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Mike takes a look at the top 25 quarterbacks that are available in the 2026 transfer portal and projects where Byrum Brown and Beau Pribula will go, among others.
Top 25 Transfer Portal QB Rankings of 2026
The transfer portal can change the immediate future for both individuals and entire programs alike. Last year, 315 quarterbacks entered the transfer portal. Of those 315 entries, 54 started the season as the new starter for the team they transferred to. Another 15 started for FCS schools after they transferred out of FBS. Half of those 54 quarterbacks lost their starting jobs before the season was over. Only four of those were because of injuries. Another 17 of those transfers started at least one game for their new teams. 35 of those 315 entries weren’t picked up at all. Boom. Career over.
So far, we have 187 quarterbacks in the portal. 25 of them were in the portal last season as well. One of them, Cole Gonzalez, transferred twice last year and is already looking for a new home. The portal isn’t always a guarantee. However, for the top 25 on this list, it should be. Of the top 25 transfers last year, 20 of them won the job at their new school. Seven of them lost their jobs. Three were because of injury. Three more became the starters later in the season. One won the Heisman Trophy. We can assume that a large majority of this list will have a positive impact on their new teams, wherever that may be.
25. Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
Odom won the starting job at Kennesaw State this year after transferring in from Wofford. He drastically increased the touchdowns (19 in 2025 compared to just 7 in 2024), but did throw a couple more interceptions in 2025. Odom also showed off his rushing chops (347 yards and seven touchdowns) after not getting a chance to run at Wofford.
With the news that Missouri is likely getting Austin Simmons, the courting of Odom is officially open again. He has visits scheduled at South Florida and Syracuse in the coming week. It is rumored that Syracuse wants him as a backup. It seems likely that Odom still won’t wind up at a Power 4 school, but the American may as well be a power conference at this point.
24. Michael Hawkins Jr., Oklahoma
Hawkins filled in for Jackson Arnold in a few games in 2024 and in the Kent State game for John Mateer last year. With Mateer expected to return to Norman this fall, Hawkins has elected to hit the portal. One of Hawkins’ starts filling in for Arnold was against Texas, so his stats aren’t that great. He still completed 61.9% of his 147 passes at Oklahoma for 950 yards. He tossed six touchdowns to two interceptions. He also ran for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez are in hot pursuit of Hawkins. Rich Rod loves those mobile quarterbacks, and Hawkins has shown flashes of brilliance in his time at Oklahoma. It would be a perfect fit unless some other school jumps in at the 11th hour and tries to talk Hawkins out of Morgantown.
23. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
Lost in the nonsense that “James Madison didn’t belong” in the CFP is the fact that Barnett had a nice game against Oregon. He threw for 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for 45 yards and another score. He didn’t turn it over. That’s Barnett’s season in a nutshell. As a two-year starter for the Dukes, Barnett threw for 5,404 yards and 49 touchdowns while only being picked off 12 times. Barnett also ran for 1,031 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The general belief is that Barnett will follow coach Bob Chesney to UCLA. That’s not a given. Barnett visited Central Florida over the weekend, and both current UCF quarterbacks (Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson) transferred out. There was a reason for that. Barnett committed to UCF yesterday.
22. JC French IV, Georgia Southern
French started for two seasons in Statesboro, drastically improving in 2025. He threw for a slightly better percentage (65.6% in 2024 to 63.8% in 2025) last year, but he improved the yards despite throwing 21 fewer passes. French also threw three more touchdowns and three fewer interceptions. He also showcased his rushing ability with 315 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
French, a native of Roswell, Georgia, is a favorite target of Georgia Tech. He isn’t the runner that Haynes King was, but he’s not slow and is as good a passer. Missouri would appear to be out of the running on French now, but Baylor, Iowa State, and East Carolina are also on the short list of schools courting French. He’ll have a shot to play in the Power 4 if he wants that chance.
21. Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
Joseph started in both of his two seasons at Old Dominion, putting up 4,251 yards and 32 touchdowns. The 15 interceptions suggest that growth is necessary for him to take that next step. Joseph is also an elite runner, going for 1,654 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. He ran for 1.007 yards this year, which trailed only Cale Hellums, Blake Horvath, and Byrum Brown among quarterbacks. That’s elite company.
Joseph has had a visit to Wisconsin so far, and reports say that it has gone well. So far, this is the only Power 4 school that has offered to Joseph. Now that Joseph has committed to Wisconsin, as a Florida guy during a winter cold snap, that’s a kind of crazy that I want nothing to do with.
20. Katin Houser, East Carolina
Houser left Michigan State for East Carolina after starting for the last half of the 2023 season. His last two seasons at East Carolina make him an attractive portal target. Houser threw for nearly 1,300 more yards in 2025 than in 2024 and slashed the interceptions from 11 to six while throwing one more touchdown pass. Houser also added nine more touchdowns on the ground.
