No. 1 transfer portal QB labeled as 'Plan A' for major college football program

The best quarterback in the 2026 NCAA transfer portal cycle is considered "Plan A" for the program he transferred to.

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) warms up before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2026 NCAA transfer portal window for college football players is two weeks in the rearview mirror. The two-week period to enter began on Jan. 2 and concluded on Jan. 16 at midnight.

With the dust beginning to settle, college football media is analyzing the activity that took place in the 2026 portal cycle. This involves looking into different classes assembled by major college football programs and the weight individual transfers carry on the college football landscape.

One of the most impactful transfers in the 2026 cycle was former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who announced his commitment to Texas Tech on Jan. 4. He will have one season of eligibility with the Red Raiders.

Max Olson of ESPN compiled a list of the 100 best transfers in the 2026 portal cycle on Friday. Olson named Sorsby as both the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall player in the cycle.

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) throws a pass against the BYU Cougars | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

"The Red Raiders were not going to be outbid in their battle with LSU for Sorsby," Olson wrote. "He was the Plan A all along for coach Joey McGuire and his staff, a proven Big 12 starter and Texas native who can elevate an offense that ranked No. 2 nationally in points per game this season before the shutout loss to Oregon in the CFP quarterfinal."

Texas Tech is the third school Sorsby will suit up for in his college football career. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was recruited to Indiana by Tom Allen as a part of the Hoosiers' 2022 signing class. He saw the field in a blowout loss to Penn State, completing three of six pass attempts for eight yards and an interception.

Sorsby played in 10 games for the Hoosiers in 2023, passing for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 286 yards and four touchdowns. Indiana fired Allen that offseason and hired Curt Cignetti, so Sorsby hopped into the portal for the first time.

Cincinnati landed Sorsby out of the portal in the 2024 offseason. He threw for 2,813 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 447 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season with the Bearcats. He was named Offensive Newcomer of the Year Honorable Mention by the Big 12 coaches.

Sorsby's final season at Cincinnati saw him throw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions and run for 580 more yards and nine touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by the league's coaches in 2025.

Texas Tech has acquired 20 total transfers in the 2026 cycle, five of which have been ranked four-star or higher by 247Sports. Sorsby is the lone five-star in the Red Raiders' class, which sits at No. 9 nationally and second among Big 12 teams behind Oklahoma State.

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) runs the ball to the end zone for a touchdown | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images