Almost a third of the schools in the Power 5 have a first-year transfer quarterback competing for the starting job in 2022.
You read that right. The transfer portal has changed the entire nature of the quarterback position in college football. A total of 21 Power 5 schools have a first-year transfer quarterback who is at minimum in the mix for the starting job.
Several transfers started for their previous schools in 2021, too. Now, they are going to schools where they have to win the starting job again. Coaching changes, playing time and even NIL have become part of the equation.
MORE: Post-portal deadline preseason Top 25
It's a brave new world in college football. Sporting News took a closer look at those 21 quarterbacks and ranked them by their chances of success this season (previous school in parentheses):
Ranking transfer quarterbacks for 2022
1. Caleb Williams, USC (Oklahoma)
2021 stats: 1,912 passing yards, 21 TDs, 4 INTs
Williams is the easy choice at No. 1. He broke out with Lincoln Riley last season, and the tandem took their talents to USC and the Pac-12. Williams averaged 8.1 yards per play between the pass and run last season, and he has superstar qualities that could lead to him being the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The next two years at USC will be fun to watch.
2. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (UCF)
2021 season: 814 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs
Gabriel suffered a broken clavicle in UCF's third game last season, and that's made him somewhat of a hidden gem among this year's transfer avalanche. He had 61 TD passes and just 11 interceptions the previous two seasons under former UCF coach Josh Heupel. Now, Gabriel goes to Heupel's alma mater with new coach Brent Venables and former Ole Miss offensive coach Jeff Lebby. This is a match that will produce great results.
3. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (Oklahoma)
2021 stats: 1,483 yards, 11 TDs, 5 INTs
The plot thickens knowing Rattler, who lost his starting job to Williams last season, also found a new home. Rattler had 40 TDs and 12 interceptions in three seasons with the Sooners, and he'll get a larger spotlight in the SEC East. Rattler's talent will resurface in bunches.
BENDER: Rattler excited for fresh start at South Carolina
4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (USC)
2021 stats: 1,353 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs
The four-star recruit saw time as a freshman at USC, and now he's the plug-in for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. The Rebels do have new co-offensive coordinators in Charlie Weis Jr. and John David Baker, and Dart's efficiency in the passing game – he had a 61.9% completion rate in 2021 – will improve under Kiffin.
MORE: Transfer portal winners and losers - USC, Ole Miss rebuild offenses
5. Casey Thompson, Nebraska (Texas)
2021 stats: 2,113 yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs
Thompson played in 15 games at Texas the last two seasons, and he had 30 TDs and nine interceptions in that stretch. He's battling with Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy in a prove-it year for coach Scott Frost, and new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple is on board. You saw what Whipple did with Kenny Pickett at Pitt. Thompson could have a huge season if he wins the starting job.
6. Quinn Ewers, Texas (Ohio State)
2021 stats: None
This is a speculative ranking with a lot of unknowns. Ewers bypassed his senior year of high school and reclassified to play at Ohio State, where he did not take a snap in 2021. Ewers then transferred back to Texas, and the five-star talent is receiving a lot of hype. The problem? There is a good chance Hudson Card is Texas' starting quarterback in Week 1, but how long can you keep Ewers off the field? We are betting on that upside.
7. Cameron Ward, Washington State (Incarnate Word)
2021 stats: 4,648 yards, 47 TDs, 10 INTs
Those numbers are no joke. He won the Jerry Rice Award in 2020-21 as the top freshman in the FCS and built on that last season. The Cougars are starting over with first-year coach Jake Dickert, and Ward's production makes him one of the most-intriguing quarterbacks of 2022.
8. Adrian Martinez, Kansas State (Nebraska)
2021 stats: 2,863 yards, 14 TDs, 10 INTs
Martinez added 525 rushing yards and 13 TDs, and he was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Huskers who will get one more shot with the Wildcats in the Big 12. Martinez has always been a playmaker, but he has struggled with turnovers throughout his career. With coach Chris Kleiman and first-year offensive coordinator Collin Klein, a Heisman finalist in 2012, Martinez could put up numbers.
9. Max Johnson, Texas A&M (LSU)
2021 stats: 2,815 yards, 27 TDs, 6 INTs
There is a catch with this ranking. Johnson had a fantastic year, and he's an efficient quarterback with decent mobility. Johnson left LSU as a starter; a curious move given he's in a three-way battle for the starting job with Haynes King and five-star freshman Conner Wiegman. Johnson has to beat out King for the starting job. Will Jimbo Fisher stick with the most-experienced QB here? If so, then Johnson will finish higher on this list.
