The college football transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2, with top talent provided a two-week window to find better opportunities with another program. However, several marquee quarterbacks have already revealed their intention to transfer and agreements could emerge shortly after the window officially opens.
Let’s dive into our early college football transfer portal predictions for 2026, focusing on where we think the top five quarterbacks will land.
Drew Mestemaker
It’s not a foregone conclusion that former North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker follows Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller is a Texas native and, coming off a season where he led the nation in passing yards (4,129) with a 70.2 percent completion rate and averaged 9.9 yards per attempt, he could find the Texas Tech Red Raiders to be a compelling option. However, there’s something to be said for familiarity and walking into a program that has reasonable expectations but can still showcase you to NFL teams. Mestemaker already knows Morris’ system, so there’d be no learning curve in the summer. He’d also be taking over as the starting quarterback for a team that went 4-20 in the last two seasons, so even five or six wins would be a massive improvement. The familiarity wins out; Mestemaker follows Morris to the Cowboys.
- Prediction: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Josh Hoover
TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover seemed to spurn the Tennessee Volunteers during the summer when they sought a Nico Iamaleava replacement. He’s now in the college football transfer portal, looking for a head coach and program that can unlock his potential and get him into the NFL. In his last two seasons at TCU, Hoover averaged 8.4 yards per attempt with 56 passing touchdowns, and he completed over 66 percent of his passes, most recently propelling TCU to an 8-4 season. He could stay in state, joining Texas Tech, but the best path forward for him is with the Indiana Hoosiers. The success Curt Cignetti had with Fernando Mendoza this season, in a breakthrough year that will likely make him the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, perfectly captures what Indiana can do for Hoover.
- Prediction: Indiana Hoosiers
Read More: 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Brendan Sorsby
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but it’s hard not to see quarterback Brendan Sorsby making a leap forward in 2026 with his new team. This past season, he finished 10th in ESPN QBR (81.5) and posted a 27-5 TD-INT ratio while tacking on 580 rushing yards with 9 scores on the ground. He’s the modern dual-threat quarterback with good size (6-foot-3) and above-average arm strength. What he needs now is to prove himself in one of the two best conferences. We think that’ll be the Tennessee Volunteers. His family has ties to Knoxville, and Josh Heupel should be in the market for a proven starter with Joey Aguilar uncertain to return. While we understand why fans want George MacIntyre to be the starter in 2026, competition brings out the best in everyone. Besides, having an unproven starter in a season with games against Georgia Tech, Texas, South Carolina, Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, and Alabama seems like a recipe for disaster.
Dylan Raiola
We think that, given the turmoil in the athletic department, Kenny Dillingham will turn down Michigan and remain with the Arizona State Wildcats. Once that matter is behind him, the program’s focus shifts to replacing Sam Leavitt. Dylan Raiola is still recovering from a broken right fibula, so his market in the college football transfer portal could be a bit limited. He’s also not a particularly mobile quarterback, which could limit his options further.
This might be the best ‘fresh start’ scenario for both programs. Raiola gets to work with Dillingham, whose track record with quarterbacks at Florida State, Oregon, and Arizona State speaks for itself. It’s a situation where he can be the unquestioned starter and potentially have the chance to compete for conference titles. Meanwhile, Dillingham gets an ultra-talented quarterback who can provide stability following Leavitt’s exit.
- Prediction: Arizona State Sun Devils
Sam Leavitt
Lane Kiffin will get whoever he believes is the best quarterback in the college football transfer portal, and that’s likely Sam Leavitt. He looked like one of the best players in the nation with Arizona State in 2024, but injuries derailed things this fall. Now, Leavitt is seeking that marquee program with an offensive-minded head coach who can build the offense around him and get him into the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft. Kiffin’s reputation speaks for itself, and LSU is clearly willing to spend whatever it takes and do whatever Kiffin wants if it means having a playoff contender again.
- Prediction: LSU Tigers
