By Mark Pszonak
Quarterbacks don’t come cheap in the transfer portal, especially veterans. Some are worth the money while others turn out to be busts. Here are five who busted in 2024:
DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State (Oregon State)
The skinny: Whatever the amount was that Uiagalelei received from Florida State, it was too much. He was brought in to be a stabilizing veteran and instead led the Seminoles to a 1-4 start before losing his job. Uiagalelei, who didn’t receive any playing time after September 28th, will forever be remembered as one of the worst transfer quarterback additions of the portal era.
K.J. Jefferson, UCF (Arkansas)
The skinny: After taking some heat from UCF fans last summer for not buying into the Jefferson hype, his performance made me look like a genius. He lost his starting job after completing 32 of 57 passes for 449 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in consecutive losses to Colorado and Florida. Not playing after the Florida loss on October 5th, his disappointing performance played a huge role in UCF’s 4-8 season and Gus Malzahn’s eventual firing.
Dequan Finn, Baylor (Toledo)
The skinny: Finn was dynamic in the MAC with Toledo, but that never came close to replicating itself in the Big 12. With the Rockets he passed for 7,083 yards and 63 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,841 yards and 25 touchdowns. In Waco he only played in three games, passed for 307 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns before losing the starting job to Sawyer Robertson. During the winter he re-entered the transfer portal and returned to the MAC with Miami-Ohio.
Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky (Georgia)
The skinny: After not receiving an opportunity at Georgia, Kentucky was supposed to be Vandagriff’s time to shine and instead it became a colossal disappointment. He passed for 1,758 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing only 57.3% of his attempts on the season but had only five touchdowns and six interceptions against SEC competition. Instead of returning to Lexington in 2025 or transferring, Vandagriff announced his retirement three weeks ago.
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Malachi Nelson, Boise State (USC)
The skinny: Boise State isn’t known to splash the cash in the transfer portal, which only magnifies Nelson’s lack of success with the Broncos. After he lost the starting job during summer camp to Maddux Madsen, Nelson only saw time in three games in 2024, while completing 12 of 17 passes. With Madsen returning to Boise in 2025, Nelson re-entered the portal and eventually signed with UTEP.
