The transfer portal has become an increasingly vital part of college sports in recent years. College football teams use transfers to become quick contenders, and in the case of some schools, remain contenders despite high-profile departures. Oklahoma has essentially made it standard practice to find a high-quality quarterback every year via the portal.
So who’s going to star in 2020 after landing at a new school? Here are five names to keep in mind.
The reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Year promises to make an instant impact at Miami. Roche collected 13 sacks for Temple in 2019, establishing himself as one of the country’s top pass rushers. While he’s making a step up in terms of competition, he’s good enough and experienced enough that the ACC shouldn’t be too imposing for him. Roche will start immediately and make the Miami defense much more fearsome as the program looks to rebound from a 6-7 season.
4. Feleipe Franks, QB, Arkansas
Franks looked like the future at Florida, but his time there was derailed by injury and the emergence of Kyle Trask. It’s worth remembering how good he was in 2018 when he threw for 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions, leading Florida to a ten-win season. It’s not easy to find quarterbacks with that level of success and experience. Franks should start immediately, and provided he stays healthy, should improve Arkansas considerably.
North Dakota State has produced some quality football players despite being a FCS program — just ask Carson Wentz. That’s why Jabril Cox’s transfer to LSU should be taken seriously. A two-time FCS All-American, Cox starred for three Bison championship teams and is viewed as having the potential to become one of the nation’s top linebackers. Going from FCS football to the SEC will obviously be an adjustment, but the vast majority of experts think he will pull it off and then some.
2. Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
While there will be some debate over the order, the general consensus is that Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are the top two college quarterbacks in 2020. Newman may well establish himself as No. 3 before all is said and done. Newman threw for 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Wake Forest, on a team with inferior talent, and in a system that didn’t suit him. Georgia will be better for him in both regards. Expect the dual-threat quarterback to put up big numbers on a Georgia team with playoff ambitions.
1. D’Eriq King, QB, Miami
King was one of the most sought-after transfers in recent memory when he announced, after a rather bizarre saga, that he was leaving Houston. Miami won the race and will reap the rewards. King’s 2018 campaign was one of the best in the nation, as he threw 36 touchdown passes and fell just shy of 3,000 yards. He’s a threat with his legs, too, and added 14 rushing touchdowns that season. If Miami figures out how to get the best out of him, those numbers could be a baseline, not a peak. King is one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the nation, and a huge coup for the Hurricanes.
