By Tony Thomas
With four days remaining before the transfer portal slams shut for the winter, quality quarterbacks remain for those teams in need of a signal caller going into 2024. Here is a look at the Top 5 uncommitted quarterbacks still available in the portal.
Cameron Ward
Washington State Cougars
6’2”, 233 lbs.
The #1 quarterback prospect in the portal, Cameron Ward, ranked 4th in the FBS in passing yards per game with 311 yards per outing (3rd in the PAC-12). This season, Ward passed for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only seven INTs (in a whopping 485 pass attempts). In addition, Ward added eight rushing touchdowns.
Cam Ward continuing an insane start to the season for Washington State with 3 first half touchdowns.
14 TDs to 0 INTs on the year. pic.twitter.com/4YiSr9ypgQ
— karan (@905Kar) September 24, 2023
Ward did a good job of taking care of the football. He did not throw an INT until week five in a loss to UCLA. Over that same stretch, Ward threw 13 TDs. Not bad for a guy who ran the Wing T offense in high school.
Ward recorded four games of 300+ yards passing, three games of 400+ yards passing, and three games with three passing touchdowns. In back-to-back games, Ward threw four TD passes against Northern Colorado and Oregon State. In addition, Ward completed 70% or better of his passes six times this season.
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Possible landing spots for Ward include two schools, Miami and Florida State, or Ward could choose to enter the NFL Draft.
Malachi Nelson
USC Trojans
6’3”, 190 lbs.
Rated as the #2 quarterback prospect in the portal, Malachi Nelson attempted just three passes as a true freshman for USC this season.
Nelson is a former 5-star recruit ranked as the #5 overall QB prospect in the 2023 class coming out of Los Alamitos High School in California. Nelson threw 35 touchdowns as a senior and 105 touchdowns in his prep career.
USC QB Malachi Nelson expected to enter transfer portal as Trojans eye options to replace Caleb Williams https://t.co/SNoqCfBlmv pic.twitter.com/TEyYiXUtuZ
— College Football (@CollegeFootball) December 18, 2023
Nelson read the writing on the wall when Kansas State transfer QB Will Howard showed up in L.A. to talk to head coach Lincoln Riley. He kept his bags packed after watching backup Miller Moss as he led the Trojans to victory in the Holiday Bowl with a game record six touchdown passes.
It has been reported that Ohio State and LSU are potential destinations for Nelson.
Will Howard
Kansas State Wildcats
6’5”, 242 lbs.
A solid quarterback and rated as the #3 prospect in the transfer portal, Will Howard has prototypical NFL size but should be considered a dual-threat because of his running ability and his 19 career rushing touchdowns.
Howard passed for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 INTs, completing 61% of his passes. In addition, Howard rushed for 353 yards and nine more scores. For his college career, Howard has passed for 5,781 yards, 48 TDs, and 25 INTs.
What a ball by Will Howard! Kansas State with a little life right before the half!#KSU #CollegeFootball
— CFB Saturday Slate w/ Mick N Bus (@CFB_SatSlate) November 4, 2023
Howard has visited USC, but Ohio State now appears to be the leader in the clubhouse as a new home. Howard could step in and start right away for the Buckeyes, but with 25 INTs to his credit, he will need to work on taking care of the football. Another option is Howard could declare for the NFL Draft.
D.J. Uiagalelei
Oregon State Beavers
6’4”, 252 lbs.
After just one season in Corvallis, D.J. Uiagalelei has entered the transfer portal once again and is rated as the #4 QB prospect. A former Clemson transfer, Uiagalelei passed for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven INTs, completing just 57% of his passes.
At one point in the season, Uiagalelei went five straight weeks without throwing an INT while throwing 12 touchdowns. In a 52-40 win over Cal, Uiagalelei completed 76% of his passes for 275 yards, five TDs, and zero INTs.
DJ Uiagalelei was NEVER the problem at Clemson. He’s going to be a Top 10 QB at Oregon State this season
— Blue Bloods Bias (@bluebloodsbias) September 3, 2023
For his collegiate career, Uiagalelei has 8,319 passing yards, 57 touchdowns, and 24 INTs. Potential landing spots for D.J. include Florida State and Mississippi State.
However, a team that would make a lot of sense is UCLA. Not only from a scheme standpoint under head coach Chip Kelly but a transfer to UCLA puts Uiagalelei back in his home state of California.
KJ Jefferson
Arkansas Razorbacks
6’3”, 247 lbs.
Rated as the #6 quarterback prospect in the portal, KJ Jefferson holds the Arkansas record for passing yards (7,923) and touchdowns (67).
This season, he passed for 2,107 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight INTs while completing 64% of his passes. In addition, Jefferson added 447 rushing yards and two more scores for a Razorback team that posted a 4-8 record and just a single win in SEC play.
No one is responsible for more Arkansas Razorback touchdowns than KJ Jefferson pic.twitter.com/BsxDwGIXjH
— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) September 30, 2023
Miami has expressed interest in Jefferson, but the favorite now could be the UCF Knights and head coach Gus Malzahn, a former Arkansas offensive coordinator.
However, another possibility could be the Mississippi Bulldogs and new head coach Jeff Lebby. Starkville is just two hours away from Jefferson’s hometown of Sardis, Mississippi, and Lebby’s offense would be a good fit for Jefferson’s skill set.
