$2 million college football QB viewed as safe pick in transfer portal

The NCAA transfer portal's two-week window for college football transfers officially opens on Jan. 2, 2026.

In the weeks between the end of the regular season and the portal's opening, hundreds of college football players have already decided to search for new destinations in 2026.

The quarterbacks will realign across the Power Four ranks as signal-callers such as DJ Lagway, Dylan Raiola, Rocco Becht and Brendan Sorsby enter the transfer portal.

Another significant quarterback to enter the portal will be Josh Hoover of TCU. He will have one season of eligibility left at his second school.

NEWS: TCU quarterback Josh Hoover intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he tells ESPN. He projects to have the most passing yards 9,629 and touchdown passes 71 of any quarterback in the sport expected to return in 2026. pic.twitter.com/ox4XvpyGuB
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 19, 2025

Hoover is expected to command around $2 million in NIL compensation from whichever school he transfers to in the 2026 offseason.

While $2 million is a high price for any position in college football, Hoover is considered a more reliable option than most quarterbacks heading to the transfer portal.

On3 college football personality J.D. PicKell discussed Hoover's reliability on a recent episode of "The Hard Count" with special guest Jake Crain.

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"You feel like you have a lot more answers with Josh (Hoover) than you do in going and taking somebody that may have a ton of potential," Crain said.

"A lot of people have had a ton of potential, and it doesn't work out. I think that's the goal; you want to make the eval as easy as possible. When you have that type of sample size and that type of ability, you probably sleep a little bit better at night knowing that you took a -115 bet, not a +250."

Hoover's early production with the Horned Frogs was limited in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He redshirted during their run to the national championship and served as a backup to Chandler Morris for a portion of the 2023 season. He threw for 2,206 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games in 2023.

2024 was Hoover's first season as the starter at TCU. He set the program's single-season passing yards record at 3,949 to go along with 27 touchdowns passes and 11 interceptions. Hoover guided the Horned Frogs to a 9-4 season with a victory over Louisiana (34-3) in the New Mexico Bowl.

Hoover finished his final season with the Horned Frogs by passing for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Horned Frogs (8-4, 5-4) will face No. 16 USC (9-3, 7-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 30 (9 p.m. EST, ESPN).