Top Quarterbacks Staying Put Shrink College Football Transfer Market

Kamario Taylor is poised to stay at Mississippi State, with a deal expected to make him college football’s highest-paid quarterback. His return would further reduce the pool of prominent quarterbacks likely to enter the transfer portal. Austin Simmons of Missouri, Braden Atkinson of Oregon State and Anthony Colandrea of Nebraska have also signed to return to their programs in recent weeks.

Just 13 of the sport’s top 25 passers are underclassmen. Some could leave for the NFL Draft or remain at their schools, while other quarterbacks who recently transferred may prefer not to change programs again. Among those are Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez, Baylor’s DJ Lagway and Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey.

If more established players stay put, potential portal options could include Memphis’s Marcus Stokes, Texas State’s Brad Jackson and NC State’s CJ Bailey. Many teams are expected to look for quarterbacks, including Texas A&M and Oklahoma, which see themselves as close to playoff contention. Indiana and Miami have reached the top with transfer quarterbacks, and Oklahoma State and Notre Dame could also seek replacements if their passers enter the draft.

Arch Manning at Texas and Oregon’s Dante Moore are possible wild cards, while LSU and Ohio State face decisions about contracts for Sam Leavitt and Julian Sayin. Eight of the country’s top 10 passers are transfers, including the top three. With demand from teams continuing to grow, the available supply of experienced quarterbacks is narrowing.