With the transfer portal now open, a handful of teams have games to plan for, but the majority of the country is looking to improve their squad and land an impact transfer player to take their team to the next level.
Here are the top ten quarterbacks who have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal and change schools for the 2026-27 season. These signal callers all performed at an extremely high level and will look to replicate their success at their new homes.
They are ranked according to their PFSN QBi Ratings, which grade how well they performed and factor in their opponents and the skill around them.
Looking for more Transfer Portal position rankings? Head over to our College Football page for all the other positions, along with more portal news and analysis.
10) Braden Atkinson, Mercer
PFSN QBi Rating: 81.2 (B-)
True Freshman QB Braden Atkinson put his name on the map with a stellar season for FCS Mercer, and a season that should catch the attention of FBS programs in every conference with the potential that he possesses.
In fact, he was so exceptional that he became the 15th recipient of the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the national freshman player of the year at the FCS level, as voted on by a national panel. Atkinson threw for 3,611 yards and 34 touchdowns, and could be a fit for an up-and-coming program looking for a quarterback to develop with.
9) Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
PFSN QBi Rating: 81.6 (B-)
Amari Odom is another young quarterback on this list who should catch some attention from several programs. Odom transferred to Kennesaw State after two seasons at Wofford and has continued to improve year over year.
He turned a 2-10 team around to the tune of a 10-win season and led them to an appearance in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Odom threw for 2,594 yards and 19 touchdowns, and also threw only eight interceptions.
8) Taron Dickens, Western Carolina
PFSN QBi Rating: 82.2 (B-)
A redshirt sophomore who has been at Western Carolina for all three seasons, Taron Dickens has proven to be incredibly careful with the ball without sacrificing production, as he has thrown for 50 touchdowns over the past two seasons, while throwing just five interceptions.
To me, this seems like a player ready for the next challenge and could be poised to become a household name if he can repeat this type of success at higher levels of Division I.
7) Katin Houser, East Carolina
PFSN QBi Rating: 83.0 (B)
Katin Houser was recruited to attend Michigan State and played sparingly over his two seasons. He then transferred to East Carolina, where he became a starter relatively quickly. His first season was solid, but it was clear that he had made improvements, as evidenced by an increase in his completion percentage and a decrease in interceptions, despite having over 160 more pass attempts than the previous year.
He has also added an element of short-yardage rushing success to his resume. It comes as no surprise that schools like Arkansas are showing interest in his services for next season.
6) Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
PFSN QBi Rating: 84.2 (B)
After a rough start against eventual top-ranked Indiana to start the year, Colton Joseph was stellar for the rest of the season. He had 21 touchdowns through the air and 13 on the ground and is a legitimate dual-threat at the position. He improved modestly over his two seasons at Old Dominion.
Still, I need to see more completed passes to think that he can excel against superior competition than he has been facing so far. Overall, I think he could have a significant impact if he attends a program that can effectively utilize both his legs and his arms.
5) Josh Hoover, TCU
PFSN QBi Rating: 86 (B+)
One of the more battle-tested options in the portal, Josh Hoover led TCU to 17 wins over the last two seasons and has all of the upside in the world. This past season, he threw for 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Hoover kept the Horned Frogs competitive in one of the nation’s toughest conferences, and he played well. Bringing him into a situation like that in Indiana could foster the development to take his talents to the College Football Playoff and eventually the NFL. Look for Hoover to be among the biggest splashes of the transfer portal season and have an impact on next year’s Playoff.
4) Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
PFSN QBi Rating: 86.2 (B+)
Drew Mestemaker is my favorite quarterback prospect changing schools. While there will be many teams interested, coach Eric Morris knows how to get the most out of him. he has moved on to Oklahoma State and will make it very hard not to follow him.
In his first season as a starter, Mestemaker led the nation in passing yards (4,379) and touchdowns (34), and looked the part of a future star.
3) Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
PFSN QBi Rating: 86.7 (B+)
Just two weeks after saying, “my future is here with (offensive coordinator Corey) Dennis and coach Mullen.”, Anthony Colandrea returned to the transfer portal for a second straight season. Perhaps he wasn’t being honest, or maybe he looked at the landscape and saw how well he had performed that season, and reconsidered his decision.
In any case, Colandrea was the third-best quarterback in the nation last year, and many schools will be excited to hear this news. Colandrea was everything UNLV could’ve asked for, accounting for 33 total touchdowns and leading them to the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl.
2) Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
PFSN QBi Rating: 88.2 (B+)
Brendan Sorsby was absolutely stellar this whole season. Still, his performance in Cincinnati’s 38-30 upset win over 14th-ranked Iowa State stands out most as an example of what putting him in the right situation could potentially be capable of regularly.
He threw for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Look for Sorsby to be rumored to go to just about every big school and make a significant impact wherever he chooses to go.
1) Byrum Brown, South Florida
PFSN QBi Rating: 88.7 (B+)
Coming off a broken leg that cost him his whole 2024 season, Byrum Brown balled out to remind everyone why he was getting a ton of transfer interest at the end of 2023-24. Now, with his head coach, who he has stood by, headed to Auburn of the SEC, it seems all the likely that they are the favorites to land Brown.
Brown started the year off with wins against ranked Boise State and Florida, shocking a lot of people around the college football world. Brown threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns, and ran for 14 touchdowns. He has shown the ability to take over games completely, and if that can translate to the SEC, a very high draft pick is in his future.