The Line on QBs in Transfer Portal -- Literally

Jerry Shapiro messaged us from Las Vegas today (Friday) to say that Betonline.ag, aka BetOnlline, is noticing the blitz of activity in the college football transfer protocol. 

Whatashock! 

"The transfer portal has dominated sports headlines this week," he wrote. "It's rapidly altering the landscape of college football.And the people who have to pay the most attention to that gaping portal that’s sucked in more than 1,500 players...the oddsmakers.

"The storm has somewhat calmed a bit, but the first few days of this week created havoc for bowl game lines. Starting quarterbacks on bowl-bound teams were entering the portal. Everyone is watching which teams are hosting or visiting those marquee QBs and speculating where they may end up next season."

  Therefore, Shapiro reports, the inevitable is taking place.

"For the first time in sports betting history, there are odds to accompany that speculation. BetOnline has transfer portal odds for these eight quarterbacks below, and please let us know if you need odds for any other players -- Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward, Riley Leonard, Dante Moore, Will Howard, DJ Uiagalelei, Kyle McCord and Dequan Finn."

Thanks, Jerry, you are on top of it as usual.  Let's take a look at the latest or greatest quarterback action in the transfer portall and we'll lay out the odds at the end of this story.

Before we get to the Vegas odds on quarterback landings, let's note that Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule says that the going rate for a high end quarterback in the world of NIL is between $1-2 million per year. Ruhle hopes the players who are rewarded the most are those who return. We'll see. 

Meantime, let's take a look at the transitory inventory:

BEST AVAILABLE QBs IN TRANSFER PORTAL

1. Dillon Gabriel, QB

Transferring from: Oklahoma

HT: 5-11 | WT: 204 | Class: Senior

Background: Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma in 2022, coming from UCF where he started 25 games, including 12 as a true freshman in 2019. He went 17-8 as a starter for the Knights, throwing for 8,037 yards with 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He suffered a season-ending injury in 2021 that limited him to three games, then transferred to Oklahoma for the 2022 season, where he reunited with his former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel led the Sooners to a 16-8 record in his starts over two seasons, throwing 55 touchdown passes with 12 picks. He ranked fourth in the FBS in Total QBR (87.3) this season and was sixth in passing yards (3,660). Lebby was recently announced as the new head coach at Mississippi State. Gabriel has one more season of eligibility.

2. Cam Ward, QB

Transferring from: Washington State

HT: 6-2 | WT: 223 | Class: Junior

Background: Ward transferred into the program from Incarnate Word prior to the 2022 season, where he was a second team FCS All-American player and the Southland Conference offensive player of the year. He went 10-3 in 2021 with Incarnate Word and threw for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He continued that success in 2022 at Washington State and was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention player. He started all 13 games and threw for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns. Ward improved on those numbers in 2023, throwing for 3,732 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing for eight touchdowns. He is now weighing the option to enter the NFL draft or transfer to another program.

3. Riley Leonard, QB

Transferring from: Duke

HT: 6-4 | WT: 212 | Class: Junior

Background: Leonard has started the past two seasons at Duke, including 13 games during the 2022 season where he threw for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns that season. He suffered an injury during the 2023 season that limited him to just seven games, but his highly productive 2022 season makes him a valuable QB option. Leonard will have options, but Notre Dame is a very possible destination as his next choice. The Irish will be looking to fill the void from Sam Hartman and Leonard would fit well within the offense.

4. Dante Moore, QB

Transferring from: UCLA

HT: 6-3 | WT: 210 | Class: Freshman

Background: Moore was the No. 2 prospect overall in the 2023 class, a five-star out of Detroit. He originally committed to Oregon, but then flipped to UCLA and signed with the Bruins. He appeared in 10 games this season, throwing for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He went through a tumultuous first season, sharing time with Ethan Garbers and is now transferring. He committed to Oregon out of high school prior to his commitment to UCLA, but he also showed interest in Michigan State, Texas A&M, LSU, Miami and Michigan, among others. He was highly recruited and will be a top target in the portal.

5. Will Howard, QB

Transferring from: Kansas State

HT: 6-5 | WT: 242 | Class: Senior

Background: Howard helped Kansas State navigate a 10-4 season in 2022, including a win over TCU in the Big 12 championship game. Kansas State went 8-4 this season, and Howard threw for 2,643 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also had 351 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked 20th in the FBS in Total QBR (75.5).

