San Diego State Aztecs freshman Danny O’Neil entered the transfer portal as one of the top young quarterbacks. O’Neil was committed to Sean Lewis at Colorado but flipped to the Aztecs when Lewis got the job at San Deigo State. After starting as a freshman, he should have plenty of interest from Power Four schools.
Which teams could be interested? Here are five potential transfer portal landing spots for O’Neil.
Where Could Danny O’Neil Transfer?
While O’Neil is one of dozens of former starting quarterbacks in the transfer portal, he’s one of the few to start as a freshman and has three years of remaining eligibility.
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He was solid but unspectacular as a freshman. O’Neil threw for 2,181 yards and 12 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He doesn’t bring much as a rusher. However, he makes quick decisions and displays adequate accuracy for the FBS level.
I still have a Group of Five grade on him, but he has three years of eligibility remaining, and there are some desperate Power Four teams willing to reach for a quarterback in the portal, and that’s evidenced by his early Power Four interest.
Here are a few potential landing spots for O’Neil.
Wisconsin Badgers
I’ve been told that the Wisconsin Badgers are desperate for a quarterback in the transfer portal. They’d also like to land one early as the cornerstone of their portal class. O’Neil will visit the Badgers on Saturday and has an offer.
I’ll be interested to see if he leaves Madison, Wisc., uncommitted. If he does, it means something probably hit a snag and his recruitment will be a blank slate. The Badgers are the favorites. The rest of these teams are mere ideas.
Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. announced his intentions to transfer after initially deciding to stay. Now, the Terrapins are behind the eight-ball on finding their next signal caller. The general consensus in the industry is that Preston Stone is their favorite transfer target but things can fall through quickly.
Maryland has typically gotten the most out of its quarterbacks, and Edwards had a good year in 2024. It would be a good place for O’Neil to move and develop.
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are another interesting team to follow in the portal. Their admissions requirements are tricky, even for transfers, but O’Neil is from Indianapolis, just a few hours from Chicago.
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The Wildcats are under-the-radar contenders for a portal quarterback, and with O’Neil’s remaining eligibility, he’d be more appealing than a one-and-done transfer.
Tulane Green Wave
The Tulane Green Wave is back in the quarterback market after Darian Mensah transferred to the Duke Blue Devils. I’ll want to see who they can ultimately pull from the portal. While they’re a Group of Five school, the situation is much more stable than most Power Five schools.
Even from a College Football Playoff perspective, it’s not hard to think that the Green Wave is closer to the postseason than plenty of Power Four teams. They just need a few pieces from the portal, and it will be interesting to see if they can land them. O’Neil would be a solid acquisition.
Purdue Boilermakers
Barry Odom has his work cut out for him after taking over for the worst program in the Power Four last season. The Boilermakers need much more than a quarterback to make them competitive, but a young, proven building block wouldn’t hurt.
The proximity to home and the opportunity to be the centerpiece of a rebuild under a proven coach could appeal to O’Neil. Still, this isn’t an option if he leaves Madison committed to the Badgers.
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