last off-season, Bo Nix And Michael Penix Jr The move to Oregon and Washington was not one of the planned top transactions in all of college football. Despite being talented, both players have faced difficult campaigns in 2021 and had many questions to answer. But over the years, the quarterback market has grown The transfer portal rewards teams that bet players will experience “Renaissance Seasons” in new environments.
Nix and Penix broke out in 2022 and both enter the 2023 season as potential Heisman Trophy contenders. Looking further back, Joe Burrow went on to become the all-time pick in college football and the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft after moving to LSU — though he didn’t play much at Ohio State.
In short, circumstances and context matter. A quarterback’s performance matters far more than his or her skill. Program suitability, supportive staffing, coaching and health are just a few of the external factors at play.
Get the latest news on 247Sports football and basketball transfer portal.
There will certainly be at least a few transfer quarterbacks that surprise compared to expectations this fall. Here are five top candidates.
(Photo: Dylan Widger, USA TODAY Sports)
Statistics for 2022 in Nebraska: 63.1% completion rate, 2,407 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
Apparently, Thompson faced a difficult situation last fall. The Texas transfer came to Nebraska and adjusted to a new team and coaching staff, but the Huskers fired that side about a month into the season.
Despite those problems, Nebraska didn’t have much of a problem when it came to scoring or moving the ball. Thompson led the Huskers to a solid 7.8 yards per pass attempt, fourth in the Big Ten. He made too many turnovers, but Nebraska’s problems were more in defense and running play.
At FAU, Thompson finds himself in an almost ideal situation with the quarterback guru Tom Herman Taking over the head coaching position. The Owls should bring back a strong support team centered around Thompson, including All-Conference USA backlog Larry McCammon III, and an experienced offensive line.
FAU will take a step up in the American Athletic Conference competition, but the program appears poised for immediate success. If Thompson plays well – and he appears to be in a good position to do so – then the Owls could have a shot at earning the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six Bowl bid.
(Photo: Spencer Thomas/Pack Pride, 247Sports)
Statistics for 2022 in Virginia: 54.7% completion rate, 2,210 yards, seven touchdowns, 12 interceptions; 371 rush yards, six rushing touchdowns
Last season was absolutely ugly for the Armstrong and Virginia program as a whole. First year head coach Tony Elliot seemed overwhelmed, and Armstrong suffered in part — remember he was rushing for 4,400 yards and 31 touchdowns with the Cavaliers two seasons ago.
That an established high-level starting quarterback would suffer such a sharp slump from one season to the next seems to point to some troubles with Armstrong’s team. Virginia led 3-7 and their only wins came against weak opposition from Georgia Tech, Old Dominion and FCS opponents Richmond.
Elliott may turn the tide as a sophomore, but Armstrong should be better off this season at NC State than he was in Charlottesville, Virginia last fall. A big part of that is hiring Robert Anae as offensive coordinator by Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren.
Anae is a respected player and offensive player who will join the ACC from Syracuse for the second year running. Prior to his stay in upstate New York, Anae served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Virginia, mentoring Armstrong during his breakthrough campaign in 2021. Unless Armstrong is completely insane, all signs point to a renaissance season for him this fall there.
(Photo: © Alex Martin/Journal and Courier, USA TODAY Sports)
Statistics for 2022 in Texas: 69.4% completion rate, 928 yards, six touchdowns, one interception
When Card actually played in Texas for the past two seasons, he’s done pretty well. Averaging 7.95 yards per attempt might not blow anyone’s mind, but Card played his part when he was forced into action by Thompson through injuries in 2021 and beyond Quinn Ewers in 2022.
Essentially, Texas chose an option with higher upside potential last fall. Ewers rewarded the Longhorns when he was healthy, and he appears to be a possible first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So Card moved on for lack of opportunity rather than lack of performance.