He's an experienced quarterback who has had success in the past and brings a dual-threat dimension to an offense.

6. DJ Uiagalelei, QB

Transferring from: Oregon State

HT: 6-4 | WT: 252 | Class: Junior

Background: Uiagalelei was a highly coveted prospect out of high school, who chose Clemson and sat for his freshman season behind Trevor Lawrence before taking over the job in 2021. He had an up-and-down 2022 season, however, throwing for 2,521 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions while seeing freshman Cade Klubnik worked into the offense. Uiagalelei had a more consistent year in 2023 at Oregon State, throwing for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He is now transferring for a second time, but given the fact that he helped lead a ranked Oregon State team this year and showed improvement over his final season at Clemson, there should be interest. He showed he can be more consistent and has the ability to lead an offense, while seemingly gaining some confidence back. His former coach, Jonathan Smith, is now at Michigan State, but Uiagalelei is going to weigh his options on the NFL draft or a new college team in the near future.

7. Grayson McCall, QB

Transferring from: Coastal Carolina

HT: 6-3 | WT: 220 | Class: Senior

Background: McCall is a multi-year starter for Coastal Carolina and threw for 2,700 yards, 24 touchdowns and two interceptions in the 2022 season when the team went 9-4. He also had six rushing touchdowns with 195 yards on the ground. He set the NCAA mark for passer efficiency (207.6) in 2021, beating out Alabama's Mac Jones and LSU's Joe Burrow. His numbers dipped in 2023, but he dealt with an injury and a new coaching staff. He would fit well in a system that values a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs and given his experience and past success, he should get plenty of interest.

8. Kyle McCord, QB

Transferring from: Ohio State

HT: 6-3 | WT: 215 | Class: Junior

Background: McCord was an ESPN 300 recruit out of high school, ranked No. 31 overall in the 2021 class. He was one of two quarterback commitments in the class for the Buckeyes along with then five-star Quinn Ewers. Both quarterbacks have now transferred from Ohio State.

McCord started this season for the Buckeyes after an offseason battle with Devin Brown. He went 11-1 as the starter with the lone loss to Michigan, and the offense ranked No. 22 among all FBS programs in pass yards per game. McCord ranked No. 8 in the FBS in Total QBR (83.7), throwing for 3,170 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season.

9. ​​Aidan Chiles, QB

Transferring from: Oregon State

HT: 6-3 | WT: 200 | Class: Freshman

Background: Chiles was a four-star recruit out of Downey, California, in the 2023 class and signed with Oregon State over offers from Washington, Washington State, Rutgers and a handful of others. He sat this season behind DJ Uiagalelei and now that head coach Jonathan Smith is at Michigan State, there is a good chance that Chiles will follow his old coach to play for the Spartans next season. Michigan State has already seen Noah Kim, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt enter the transfer portal and will need a new starter for the 2024 season.

10. Tyler Van Dyke, QB

Transferring from: Miami

HT: 6-4 | WT: 230 | Class: Junior

Background: Van Dyke has had an up-and-down career at Miami. He was the starting quarterback for the 2021 season and was named ACC Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. His numbers took a significant dip in 2022 under a new offensive coordinator (1,835 yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions in nine games). Van Dyke threw for 2,703 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2023.

Despite his erratic numbers, he will still likely have many suitors who liked what they saw from him in 2021. Van Dyke dealt with injuries during the 2022 season and was never able to regain what he had in 2021. If there's a school that has some depth that is willing to take a chance to help Van Dyke revitalize his career, that would be the best fit.

11. Chandler Rogers, QB

Transferring from: North Texas

HT: 6-0 | WT: 195 | Class: Junior

Background: Rogers started his career at ULM and played in 24 games with 18 starts. He transferred to North Texas and had an impressive season in 2023. He threw for 3,382 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while also rushing for four touchdowns. The Mean Green went 5-7 this season, but that shouldn't hurt Rogers' prospects as he showed he is fully capable of leading an offense and was highly productive doing so.

