🏈 26 QBs to watch in CFB transfer portal

29.12.2025, 21:55 espn.com

Transfer portal season is already well underway, but the floodgates finally open on Friday. The first day of the NCAA transfer portal window, which runs Jan. 2-16, will feature thousands of FBS and FCS players officially entering their names in the portal.

For quarterbacks, these portal recruitments will be fast, furious and financially lucrative. We've already seen enough early announcements in December to know this will be another strong QB market with a growing list of experienced starters making moves for 2026.

The cost to acquire transfer quarterbacks has increased. Last year, Power 4 programs locked up proven starters for $1.5 million or less. Sources tell ESPN the top passers on the market this offseason are expecting deals in the $3-4 million range, with the best of the best potentially commanding as much as $5 million.

And the elimination of the spring portal window means the stakes are even higher this time around: Teams have one shot to get their QB1 for next season.

Here's a look at 26 quarterbacks for 2026 -- players who could make moves in January. We've surveyed GMs, personnel staffers and agents across the sport about the QBs they consider most intriguing entering the offseason.

Fernando Mendoza was the No. 2 player on this list a year ago. Now he's a Heisman Trophy winner leading an undefeated Indiana squad. Here's the next round of quarterbacks we'll all be talking about in 2026.

Years remaining: 1

The former Indiana transfer developed into one of the top gunslingers in college football at Cincinnati. Now Sorsby has a fascinating decision to make as he explores his portal options and considers entering the NFL draft.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound redshirt junior is a terrific dual-threat playmaker who produced 5,613 passing yards plus 1,027 rushing yards over his two seasons with the Bearcats, totaling 63 touchdowns and 16 turnovers. Sorsby was a top-10 QB this season in QBR and PFF grading and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league's coaches.

Sorsby led Cincinnati to a 7-1 start, climbing to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 and getting the Bearcats into the Big 12 title race entering November. He ranked third in the conference in total offense with 3,380 yards, 36 TDs and just five interceptions.

The feedback from NFL scouts has been strong, and some think he could become a top-50 pick in this draft depending on who else goes pro. But the Texas native is also arguably the most coveted QB on the market at the moment, with Texas Tech, Indiana and LSU among the many schools battling for his services, sources tell ESPN.

Years remaining: 2

Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to a special season in 2024, but 2025 didn't go according to plan for the former Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound playmaker wowed everyone as a redshirt freshman, teaming with running back Cam Skattebo to lead Arizona State to a Big 12 title and near-upset of Texas in the CFP quarterfinals. The former Michigan State transfer put up 3,011 total yards, 26 total TDs and just six interceptions with a top-10 QBR (80.0) while earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in his squad's first season in the conference.

His follow-up campaign in Tempe was cut short by a foot injury he suffered against Baylor in the Big 12 opener that lingered for weeks and ultimately required season-ending surgery. Leavitt played in just seven games and did an impressive job toughing it out against eventual Big 12 champ Texas Tech, throwing for 319 yards and leading a 75-yard, game-winning touchdown drive in a 26-22 upset.

What's his best move to maximize his value and make a push for first-round status next season? Going home to Oregon would be a logical move for the West Linn, Oregon, native, if Dante Moore decides to go pro. LSU and Miami could also be schools to watch here.

Years remaining: 3

Mestemaker emerged as one of the great underdog stories in college football this year, a former walk-on who hadn't started a game at QB in high school since his freshman year (he was a safety and all-district punter) until North Texas promoted him to QB1 for its bowl game to end the 2024 season. The true freshman showed promise while putting up 448 total yards against Texas State. Now he's the nation's leading passer.

Mestemaker threw for 4,379 yards on 69% passing with 40 total touchdowns and 10 turnovers while leading the Mean Green to its first-ever 12-win season and the American title game. In Eric Morris' FBS No. 1 scoring offense, Mestemaker averaged 13.7 yards per completion with 67 passes of 20-plus yards. He threw for a school-record 608 yards against Charlotte.

Power 4 teams have been trying to tamper with Mestemaker since September. The big question now is will he continue his development under Morris and the coaches he trusts by following them to Oklahoma State? The Cowboys are clearly rebuilding in 2026 but still might be Mestemaker's best scheme fit for maximizing his potential.

