By Mark Pszonak
This has been an extremely busy transfer portal cycle for quarterbacks, but while many found new homes, not all will make an immediate impact. Here are the ten who will make the 2024 college football season more exciting:
1. Dillon Gabriel – Oregon (Oklahoma)
The skinny: If Oregon could’ve created a replacement quarterback for Bo Nix, it would’ve been Gabriel. He is a perfect fit for the Ducks’ offense and should flourish as Oregon plays their first season in the Big Ten.
2. Cameron Ward – Miami-Florida (Washington State)
The skinny: While the Canes waited longer than expected to find their portal quarterback, the outcome was worth the delay. Ward immediately makes Miami a serious threat in the ACC, especially with his added motivation to further enhance his stock in the 2025 NFL Draft.
3. Will Howard – Ohio State (Kansas State)
The skinny: Ohio State wasn’t necessarily thrilled with their quarterback play in 2023, which resulted in Howard’s addition. He brings veteran leadership and a dual-threat option to an offense that will have two of the best running backs in the country; TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. The potential is there for an extremely explosive offense.
4. Riley Leonard – Notre Dame (Duke)
The skinny: Just as Sam Hartman was a good portal fit for the Irish during the 2023 season, Leonard will also give the Irish offense a consistent passing threat in 2024. Now Notre Dame will hope that Leonard will produce more on-field success as he teams up with a young and explosive receiving corps.
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5. Brock Vandagriff – Kentucky (Georgia)
The skinny: While Vandagriff only passed for 165 yards during his time with Georgia, he is in a position for a big season with the Wildcats. There was never a question of his natural abilities, and now he will be a day-one starter while teaming up with two of the more dynamic wide receivers in the SEC, Dane Key and Barion Brown.
6. Tyler Van Dyke – Wisconsin (Miami-Florida)
The skinny: A season after Tanner Mordecai had a solid, yet unspectacular, season in Madison, Van Dyke was brought in as the next transfer to try and improve the Badgers’ offense. As usual, weather may become an issue as the season progresses, but Van Dyke has the potential to improve Wisconsin’s passing attack.
7. DJ Uiagalelei – Florida State (Oregon State)
The skinny: Uiagalelei’s one season at Oregon State was a success, but now it is likely that he will be expected to do even more at Florida State. The Seminoles are coming off a very successful season, but also experienced significant roster turnover in the last two months. Will he be able to propel the offense while all of the new pieces meld together?
8. Dequan Finn – Baylor (Toledo)
The skinny: Finn was dynamic at the G5 level and now will be able to showcase his many talents in the Big 12. Having passed for 7,079 yards and rushed for 1,837 yards during his time with the Rockets, he will cause headaches for defensive coordinators in the conference this season.
9. Will Rogers – Washington (Mississippi State)
The skinny: Rogers re-entered the portal after the departure of head coach Kalen DeBoer, but luckily for the Huskies he had a change of heart and returned to Seattle. This is a huge transition season for Washington, both with their roster and their conference, so having someone with Rogers’ talent and veteran leadership will go a long way into making it successful.
10. Aidan Chiles – Michigan State (Oregon State)
The skinny: With Michigan State undergoing a coaching change and losing three scholarship quarterbacks to the portal, having Chiles follow new coach Jonathan Smith to East Lansing was a huge win for the Spartans. He could easily prove that he should be higher on this list, but considering his lack of collegiate experience, there will likely be some bumps in the road this season before he reaches his full potential for the Spartans.