Houser is looking to get back into the Power 4, with an emphasis on schools or coaches who have put quarterbacks in the NFL. Illinois makes sense after what Bret Bielema did with Luke Altmyer over the last couple of seasons. The Illinois offense would be plug-and-play for Houser, which is why he committed to the Illini yesterday.
19. Lincoln Kienholz, Ohio State
Kienholz backed up C.J. Stroud and Will Howard before getting a chance to compete for the starting job. He lost out to Julian Sayin this year, so he’s on to greener (or redder, as the case may be) pastures for 2026. Kienholz completed 21 of 36 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown as the Ohio State backup. He also ran for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Kienholz has already committed to Louisville for the 2026 season. Sources state that he was very close to beating out Sayin for the Ohio State job this year. He was an elite high school athlete coming out of Pierre, South Dakota, in 2023. He’s a great fit in Jeff Brohm’s QB-heavy system. His ceiling is higher than previous Louisville portal rentals Tyler Shough and Miller Moss.
18. Aaron Philo, Georgia Tech
Philo sat for two years behind Haynes King before deciding to leave his backyard. This is puzzling to me because King is not in the 2026 picture. Georgia Tech didn’t undergo a head coaching change or anything seismic like that. Philo just decided to leave. He completed 59 of 102 passes for 938 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while playing sparingly behind King.
Philo is expected to be a highly sought-after commodity in the portal. Both Philo and Georgia Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton are taking an official visit to Florida together. Former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner was hired by Jon Sumrall’s staff at Florida. He had a hand in recruiting both Philo and Singleton, making the Gators the prohibitive favorite to get Philo.
17. Cutter Boley, Kentucky
Boley took the starting job from the struggling Zach Calzada by the end of September. He took his lumps for Kentucky this year, throwing for 15 touchdowns but 12 interceptions. His five-touchdown game against Tennessee showed that Boley still has a lot of upside. He’s leaving Kentucky with the new regime (and allegedly Sam Leavitt) coming into Lexington.
The strange part of all of this is that Kentucky and Arizona State are expected to trade quarterbacks. Boley is said to be a lock for Arizona State, and Leavitt is listed as a lock on several sites to go to Kentucky, despite still having a scheduled visit to Texas Tech and LSU. Was there a first-round pick of a player to be named later heading back to Tempe in this deal?
16. Michael Van Buren Jr., LSU
Van Buren is a later entry to the portal, but this one doesn’t surprise me at all. Lane Kiffin would never “settle” for a guy like Van Buren. Van Buren started for half of 2024 at Mississippi State and was predictably abused by the SEC as a true freshman. He threw for 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns, but also had seven interceptions, a dismal 54.7% completion percentage, and was sacked 27 times. He played much better down the stretch for LSU this year. Van Buren threw for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns to just two interceptions in four starts.
The bad part is that Van Buren wanted to stay at LSU, but was told that Kiffin only wanted him as a backup. Van Buren visited Tulane after hitting the portal last year, so the Green Wave are among the favorites to add him this season. Both Jake Retzlaff and Brendan Sullivan were seniors this year. South Florida is also expected to make a push for his services.
15. Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
After two solid seasons at Virginia, Colandrea exploded in Dan Mullen’s offense at UNLV. He threw for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also ran 127 times for 649 yards and 10 more touchdowns. After one year in Vegas, Colandrea becomes another of the repeat offenders in the transfer portal for 2026.
Colandrea, a Florida native, will visit Florida State in his search for a new school. South Florida is also a candidate to land Colandrea since the American Conference is still the most likely conference to put the fifth conference champion in the College Football Playoff. Dark horses appear to be Tennessee and Georgia Tech. South Florida is the most intriguing option to me, but I have a feeling that a Power 4 school will throw more money at his feet than USF can.
14. Deuce Knight, Auburn
Knight, a prized recruit in the 2024 class, dazzled in his only start against Mercer. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran nine times for 162 yards and four touchdowns. His performance was so great that Auburn fans wanted him to start for the rest of the season. It fell on the deaf ears of a lame-duck coach. With new coach Alex Golesh likely bringing his prized quarterback to Auburn, Knight is on the way out and could be a star for some team.
Knight, a native of Lucedale, Mississippi, is expected to return home since Austin Simmons left Mississippi. Trinidad Chambliss has entertained the idea of trying for a waiver and another season, but if he does, it likely won’t be for Mississippi. He would allegedly follow Lane Kiffin to LSU. That said, there is no reason for Chambliss to stay in college. His draft stock will never be higher. Knight will only go to Mississippi if he is assured of a starting spot. If he’s interested, the Rebels would be foolish not to bring him home.
