QB Transfer Big Board 3.0: Examining the current free agents
Free agency has arrived in college football, and it’s not slowing down in the 2023 recruiting cycle. On Monday, the first transfer portal window officially started, and Kentucky will be heavily involved with prospects.
Mark Stoops spoke with reporters on Monday and believed that Kentucky “will do well in the portal” despite the offensive coordinator search that is now a week old and hanging over the program at this critical juncture of the calendar. Regardless of how that search goes, the Cats need to find a quarterback.
KSR’s QB Transfer Big Board is back with version three as a few more names jumped into the transfer portal on Monday while two names appear to be at the top of the offensive coordinator list for Stoops and Kentucky football. Let’s take a look at some potential QB candidates for that new OC as there have been some more developments on the waiver wire.
We have 10 quarterbacks now on the big board after two have been removed following commitments. We have decided to keep the targets in alphabetical order as Kentucky’s search still feels wide open at the moment.
Brennan Armstrong (Virginia)
- Three-star recruit out of Shelby (Ohio) High
- Flipped commitment from Minnesota to Virginia during senior year
- Three-year starter in the ACC with 30 career starts
- 2021 numbers: 65.2% completion rate on 45.5 throws per game, 8.9 yards per attempt, 52.3% passing success rate, 40 total touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 476 rushing yards on 7.6 yards per attempt
- Will be a super senior in 2023
- Scouting Report: Playing in a pass-heavy spread scheme for offensive coordinator Robert Anae from 2020-21, Brennan Armstrong is an instinctive big-play passer with solid accuracy despite having some arm strength limitations. With plus mobility, Armstrong can create off-script and provide a run element on scrambles. In many ways, this is a gunslinger that struggled out of Anae’s offense in 2022.
Brennan Armstrong (6-2, 210) was one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2021. That was not the case in 2022. Under new head coach Tony Elliott, offensive coordinator Des Kitchings, and an entirely new offensive line, Armstrong struggled as a redshirt senior as the Cavaliers finished the year 3-7 (1-6).
The lefty posted career-worst numbers in completion percentage (54.7%), yards per attempt (6.5), touchdowns (7), and interceptions (12). Things were not good in Charlottesville, but we’ve seen Armstrong be a productive college quarterback in the past.
Finding a play-caller and scheme that Armstrong can gel with will be critical. That needs to be a wide-open spread offense with a bunch of RPO looks and vertical route combinations. The veteran doesn’t have the biggest arm but has shown an ability to make decisive reads and create explosive plays for a good Power Five offense.
Hank Bachmeier (Boise State)
- Top-300 recruit out of Murrieta (Calif.) Valley
- Committed to Bryan Harsin and Boise State over California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon State during senior season
- 29 career starts
- Career: 61.5% completion rate (536/871), 6,605 passing yards, 7.6 yards per attempt, 41 touchdowns, 19 interceptions
- Will be a redshirt senior in 2023 with two years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: A highly productive QB in the Mountain West that led Boise State to a lot of wins under multiple play-callers. Tough quarterback that will hold his ground and make throws under pressure. Produces very good velocity on short-to-intermediate throws but struggles to drive the ball on vertical concepts. Plays with high confidence and excels in quick game. Ton of playing experience. Very limited as a rusher.
Upon his arrival at Boise State, Hank Bachmeier (6-1, 210) immediately earned the QB1 role and led Boise State on a furious comeback to win his first-ever start. However, has battled injuries and saw a dip in production after Byran Harsin’s left for Auburn.
Bachmeier decided to leave Boise State after four games in 2022 after a brutal start. From that point, the Broncos made a change at offensive coordinator and finished the year undefeated in conference play. However, Bachmeier will receive Power Five interest due to his experience and ability to excel in the short-to-intermediate passing game.
An RPO-heavy offense might be the best fit for the Boise State transfer. Bachmeier has little rush value and has had some issues driving the ball vertically. However, the quarterback produces good velocity and has flashed confident decision-making when allowed to play fast.
