Three Underrated Transfer QBs to Watch in 2026 College Football Season

While quarterbacks are the featured standouts across college football, some potential stars remain hidden in the shadows. Much of the attention is focused on returning passers like Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, and Julian Sayin. But despite the relevance of the transfer portal, some top transfer QBs are slipping under the radar. Here are three potential portal standout QBs who could emerge as 2026 stars.

Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville

Kienholz is one of the QBs who probably goes underappreciated because he hasn't had the chance to amass numbers at his old school. Across three years spent at Ohio State, Kienholz has thrown only 36 passes. But at Louisville, he's QB1.

Coach Jeff Brohm had massive 2024 success with Tyler Shough, but saw the Cardinals struggle at times in 2025 with Miller Moss. Kienholz was an athletic four-star recruit out of high school, who showed the ability to make big plays with his arms and legs. With good surrounding talent and an offense-first coach, Kienholz can star in 2026.

Jaden Craig, TCU

It's another player landing in a program where he's getting a pass-heavy head coach who can utilize his talents. But Craig is different in that he has spent two years starting at FCS Harvard, where he passed for over 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Josh Hoover had back-to-back 3,000 yard passing seasons for the Horned Frogs, but has now moved on to Indiana to replace Fernando Mendoza. Craig was a standout at Harvard and has the size and experience to be a day one standout in the Big 12. Obviously, given a Harvard background, he's likely to have more than a fair share of intelligence in his skill set.

Kenny Minchey, Kentucky

Minchey's story is much closer to Kienholz's. He was a backup at Notre Dame, going down to the wire with CJ Carr for the starting QB spot. But now he's prepared to run Will Stein's offense at Kentucky. Kentucky hasn't had a 3,000 yard passer since 2009, but Minchey has an excellent shot to hit that mark.

Stein was one of the offensive wizards at Oregon and had prior success (perhaps more relevant to Kentucky's talent level) at Texas-San Antonio. He immediately added to Kentucky's roster of athletic pass catchers and despite a brutal 2026 schedule, he'll look to make Minchey an immediate impact player. Minchey's probably not headed to the College Football Playoff in 2026, but he'll likely showcase an impressive skill set.

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