10. Kedon Slovis, Pitt (USC)
2021 stats: 2,153 yards, 11 TDs, 8 INTs
Slovis is another USC transfer who found a new home. He has yet to recapture the magic of his freshman season with the Trojans, in which he had 30 TDs and seven interceptions. Pitt offers a nice restart, and he'll be working with a new offensive coordinator in Frank Cignettti Jr. Slovis should have a solid season leading one of the ACC frontrunners.
11. Jayden De Laura, Arizona (Washington State)
2021 stats: 2,798 yards, 23 TDs, 9 INTs
De Laura led the Pac-12 in passing touchdowns, and he should fit in Jeff Fisch's offense at Arizona. The conference familiarity is a plus, and the Wildcats were active in the transfer portal this offseason. It's still a change of scenery for a team that averaged 17.2 points per game in 2021.
12. Bo Nix, Oregon (Auburn)
2021 stats: 2,294 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs
Nix left the rugged SEC West for the Pac-12, where he joined former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning. Nix was a three-year starter at Auburn where he had wild ups-and-downs, and he's still in a quarterback battle with Ty Thompson.
13. JT Daniels, West Virginia (Georgia)
2021 stats: 722 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs
Daniels is the third former USC quarterback on this list. He spent the last two seasons at Georgia. He's totaled 32 TDs and 16 interceptions the last four years, and injuries complicated his career at both places. Now, West Virginia offers another chance, and Daniels, who had a 69.5% completion percentage with the Bulldogs, could put it all together with the Mountaineers.
14. Jayden Daniels, LSU (Arizona State)
2021 stats: 2,381 yards, 10 TDs, 10 INTs
Daniels joined the exodus of players at Arizona State, and he'll resume his career at LSU with first-year coach Brian Kelly. Daniels' production regressed each year with the Sun Devils, and he'll have to win the starting job over veteran Myles Brennan. There are no guarantees here.
15. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (Indiana)
2021 stats: 939 yards, 4 TDs, 7 INTs
Penix has played in 20 games with the Hoosiers the last four seasons. He suffered two torn ACLs and dealt with a shoulder injury. Penix was a breakout player in 2020 as part of that feel-good Hoosiers team, and he's favored to start over Dylan Morris and Sam Huard.
16. Connor Bazelak, Indiana (Missouri)
2021 stats: 2,548 yards, 16 TDs, 11 INTs
Bazelak was a two-year starter in the SEC East for the Tigers, and he should win the starting job over Jack Tuttle and Donaven McCulley. Bazelek is an accurate passer (66.3% for his career) who should offer stability.
17. Arizona State: Emory Jones (Florida)
2021 stats: 2,734 yards, 19 TDs, 13 INTs
Jones left Florida, which was expected, and he was a late addition for the Sun Devils. Jones struggled with turnovers with the Gators. He'll have to beat out Alabama transfer Paul Tyson for the starting job in fall camp to be the starter in a crucial year for Herm Edwards.
18. Zach Calzada, Auburn (Texas A&M)
2021 stats: 2,185 yards, 18 TDs, 7 INTs
Calzada was another interesting transfer as the fifth SEC starting QB who hit the portal. He led the Aggies to the upset victory against Alabama after taking over for an injured Haynes King last season. He transferred to a crowded Auburn quarterback room that includes T.J. Finley, Demeatrius Davis and Holden Geriner. It's tough to know where to put Calzada knowing he likely won't start.
19. Tommy DeVito, Illinois (Syracuse)
2021 stats: 388 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
DeVito had a strong performance in the spring game, and he should win the starting job. Illinois quarterbacks had 13 TDs and six interceptions last season, but that came with a 51.2% completion percentage. The bar is not all that high.
20. Jack Plummer, Cal (Purdue)
2021 stats: 864 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs
Plummer had 26 TDs and 10 interceptions in three seasons with Purdue. He is the front-runner to start at Cal, which hasn't had a QB throw 20 TDs in a single season since Texas Tech transfer Davis Webb had 37 TDs in 2016.
21. Grant Wells, Virginia Tech (Marshall)
2021 stats: 3,535 yards, 16 TDs, 13 INTs
Wells started the last two seasons at Marshall, and he was 14-9 as a starter. He's battling for the starting job with Jason Brown, a South Carolina transfer who had 721 yards, eight TDs and six interceptions for the Gamecocks last season. Either one could be the starter for first-year coach Brent Pry.
