Welcome to the era for the transfer portal where teams will be looking for key contributors from the portal each season. According to 247 Sports, 14 quarterbacks are have entered the transfer portal so far this season. If a team is in need of a quarterback, the transfer portal is a great way to find someone who can contribute or help build depth in the position room. This off-season has also seen numerous big names and starters enter the portal and a few are still waiting to pick their final destination. We have ranked the top five quarterbacks to enter the transfer portal so far this year.
5: Kedon Slovis – Kedon Slovis spent the past three seasons at USC totaling 58 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. He chose to enter the portal after struggling with injuries in 2021 and Lincoln Riley taking over as the head coach. He will head to Pitt and attempt to follow in the footsteps of Kenny Pickett. Slovis has completed over 68% of his passes in his career and should find similar success at Pitt. His primary target will be Jordan Addison who won the Biletnikoff this year. Slovis struggled at times this season and he noted at times he was not focused. A change of scenery could help him reestablish his focus and help Pitt continue their upward trend.
4: Cameron Ward – Cameron Ward is a player most college football fans are probably not familar with since he played for Incarnate Word last season. Ward won the Jerry Rice award which is given to the best player in FCS football. Ward threw for over 4,600 yards and 47 touchdowns while leading Incarnate Ward to the second round of the FCS playoffs. The jump from FCS to FBS has paid off for some quarterbacks. Most recently Bailey Zappe made the jump and he proceeded to set the FBS record for passing touchdowns in a single season. Ward will have three seasons of eligibility remaining and his next school. Texas Tech has been rumored as a potential destination for Ward.
3: Quinn Ewers – Quinn Ewers is one of the highest ranked recruits in college football history. He enrolled at Ohio State in August and played two snaps this past season (both handoffs). Ewers will return to his home state of Texas to play for the Longhorns, the school he was originally committed to playing prior to the flip to Ohio State. Ewers threw for over 6,400 yards and 73 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback of Southlake Carroll high school. Ewers has been viewed as a future first round pick by numerous recruiting analysts but since we have not seen him play a meaningful college snap yet, I cannot put him higher than three.
2: Spencer Rattler – Spencer Rattler entered the 2021 season with most experts predicting him to be the number one pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Rattler’s season ended with him being benched for true freshman Caleb Williams. Rattler has all the tools to be a successful college quarterback but struggled with consistency and he would make too many mental errors. Rattler has the arm talent to be a first round pick and he will look to regain form under Shane Beamer at South Carolina. Rattler has a strong arm and has been an accurate passer over the past two seasons. Even with Rattler getting benched this past season, he still completed more than 74% of his passes. If Rattler can return to his 2020 form, he should help provide the Gamecocks one of their best quarterbacks ever.
1: Dillon Gabriel – Dillon Gabriel only played in three games this past season after he suffered a broken clavicle. Gabriel has been one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football over the past three seasons passing for 70 touchdowns while rushing for an additional eight. Gabriel has committed to play for Chip Kelly at UCLA and should have the chance to showcase his talents next fall. Gabriel is not a perfect quarterback by any means but he does display great pocket presence and he is mobile in the pocket. He will need to improve his ability to run the RPO and he should have that opportunity to do so under Kelly. UCLA has been improving over the past few years and Gabriel should help the Bruins remain a contender in the Pac-12 next fall.
