By Mark Pszonak
While plenty of transfer quarterbacks are off to quick starts this season, others have struggled. Here are the top five who have yet to meet expectations in 2024:
1. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State (Oregon State)
Expectations weren’t even very high for Uiagalelei this season, and even with that his performance has been disappointing. There was no talk of a Heisman season or passing for 3,000 yards, but at the same time nobody thought his play would lead the Seminoles to a 1-3 start. Only completing 57.1% of his attempts, for 843 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, the thought was that his experience and steady play would help the offense. The reality now is that Florida State’s offense needed a more dynamic playmaker to succeed, and that isn’t Uiagalelei.
2. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky (Georgia)
It isn’t necessarily all his fault, as the Wildcats lack a running game and the offensive line has been disappointing, which has become a consistent trend in Lexington. But even with this, Vandagriff’s play has been disappointing. After showcasing his potential in the opener against Southern Miss, he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since that game. It was especially ugly during consecutive loss to South Carolina and Georgia when he only completed 17 of 37 attempts for 144 yards and one interception. He did flash a bit during Saturday’s win over Ohio, but as mentioned, he didn’t throw a touchdown pass. Will he be able to build off that performance during the remainder of the schedule with games against Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas and Louisville on the horizon? He will need to if Kentucky is to qualify for a bowl game.
More Sports News
3. Grayson McCall, NC State (Coastal Carolina)
Not much has gone right for NC State this season, and while McCall has missed time with an injury, his play while healthy didn’t meet expectations. The statistics aren’t necessarily bad (476 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, 66.7% completion) but he hasn’t shown the veteran leadership that was expected of him. Instead, he has looked rattled and unsure of himself at times. It is unknown when he will return from his injury, or even what the injury specifically is, but it will be interesting to see if the time off-the-field will help him settle down.
4. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State (Oregon State)
This one is a little tricky, as personally I didn’t have the same unrealistic expectations for Chiles as some others did for this season. I thought he was capable of flashing and possibly winning a couple of games for the Spartans, but at the same time the possibility was there that his inconsistencies would create a few losses. And despite a 3-1 start, that is what has happened. Chiles, a first-time starter, possesses a great deal of potential, but for now he is only completing 54.3% of his attempts and has more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (4). Unfortunately for Michigan State the season has the potential to go downhill VERY quickly, with Ohio State, Oregon, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois coming the next six games. How quickly he will learn from his mistakes will dictate the remainder of Michigan State’s season.
5. Dequan Finn, Baylor (Toledo)
I really liked Finn at Toledo, and I thought he’d be able to bring his dual-threat abilities to Baylor. As of today, I was very wrong. I was so wrong that Finn has already lost the starting job to Sawyer Robertson. In his two games he passed for 307 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 53.5% of his attempts. On top of that, after averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry the last three seasons, he rushed for 26 yards on 19 attempts this season (1.4 ypc). Baylor is likely in store for a long season, so there is a chance that Finn gets another opportunity, but for now his time in Waco has been a disaster.
