There are eight consensus five-star quarterbacks in college football between the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes. They include UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Auburn’s Jackson Arnold, UTEP’s Malachi Nelson, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, and all of these players have transferred or currently are looking to.
In fact, Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the only five-star quarterback in the 2023 or 2024 classes who hasn’t transferred or made plans to transfer. Even more telling is only two of these players — Sayin and Moore — will start a game in the College Football Playoff.
While there are sure to be a few more high-profile signal-callers who will announce plans to enter the portal before it opens on January 2, here are the top five and the best spots in the country for each of them to land.
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Kenny Minchey left high school as a top-15 composite recruit and looked like a match to Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr heading into the 2025 preseason.
His quick release and ability to throw off-platform made him just the kind of project, even as a four-star recruit, that could lead many to believe his skillset would be in line with former Fighting Irish passer Riley Leonard. But, when Notre Dame opted for the better pocket passer in Carr, there was always the thought that Minchey would need to find a new place to play if he wanted to start. Because, in three years in South Bend, he hasn’t. He’s played in just 10 games and attempted just 29 passes.
Best landing spot: Cincinnati
With Brendan Sorsby electing to enter the portal, Minchey is just the kind of quarterback that Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield might turn into a Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
4. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
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As a former five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 class, it’s conceivable that Raiola has not reached his potential yet. Even after leading Nebraska to its first bowl game appearance in nine years last season, Raiola is looking to leave Lincoln with more left undone than done.
The job in 2025 was for Raiola to lead Nebraska to its first College Football Playoff appearance. Though he broke the fibula in his right leg in November, ending his season, the Cornhuskers had already taken a second loss by October 17. With the loss to USC on November 1 and Raiola going down for the rest of the year in the same game, the Huskers’ goal for 2025 was lost too.
Now, Raiola, who flipped commitments twice during recruiting and transferred twice as a prep player, is looking for a second place to play college football in as many years.
Best landing spot: Michigan State
Under new coach Pat Fitzgerald, the Spartans aren’t likely to seek to outscore opponents. Nor is a quarterback that plays for him expected to throw for 4,000 yards passing and 40 touchdowns.
What the quarterback will be expected to do is take care of the ball and carefully distribute it to playmakers. It’s also the kind of program that could help Raiola shed any leftover baggage from his time at Nebraska.
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After beginning his career at Indiana, leaving just one year before coach Curt Cignetti arrived, Sorsby might look to join a program on the way up after leaving one just before it became a juggernaut. With Sorsby at quarterback, Cincinnati was a credible threat to defeat almost every team it played. In Satterfield’s scheme, he led the Big 12 in rushing yards for a quarterback for two consecutive seasons with 447 and 580 rushing yards, respectively.
In each year, he’s rushed for nine touchdowns and accounted for at least 233 yards from scrimmage. Couple that with back-to-back 2,800-yard passing seasons, and it’s not a stretch to see Sorsby as the kind of playmaker Diego Pavia has been at Vanderbilt. All Pavia did was lead Vanderbilt to the school’s first-ever 10-win season and a second-place finish in voting for the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
Best landing spot: Florida
Given what Tulane (and eventual Gators) coach Jon Sumrall just did with Jake Retzlaff — reach the CFP and win a conference title — another capable veteran like Sorsby could boost his foray into the SEC.
“Leave it to Sumrall to take a kid like [Sorsby] and go straight to work in a league that ain’t feared Florida for nearly a decade,” an American Conference on-the-field assistant coach told me.
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It’s been feast or famine for the 2024 National Gatorade Player of the Year and the No. 2-ranked QB in his recruiting class. When Lagway has been good, he’s been elite. His 21-of-28 performance for 298 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception against then-No. 9-ranked Texas was the best example this season of what the 6-foot-3, 247-pound sophomore is capable of. But his five-interception game against then-No. 3-ranked LSU is an example of what he’s like when he’s bad.
“The tools are there,” a Power 4 director of player personnel told me. “We can all see that. Big arm. Big frame. And he’s as tough to bring down as any quarterback in the country. If he stays healthy, there’s no reason he can’t bounce back with a great junior year.”
Best landing spot: LSU
Given what Ole Miss passer Trinidad Chambliss showed he can do in Lane Kiffin’s offense, being a bigger version of him is why Lagway was so heavily recruited. Chambliss not only passed for more than 3,000 yards, but also led Ole Miss to its best season ever in 2025. If Kiffin and LSU are looking for a player who can help him turn around the Bayou Bengals quickly, rehabilitating Lagway is a brilliant option.
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Leavitt is the only proven winner here and has a start in the College Football Playoff. After transferring from Michigan State, he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and an overtime loss to Texas in last year’s CFP. Last season, he threw for 2,885 yards with 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
In 2025, a foot injury led to a significant drop-off in production, but what should be remembered is how he played and how the Sun Devils performed against ranked opponents.
Against then-No. 24 TCU, Leavitt put up 353 total yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 win. Against then-No. 4 Texas Tech, he put up 319 passing yards and a touchdown while handing the Red Raiders their only loss this season. Expect him to be the most highly sought-after player who has announced plans to enter the transfer portal to date.
“Of all the guys in there now,” a Power 4 assistant coach told me, “he’s the guy to go get. He doesn’t make a habit of turning the ball over. He makes good decisions in the pocket, and he’s a winner.”
Best landing spot: Oregon
If Dante Moore elects to enter the NFL Draft, bringing Leavitt back to his home state where he led West Linn, Oregon, to a 12-1 record and a 6A-1 state championship could be a strong option.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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