Grading the Fits for College Football’s Top Transfer Portal Quarterbacks

Parker Gillam
Photo Credit: Nathan J. FIsh/The Oklahoman-USA TODAY Network

Nowadays, some games are won and lost over the offseason. With the transfer portal’s meteoric rise to the forefront of the college football world, the months without football have become dominated by the question of “Where will this guy end up?”

The 2024 transfer cycle was no different, with a plethora of college football’s stars moving on to (potentially) greener pastures. The quarterbacks are generally the position of most intrigue, as a team’s entire season outlook can change when it brings in a talented and/or experienced signal-caller.

Six quarterbacks made the cut for my list of the elite names that landed elsewhere this offseason, and I graded how well they each fit in their new homes. 

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Former Schools: UCF and Oklahoma

5’11” | 204 lbs | Mililani, Hawaii

Career Stats: 14,865 passing yards, 63.1% completion, 8.9 YPC, 1,060 rushing yards, 152 total touchdowns

Notable PFF Stat: Completed 50% of passes 20+ yards downfield in ‘23

Oregon has become a program that seeks out transfer quarterbacks, with Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert being the only lengthy starters that were developed in-house since 2012. Given Bo Nix’s success over the past two seasons, that’s not the worst trend for Dan Lanning and Co. to follow.

Gabriel appears to be working his way back toward home. He traveled all the way from Hawaii to Orlando to begin his career, where he was a gunslinger that took the top off of American Athletic Conference defenses. Then, he moved on to Oklahoma to take over for the departed Caleb Williams and became a more polished, poised quarterback that also proved he could beat a team with his legs. Now, he aims to cap off a six-year college career with an Oregon program that is desperate to have a breakthrough season that features a playoff run.

The marriage appears to be a great one for both sides. Gabriel’s skil lset lines up well with what Will Stein and the Ducks ran in ’23, as he has the accuracy to hit the short throws that are so frequently utilized in the Oregon offense. But, while I hate to draw too many comparisons between them, Gabriel does come to Eugene with a stronger arm than Nix did, and thus we may see the Ducks take even more deep shots next year. On top of that, he has the athleticism and quickness to force defenses to respect his legs, following the mold of many great Oregon signal-callers in years past. Gabriel’s versatility, experience and arm talent make him a great fit for an offense that is centered around having a bona fide playmaker at quarterback.

Grade: A

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Former School: Duke

6’4” | 212 lbs | Fairhope, Ala.

Career Stats: 4,450 passing yards, 61.7% completion, 7.2 YPC, 1,224 rushing yards, 43 total TDs

Notable PFF Stat: 82% of his passes were not off play-action (Context: Gabriel was ~50%)

Notre Dame appears to be content to pull in every dual-threat, North Carolina-based quarterback. First it was Sam Hartman, and now the Irish will see what Riley Leonard can bring to the table.

The former Blue Devil became a star during the 2022 season after residing in a backup role the previous year. Leonard’s athleticism and high football IQ allowed him to guide Duke to a nine-win campaign, its first since 2014. He wasn’t done there, as Leonard played a key role in the Blue Devils’ upset win over Clemson to begin the 2023 season and helped lead Duke to a 4-0 start and No. 17 ranking.

Then, tragedy struck. Leonard went down with an ankle injury in a heartbreaking 21-14 loss to Notre Dame in Week 5. He returned a few weeks later, but the bug caught him again when he picked up a left toe injury against Louisville in Week 8. He never played another down for Duke, although he will certainly be remembered as a program legend.

If he can stay healthy in South Bend, Leonard has an NFL future. The 6-foot-4 frame jumps off the page, and when you combine that with some great open-field speed, you have a dynamic athlete at quarterback. Leonard has come a long way in his progression as a passer in just three years, and it’s safe to assume that he’ll continue that upward trajectory with more talent and resources around him. The mental side of the game is down for Leonard; he just needs to become more consistent in his accuracy and not press too much when his team is down in a game.

