Week 1 of college football showcased unpredictable results, including Arch Manning's underwhelming debut, Ohio State's strong defense, Alabama's surprising loss to Florida State, SEC's mixed outcomes, and impressive performances from transfer quarterbacks in new teams, highlighting the sport's excitement and unpredictability.
The ACC football preview highlights the league's new revenue sharing model, legal settlements, and ongoing debates over playoff formats, while also focusing on key storylines such as Bill Belichick's college coaching debut at North Carolina, Clemson's dominance, and the league's transfer portal activity among top quarterbacks.
Oregon secures its second transfer quarterback, Dante Moore from UCLA, adding to their earlier acquisition of Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma. Moore, a former five-star recruit, initially committed to Oregon out of high school but later switched to UCLA. With three years of eligibility remaining, Moore is expected to develop under Gabriel's leadership in 2024 and potentially compete for the starting position in 2025. The Ducks are preparing to replace this season's starter, Bo Nix, and have positioned themselves well by securing two highly sought-after transfer quarterbacks.
Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord has reportedly chosen to focus on other schools after visiting Nebraska, according to multiple reports. Nebraska's offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield had visited five transfer quarterbacks, with two committing elsewhere and one reportedly visiting Florida State. The Huskers may continue to pursue other transfer quarterbacks or rely on returnees Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy. They are also actively pursuing 2024 five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, who remains committed to Georgia.
In a relatively shallow quarterback transfer market, Notre Dame stands out by securing the commitment of Duke's Riley Leonard. While other transfer quarterbacks have received praise for their past performances, Leonard's ability to lead Duke to a 13-5 record as a healthy starter and account for 40 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 18 games makes him an impressive addition. With few standout options available, Notre Dame's acquisition of Leonard signals their commitment to the future and their standing in the national landscape.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, a transfer from Arizona State, has won the Heisman Trophy after an impressive season in which he accounted for 4,946 yards of offense and 50 total touchdowns. Daniels received 503 first-place votes, beating out fellow transfer quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, as well as Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Florida State's Jordan Travis. He led all FBS players in QBR, yards per attempt, and passing touchdowns, while also excelling as a runner. Daniels becomes the third LSU player to win the Heisman and continues the trend of transfer quarterbacks winning the award.
The article provides midseason grades for several transfer quarterbacks in college football. Standouts include Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Sam Hartman of Notre Dame, and DJ Uiagalelei of Oregon State, who have all performed well in their new teams. Other quarterbacks like Luke Altmyer of Illinois and Phil Jurkovec of Pitt have struggled, while some have been hampered by injuries. Overall, the transfer quarterbacks have had varying degrees of success, with some making significant impacts on their teams.
The Pac-12 conference has become a hub for transfer quarterbacks, with 75% of the starting quarterbacks not originally signing with their respective schools. This trend will be crucial as the Pac-12 enters Week 4, with several transfer quarterbacks leading ranked teams. The conference's fate will rely on their performances. Additionally, Week 4 features key matchups, including a top-10 clash between Ohio State and Notre Dame, and the possibility of both Alabama and Clemson being out of the College Football Playoff with second losses. Parity is high this season, with 39 unbeaten teams heading into Week 4, the most since 2004.