Transfer QBs will be front and centre this NCAA season

More than 3,400 FBS players entered the transfer portal during the winter and spring windows, including a collection of difference-making quarterbacks.

Last year, Cam Ward jumped to Miami and ended up being the top pick in April’s NFL Draft. Will Howard and Riley Leonard moved to Ohio State and Notre Dame, respectively, eventually meeting in January’s College Football Playoff National Championship. Transfers Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Canadian Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) both carried their teams in the inaugural 12-team playoff.

Here’s a look at some transfers who should be front and centre this season:

John Mateer, Oklahoma
2024 with Washington State: 3,139 passing yards, 64.6 per cent completion rate, 29 TD, 7 INT

If there’s a blueprint for transferring out of Washington State, Mateer won’t have to look any further than his predecessor. Last year, Ward moved from Wazzu to Miami, transformed the Hurricanes into a playoff contender – a near lock, for most of the season, before a final-week collapse in Syracuse – and, as mentioned, ended up going first overall in the NFL Draft.

Now, it’s Mateer moving to a bigger stage – the SEC, with an Oklahoma team that’s revamped and confident about competing in its second go-round in college football’s deepest conference.

Mateer was a breakout star a year ago, accounting for 44 total touchdowns (29 passing, 15 rushing) and nearly 4,000 total yards (3,139 passing, 826 rushing), endearing himself to fans in the Pacific Northwest – some of them, at least – in a Week 3 win over rival Washington in the Apple Cup.

At Oklahoma, Mateer will rejoin forces with his former Washington State offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, after having spurned Miami and a handful of other suitors. The Sooners also added former California running back Jaydyn Ott via the portal, giving them two of the most dynamic offensive weapons in this year’s transfer class – an enormous boost following a lost 2024 season where they finished just 2-6 in the SEC.

Carson Beck, Miami
2024 with Georgia: 3,485 passing yards, 64.7 per cent completion rate, 28 TD, 12 INT

Beck would also be happy to follow Ward’s blueprint, or any for that matter, if it means a change of fortune after his disastrous season with Georgia in 2024.

After entering the season as a Heisman favourite and potential first-overall pick, Beck’s year was a mess from start to finish, highlighted by a six-game stretch that included 12 interceptions and bookended by an elbow injury in the SEC Championship.

This year, he’s in Ward’s shoes – starting at Miami, and similarly eager to improve his draft stock. It’ll be an uphill climb, though – Beck not only needs to prove he’s fully recovered from off-season surgery, but also inherits a Hurricane offence that’s void of its top six pass catchers from last season.

When healthy, and with a reliable supporting cast – something he lacked at times in his final year at Georgia, in fairness – Beck is one of the smoothest, most efficient passers in college football. This season, plenty of questions abound. How Beck answers likely determines his NFL fate, and almost certainly impacts Miami’s playoff hopes in another year where the ACC appears up for grabs.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2024 with California: 3,004 passing yards, 68.7 per cent completion rate, 16 TD, 6 INT

Blueprints. They’re an ongoing theme here, no?

Mendoza shifts from Berkeley to Bloomington, filling the place of Rourke, who was one of the revelations of last year’s quarterback class. Behind Rourke, and under head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers steamrolled through the Big Ten – until encountering Ohio State, that is  – winning 11 games overall and earning the unlikeliest of playoff berths.

This year, things get a little more challenging. Indiana’s schedule ramps up, with road games against Oregon, Penn State and Iowa, as well as a home game with Illinois – the team dubbed by some Big Ten enthusiasts as this year’s Indiana, based on its winnable slate of games that rivals the Hoosiers’ of 2024.

After a sophomore year at Cal where he was quietly one of the most efficient passers in the nation, Mendoza slots into an offence that returns standout wide receiver Elijah Sarrah, as well as deep threat Omar Cooper Jr.

A big year from Mendoza might not just mean a return to the playoff for Indiana – it could also result in him being the top pick next April, according to ESPN Draft Analyst Jordan Reid.

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
2024 with Tennessee: 2,616 passing yards, 63.8 per cent completion rate, 19 TD, 5 INT

After entering his redshirt freshman year at Tennessee as a Heisman sleeper, Iamaleava had an up-and-down season in the loaded SEC, managed to get the Vols to the playoff, then transferred to…UCLA?

It was a standoff gone wrong, with Iamaleava’s camp seeking to rework his already-rich NIL deal and Tennessee balking, with the Vols eventually choosing to move forward without their budding star. Iamaleava entered the transfer portal in April, quickly settling with the Bruins for much less money than he’d been getting in Knoxville.

At UCLA, Iamaleava joins a team that went 5-7 in its first year in the Big Ten, finished 132nd of 134 FBS teams in rushing yards, and has a room of pass catchers that, kindly put, is remarkably unproven. Iamaleava might possess all the physical tools in the world, but in Southern California, is it bound to go to waste?

Darian Mensah, Duke
2024 with Tulane: 2,723 passing yards, 65.9 per cent completion rate, 22 TD, 6 INT

Mensah was outstanding at Tulane after entering last season as a relative unknown, and was quick to commit to Duke after entering the portal as one of this year’s most sought-after players.