Jay Butterfield (Oregon)
- Top-200 recruit out of Greater Los Angeles
- Committed to Oregon over California, Stanford, and Oregon State
- Will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: A tall and lean QB prospect with a strong pedigree. Jay Butterfield’s dad, Mark, played quarterback at Stanford. Big arm that can make every throw. Strong high school background where he flashed poise, football IQ, and a high ceiling.
Jay Butterfield (6-6, 216) spent three seasons at Oregon under head coaches Mario Cristobal and Dan Lanning. Unfortunately, playing time never occurred. The Ducks signed five-star prospect Ty Thompson in the class of 2021 and added Auburn transfer Bo Nix for the 2022 season. Both passed Butterfield on the depth chart in Eugene.
The class of 2020 signee has only thrown four passes in his career so tape is limited. However, this was a very good-looking high school prospect who flashed a ton of potential. It is unclear what scheme would work best for Butterfield at the college level. However, there are some traits as this could be a high risk/high reward find for a program this transfer cycle.
Hudson Card (Texas)
- Top-100 recruit out of Austin (Texas) Westlake
- Committed to head coach Tom Herman after his sophomore season in 2017
- 5 career starts
- 65.5% completion rate (127/194), 7.9 yards per attempt, 192 non-sack rushing yards (6.4 yards per rush), 12 total touchdowns, 2 interceptions in 16 career games
- Will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: Good athlete with off-script playmaking ability that can create plays out of structure. Plus accuracy. Very good on the move. Must improve playing from the pocket. Does not have a power arm but has enough juice to test defenses vertically.
Hudson Card (6-2, 201) continued the Lake Travis pipeline of quarterbacks that includes Garrett Gilbert, Todd Reesing, and Baker Mayfield. After taking a redshirt and sitting behind Sam Ehlinger, a coaching change was made at Texas early in his tenure.
Steve Sarkisian has come in and recently landed huge five-star recruiting wins in transfer Quinn Ewers and class of 2023 prospect Arch Manning. That has created a tough situation for Card. The blue-chip prospect lost a position battle to Ewers during the season but did receive playing time when Ewers was lost with a shoulder injury early in the season. Card started three games and posted solid numbers.
As of right now, this should be considered the top QB prospect available in college football free agency. Card has starting experience and some high-ceiling potential with multiple years of eligibility remaining. Multiple Power Five programs will be involved.
Latest Buzz: Notre Dame is trending in this recruitment. But so is Oregon.
Jacolby Criswell (North Carolina)
- Top-300 recruit out of Arkansas
- Committed to North Carolina in the class of 2020
- Will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: A dual-threat quarterback with a big arm, Jacolby Criswell came to North Carolina with some potential. The prospect has the arm power to hit the entire route tree and can be a threat in the designed QB run game. The lack of playing time (116 snaps over three years) makes this transfer a wild card, but the traits are intriguing.
Jacolby Criswell (6-1, 225) arrived at North Carolina in 2020 and immediately served as a backup to Sam Howell as the Tar Heels made the Orange Bowl. Two years later, the Arkansas native was beaten out by Drake Maye in a heated position battle. The fight for QB1 in Chapel Hill wasn’t decided until the last minute with Maye going on to put up monster numbers in offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s RPO-heavy spread scheme.
We haven’t seen much of Criswell on the field, but his raw athletic traits should attract many suitors. Especially those spread schemes that want to have a run element at quarterback. Any offense with a zone-read element would feel like a good fit.
Latest Buzz: Criswell has a visit scheduled with Arkansas.
Brett Gabbert (Miami, Ohio)
- Low three-star recruit out of St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers
- Picked Miami (Ohio) over multiple MAC offers
- 30 career starts
- 58.8% career completion rate (450/765), 6,259 passing yards, 8.2 yards per attempt, 45 touchdowns, 14 interceptions
- Will be a redshirt senior in 2023 with two years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: The undersized pocket passer excelled as a four-year starter at Miami (Ohio) in an RPO-heavy scheme. The RedHawks asked Gabbert to take vertical shots and he delivered constantly. There is not much mobility and durability is a question, but the veteran quarterback flashed arm strength that can stretch the field.
