4 College Football QBs Primed For Breakout Seasons After Transferring

The 2026 college football transfer portal cycle brought new faces to every program across the sport.

From the beginning of December all the way to the middle of January, thousands of players poured into the NCAA transfer portal in search of better situations for the 2026 season. Many were looking for more lucrative NIL packages, while others looked for a quicker path to playing time.

The most publicized group throughout the 2026 portal cycle was the starting quarterbacks who transferred to Power Four programs. Of the 67 different Power Four schools, nearly half turned to the transfer portal to find their next starting quarterback.

Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports compiled a list of under-the-radar college football players who could climb up 2026 NFL draft boards.

On that list, Jeyarjah briefly mentioned four quarterbacks who could turn in breakout seasons in 2026.

Josh Hoover (Indiana)

Josh Hoover during Indiana's 2026 spring practice. — Indiana's Josh Hoover (10) throws in front of Tino Sunseri during spring practice at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mike Shanahan's Indiana offense has squeezed the best out of its previous two starting quarterbacks. Fernando Mendoza transformed from a 3,000-yard passer on a six-win California team to a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall choice in the 2026 NFL draft in 2025.

Kurtis Rourke seamlessly transitioned from the Group of Five ranks and turned in a 3,000-yard passing season on the Hoosiers' first-ever College Football Playoff team.

Indiana now brings in former TCU starter Josh Hoover, who is the most proven at the Power Four level among each of the Hoosiers' three quarterbacks in Curt Cignetti's tenure. While turnovers have been a slight issue for Hoover, he has already thrown for more than 9,000 yards in his previous three seasons as a starter.

Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech)

The phrase "a quarterback away" is a common and often overused descriptor of struggling college football teams.

For Texas Tech, it was a quarterback away from a deeper run in the 2025 College Football Playoff; the Red Raiders possessed everything they needed around the rest of the offense and on the defensive end. Brendan Sorsby's dual-threat capabilities should unlock another gear for Texas Tech's offense in 2026.

The one thing that could hinder Sorsby's potential success in 2026 is the ongoing investigation into gambling habits that have persisted throughout his college career. Depending on what the NCAA finds in its investigation, Sorsby could be deemed ineligible for the season, forcing the Red Raiders to turn to backup Will Hammond.

Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State)

Drew Mestemaker during Oklahoma State's 2026 spring game. — Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker smiles after throwing a touchdown pass during a spring football game for the Oklahoma State University Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 18, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State's new signal-caller is coming off a season in which he led all of FBS in passing yards with 4,379 at North Texas.

While Drew Mestemaker's 2025 campaign could technically be referred to as his breakout season, 2026 presents him with an opportunity to showcase his production to a larger audience.

Since he followed former Mean Green head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, Mestemaker already possesses familiarity with the offensive scheme and developed chemistry with many of Oklahoma State's new offensive weapons a season ago. Couple all of that with a reasonable schedule, and Mestemaker is poised for another fantastic season.

Jaden Craig (TCU)

Of the potential breakout quarterbacks Jeyarajah listed, Jaden Craig is by far the least known. While there are a handful of quarterbacks making the jump from Group of Six to Power Four schools, Craig is making the jump from FCS to FBS. The former Harvard starter threw for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his final season with the Crimson.

Sonny Dykes' offenses at TCU have maintained their productivity in the passing game regardless of who they have started at quarterback. The Horned Frogs' schedule is one that begins mildly before intensifying in November, so Craig will have time to build up confidence in the first two months of the season.

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