All in all, this appears to be a great fit for both sides. Leonard will have an opportunity to showcase his talents on a bigger stage with a superior supporting cast while the Irish pick up a quarterback that keeps them in the national title hunt. But, they said this last year, and although Hartman played well for much of the year, he had lapses in some of the Irish’s biggest games of the season (Ohio State, Louisville, Clemson). To eclipse what Hartman accomplished, Leonard has to show up when the lights are brightest and remain healthy.

Grade: B+ 

Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

Former School: Oregon State

6’3” | 200 lbs | Downey, Calif.

Career Stats: 309 passing yards, 68.6% completion, 8.8 YPC, 4 TDs

Notable PFF Stat: Completed 100% of his play-action passes (9-for-9)

The first of two quarterbacks that were a part of the Oregon State exodus, Aidan Chiles follows the man that originally recruited him to East Lansing. Jonathan Smith jumped ship from his alma mater in an effort to remain in a power conference and take on a different challenge. Chiles now joins the former star quarterback-turned-head coach and aims to help him in turning around the Spartans program.

He’s certainly capable of doing so. Even with DJ Uiagalelei in Corvallis last season, Beavers fans were more excited to watch Chiles whenever he got out onto the field. That’s because the former four-star recruit has a limitless ceiling given his large frame, rocket arm and athleticism. Although he saw the field sparingly in ‘23, Chiles never disappointed, putting forth a 116-yard, two-touchdown performance against UC Davis at the beginning of the season and never throwing a pick. He’s the type of player that can change the dynamic of an offense, and Smith knew that he just had to bring Chiles to MSU with him in order to make the rebuild work.

The only worry becomes the overall capabilities of this Michigan State roster. With the coaching changes and off-field turmoil in East Lansing, the cupboard has generally been left barren for Smith and Co. due to transfers. Thus, one must ask the question of how much offensive talent will Chiles have to work with, at least in year one? The former Beaver may shine given his talent and familiarity with Smith, but it remains to be seen if his team will have much success.

Grade: A-

Dante Moore, Oregon

Former School: UCLA

6’3” | 210 lbs | Detroit, Mich.

Career Stats: 1,610 passing yards, 53.5% completion, 7.6 YPC, 11 TDs

Notable PFF Stat: Had an adjusted completion percentage of 68% (% of aimed passes thrown on target)

Dante Moore may have the most upside out of any quarterback in the transfer portal this year. The former five-star recruit and No. 3 overall quarterback in the class of 2023 ventured to Los Angeles from Detroit to play college ball under Chip Kelly after decommitting from Oregon earlier in the process.

He got out to a hot start at UCLA, appearing to take control of the starting job in wins over Coastal Carolina and San Diego State to start the season. But, rocky performances against Washington State and Oregon State led to him being benched, and he didn’t see the field for a significant amount of time until the season finale against Cal.

Still, Moore is an exceptional talent. He’s deadly as a runner but also has great arm talent that he is just waiting to put on display. Moore still has plenty of ways to go in terms of development regarding progressions and reading a defense, but he’s got all of the physical tools to be a top-tier quarterback.

The situation in Oregon is unique. I obviously mentioned that Gabriel is already joining the Ducks, and he only has one year of eligibility remaining and is more than likely going to claim the starting spot. Thus, it appears that Moore is fine with sitting behind the Oklahoma transfer for a year before taking over the reins. After all, he was oh-so-close to playing in Eugene out of high school.

And, much like Gabriel, Moore’s skill set matches the Oregon offense perfectly, maybe even more so than his peer. He can see over a defense thanks to his stature, has top-tier arm talent and is great with his legs. Stein will have a field day when Moore (probably) takes over in 2025, and he’ll serve as a high-quality backup to Gabriel this next season as well.

Grade: A

DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State

Former Schools: Clemson, Oregon State

6’4” | 250 lbs | Inland Empire, Calif.

Career Stats: 8,319 passing yards, 59.1% completion, 7.1 YPC, 1,132 rushing yards, 78 TDs

Notable PFF Stat: Threw 64% of passes from 0-19 yards downfield with OSU

Everybody and their mother expected DJ Uiagalelei to step in at Clemson and immediately bring the Tigers back to national title contention. After all, he was a highly-touted, five-star recruit out of California powerhouse St. John Bosco that stood at 6-foot-4 with a cannon arm and mobility. What’s not to like?

