oklahoma, Miami, Missouri among those still looking for QBs

Spots are being reserved quickly, as can be seen above. 20 Power 4 commitments have already taken place in the first 10 days of the portal. And while more players are sure to enter as teams get knocked out of the College Football Playoff, picking are getting slim.

However, three of the top five QBs in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Ranking are still available for now. But they won’t be cheap seats to buy. Oklahoma is considered the odds-on favorite for Washington State star transfer John Mateer, while Miami tries to keep the door open to find a replacement for Heisman finalist Cam Ward.

The Hurricanes have yet to make a strong push for Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, a Miami native who is considered to have extremely high upside. Maybe that changes if Mateer locks in with the Sooners. Missouri has its eyes on Mendoza and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who visited Columbia on Tuesday but is also reportedly visiting Iowa and UCF, per On3’s Pete Nakos.

The Hawkeyes have already landed Auburn transfer Hank Brown, but who doesn’t need QB talent more than Kirk Ferentz right now? Walker White, the aforementioned Auburn transfer, is predicted to land at Baylor, where he’d replace Dequan Finn, who is a Michigan target as a bridge to Underwood. Some thought he could be an option for Colorado to transition the Buffaloes to the Julian Lewis era, but instead that job will belong to Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter.

Ohio State portal entrants Devin Brown and Air Noland will be intriguing to follow, with the latter having all four years of eligibility remaining. Could he follow former Buckeye Kyle McCord‘s to Syracuse? Right now, it looks like Rickie Collins will be the Orange’s next signal-caller. Brown, a former five-star, will likely have to step down into the G5 level for his starting chance.

And what about Malachi Nelson? The former five-star and USC/Boise State transfer will be looking to resurrect his career once more. He’ll be another interesting name as well as the portal spins and the music eventually stops. At least until the spring transfer windows opens in a few months.