College Football QB Report 11/27/2023

A hot start to transfer portal season

Nov 27, 2023

12 Utah Football Pushes Past The Bears On The Road, 20-13 - University of Utah Athletics

Photo courtesy of UtahUtes.com

🏈 JJ McCarthy said his lower leg injury is almost perfectly healed as the Wolverines prepare for the Big Ten title game.

🏈 Colorado lost a pair of quarterback commitments on consecutive days with 2025 4-star Antwann Hill Jr. and 2024 3-star Danny O’Neil.

🏈 Preston Stone will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury, leaving SMU without its starting quarterback for Saturday’s AAC Championship.

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TRANSFER PORTAL REPORT

It would be pretty surprising if Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold (Stats) entered the transfer portal, according to 247Sports’ Mike Roach. This news comes after former Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby left to be the new head coach at Mississippi State. Dillon Gabriel (Stats) still has a year of eligibility remaining, but it feels like there is a very good chance the former 5-star quarterback gets his shot to start in 2024.

Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson (Stats) announced he will enter the transfer portal. He entered the starting lineup when Conner Weigman (Stats) suffered a season-ending injury foot injury in September, but Johnson missed the final three games with cracked ribs. Johnson spent two years with the Aggies after two at LSU an will have to more years to go at his next school. Jaylen Henderson (Stats) finished the season as the starter and will likely start in the bowl game, but this is Weigman’s team under new head coach Mike Elko in 2024.

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers (Stats) confirmed he will enter the transfer portal and has officially entered, according to On3. After missing four games with a shoulder injury, he started the final two and will hit the market as a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He has one season of eligibility remaining. Mike Wright (Stats) operated as the backup all season, and Chris Parson (Stats) saw some work as a true freshman but used this as a redshirt year. Those are the top two candidates to start for Mississippi State if new head coach Jeff Lebby does not hit the transfer portal for a quarterback.

Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser (Stats) entered the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He took over for Noah Kim (Stats) as the starter midway through the season, but the Spartans are in the middle of a coaching change where anything can happen on the roster. Sam Leavitt (Stats) could be an option in 2024 after starting a few games and redshirting this fall. Earlier this month, Leavitt’s dad told Spartans Illustrated he will be back with the Spartans if the new head coach wants him. Regardless, expect new head coach Jonathan Smith to hit the transfer portal for quarterback help. Houser has three years of eligibility left at his next stop.

Utah quarterback Nate Johnson (Stats) confirmed he will enter the transfer portal. Head coach Kyle Whittingham said he was told the news on Monday prior to the regular season finale, which led to Luke Bottari (Stats) making his first start with Bryson Barnes (Stats) out with an illness and injury. With Cam Rising (Stats) announcing he will be back in 2024, Johnson would’ve had a difficult time finding playing time aside from being a rushing threat. Johnson joined the Utes as a 2022 4-star prospect from California and has three years of eligibility remaining at his next school.

Vanderbilt QB Ken Seals (Stats) announced he will enter the transfer portal. Seals took over when AJ Swann (Stats) was dealing with a back injury but held on to the job until the season finale despite Swann appearing to be available to play. Seals has two years of eligibility remaining with Swann and Walter Taylor (Stats) as the top two candidates to start in 2024 if the Commodores do not hit the transfer portal. Drew Dickey (Stats) and Brennan Storer (Stats) could also be in the mix.

Indiana QBs Brendan Sorsby (Stats) and Dexter Williams II (Stats) announced they entered the transfer portal. Sorsby took over for Tayven Jackson (Stats) as the starting quarterback early in the season before making this announcement with three years of eligibility remaining. Williams revealed this news after being unavailable for much of the season as he recovered from a bad leg injury suffered on Nov. 26, 2022. He has two years of eligibility left, but he could be in line for a medical redshirt after all the injuries he has dealt with in his college football career. The Hoosiers do not have a head coach right now, but the top on-the roster options to start in 2024 are Jackson and Broc Lowry (Stats) as the quarterback room goes through a major overhaul.

Minnesota is a team to watch for New Hampshire quarterback transfer Max Brosmer, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. This was reported before Brosmer announced an offer from the Golden Gophers on Monday morning. Athan Kaliakmanis (Stats) started every game this fall but completed just 53.1% of his passes without a clear option to challenge him on the roster in 2024. Brosmer has been with New Hampshire since 2019 but put up huge numbers over the last two seasons including a 56:14 TD-INT ratio in 2022 and 2023. Since entering the portal, Brosmer picked up additional offers from Buffalo and Western Kentucky.

