Searching for a QB in the spring college football transfer portal? Look to these 5 teams

Even though it feels like the 2024 season just concluded, spring football has already begun at many schools. Sure, it’ll look a bit different this year, as several high-profile programs have elected not to have traditional spring games.

But the fundamentals of spring practice haven’t changed. It’s an opportunity for coaching staffs to learn more about their rosters and assess personnel.

Programs will enter the spring with different quarterback realities. Some will have their situations settled. Some will believe they do until they go through practice and realize they don’t. Some will know they need a clear upgrade. And some will have several highly touted quarterbacks on their roster and not enough playing time to offer them.

If your favorite school needs a quarterback, here are some of the most interesting situations to monitor this spring as depth charts and reps begin to reveal true pecking orders.

Let’s start with the defending national champions, who are looking to replace Will Howard. Each of the Buckeyes’ options lacks experience.

Julian Sayin, the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the 2024 cycle, is the favorite to start. And there’s a lot of optimism about five-star freshman Tavien St. Clair, the No. 3 quarterback in the 2025 cycle.

Where does that leave former four-star Lincoln Kienholz, a 2023 signee who flipped from Washington late in the cycle? Kienholz has received extended playing time in just one game (the 2023 Cotton Bowl), and it didn’t go well (6-for-17 for 86 yards). He was the Buckeyes’ No. 4 QB in 2024 and didn’t attempt a pass, whereas Sayin, who was in his first year with the program, attempted 12.

In the leadup to the Rose Bowl, Kienholz told the media that if the spring “doesn’t work out for me, I might have to go somewhere else, but I’m not really thinking about that.”

If it doesn’t work out and Kienholz leaves, it’ll be interesting to see which programs would be interested in a QB with a strong recruiting pedigree but who lacks experience.

It’s no surprise that the Crimson Tide have talent at the quarterback position. Ty Simpson, a five-star in the Class of 2022, appears to be the front-runner after spending last season as the backup to Jalen Milroe. But there’s a ton of buzz about Keelon Russell, a five-star freshman who was the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Russell participated in his first spring practice Monday. Kalen DeBoer said Russell understands he has a long way to go to become an elite college quarterback, but Alabama’s coach expressed confidence in the true freshman’s ceiling.

The wild card is Austin Mack, a former four-star prospect in the 2023 cycle who signed with DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb at Washington. He followed DeBoer to Alabama, and the two are now reunited with Grubb.

Mack has spent more time in DeBoer’s offense than Simpson or Russell but could end up No. 3  in this race. Mack reclassified from the 2024 cycle to join Washington in 2023, so he jumped to college early. He has attempted only two passes heading into his third season. If he ends up behind Simpson and Russell, would he stay in Tuscaloosa or look for an opportunity to play elsewhere?

#Alabama OC Ryan Grubb at the podium. One thing he said about each QB:

Ty Simpson: “Made the biggest jump from day one to day two.”

Austin Mack: “Done a really good job of showing command for a young player.”

Keelon Russell: “Unflappable. Awesome job of staying the course.”

— Kennington Lloyd Smith III (@SkinnyKenny_) March 5, 2025

Michigan

A lot of money was invested in five-star freshman Bryce Underwood, the top overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle. And Michigan brought in Mikey Keene, who has 34 career starts during his time at Fresno State and UCF.

Davis Warren started nine games in 2024 and returns as well, but he’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in the bowl game.

It leaves Jadyn Davis in an interesting position. Davis was a top-10 quarterback in the 2024 cycle, but he appeared in just one game despite Michigan’s QB struggles last season.

The thought was it was best for Davis’ development to avoid throwing him into the fire prematurely.

That’s fine, but what’s the realistic long-term outlook for Davis when Michigan’s quarterback group includes an incoming freshman who received a massive NIL deal, an experienced and productive transfer and a veteran who started nine times last season?

This spring should give us more clarity about the situation.

Barring any setbacks, Carson Beck will be the Hurricanes’ unquestioned starter this fall. He was one of the most notable additions by any program in the winter transfer portal window. But Beck isn’t throwing yet as he recovers from an elbow injury sustained in the SEC Championship Game.

Redshirt sophomore Emory Williams is in an intriguing position. Williams had some positive moments in his first two seasons, including leading Miami to a win over Clemson in 2023. But he struggled in the Pop-Tarts Bowl loss to Iowa State in December (5-for-14 for 26 yards and an interception).

Two weeks later, Miami signed Beck.

Williams stands to receive a lot of reps this spring, as do the other quarterbacks on the roster (redshirt freshman Judd Anderson and four-star 2025 signee Luke Nickel). Miami would no doubt like to keep Williams on the roster for depth purposes, considering Beck’s health. But if he generates some positive reviews this spring, would the Canes be able to retain him when other schools might be able to offer a clearer path to playing time?

Oregon

Dante Moore is considered the favorite to replace Dillon Gabriel by people outside the Ducks program. It’s not difficult to understand why. Moore, who signed with UCLA out of high school and transferred to Oregon after one season, was the No. 3 quarterback and a top-five player in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

But Austin Novosad, a former top-150 national prospect who has waited patiently for the past two seasons, shouldn’t be dismissed. But if he doesn’t win the job this season, what does his long-term future with Oregon look like?

The Ducks signed blue-chipper Akili Smith Jr. in the 2025 cycle and are one of two finalists (along with Georgia) for five-star Class of 2026 quarterback Jared Curtis.

So the position could soon be crowded with several talented players. That’s a good thing, but there will likely be some attrition at some point.

Four players could theoretically contend for the job. But on the surface, TCU transfer Hauss Hejny seems like the favorite. Oklahoma State hired Doug Meacham as its offensive coordinator, and he spent last season at TCU with Hejny, who was a four-star prospect in the 2024 cycle.

Garret Rangel started against BYU last October but suffered a broken collarbone that knocked him out for the season. Zane Flores suffered a leg injury that required surgery and kept him out most of last season as well.

Maealiuaki Smith was thrown into the lineup as a true freshman and struggled (44-of-74 passing for 489 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions).

One of these quarterbacks will be fourth on the depth chart. It’s difficult to keep that many on a roster these days, so we’ll see what the potential fallout could be.

(Photo of Austin Mack: Gary Cosby Jr. / Imagn Images)

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