Hitting the Portal: Six contenders with new transfer quarterbacks

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With the 12-team College Football Playoff beginning this season, more teams than ever have national title goals. Many of the teams that could end up in the Playoff could have a starting quarterback who just transferred in this offseason.

Take a look at the teams that should have playoff aspirations that will have a starting quarterback who transferred in the 2024 cycle.

FLORIDA STATE

Florida State was left out of the college football playoff last as an undefeated conference champion and, even though the Seminoles lost a ton of firepower, there is a lot for fans to be excited about. DJ Uiagalelei decided to head back to the south and step into the starting role for Florida State. The former Clemson quarterback has made major strides last season leading Oregon State and Mike Norvell hopes his new quarterback can maximize the offensive weapons Florida State brought in this offseason.

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MIAMI

Cameron Ward

Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes have championship aspirations this season and their incoming quarterback is part of the reason the bar is set so high. Washington State transfer Cameron Ward very nearly went to the NFL after last season but decided to head to South Beach for one more year of college instead. In Pullman last season, Ward was one of the nation’s most exciting offensive players and Miami is hoping his explosive playmaking abilities will get them over the hump and into the College Football Playoff this season.

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OHIO STATE

Will Howard

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes weren’t sitting back and letting the portal season go by without making a splash. Ohio State targeted Kansas State transfer Will Howard from the get-go and weren’t going to let him get away. Expectations could not be higher for Ohio State this season and they've circled Howard as the potential replacement for Kyle McCord, who left for Syracuse. Devin Brown is in the mix for the starting job but Howard is the favorite at this point in the race.

Don’t forget Alabama five-star transfer Julian Sayin. He could see the field if the injury bug bites Ohio State this year.

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OREGON

Dillon Gabriel

The Ducks begin their inaugural Big Ten season with a new quarterback at the helm. Dillon Gabriel was a standout for Oklahoma last season but moved on during the transfer portal window and will finish up his college career as the starter for Oregon as they try to find their way in a new conference. Gabriel has as much if not more experience than any quarterback in college football this season and his ability to quickly distribute the ball in a high-powered offense is a great fit for Oregon’s offensive scheme.

Don’t forget they also added Dante Moore, who transferred from UCLA, and can step in if Gabriel goes down.

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NOTRE DAME

Riley Leonard

Marcus Freeman and his staff made big moves in the transfer portal to bring in a lot of new playmakers on offense. Their first priority was making sure they added Duke transfer Riley Leonard, one of the best quarterbacks in the nation last season. Leonard had the Blue Devils at 4-0 heading into their matchup with Notre Dame last season and he nearly won that game. The abilities he showed as a passer and runner before he was injured last season have Fighting Irish fans really excited about what the Notre Dame offense could look like this season.

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UCF

KJ Jefferson

The Knights shouldn’t be overlooked in the Big 12 this season. Gus Malzahn and his staff have done a great job of upgrading their roster through the transfer portal and they’ll have Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson under center this season. Jefferson should be an excellent fit in Malzahn’s offense and there is an expectation Jefferson returns to his 2022 form this season. With the favorable schedule this season and an influx of talent on both sides of the ball, UCF fans have to be thinking about the College Football Playoff.

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Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.