The 2023 College Football Transfer Portal isn’t easy to keep up with on its own. However, when you break it down and look at it from a single position, it gets a bit more clear. These are the top QBs in the transfer portal for 2023.
Top 2023 Transfer Portal QBs
Looking at the top QBs in the transfer portal, the information below ranks the top available quarterbacks at the time of publish. Quarterbacks will be removed once they commit to a new school here and over on our transfer portal tracker. Their eligibility listed below is their projected class for the 2023 season.
1) Sam Hartman
- Previous School
Wake Forest - Year
Senior - Eligibility
One year - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
1 – SuperStar
There are few players as decorated as Sam Hartman to hit the transfer portal. The ACC record holder for career passing touchdowns opted to leave Wake Forest for one final season in college after dicing Missouri’s secondary in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Hartman accounted for 110 career passing touchdowns, setting a new standard for career passing touchdowns in the ACC. He threw for 77 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone. His 127 total touchdowns accounted for in his career also indicate just how dominant he was with his arm and his legs.
Where he lands next likely stands as a program that can put him on the map as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect. That program is likely one that runs a more pro-style offense or at least one without gimmicks like the long mesh of Wake Forest.
It will be an interesting challenge for Hartman to master in 2023 and a huge storyline to follow this offseason.
2) Grayson McCall
- Previous School
Coastal Carolina - Year
Redshirt Senior - Eligibility
Two years - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
1 – SuperStar
The nation’s active career leader in a bevy of quarterback metrics, Grayson McCall was somehow overlooked coming out of high school. A two-star recruit while still landing as a top-100 quarterback for the class of 2019, McCall had two FBS offers: Coastal Carolina and Army.
It’s safe to say he made the right decision after a record-setting four years in Conway. In the portal, McCall brings with him experience on the field and leading a team.
McCall also brings with him plenty of elite attributes from a quarterbacking perspective. He’s as accurate as they come, has plenty of arm strength, and is a dynamic athlete. McCall is clearly the best QB in the transfer portal, and most importantly, he’s the most ready to be plugged into a system that is a quarterback away from winning double-digit games.
3) Spencer Sanders
- Previous School
Oklahoma State - Year
Redshirt Senior - Eligibility
One year - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
2 – Power Five Starter
It’ll be incredibly difficult for coaches hunting in the transfer portal to find a player as experienced as Spencer Sanders. The four-year starter at Oklahoma State entered the transfer portal after throwing for nearly 10,000 yards as a Cowboy.
Sanders never really got credit for his ability as a downfield thrower because of the offensive system in Stillwater, but he still possesses plenty of accuracy downfield and the power to hit every level of the field.
He checks in as a surefire Power Five starter with high-end potential if he can find the right system fit as well as get acclimated with new surroundings for the first time in a half-decade.
4) Davis Brin
- Previous School
Tulsa - Year
Redshirt Senior - Eligibility
One year - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
3 – Group of Five Starter
Exceeding expectations at every level, Davis Brin entered the transfer portal after starting the past two seasons at Tulsa with great success. Injuries marred what may have been a career year in 2022, as Brin threw for 17 touchdowns in just seven full games he played.
There’s a ton of grit to his game, but Brin can be a refined passer when given time in the pocket to do so. Though he could be in for an upgrade in level of play, Brin’s best angle may be sliding into another Group of Five job and dominating to look for a chance at cracking into the 2024 NFL Draft.
5) Hank Bachmeier
- Previous School
Boise State - Year
Redshirt Senior - Eligibility
Two years - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
3 – Group of Five Starter
It seemed like Hank Bachmeier set the bar just a bit too high for himself after defeating Florida State in Tallahassee in his first start back in 2019. He dealt with injuries for his first two seasons and then dominated the 2021 season en route to 3,000+ yards and a career-high 20 touchdowns.
Bachmeier finished his fourth game of the year at Boise in 2022 battered, bruised, and in need of a change of scenery. He’s had plenty of time to assess his options in the transfer portal and will look to bring his tough-nosed, gritty style to a team that already has such an identity.
6) Brennan Armstrong
- Previous School
Virginia - Year
Redshirt Senior - Eligibility
One year - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
4 – Power Five Fringe Starter
As we all still continue to mourn and handle the tragedy that ended Virginia’s season, Brennan Armstrong entered the portal following its conclusion and needing a change of scenery. Armstrong was far from the 4,000-yard passer that he showed in 2021 this past fall and might need the proper system to revitalize his career.
Though he’s reportedly visited Wisconsin and Oklahoma State, both programs are seemingly not sold on their current situation, nor just one option in the portal, and Armstrong looks to factor into a QB competition in either situation there.
In fact, like his counterpart on this list, Armstrong is a competition piece in a Power Five backfield at this stage of his career. Moving to a Group of Five program with a vertical system that allows him to dot the downfield portion of the field with accurate passes would be in his best interest.
7) Malik Hornsby
- Previous School
Arkansas - Year
Redshirt Junior - Eligibility
Three years
- College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
4 – Power Five Fringe Starter
The athleticism put forth by Malik Hornsby is sure to drive up the asking price for his services. He’s a former high-ranked recruit in his own right and surely has shown flashes of potential brilliance.
Yet, Hornsby’s been slightly erratic with the ball as a passer and needs to continue to bulk up if he wants to build his career around his rushing ability. Moving forward, he’s on the fringe of starting at a Power Five school, but his athleticism will certainly almost always give him an advantage — especially if he joins a team with a shaky offensive line.
8) Chance Nolan
- Previous School
Oregon State - Year
Redshirt Junior - Eligibility
Three years - College Football Network Transfer Portal Ranking
4 – Power Five Fringe Starter
When given time to dissect the defense, Chance Nolan has been an upper-echelon quarterback no one talks about. However, when the going got tough, Nolan failed to read the field well, and that was ultimately the knock on his final year in Corvallis.
Rewind to the 2021 season, where Nolan far exceeded expectations and was able to dot the field with accurate passes left and right. If that’s the QB that transfers to another Power Five program this season — or better yet, a Group of Five team — his new team will be better off.