13. Beau Pribula, Missouri
Pribula transferred into Missouri after backing up Drew Allar at Penn State in 2023 and 2024. Pribula was underwhelming for the Tigers, throwing for 1,941 yards, but only 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 297 yards and six touchdowns despite missing most of three games. With Sam Horn (who originally won the starting job) coming back, true freshman Matt Zollers, and an alleged transfer import coming into Columbia, Pribula decided to leave again.
He has been linked to Virginia Tech and former coach James Franklin, but that seems unlikely. Pribula has taken a visit to Stanford to see if he’s up for trying to rebuild that program. Georgia Tech has also shown interest in Pribula. After seeing what Brent Pry did with Haynes King, Pribula could be a stud in that offense.
12. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State
Chiles transferred from Oregon State when USC murdered the Pac-12. He has had a tumultuous time at Michigan State. The last straw came when he and WR Nick Marsh were arguing on the sidelines during a loss to Nebraska. Michigan State lost the next three games, and Chiles was benched in favor of Alessio Milivojevic for the last four games. Chiles only threw three interceptions in eight games, which was a step up from his 2024 season when he threw 11 in 12 games. Most of the rest of the stats were at least a minor improvement.
A few schools have been linked to Chiles so far. Clemson and Virginia have both shown interest. Virginia makes more sense to me since the offense is already tailored to a player like Chiles. UNLV should be considered a dark horse in this recruitment. Dan Mullen did wonders with former Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea. With Chiles already improving between 2024 and 2025, working with Mullen could turn him into a star.
11. Austin Simmons, Mississippi
Simmons waited for a year behind Jaxson Dart because he wanted to start at Mississippi. He got that chance in 2025, but an injury in Week 3 opened the door for Trinidad Chambliss. Simmons lost his job and has watched Chambliss lead the team — his team — to the Final Four. You would expect Simmons to be a little salty, but how he has handled this situation has a lot of teams taking notice. Simmons didn’t complain and kept working. He is in the portal, but he is expected to remain with his current team until they are eliminated.
Simmons has been linked to Missouri almost as soon as his name hit the portal. Some sites are already reporting that Simmons has committed to Missouri. If Missouri has its choice of Dylan Raiola or Simmons, that’s a good situation to be in. I know which one I would pick.
10. Kenny Minchey, Notre Dame
Minchey sat for a season behind Sam Hartmand and a season behind Riley Leonard and pushed CJ Carr to the limit for the starting job this season. Many thought that Minchey should have won the job. Instead of pouting, Minchey dazzled in his limited playing time. He completed 23 of 29 passes in his three seasons for the Irish. He also ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
Minchey has reportedly already committed to Nebraska. He will compete with TJ Lateef for the starting job in 2026. Considering that Minchey nearly beat out Carr, there’s a great chance that he’ll be the starting quarterback in Lincoln this fall.
9. Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State
As expected, Rocco Becht is following Matt Campbell to Penn State. That leaves Grunkemeyer faced with the option of being a backup again for a year, or trying to hit the portal and start. He chose the latter. Grunkemeyer played pretty well in an impossible situation at Penn State after James Franklin was fired and Drew Allar got injured. Grunkemeyer completed 69.1% of his passes for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions in seven starts. His first start was at Iowa. Then he played Indiana and Ohio State. That’s just the first three games. Those stats look better now, huh?
A visit to someplace doesn’t mean that a player will commit there. With both Beau Pribula and Grunkemeyer in the transfer portal, it is expected that at least one of them will join former coach James Franklin at Virginia Tech. My guess is that it will be Grunkemeyer. He has at least two more collegiate seasons left, and Franklin is looking to build the team around someone he is familiar with.
8. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Becht and Iowa State as a whole regressed in 2025. The fact that he didn’t have a receiver step up to replace Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel was part of the problem. Bech only threw for 2,584 yards in 2025 after back-to-back seasons over 3,000 yards. He threw just 16 touchdowns after 48 in the past two years. Becht departs Ames with 9,274 passing yards, trailing only Brock Purdy and Bret Meyer in school history, but he also played six fewer games. His 64 touchdown passes trail only Purdy.
Becht will follow his coach, Matt Campbell, to Penn State to finish out his college career. Becht’s backup, Alex Manske, is also following Campbell to Penn State.
7. DJ Lagway, Florida
All of the promise that Lagway showed down the stretch as a true freshman in 2024 was erased in 2025. Some of it was because Florida tanked, and Billy Napier was fired. Some of it was the games with multiple turnovers. The reality is that Lagway’s 2025 wasn’t much different than 2024. It’s all about perception. Lagway completed 63.2% of his passes in 2025 compared to 59.9% in 2024. He threw for 349 more yards in 2025, but attempted 145 more passes. Lagway threw 12 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 2024 compared to 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2025. The truth is that Lagway wasn’t markedly better in 2024. He was just given the benefit of the doubt because he led the team to wins.