Well, the Clemson experiment did not work out. After a breakout game against Notre Dame in 2020, Uiagalelei endured two rocky seasons as the starter with the Tigers before moving on to Oregon State. He found a home in Corvallis, putting forth his best overall collegiate season and leading the Beavers to an eight-win campaign. But, with the Pac-12 dissolving and Jonathan Smith leaving for Michigan State, Uiagalelei had to keep his future in mind. Thus, he entered the portal for a second time.

Uiagalelei now enters another pressure-packed job, similar to the one he had at Clemson. The Seminoles are angry and desperate to challenge for a national title in 2024. Anything less than that will be considered a massive disappointment. 

It seems like the perfect full-circle moment for Uiagalelei. He goes back to play for one of college football’s blue bloods with a chance to take on and defeat the program that originally recruited him. Making a playoff run with the Noles would dash all of those rocky years at Clemson away and solidify him as a college football legend.

I think he’s certainly capable of all of that, and Uiagalelei will be surrounded by the best talent he has had since being in college. But, I refrain from making this an “A” purely because I still am not sold on Uiagalelei as a championship-caliber quarterback, and I also worry about him being able to step out of Jordan Travis’ shadow with such a high bar to clear.

Grade: B+

Cameron Ward, Miami (FL)

Former Schools: Incarnate Word, Washington State

6’2” | 223 lbs | West Columbia, Texas

Career Stats: 13,874 passing yards, 64.5% completion, 7.4 YPC, 265 rushing yards, 135 total TDs

Notable PFF Stat: Was under pressure 30% of the time in 2023. Completed 73% of his passes when the pocket was clean

Mr. Ward has had quite the journey through college football. It all began with him lighting it up at the FCS level, spearheading a high-powered Incarnate Word offense from 2020-21. That led to him getting some Power Five looks, and he joined Washington State prior to the ‘22 campaign.

After a solid, albeit up-and-down, initial year with the Cougars, Ward exploded for 3,736 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in ‘23, which included 400-yard performances against Colorado State, Oregon State and Oregon. He’s a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, as Ward can skate around defenders in the pocket or the open field and let it rip from a variety of arm angles. No throw is out of the realm of possibility for him, and he now has four years of experience at the collegiate level under his belt. There’s not many quarterbacks that can say that in the portal.

Ward also threw us for a bit of a loop. He declared that he would be entering the NFL draft in early December, but after a month of thinking on it and likely having some collegiate programs reach out to him, he surprisingly announced that he would be playing for Miami in 2024.

The fit is an interesting one. The offensive talent is always there in Coral Gables, and the Canes’ offensive line projects to be strong yet again, something that Ward will welcome given his tendency to be sacked the past two years. He should have the full keys to this offense and will play within a system that is tailored to his skill set.

The issue lies in Miami’s past. The Hurricanes have had plenty of ultra-talented signal-callers in the past, but whether it be injury, coaching issues or inconsistent play, the offense has never lived up to the hype. The challenge for Mario Cristobal and Co. will be to ensure that this unit is cohesive and efficient in a make-or-break year for the program. The ceiling for this offense under Ward is incredibly high, but the floor can also be incredibly low.

Grade: A-

Honorable Mentions: Dequan Finn, Baylor (A-) | Kyle McCord, Syracuse (B-) | Will Rogers, Washington (A) | Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin (B) | Grayson McCall, NC State (B+) | Nate Johnson, Vanderbilt (B) | Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (B-) | AJ Swann, LSU (A-) | Maalik Murphy, Duke (B)  | KJ Jefferson, UCF (A+) | Will Howard, Ohio State (C) | Malachi Nelson, Boise State (A)

About the author

Parker Gillam
Website | Read more posts by this author

I grew up a Tennessee fan in Atlanta, and yes it was certainly rough to live amongst so many UGA fans. Oregon has also been a favorite team of mine for as long as I can remember. I currently attend the University of Missouri studying sports journalism. I also cover Mizzou's FB and MBB teams for Rock M Nation.

You may like these posts