We all know Kentucky has to find at least one quarterback in the transfer portal this offseason. But the Cats need to consider adding two since it looks like the program is about to have another high school signing class without a quarterback.
If the program does go this route, the Cats will have to look to the Group of Five and FCS level to find another option. Kentucky saw a candidate in Week 1.
Miami (Ohio) quarterback Brett Gabbert (6-0, 205) entered the portal earlier this week after four seasons in Oxford. The St. Louis native has battled injuries two years in a row but has played a lot of football and has flashed moments of being a vertical playmaker behind center.
A lot of this evaluation will have to do with scheme fit, but a move like this could make some sense for Kentucky.
Devin Leary (NC State)
- Four-star recruit out of New Jersey
- Picked NC State over Baylor, Iowa, Maryland, Rutgers, and West Virginia
- Four-year starter that has played over 1,800 snaps during his five years in Raleigh
- Career: 60.2% completion rate (568/944), 6,807 passing yards, 7.2 yards per attempt, 62 touchdowns, 16 interceptions
- Will be a sixth-year super senior in 2023
- Scouting Report: Devin Leary is a rhythm passer that posted a ridiculous TD/INT ratio (35/5) in 2021. The pocket quarterback is a very good processor that makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time within the structure of offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s scheme. Leary’s quick release produces touch on the football as the quarterback has shown the ability to layer throws between defenders. However, durability is a huge concern as Leary has been knocked out for the season in 2020 and 2022. Driving the ball on vertical concepts can be an issue due to a lack of throwing power but consistent touch and ball placement is shown on deep throws.
Devin Leary (6-1, 215) emerged as the answer at quarterback in 2020 posting good numbers in four consecutive ACC games before being lost for the year with a fractured fibula. Leary would return in 2021 leading the Wolfpack to a 9-3 year with his best season yet despite posting just a 42.3 percent passing success rate. The QB would throw for over 300 yards in six games and led the Wolfpack to their first win over Clemson since 2011.
Leary returned in 2022 but was lost for the season with a torn pec after just six games. However, his numbers did dip in year three under Tim Beck (6.6 yards per attempt, 4 interceptions on 193 passes). But the experience is undeniable.
The transfer will be a likely one-and-done at this next stop, but he makes good decisions and plays very well in rhythm. Any offense with a heavy emphasis on a quick passing game will be a good fit, but there is not a run element with Leary, and durability is a major concern.
Latest Buzz: The transfer has heard from Florida, but Missouri is a school to watch. Leary’s younger brother is at Illinois, and the Illini are expected to be in the mix. This will be a heated transfer recruitment.
Graham Mertz (Wisconsin)
- Top-100 recruit out of Metro Kansas City
- Picked Wisconsin over offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon
- Three-year starter who has played over 1,100 snaps
- Career: 59.5% completion rate (460/773), 5,405 passing yards, 7.0 yards per attempt, 38 touchdowns, 26 interceptions
- Scouting Report: A pro-style quarterback with some NFL tools, Graham Mertz flashed some spurts of high-level play in three years as Wisconsin’s starter. In a traditional offense that got under center a ton and played with a lot of heavy personnel, Mertz flashed good velocity on short-to-intermediate throws and excelled at creating completions on vertical concepts due to ball placement and accuracy. However, that accuracy was not always consistent on some of the easier throws in the Wisconsin scheme. There is a lack of foot quickness and speed that limits Mertz’s secondary playmaking when plays break down. Was a true game manager in the Big Ten that was never really asked to carry an offense.
Graham Mertz (6-3, 216) was the highest-ranked QB recruit to ever sign with Wisconsin as the blue-chip prospect came to Madison with sky-high expectations. The pocket passer is on the move after four seasons after failing to meet those expectations.
Mertz dealt with a lot at Wisconsin (multiple coordinators, head coaching change, COVID season) and had his fair share of struggles. But he’s shown glimpses of good QB play and just put his best year on tape in 2022 in a scheme that called for a lot of vertical throws.