Well, it’s Card’s team that’s now at Purdue under the freshman head coach Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers should have a pretty solid foundation left behind by the former head coach Jeff Brohm, so now it’s time to find out if Walters can transfer his fine work as Illinois’ former defensive coordinator to the head coaching seat. Early returns suggest Card is in good hands as Walters made a widely vaunted commitment with his acquisition Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator.
Card impressed so much at the Spring Ball that substitute Brady Allen moved to Louisville. Walters gushed over Card after Purdue’s last spring training session, 247Sports’ Mick Walker.
“Hudson Card has a chance, I think, to be really special,” Walters said. “Didn’t play much ball as a starter, but he’s very mature and very confident. He’s good at what we’re trying to do schematically and he’s got quite a bit of talent, so I’m glad he’s here.”
(Photo: UK Athletics)
Stats for 2022 at NC State: 61.1% completion rate, 1,265 yards, 11 touchdowns, four interceptions in six games
This election is less about the football situation and more about health and the potential for a mental reset. Leary still played reasonably well on a limited basis last season but missed much of the season with a pectoral tear.
But even on the field, Leary’s stats fell a little short of those of his stellar 2021 season, which included nearly 3,500 yards and 35 touchdowns. The former four-star recruit is hoping a change of scenery can help.
There could be something to that too. Kentucky’s offense struggled even with a second-round pick last fall Will Levis as quarterback, but the Wildcats brought back the highly successful former offensive coordinator Liam Coen take over his old post. Britain also brought in one of the SEC’s better running backs: Ray Davisby transfer from Vanderbilt.
The wide receiver’s supporting cast should also be solid. Barion Brown And Dan Key are a bunch of aspiring sophomores with a lot of potential who played a lot in 2022 as true freshmen. In short, this ecosystem is looking far better for Leary than it did for Levis last year.
(Photo: Michael Bruntz, 247Sports)
Statistics for 2022 at Georgia Tech: 58.5% completion rate, 1,115 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions; 288 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown in seven games
Sims was one of the top recruits in Georgia Tech history but never really caught on with the Yellow Jackets. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule I bet a lot of that stems from Georgia Tech’s dysfunction under the former Yellow Jackets head coach GeoffCollins.
Collins has never won more than three games in more than three seasons at Georgia Tech, and it doesn’t help that he’s one of the Yellow Jackets’ best weapons, the running back Jahmyr Gibbs, transferred to Alabama after the 2021 season. Sims didn’t have much around them.
Nebraska should have a solid support cast around the Sims, including a promising backlog Anthony Grant and returning receiver Marcus Washington. The Huskers lost Star Wideout Trey Palmer but brought in several solid figures via the transfer portal on the offensive line and at the receiver.
Most importantly, coaching should not be a problem. Rhule may have failed in the NFL, but that was in large part because his roster with the Carolina Panthers didn’t include a franchise quarterback. He has proven to be a formidable offensive player at the collegiate level and should be a big improvement for Sims compared to Collins and company.
Cade McNamara (photo: Sean Bock, USA TODAY Sports)
Phil Jurkovec/Christian VeilleuxPittsburgh
Jurkovec looks like the likeliest starter for Pitt this season, and he could be a step up compared to last year at Boston College. Veillieux is lost in the chaos at Penn State but has plenty of talent and could be the man for the head coaching job Pat Narduzzi long term.
Cade McNamaraIowa
OK, Iowa’s offensive plan, philosophy, and game direction are major concerns here. But McNamara was a solid-to-good starting quarterback at Michigan, is better than those the Hawkeyes have had in the past, and will face defenses he’s intimately familiar with.
DJ UiagaleleiOregon State
Uiagalelei has caught a few looks at Clemson’s offense under the former coordinator Brandon Streeter, but he needs to figure out his accuracy issues. He’ll be a popular breakout pick nationwide.
Kyron dronesVirginia Tech
An under-the-radar name, Drones is a talented dual-threat quarterback who started his career at Baylor and still has a lot of potential. However, the situation he finds himself in at Virginia Tech may not be ideal after the Hokies struggled under their freshman coach last fall Brent Pry.