There has been a lot of chatter about Lagway going home to Texas and playing for Baylor. I doubt that happens. Baylor’s offense isn’t built for a guy like Lagway. He is taking a visit to Florida State as well, which makes sense to me. Jordan Travis struggled early in his career, but flourished under Mike Norvell. The Florida State staff could have the same effect on Lagway. Florida State makes a lot of sense.
6. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
The Nebraska legacy is on the move after the Cornhuskers fired his uncle, Donovan Raiola, as the offensive line coach. Something needed to be done. Nebraska fans were starting to turn on him, and if you listen to some in the Nebraska media, so were some players. Raiola threw for 4,819 yards in two seasons in Lincoln with 31 touchdowns, but 17 interceptions. He often looked for the spectacular play instead of the easier one, but the talent is there with the right coaching.
There are a few spots that make sense for Raiola. Oregon is high on the list thanks to Dan Lanning and his staff getting massive improvements out of Dillon Gabriel, Bo Nix, and Dante Moore. None were draft picks heading to Eugene. All turned into first-round picks. A similar leap could be made by Raiola. Georgia Tech is another interesting spot since he is from the Atlanta area, but I don’t see Tech spending the kind of money to get Raiola. The only other major contender is Missouri. Raiola could stay close to his idol, Patrick Mahomes, and his private trainer, Bobby Stroupe — who also trains Mahomes.
5. Josh Hoover, TCU
Hoover had a good run in Fort Worth. His 9,629 passing yards trail only Trevone Boykin and Andy Dalton in school history. His 71 touchdown passes trail only Boykin and Max Duggan. The difference is that Hoover only played in 36 games. Boykin played in 48, Duggan played in 47, and Dalton played in 50. If Hoover had stayed put, he would have rewritten the TCU record books.
Hoover committed to Indiana over the weekend. That seems curious to me since Hoover isn’t a mobile quarterback. He’s about as mobile as Peyton Manning. Both Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza were mobile quarterbacks, and designed runs were a key part of the offense. Will Indiana switch the offense for a gunslinger like Hoover? He has 33 interceptions in 36 career games. Indiana is a team that prides itself on taking care of the ball.
4. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Sorsby started his career at Indiana. He headed for Cincinnati once Curt Cignetti took the Indiana job after starting for the Hoosiers in 2023. Sorsby has been a star for the Bearcats in the last two seasons. He has 5,613 passing yards with 45 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions. Sorsby also piled up 1,027 rushing yards and 18 more touchdowns in his two seasons as the starter in Cincinnati.
As with others on this list, his agent is out there making demands that seem unlikely. If it comes down to money, there are two dozen or so suitors. It may not be all about money. Some track flights. Some track official visits. I track girlfriends. Sorsby’s girlfriend committed to play volleyball at Texas Tech a couple of weeks ago. Sorsby followed over the weekend. Backup and projected starter Will Hammond is projected to miss most of the 2026 season.
3. Byrum Brown, South Florida
Brown, who has played for four years at South Florida despite offers to go elsewhere, has finally hit the portal for his final year of eligibility. Judging by what we have seen from Brown in the past, it’s safe to say that Brown would have ended his career in Tampa had coach Alex Golesh not accepted another job. Brown threw for 7,690 yards and 61 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions. He was also accomplished as a runner with 2,265 yards and 31 more touchdowns on the ground. Brown accounted for 4,156 total yards and 42 total touchdowns in his final year in Tampa.
It’s expected that Brown is going to follow coach Alex Golesh to Auburn. He opted out of South Florida’s loss to Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl.
2. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Mestemaker did things the right way. In a perfect world, Mestemaker would have stayed in Denton and built a Boise State-like Group of 5 dynasty with Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young. Instead, coach Eric Morris went to Oklahoma State, and all of the skill players are transferring. The difference is that all of those players played the bowl game for North Texas, a thrilling 49-47 win over San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl. Mestemaker led FBS with 4,379 passing yards this season, tossing 34 touchdowns with nine interceptions. This group led North Texas to a program record 12 wins in 2024.
Mestemaker has already committed to following his coach to Stillwater. Incumbents Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores are already in the portal. This is Hejny’s second straight year playing around in the portal waters.
1. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Leavitt entered the portal shortly after it was found that he would be lost for the rest of the season. His agent made it clear that bids were open for Leavitt and that those schools not offering north of $5 million need not apply. After playing sparingly at Michigan State, Leavitt redshirted and spent the last two years as the starter in Tempe. His 2024 campaign was his best, but it’s reasonable to assume that Leavitt’s numbers would have been at the 2024 level if not for injury. He leaves Arizona State with 4,513 yards passing with 34 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He also racked up 749 rushing yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground.
Leavitt is headed to Kentucky, following Oregon’s offensive coordinator Will Stein, whom he was recruited by while in high school in the Portland area.