12. Dequan Finn, QB

Transferring from: Toledo

HT: 6-2 | WT: 205 | Class: Junior

Background: Finn was a second-team All-MAC selection in the 2022 season, throwing for 2,269 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had an outstanding 2023 season, leading Toledo to the MAC Championship game and an 11-2 record. Finn threw for 2,657 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 563 yards and seven touchdowns and is now moving on to a new school. He has the dual-threat capability that plenty of schools are looking for, he just might need to see where some of the other quarterbacks wind up before finding his next spot.

13. Will Rogers, QB

Transferring from: Mississippi State

HT: 6-2 | WT: 215 | Class: Senior

Background: Rogers started six games in the 2020 season as a freshman and threw for 1,976 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He started 13 games in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons and threw for 36 and 35 touchdowns, respectively, during those two years. Rogers dealt with an injury in 2023 but threw for 1,626 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in the eight games he played.

14. Bryson Barnes, QB

Transferring from: Utah Utes

HT: 6-1 | WT: 209 | Class: Junior

Background: Barnes started with Utah as a walk-on and gained notoriety for the fact that he is a pig farmer having raised over 12,000 pigs at his family's Utah barn. He was pushed into a starting role this past season as starter Cam Rising was dealing with an injury that kept him off the field. Barnes and Nate Johnson split duties and Johnson led the team with 1,517 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had three rushing touchdowns as well and while he isn't likely going to be a huge name in the portal, he should garner interest from some schools given his experience and the fact that he went 6-3 as a starter.

15. ​​E.J. Warner, QB

Transferring from: Temple

HT: 6-0 | WT: 190 | Class: Sophomore

Background: Warner played in 11 games for Temple during his freshman season in 2022, throwing for 3,028 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He started 10 games this season and threw for 3,076 yards with 23 scores and 12 picks. He ranked sixth in the American Athletic Conference in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes.

In just two years playing at Temple, Warner ranks fourth all time in program history in passing yards and touchdowns. He is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and has two years of eligibility remaining. The fact that he has played in as many games as he has in his first two seasons will make him attractive to programs looking for more than just a one-season rental.

16. MJ Morris, QB

Transferring from: NC State

HT: 6-2 | WT: 205 | Class: Sophomore

Background: Morris was a three-star dual-threat quarterback in the 2022 class, who had offers from Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska and a handful of other major programs. He played in five games during the 2022 season as a true freshman, throwing for 648 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. The staff brought in transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong prior to the season, who won the starting job, but was eventually benched for Morris during the season. Morris played in four games and had 719 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He's a young quarterback with experience, so there should be interest from a relatively high level.

17. Athan Kaliakmanis, QB

Transferring from: Minnesota

HT: 6-4 | WT: 210 | Class: Sophomore

Background: Kaliakmanis redshirted his freshman season in 2021, then started five of 11 games in 2022. He went 60-for-111 for 946 yards and three touchdowns. He played in 12 games this season and threw for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

18. Nate Johnson, QB

Transferring from: Utah

HT: 6-1 | WT: 195 | Class: Redshirt freshman

Background: Johnson played in just four games during his freshman season in 2022, but saw action in eight games this season because of quarterback injuries for the Utes. He threw for 499 yards and three touchdowns and also had four rushing touchdowns on the season.

19. Katin Houser, QB

Transferring from: Michigan State

HT: 6-3 | WT: 215 | Class: Redshirt freshman

Background: Houser saw action in 11 games this season after Noah Kim was benched. Houser threw for 1,132 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions during a tumultuous season for the Spartans.

20. Mitch Griffis, QB

Transferring from: Wake Forest

HT: 5-11 | WT: 193 | Class: Redshirt sophomore

Background: Griffis played in six games and made one start during the 2022 season, throwing for 348 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. In nine games this season, he threw for 1,553 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.

21. Drew Pyne, QB

Transferring from: Arizona State

HT: 6-0 | WT: 190 | Class: Redshirt junior

Background: Pyne started his career at Notre Dame, where he began the 2022 season on the bench, eventually taking over as starter and finishing the year at 8-2 in the starting job. He then transferred to Arizona State prior to the 2023 season and suffered through injuries that kept him out of most of the games this year. Pyne played in just two games, throwing for 273 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and he is now transferring to the third team in his career.

TOP QUARTERBACKS ALREADY MOVED

Brendan Sorsby, QB

Transferring to: Cincinnati | Transferring from: Indiana

HT: 6-3 | WT: 230 | Class: Redshirt freshman

Background: After playing in one game in 2022, Sorsby played in 10 games this past season and threw for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had 286 rushing yards with four touchdowns.