After leading the Green Wave to the AAC title game, he’ll try his hand in the ACC, on a Blue Devils team that’s optimistic about competing for a playoff spot after winning nine games in its first year under head coach Manny Diaz.

Diaz’s teams are rarely lacking on defence, and now he gets his quarterback. Last year, Mensah was fourth amongst FBS passers in yards per attempt (9.5), trailing only a trio of draftees – Ward, Rourke and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart – and finished second  in yards per completion (14.4).

Making things a little more interesting: A return to Tulane in Week 3, and a likely meeting with Jake Retzlaff, who walked on after withdrawing from BYU.

Jackson Arnold, Auburn
2024 with Oklahoma: 1,421 passing yards, 62.6 per cent completion rate, 12 TD, 3 INT

The heir apparent to Gabriel at Oklahoma, Arnold was benched in his first career SEC start, and never got his footing after reclaiming the starting role from Michael Hawkins Jr. in Week 7. In all, the numbers looked alright – 12 touchdown passes, three interceptions – but consider that Arnold did the bulk of his damage in non-conference wins over Temple and Maine, which combined to win eight games last season.

After the Sooners made a giant splash with Mateer, Arnold moved within the SEC, transferring to Auburn – marrying a five-star prospect gone awry with a storied program that’s lost its way.

Last season was the Tigers’ fourth straight with more losses than wins,  but head coach Hugh Freeze was willing to bet Arnold’s struggles in Norman were largely impacted by a weak offensive and a banged-up group of skill players.

At Auburn, he’ll team up with standout wide receiver Cam Coleman, who was excellent last season as a true freshman, as well as Eric Singleton Jr., who was one of the portal’s top overall prizes after two strong seasons in the ACC with Georgia Tech.

Miller Moss, Louisville
2024 with USC: 2,555 passing yards, 64.4 per cent completion rate, 18 TD, 9 INT

Moss had even bigger shoes to fill than Arnold –  stepping in for Caleb Williams, following a three-year wait at USC –  and led all Big Ten passers in yards before being benched after a Week 10 loss against Washington.

In all, Moss went 4-5 as a starter, with each loss coming by one score or less – enough for head coach Lincoln Riley to pivot to former UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiaiva, with Moss eventually landing at Louisville via the portal.

At Louisville, he’ll fall under the tutelage of head coach Jeff Brohm — a noted “quarterback whisperer” – who played the position himself for the program before spending time in the NFL as a backup. Since taking over the reins at his alma mater in 2023, Brohm has produced a pair of NFL quarterbacks in Jack Plummer and Tyler Shough, each of whom transferred in for their final college season.

Kaidon Salter, Colorado
2024 with Liberty: 1,886 passing yards, 56.3 per cent completion rate, 15 TD, 6 INT

Deion Sanders was quick to reload at quarterback after his son Shedeur’s departure for the NFL, adding Salter via the portal and stacking up for the future with five-star recruit Julian Lewis.

Salter was a dual-threat star two years ago, accounting for 44 total touchdowns (32 passing, 12 rushing) and leading Liberty to a 13-0 record and the Conference USA title, as well as the program’s first and only New Year’s Six bowl appearance.

Even after taking a step back last season, Salter adds an element to Sanders’ offence that hasn’t been present in Boulder, and wasn’t there in his two previous seasons at Jackson State.

The change at quarterback is part of a major offensive shift at Colorado, which also lost two-way Heisman winner Travis Hunter to the NFL, as well as its next top three pass catchers.

Devon Dampier, Utah
2024 with New Mexico: 2,768 passing yards, 57.9 per cent completion rate, 12 TD, 12 INT

It’s a new day and age in Salt Lake City, after long-time quarterback Cam Rising retired in May due to the leg injury he suffered last October. Kyle Whittingham’s team fell off the map in the aftermath, losing its final five Big 12 games and finishing 1-7 overall after being widely projected to win the conference and reach the playoffs.

Enter Dampier, who was electrifying at New Mexico last season, rushing for 1,166 yards (third most amongst FBS quarterbacks) and 19 touchdowns. Utah also added the Lobos’ offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, and nabbed running back Wayshawn Parker, who rushed for 735 yards last year as a freshman alongside Mateer at Washington State.

Dampier has room for improvement as a passer, but will benefit hugely playing behind one of college football’s best offensive lines, which features a pair of projected first round picks in tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu.

Gio Lopez, North Carolina
2024 with South Alabama: 2,559 passing yards, 66.0 per cent completion rate, 18 TD, 5 INT

He’s far from the most notable new face in Chapel Hill, but that doesn’t mean the success of Bill Belichick’s new team won’t hinge largely on its new quarterback.

Lopez was one of the most sought-after players in the spring transfer window, landing at North Carolina in April after accounting for 25 total touchdowns (18 passing, seven rushing) in his first full season as a starter at South Alabama.

Lopez is a southpaw who doesn’t possess a particularly strong arm but is a crafty passer that can make plays with his legs. Belichick also beefed up North Carolina’s offensive line via the portal, but the roster still lacks skill players on that side of the ball.

What Lopez won’t lack is exposure. The Tar Heels will be one of the most interesting teams to watch, beginning with an intriguing Week 1 matchup against Big 12 contender TCU.