Louisiana Tech QB Hank Bachmeier (Stats) is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Bachmeier spent just one season with the Bulldogs after playing his first four years with Boise State as a 4-star prospect from California. He will have one year of eligibility remaining at his next stop. Unless Louisiana Tech hits the transfer portal this offseason, Jack Turner (Stats) operated as the backup this fall, and Evan Bullock (Stats) could also be in the mix to start after redshirting in his true freshman season.

North Carolina quarterback Jefferson Boaz (Stats) entered the transfer portal, according to On3. He appeared in two games over four seasons with the in-state Tar Heels and has two years of eligibility remaining. With Drake Maye (Stats) likely off to the NFL, Conner Harrell (Stats) would be the top returning option at quarterback in 2024 along with Tad Hudson (Stats). Expect to see North Carolina active in the transfer QB market.

UMass QB Carlos Davis (Stats) announced he entered the transfer portal. He had been the backup quarterback in his lone season with the Minutemen before head coach Don Brown ruled him out for the season with an undisclosed injury on Oct. 7. Davis will look for his fifth college football team after spending time with Fort Scott Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Western Carolina and UMass. He only had a year of eligibility remaining heading into 2023, so he likely already has been granted or will get a medical redshirt waiver from the NCAA. Taisun Phommachanh (Stats) will be a returning starter for the Minutemen unless he leaves or Ahmad Haston (Stats) challenges him in Year 2 with the program.

Offers

DEPTH CHART & INJURY REPORT

College Football QB Depth Chart & Injury Notes - Conference Championships

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said starting quarterback Preston Stone (Stats) broke his fibula and will be out for the remainder of the season. He was carted off with a left leg injury in Saturday’s win over Navy, and Kevin Jennings (Stats) will make his first career start in Saturday’s AAC Championship against Tulane. Lashlee said Stone is expected to make a full recovery and said he’s not sure if he will be back for the beginning of spring practice.

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy (Stats) said his lower leg injury is almost perfectly healed as the undefeated Wolverines prepare for Saturday’s Big Ten Championship against Iowa. He has been dealing with this injury for the last few weeks but is certainly not in danger of missing game time against the Hawkeyes. It’s been fairly difficult to tell who the backup is for Michigan as it does not release a depth chart, but Jack Tuttle (Stats) would likely be next in line if needed.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Stats) missed the Saturday’s regular season finale with a fractured back, according to Well Off Media. Sanders suffered the injury during the Buffaloes’ 56-14 road loss to Washington State on Nov. 17, and true freshman Ryan Staub (Stats) started final game of Colorado’s 2023 season in a 23-17 road loss to Utah. There has been no timetable for Sanders’ return, and head coach Deion Sanders has continued to say Shedeur will return in 2024 despite potentially being a first-round draft pick in the spring.

RECRUITING REPORT

2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026

Colorado lost commitment from 2025 4-star quarterback Antwann Hill Jr. (GA) on Sunday, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, who also reported on Monday that 2024 3-star QB Danny O’Neil (IN) is no longer committed to the Buffaloes. Hill was committed to the Buffaloes for a little more than a month, while O’Neil is the more eye-opening situation considering the Early Signing Period is less than a month away, and he has been committed since March. It’s possible the Buffaloes have some quarterback flip news coming, but it should also be noted offensive coordinator Sean Lewis lost his play calling duties in November, which has been a heavily-criticized move.

Visits (past & upcoming, includes camps)

NFL DRAFT REPORT

NFL Draft | Transactions

UPCOMING KEY DATES

2023-24

A look at what’s ahead over the next 30 days. All times p.m. EST unless noted otherwise.

Nov. 28 - CFP Rankings
Dec. 1-2 - Conference championships
Dec. 3 - Selection Sunday
Dec. 4 - Transfer portal window opens
Dec. 9 - Army-Navy Game
Dec. 9 - Heisman Trophy Ceremony
Dec. 16 - Bowl season starts
Dec. 20 - 2024 recruiting early signing period starts
Dec. 20 - 2024 Juco midyear transfer signing period starts
Dec. 22 - 2024 recruiting early signing period ends

Tomorrow’s College Football QB Report will likely include more transfer portal additions, and I’ll get to some of NFL Draft content that did not fit in this week’s issue. Adjust your lives accordingly.

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