How he fits at Cincinnati: The Bearcats struggled this season and finished with a 3-9 record. Emory Jones transferred in at quarterback from Arizona State and threw for 2,219 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 560 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to help move the offense forward under coach Scott Satterfield. Sorsby gives the staff a new option and someone who can provide similar attributes both passing and running, but more efficiently in both categories.

Brock Vandagriff, QB

Transferring to: Kentucky | Transferring from: Georgia

HT: 6-3 | WT: 210 | Class: Redshirt sophomore

Background: Vandagriff was the No. 37 prospect overall in the 2021 class, but couldn't move up the depth chart during his time at Georgia. He sat this season behind Carson Beck and is now transferring. Despite his lack of playing time, he's still considered a valuable target in the portal because of his talent level out of high school. Where he lands, however, is still unknown.

How he fits at Kentucky: The Wildcats need to replace starter Devin Leary, who transferred from NC State, and is out of eligibility. Vandagriff is unproven at the college level, having only completed 12 passes in his three years at Georgia. He was highly regarded coming out of high school, though, and had quite a few major programs after him. That included Oklahoma, where he was originally committed to before decommitting to sign with Georgia. He is a passer first, but can make plays with his feet and should fit in with what Kentucky wants at the quarterback position.

Tyler Shough, QB

Transferring to: Louisville | Transferring from: Texas Tech

HT: 6-5 | WT: 230 | Class: Senior

Background: Shough played at Oregon during the 2020 season, throwing for 1,559 yards, 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in seven games. He transferred to Texas Tech and had 872 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in four games. He played in just 11 games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons because of injuries and has thrown for a total of 2,922 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his three seasons with the Red Raiders.

Shough is looking to play for his third team, but he has shown he can lead an offense. The issue for him has been staying healthy and making it through a full season. If he can do that, he could be a productive starter.

How he fits at Louisville: Jeff Brohm and his coaching staff brought in Jack Plummer from Cal for the 2023 season, and he helped get Louisville to the ACC title game. Plummer is out of eligibility, though, and now Brohm is bringing in Shough, who should be a perfect fit for his pass-heavy offense. Shough has dealt with injuries, so as long as he can stay healthy, he should be able to easily transition into this offense. He'll give Brohm a passer who has played in a spread offense and can also make plays with his legs.

Max Johnson, QB

Transferring to: North Carolina | Transferring from: Texas A&M

HT: 6-6 | WT: 230 | Class: Junior

Background: Johnson started his career at LSU, appearing in six games and starting two in 2020. He started all 12 games in 2021 and threw for 2,815 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Tigers. He then transferred to Texas A&M and started three games in 2022 before suffering an injury.

Johnson saw action in eight games in 2023 and threw for 1,452 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions before suffering yet another season-ending injury.

How he fits at UNC: North Carolina starting quarterback Drake Maye hasn't yet decided whether he will enter the NFL draft. He still has eligibility remaining, but is being projected as one of the top quarterbacks. This pickup by North Carolina helps maintain depth if Maye stays and gives them an option as the starter if he leaves. Johnson has experience running an offense at an elite level program and should be able to jump right in.

Max Brosmer, QB

Transferring to: Minnesota | Transferring from: New Hampshire

HT: 6-2 | WT: 221 | Class: Junior

Background: Brosmer took a major leap during the 2022 season, throwing for 3,154 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He followed that up by throwing for 3,464 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He already has reported offers from Western Michigan, Minnesota, Western Kentucky and Buffalo, with more on the way.

How he fits at Minnesota: The Gophers struggled on offense this season, especially in the pass game. They No. 126 among all FBS teams in pass yards per game and ranked No. 111 in offensive points scored per game. Starter Athan Kaliakmanis entered the transfer portal, and Minnesota needed a change at the position to give the offense a boost. Brosmer has experience and production and his touchdown to interception ratio this season will give the Gophers an accurate decision maker in what will be a more competitive Big Ten next season with the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.

 Now let's take a look at Shapiro's transfer portal odds, which are subject to change and will be updated in real time online here: https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/futures-and-props/ncaaf-specials/transfer-portal

Some commentary from ESPN, 247 Sports and CBS Sports. Odds are from Vegas