The transfer will be a fit for any pro-style attack but will likely excel in a run-heavy scheme that can use play-action to open up the vertical passing game where Mertz can then really lean into his strengths as a passer. However, there is enough there from a quick-release standpoint to believe Mertz could also succeed in a quick passing game that utilizes some more modern spread concepts to get the ball out fast.
There are real tools, but this is a prospect that needs some development.
Latest Buzz: KSR’s Matt Jones has reported that Graham Mertz is one of Kentucky’s top options at quarterback.
Drew Pyne (Notre Dame)
- Top-250 recruit out of Connecticut
- Picked Notre Dame over Auburn, Oklahoma, and Penn State
- 11 career starts
- Numbers as a starter in 2022: 64.6% completion rate on 23.1 throws per game, 8.0 yards per attempt, 24 total touchdowns, 6 interceptions
- Will be a redshirt junior in 2023 with three years of eligibility remaining
- Scouting Report: An undersized quarterback with good movement skills, Pyne replaced Tyler Buchner after Notre Dame’s QB1 was lost for the season in September. After a slow start to the year, the quarterback flashed growth down the stretch with very good accuracy and good decision-making. Good pocket presence and a quick release, but vertical passing is a concern.
At one point, things were getting sideways for first-year head coach Marcus Freeman with home losses to Marshall and Stanford. However, Drew Pyne (5-11, 198) helped settle things in South Bend.
The redshirt sophomore went through some growing pains early but played winning football down the stretch and played his best game in the Week 13 road loss to USC. However, Notre Dame did not ask much of the young quarterback.
Pyne’s biggest play strengths are release and accuracy. But driving the ball on vertical concepts is a concern. A spread offense with a heavy dink-and-dunk passing attack might be the best fit for the Mid-Atlantic native moving forward.
Austin Reed (WKU)
- Unranked high school prospect out of St. Augustine (Fla.) High
- Signed with FCS Southern Illinois in the class of 2018 but would transfer to Division II West Florida
- Led West Florida to a national title and transferred to WKU
- 2022 numbers: 64.2% completion rate (364/567) on 43.6 throws per game, 4,407 passing yards, 46 total touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 283 rushing yards
- Will be a super senior in 2023
- Scouting Report: A true spread quarterback was able to have immediate success in the FBS. Austin Reed plays with a lot of confidence, and that shows up on tape as the Division II transfer is not afraid to squeeze and rip the football. There is strong velocity produced on intermediate routes and movement in the pocket shown to extend plays with throws or positive runs on scrambles. All around solid accuracy. Reed’s high confidence can lead him to turnover-worthy plays, but overall, the gunslinger does much more good than bad as a passer.
Austin Reed (6-2, 230) continued WKU’s small school Air Raid renaissance as the Division II transfer followed Bailey Zappe and put up big numbers in his only season in Bowling Green. The Air Raid quarterback was a true scheme fit for the Tops, and his play helped the Tops compete for a conference title for the second year in a row.
Now the quarterback is looking to bet on himself again with the third transfer of his collegiate career. Reed obviously will be best suited in a spread scheme, but there are enough traits here to succeed outside of the full-on spread structure. This is a player that can make a plethora of throws.
Reed has supreme confidence, flashes strong football knowledge, and carries some playmaking ability out of structure. That could translate to really good play at the Power Five level.
Latest Buzz: UCLA has made contact with the WKU transfer.
Off the board
— Phil Jurkovec: The Boston College transfer did not last long in the transfer portal. Jurkovec decided to reunite with old offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. and returned home to Pittsburgh for his final season of college football.
— Cade McNamara: The Michigan transfer did not wait long to find a new home. On Thursday, McNamara committed to Iowa, and the Nevada native will stay in the Big Ten. This is a change for Kirk Ferentz as the Hawkeyes were very against using the transfer portal last season. Some offensive changes could be coming to Iowa City, and the Hawks should have McNamara leading the way over the next two years.
— DJ Uiagalelei: If Rich Scangarello returned for year two at Kentucky, there was a great shot at Kentucky landing Uiagalelei in the transfer portal. However, that is off the table now. We’ll see how things develop, but an expectation is building that DJU will return to the west coast.
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