Transfer portal: Will Howard of Ohio State and Cameron Ward of Miami are two of the quarterbacks most likely to succeed in 2024

In college football, the transfer portal has become a way of life. Programs that take it on board do better than those that don’t. More quarterbacks than any other position have accessed the portal with success. In light of this, the top 10 transfer quarterbacks who have the best chance of succeeding in 2024 are listed below. Many variables, including the intensity of the schedule, the depth of the conference, the experience, and the offensive weapons surrounding them, were taken into account in this research.

After two seasons, LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels left Arizona State to win the Heisman Trophy. Bo Nix of Oregon and Michael Penix Jr. of Washington had two outstanding two-year streaks. Caleb Williams of USC won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, one year after moving out of Oklahoma. In September of this year, Shedeur Sanders rose to prominence in the sport prior to Colorado’s decline. Quinn Ewers of Texas also solidified his place among the faces of college football going into the upcoming campaign.

Not every quarterback trade-in goes smoothly. Spencer Sanders joined a crowded Ole Miss quarterback room that included Walker Howard and Jaxson Dart after leaving a starting position at Oklahoma State. He was essentially idle throughout his last year of eligibility, observing from the sidelines. After moving to Alabama from Notre Dame, Tyler Buchner was unable to unseat Jalen Milroe for the starting position.

These are the ten transfer quarterbacks that have the best chance of succeeding in 2024 as spring football practice gets underway.

10. BROCK VANDAGRIFF, KENTUCKY

Following his loss to Carson Beck in Georgia’s 2023 quarterback competition, Brock Vandagriff is preparing for an intra-conference move and could make his way into the starting lineup at Kentucky. In recent years, the Wildcats have had two excellent signal-callers in Devin Leary and Will Levis. Vandagriff’s offensive is now in the lead. He’ll aim for success in 2024 in what is expected to be a competitive SEC. The following season, Kentucky will play in conferences with South Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, and Texas.d

9. AIDAN CHILES, MICHIGAN STATE

Aidan Chiles the quarterback who was ranked first in the 2024 portal cycle, moved to East Lansing with his head coach after leaving Oregon State, and is expected to start for the Spartans going forward. In his restricted true freshman season, the young dual-threat signal-caller—who was a fast riser in the 2023 recruiting class—made an immediate impression at Oregon State, completing 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and recording a perfect 4-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In addition, he ran 17 times for 79 yards and three more touchdowns.

Despite having such great talent, he might experience growing pains as a first-year starter in the Big Ten.

the quarterback who was ranked first in the 2024 portal cycle, moved to East Lansing with his head coach after leaving Oregon State, and is expected to start for the Spartans going forward. In his restricted true freshman season, the young dual-threat signal-caller—who was a fast riser in the 2023 recruiting class—made an immediate impression at Oregon State, completing 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and recording a perfect 4-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In addition, he ran 17 times for 79 yards and three more touchdowns.

Despite having such great talent, he might experience growing pains as a first-year starter in the Big Ten.

8. DJ UIAGALELEI, FLORIDA STATE

DJ Uiagalelei returned to the ACC after attending Florida State to further his skills. Before moving to Oregon State, where he thrived in a pro-style offense, he started his career at Clemson.

It was clear how far he had come. During his final season at Clemson, he threw 10 more interceptions than touchdowns (9 total). He passed for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in one season at Oregon State.

In a 2020 recruiting class that featured Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, Uiagalelei was ranked second overall and was ready to live up to his hype as a true freshman at Clemson. In two starts, he combined for 781 yards passing while filling in for Trevor Lawrence as Clemson made a run for the 2020 College Football Playoffs.

7. DEQUAN FINN, BAYLOR

Experience counts, and Finn’s may make a difference at Baylor. One thing that can spur Dequan Finn on is his desire to prove he belongs at the top of the FBS, while other transfer quarterbacks will play with the weight of enormous expectations on their shoulders. Regardless of how things work out for Baylor, Finn might be in for a memorable campaign.

