Could Stanford Look to Upgrade the QB Spot with This Arm in the Transfer Portal?

It's officially transfer portal season. With many college programs either hiring new head coaches or being in the thick of their offseason plans, players are using this time to decide whether or not they want to enter the transfer portal in search of a new opportunity that will best showcase their own talents.

Many programs experience the loss of several key players each year to the transfer portal, which is why it is equally as important for those programs to try and get guys from the portal of their own.

For Stanford, the hiring of new head coach Tavita Pritchard signals the start of a new era on The Farm, where the first goal will be to bring Stanford football back into the national spotlight. But for that to happen, Stanford needs to answer many questions about its roster for next season—including what to do at the quarterback spot.

But it is very possible that their answer lies in the form of Boston College quarterback, Dylan Lonergan, who recently announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.

The Cardinal were led by Ben Gulbranson and Elijah Brown this season, and while Brown showed some promise, questions still linger as to whether or not he can be the long-term answer. Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback with a reputation for being a quarterback whisperer, could look to get someone more established and experienced than who the Cardinal currently have.

Lonergan, who started his college career at Alabama, transferred to Boston College ahead of the 2025 season and immediately became the program's starting quarterback. Back when he ws getting recruited, he was targeted by the Cardinal, and Pritchard, back in 2022.

According to On3, he made a pair of trips to Palo Alto, and took a liking to the program, and Pritchard in particular. "At Stanford, Tavita Pritchard, and his development of Davis Mills grabbed Lonergan’s attention."

While Lonergan played well during most of his first season as a college starter, throwing for 2,025 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions, Boston College's 2-10 finish and the program's murky future were most likely the biggest factors that led to Lonergan looking to make another change ahead of his senior year.

If Lonergan were to join the Cardinal, it would not only give the Cardinal a guy that has proven success but it would also give them a big name at football's most important position, which could bring even more excitement to Pritchard's first year in charge.

In recent seasons, despite Stanford struggling at all spots on the roster, inconsistent quarterback play has hampered the team from reaching its full potential, with the team finishing 3-9 in four straight seasons before a 4-8 finish this season.

Lonergan, while only being a starter for one season, could look to grow even more under Pritchard's tutelage and bring consistency back to Stanford's quarterback room.

Given how there is a growing sense of urgency to win now, finding a good quarterback who can play right away is something that Stanford will probably need to do.

The Cardinal did land some quarterback help on signing day, most notably signing Michael Mitchell Jr. from Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), but as a true freshman, it is too soon to tell whether or not Mitchell Jr. can be the guy right away. Getting a quarterback from the portal to give Mitchell Jr. time to develop is probably the best plan for Stanford.

It is still very early in the transfer portal window to fully know where guys plan on going, but if the Cardinal do their due diligence and homework on Lonergan, they could find themselves in the mix to land his services.

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