The quarterback position is often times the most crucial part of a football team, whether it be college or professional. A good quarterback can propel their team to the next level and get them into a good spot come playoff time. However, on the flip side, a quarterback who fails to live up to their potential could hold their team down from a playoff appearance.
Looking ahead to the 2025 college football season, these are five transfer quarterbacks who can break out in the upcoming college football season with their ground game and impressive rushing ability.
Dual-Threat Transfers Poised for Breakout Seasons
These five transfer quarterbacks could bring some serious rushing upside to their new teams and should everything go according to plan, they could become breakout stars during the 2025 college football season.
5) Devon Dampier, Utah
Devon Dampier sat near the top of every rushing metric in 2024 with the New Mexico Lobos. He transferred to the Utes ahead of the 2025 season and is expected to take another leap in his development as he is now the starting quarterback for the Utah Utes.
The dual-threat quarterback will have one of the best offensive lines in the country to work behind. This means that while he can attack through the air, he can also maximize his rushing threat.
Last year, the 5-foot-10, 198-pound athlete ranked second among returning players with 1,166 rushing yards. He averaged an impressive 7.5 rushing yards per carry, which was the highest of all returning players with over 100 attempts. He also ranked second with an average of 6.03 rushing EPA per game.
4) John Mateer, Oklahoma
John Mateer joining the Oklahoma Sooners could end up being one of the top signings out of the transfer portal. Heading to Norman alongside his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, with the Washington State Cougars, the dynamo pairing is expected to bring their high-octane offensive delivery to the Sooners.
The former WSU QB can beat you in different ways. His 3,139 passing yards ranked 22nd in the FBS, while his 826 rushing yards ranked eighth. Mateer may not be the most elusive of rushing threats, but he is productive and physical.
At 6’1” and 219 pounds, he averaged 4.91 yards after contact and recorded 2.44 EPA per game when rushing.
3) Alex Orji, UNLV
Despite not being the starting quarterback with the Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 season, Alex Orji continued to display his rushing threat from under center, recording 0.39 EPA rushing per game, while only having 57 rushing attempts for 269 yards.
Moving West in 2025 to play under Dan Mullin with the UNLV Rebels, Orji can establish himself as one of college football’s premier dual-threat quarterbacks and will hope to put up similar numbers to 2024 starter Hajj-Malik Williams, who had 851 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
2) Beau Pribula, Missouri
Despite being the backup with the Penn State Nittany Lions, Beau Pribula averaged 6.4 yards per rushing attempt in 2024, having 242 yards and four touchdowns on just 38 attempts.
Searching for a starting spot, he now transfers to the Missouri Tigers, where his rushing threat will offer something different to Eliah Drinkwitz’s offense.
At Penn State, Pribula averaged a score every 9.5 rushing attempts and showcased elusive twitchy movement in space, as showcased by his 4.13 yards before contact.
KEEP READING: Top Players Not Participating At The 2025 NFL Combine
1) Gio Lopez, North Carolina
Gio Lopez saw 45.6% of his rushing attempts go for first downs in 2024, the most in the FBS. The former South Alabama Jaguars passer only had 83 rushing attempts but made the most of his legs, running for 463 yards and seven touchdowns, including a long of 50 yards.
Now transferring to play under Bill Belichick with the North Carolina Tar Heels, he could be asked to lean more heavily on his rushing ability as the dual-threat quarterback averaged 274.7 yards of total offense in 2024.
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