Big name QBs enter names into NCAA transfer portal
Get ready for a shakeup in college football. As transfer rules have changed, so have the fortunes of teams as the season ends and a number of big names have decided their futures might be better other than where they are now.
Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma are among the names seeing quarterbacks look to enter the transfer portal as the season came to a close. To help keep track of all the happenings during this early portion of the offseason, here’s the latest on who wants out of their current jobs in 2019. Let’s start with Georgia. Ohio State lured Georgia transfer Justin Fields away from the Bulldogs lineup after he declared he was leaving Athens after an incident with a Bulldogs baseball player, who has since been disciplined.
Fields is being sought by the Buckeyes to compete for the starting spot in their backfield. He was the top recruit in the 2018 class for Georgia and nationwide.
That development then prompted another transfer announcement, or at least one made by the Associated Press.
Martell has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, according to a person with access to the portal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity last Wednesday because the database is not public.
Martell listing his name with the NCAA means schools are now free to talk to him about a potential transfer. Martell, who will be a third-year sophomore, sat behind recordsmashing quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. last season. He seemed to be the heir apparent when Haskins left early for the NFL draft.
Others have also joined the bandwagon.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has taken an important step toward transferring.
Hurts entered his name into the NCAA transfer database portal on Wednesday, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press last Wednesday as well. They also spoke anonymously due to the database being private.
Putting his name on the list allows other schools to contact Hurts, who has already graduated and is eligible to play his final season as a graduate transfer. It’s not a binding decision to transfer.
Hurts, a dual threat as a runner and passer, will likely be a hot commodity. He was a two-year starter who led Alabama to a pair of national championship
games and was Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year as a freshman.
A l a b a m a l o s t t o Clemson in the national championship game just days before the AP broke the news.
Then late in the week, additional transfer portal news came.
Oklahoma backup quarterback Austin Kendall also entered the NCAA transfer database portal.
A university spokesperson confirmed Kendall’s entry last Friday.
Other schools can now contact Kendall. He has already graduated, so he would be eligible to play immediately.
Kendall was Baker Mayfield’s backup in 2016 and battled Kyler Murray for the starting job into fall camp this past season. Murray won the job and eventually won the Heisman Trophy. Kendall completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns without an interception at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma still is strong at quarterback. Spencer Rattler, the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2019, signed with the Sooners last month. Tanner Mordecai, a freshman this past season, was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and a threestar prospect by 247Sports and Rivals.
University of Buffalo quarterback Tyree Johnson is also among those considering a change of school in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.