Years remaining: 1 with waiver

The Division II transfer from Ferris State emerging as a superstar at Ole Miss was one of the great underdog stories of this college football season. He's hoping he can add one more chapter to it in 2026, but that is a complicated situation right now.

Chambliss is seeking an NCAA waiver for a sixth year of eligibility and has enlisted prominent attorney Tom Mars to help fight for him. He didn't play during the 2022 season and is hoping to receive a medical redshirt to get that year back, citing chronic tonsillitis he dealt with during that fall. Chambliss has said he hasn't decided where he'll play next season if he does get the waiver, so the offseason QB plans at Ole Miss and LSU certainly hinge on how (and when) this case gets resolved.

He has had an incredible year in the SEC with 3,298 passing yards on 67% passing, 506 rushing yards, 27 total TDs and just three interceptions and has the Rebels two wins away from playing for a national championship. After watching him achieve a top-five QBR and an eighth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting, just imagine how much better Chambliss could get with a full offseason of continued development and preparation to keep winning at the highest level.

Years remaining: 1

Brown opted to enter the portal after USF's Alex Golesh and his coaches made the move to Auburn, and it would be surprising if he's playing anywhere other than on the Plains in 2026. There's no doubt plenty of other programs tried to make their pitch, though, knowing Brown has the potential to be one of the top QBs in the country next season.

Brown led all FBS quarterbacks with 42 total touchdowns in the regular season and had the No. 1 QBR and PFF grade among all Group of 5 starters while leading an offense that averaged 43 points per game, fourth most nationally. The 6-foot-3, 231-pound redshirt junior has had a prolific run as the operator of Golesh's fast and explosive offensive attack with 9,955 career total yards and 92 total TDs. He's dangerous on the move and rushed for 1,008 yards this season with six 100-plus yard rushing performances, doing the majority of his damage on designed runs.

Brown has stayed loyal to his coaches and rejected past portal interest. Now the 32-game starter is ready to prove he can compete at the highest level as a senior.

Years remaining: 1

Hoover took over for an injured Chandler Morris during his redshirt freshman season in 2023 and never looked back, starting 31 consecutive games for the Horned Frogs and developing into one of the Big 12's most productive passers. The two-time team captain broke TCU's single-season passing record with 3,949 yards in 2024, and his 9,629 career passing yards and 71 passing touchdowns are most among all FBS quarterbacks returning for 2026.

Hoover, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt junior, got to sling it around a ton at TCU and has been a 65.2% career passer with a top-five QBR in the Big 12 in each of his three seasons as starter. He'll need to cut down on turnovers to be more successful at his next stop after compiling 42 (33 interceptions, nine fumbles) in his time with the Horned Frogs, but Hoover has played a lot of winning football and is another proven veteran QB who's likely to fetch more than $3 million on his next deal.

Years remaining: 1

Becht will be the most experienced returning Power 4 starter in the game next season, a 39-game starter with significant big-game experience who has far exceeded three-star expectations during his career with the Cyclones. Now that Matt Campbell and his coaches have moved on to Penn State, Becht is making a move for 2026.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound redshirt junior has won 26 games as a starter and led Iowa State to the Big 12 title game in 2024 as well as the first 11-win season in program history. Becht couldn't match his 2024 production this fall in an up-and-down year, throwing for 2,584 yards on 60.5% passing with 24 total TDs and 10 turnovers, but he was playing most of the season with a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder and dealt with an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder.

Becht and Campbell are extremely close, and it wouldn't shock anyone if he joined his coach in State College for his senior season. Experience is expensive, though, and Becht could have quite a few offers to choose from in the portal.

Years remaining: 2

Raiola wants to become a first-round NFL draft pick and lead a College Football Playoff contender. After two seasons of trying to be the savior at Nebraska, he's hoping he can find a better situation elsewhere.

The former five-star recruit flipped from Georgia to Nebraska in December 2023 knowing he would be able to start right away as a true freshman. He led all FBS freshmen and broke the program's freshman record with 2,819 passing yards in 2024 while leading the Huskers to their first bowl game since 2016. Nebraska spent a ton to acquire offensive talent in the portal to load up around him and try to take the next big step in his second year.

But a 5-1 st