Finn, the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, is coming off of a very successful redshirt junior campaign. He finished with 2,657 yards via the air and 563 yards on the run, good for seven touchdowns on the ground and 22 throwing. Finn demonstrated exceptional versatility by recording a season-high 407 passing yards against Eastern Michigan on November 8 and a career-high 172 rushing yards at UMass one month earlier.

6. RILEY LEONARD, NOTRE DAME

Riley Leonard of Duke, who committed to the Fighting Irish almost away after opening the portal, was the first significant quarterback domino to fall in transfer season. Leonard, one of the top signal-callers available in 2024, overcame an injury this season, has 24 touchdown passes in his career, and his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame makes him a perfect match schematically for Notre Dame’s attack. After acquiring skilled Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman in January of last year, Notre Dame has used the gateway for its new quarterback for the second straight season.

5. WILL HOWARD, OHIO STATE

If Will Howard can lead the Buckeyes to victory over Michigan, who boasts a three-game winning run over its fierce foe, he will be celebrated for years to come in Columbus. Howard gave Ohio State the extra depth at the position, which was required. Can he now steer the program toward success is the question. His ability to be a dual threat makes him an especially fascinating fit in an offense with a lot of stars.

After Adrian Martinez had an injury that prevented him from starting, Howard rose to prominence in college football in 2022 and helped Kansas State win the Big 12 championship. Howard completed the previous season with 2,643 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In addition, he ran for nine touchdowns and 351 yards. More than

4. DILLON GABRIEL, OREGON

The offseason for Oregon is going quite well. It has firepower on both sides of the ball going into 2024. With quarterback Dillon Gabriel taking over for Bo Nix in the upcoming campaign, the Ducks might be even more potent offensively. Gabriel’s targets will be Tez Johnson, Gary Bryant Jr., Evan Stewart, a transfer wide receiver from Texas A&M, and Traeshon Holden. Given that quarterback Dante Moore (UCLA) also transferred in, Gabriel is under pressure to produce, but Gabriel may profit from the saying “iron sharpens iron.” If Gabriel can effectively combine his running and passing skills, as Nix did the previous two seasons, Oregon will thrive. This ranking will decline with time if he and the Ducks can manage the Big Ten.

3. MAALIK MURPHY, DUKE

After showing patience, Maalik Murphy departed from Texas and will look to keep Duke afloat following Mike Elko’s departure for Texas A&M. Both moves made sense. Murphy did all he could for the Longhorns by serving as a backup quarterback and became an in-season bridge between Quinn Ewers‘ shoulder injury and eventual return. Now Murphy joins first-year head coach Manny Diaz, with whom he’s had a relationship since his prep days. The ACC could be up for grabs in 2024 and Duke might have enough around its new QB to compete for the crown.

2. MALACHI NELSON, BOISE STATE

Malachi Some were surprised when Nelson used the transfer portal before the Holiday Bowl. It made more sense after Miller Moss destroyed Louisville for six touchdowns. Since then, Nelson has committed to Boise State, and if he stays for a while, he might become a program legend. There is a route to the College Football Playoff for Mountain West and other Group of Five institutions, and if Nelson leads the Broncos to the 12-team competition, he may become a household name. He needs to first establish his worth following a rookie year with few reps. Although Nelson isn’t the cycle’s second-best quarterback, he does have a predictable future after playing for one of the top teams in the Mountain West.

1. CAMERON WARD, MIAMI

Aside from upside, Cameron Ward is possibly the finest quarterback available for the 2024 transfer portal cycle. Ward is far superior to Chiles and Moore in terms of experience and what he can offer right now, despite their rankings. Miami will gain from that since they now have a quarterback who is ready to perform on a major platform. At Washington State, Ward was surrounded with formidable weapons, especially in the receiver room. However, in a Pac-12 brimming with excellent defensive transfers, his offensive line faltered. At Miami, he’ll probably have better protection and the quality players need to succeed. A big season from Ward is anticipated.