With free agency becoming more prevalent across college football, we take a look at three transfer portal quarterbacks that could see an increase in devy fantasy football value moving forward.
With graduate transfers having immediate eligibility, college football programs no longer have to go through the growing pains of grooming a young quarterback. Just wait until the end of the season, and there’s bound to be a handful of players looking to transfer to a more favorable situation.
Without further ado, here are three transfer quarterbacks looking to improve their devy stock in 2020 and beyond. Be sure to check out my 2020 dynasty rookie rankings, 2021 dynasty rookie rankings, and devy rankings for further info on devy and dynasty prospects to watch moving forward.
Jamie Newman (Wake Forest to Georgia)
After losing Justin Fields (transfer to Ohio State), Jacob Eason (transfer to Washington), and Jake Fromm (2020 NFL Draft) over the past few seasons, the Georgia Bulldogs are the biggest winners of the quarterback carousel after securing former Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman. It’s only right Georgia went to the transfer portal to find their 2020 starting quarterback after losing Fields to Ohio State a season ago.
Don’t let Newman having less than 3,000 passing yards in 2019 fool you. The former Wake Forest quarterback is an extremely impressive quarterback prospect. While the new Georgia quarterback was overshadowed by Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Perkins, and Sam Howell in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Newman can drastically improve his stock with a good showing in the SEC.
Even though I love Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt as an NFL prospect, there’s no denying the improved situation Newman walks into in Athens, Georgia. George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock form one of the best wide receiver tandems in all of college football, while talented running back Zamir White should see an increased workload with D’Andre Swift declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft. Newman is the transfer portal quarterback in the best position to improve his devy stock in 2020.
D’Eriq King (Houston to Miami)
Quarterback D’Eriq King announced his intention to redshirt and potentially transfer away from Houston all the way back in September. After some reports surfaced that King was considering a return to Houston, the dual-threat quarterback with devy appeal did eventually enter his name into the transfer portal before signing with the Miami Hurricanes.
After lighting up college football with 2,982 passing yards, 674 rushing yards, and 50 total touchdowns during his junior season, King was unable to re-create that spark in 2019 under new Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen. Even though King still found a way to be effective this season (12 total touchdowns in four games), the dual-threat quarterback just wasn’t a fit for Holgorsen’s air-raid system. After completing nearly 65% of his passes during his first three seasons, King saw that number plummet to 52.7% in four games under Holgorsen’s tutelage.
King leaves Houston for the beaches of Miami, where the Hurricanes have never been more desperate for a program-changing quarterback. With Miami juggling highly-ranked quarterbacks in and out of their lineup for years now, it’s no surprise to see the Hurricanes take the chance on the uber-talented King. With 2019 starting quarterback Jarren Williams entering his name into the transfer portal after Miami’s signing of King, the Hurricanes are potentially sacrificing their future for a risky one-year rental. But with Miami stuck in college football mediocrity for nearly two decades now, you can certainly understand the risk.
Chase Brice (Clemson to Duke)
It’s been an incredible football journey for former Clemson backup quarterback Chase Brice. After signing with Clemson as a high school senior, Brice was penciled in at the bottom of the depth chart behind a deep and talented quarterback group that was already enrolled at Clemson.
If Clemson’s 2017 quarterback room (Kelly Bryant, Hunter Johnson, Zerrick Cooper, Tucker Israel) wasn’t enough of a roadblock, Brice would also enter his college career behind consensus #1 overall player Trevor Lawrence out of Cartersville, Georgia. Lawrence’s talent was evident from day-one as Israel, Cooper, and Johnson wasted little time entering their name into the transfer portal. Once Bryant decided to sit out and transfer after four games, Brice was promoted to backup quarterback.
Brice eventually found his way into the lineup, where he earned legend status among Clemson faithful for his 94-yard game-winning touchdown drive against Syracuse in 2018. With Clemson trailing by three points with 2:50 remaining, Brice hit wide receiver Tee Higgins on a crucial fourth-down conversion to extend the drive. The Tigers survived 27-23 in the only single-digit victory of their undefeated 2018 National Championship season.
With Lawrence having one more season of eligibility, Brice leaves Clemson for ACC-rival Duke and the opportunity to lead his own team. While Brice will have to adjust to the difference in talent between the two rosters, there’s no better coach for a quarterback to learn from than Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.
Others to watch
Jake Bentley (South Carolina to Utah)
Feleipe Franks (Florida to Arkansas)
K.J. Costello (Stanford to Mississippi State)
Jett Duffey (Texas Tech to Central Michigan)
Jarren Williams (Miami to TBD)