There are a lot of familiar quarterbacks in new places ahead of the 2024 college football season.
Playoff contenders like Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Florida State all added QBs in the offseason in an attempt to bolster their national title chances. And that’s just a fraction of the quarterback transfer activity that happened since the 2023 season ended. Here’s a brief look at the notable names who have found new teams for the upcoming season.
Wake Forest QB Hank Bachmeier (from Louisiana Tech)
Bachmeier spent one season at Louisiana Tech after four at Boise State. His best season came in 2021 with the Broncos when he threw for over 3,000 yards and completed 63% of his passes.
Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles (from Oregon State)
Chiles appeared in nine games for the Beavers in 2023 and comes to East Lansing after Michigan State hired Jonathan Smith away from Corvallis. Chiles is the favorite to start for the Spartans in 2024.
Baylor QB DeQuan Finn (from Toledo)
The 2023 MAC Player of the Year threw for 2,657 yards and 22 TDs a season ago while rushing for 563 yards and seven scores. He’ll be counted on heavily as Baylor looks to remake its offense following a disappointing 2023 season.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (from Oklahoma)
Gabriel is one of the Heisman favorites entering the 2024 season as he plays his sixth college season at his third school. The former UCF QB spent two seasons at Oklahoma and threw for over 3,600 yards with 30 TDs in 2023. Can he have the same type of season that Bo Nix had last year on the way to setting the single-season completion percentage record?
Arkansas QB Taylen Green (from Boise State)
Green arrives from Boise State to run Bobby Petrino’s offense in the former Razorbacks coach’s return to Fayetteville as the team’s offensive coordinator. Green has work to do throwing the ball — his career completion percentage is just over 59% — but is a dynamic rusher. He’s averaged 6.3 yards per carry in hs career with 19 TDs.
Ohio State QB Will Howard (from Kansas State)
Howard is the heavy favorite to start for the Buckeyes in a season of immense expectations. He emerged as the Wildcats’ starter halfway through the 2022 season and played in 12 games in 2023 with 2,643 yards passing and 24 TDs to 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 351 yards and nine touchdowns a season ago.
Jefferson will play his sixth season of college football in Orlando for former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. Jefferson was very good in 2021 and 2022 before he and the Arkansas offense regressed in 2023. Jefferson has completed 65% of his passes in his career with 67 TDs to just 18 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs.
North Carolina QB Max Johnson (from Texas A&M)
The son of former NFL QB Brad Johnson is at his third school in five seasons. He’s the favorite to succeed Drake Maye with the Tar Heels after throwing for 1,452 yards and nine TDs in eight games with the Aggies in 2023. Johnson’s best season came in 2021 at LSU when he threw for 2,814 yards and 27 TDs.
Irish coach Marcus Freeman has landed a transfer QB from the ACC for the second time in two seasons. Leonard was limited to just seven games in 2023 because of injuries after a stellar 2022. Two seasons ago, Leonard completed 64% of his passes for 2,967 yards and 20 TDs. He also rushed for 699 yards and 13 scores.
USC QB Jayden Maiava (from UNLV)
Maiava ended up at USC after briefly transferring to Georgia after a stellar freshman season with the Rebels. He completed over 63% of his passes for 3,085 yards and threw 17 TDs to 10 interceptions. He’ll compete with Miller Moss to be the Trojans’ starter.
NC State QB Grayson McCall (from Coastal Carolina)
McCall was the maestro of Jamey Chadwell’s offense at Coastal Carolina. He was excellent from 2020 through 2022 as he threw 77 TDs to just eight interceptions and averaged over 10 yards an attempt during that span. A concussion on a nasty hit limited him to seven games in 2023 and his stats were down in his first year playing for coach Tim Beck.
Texas State QB Jordan McCloud (from James Madison)
McCloud is set to play for his fourth school in 2024 after a breakout season at James Madison in 2023. After stints at South Florida and Arizona, McCloud threw for 3,657 yards and 35 TDs in 2023 while also rushing for eight more scores.
Syracuse QB Kyle McCord (from Ohio State)
The Buckeyes’ 2023 starter transferred before the Cotton Bowl. McCord was 229 of 348 passing for 3,170 yards and 24 TDs. However, he struggled against Notre Dame before a late game-winning drive and threw two interceptions in Ohio State’s loss to Michigan.
North Texas QB Chandler Morris (from TCU)
The former Oklahoma and TCU QB moves north to Denton for 2024. Morris was Max Duggan’s backup in 2022 as TCU made the national title game but was limited to seven games in 2023 as the Horned Frogs struggled. Last season, Morris threw for 1,532 yards and 12 TDs.
Maryland QB MJ Morris (from NC State)
Morris spent two seasons at NC State and emerged as the Wolfpack’s starter in 2023, albeit briefly. Morris made the decision to redshirt the rest of the season after playing in four games and then transferred to Maryland over the…
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