Two college football programs emerge as landing spots for 3,000-yard QB in transfer portal

A quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal has been heavily connected to two Power Four college football programs.

Oct 16, 2025; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates quarterback Katin Houser (4) runs with the ball against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the second half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal officially opened for all college football players on Friday. It is open for a two-week window that runs until Jan. 16.

Of the thousands of players across college football who have decided to enter the transfer portal, the quarterbacks have dominated the headlines in the weeks following the end of the regular season. Several Power Four quarterbacks are on the move, but multiple Group of Five quarterbacks are looking to increase their national exposure in 2026.

One of the Group of Five quarterbacks who has entered the portal is former East Carolina starter Katin Houser. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his third school.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder started his college football career with Mel Tucker at Michigan State in 2022. He appeared in a blowout victory against Akron, completing a two-yard pass and rushing for 13 yards.

Houser appeared in 11 of the Spartans' 12 games in 2023. He finished the season with 1,130 passing yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. Michigan State fired Tucker with cause in the middle of the 2023 season, and Houser transferred out the following offseason.

East Carolina acquired Houser from the portal to start the 2024 season. Houser played in only nine games while recovering from a wrist fracture, passing for 2,006 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, and rushing for 170 yards and four touchdowns.

Houser started the entirety of the 2025 regular season for the Pirates. He threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 181 yards and nine touchdowns.

While Houser is not receiving quite the level of attention as some Power Four quarterbacks on the move, there are still Power Four schools with an interest in him. Pete Nakos of On3 reported that two schools are eyeing Houser as a potential starter out of the portal.

Arkansas

A coaching change from Sam Pittman to Ryan Silverfield will see Arkansas lose and gain considerable numbers of players in the 2026 portal cycle. At quarterback, Taylen Green's eligibility has expired, and Trever Jackson and Grayson Wilson have both entered the portal.

There still remains a possibility that 2025 second-stringer KJ Jackson enters the transfer portal, and Houser could slide into the starting role. Even if Jackson stays, Houser's experience could likely open up a competition for the Razorbacks' starting quarterback role next season.

Illinois

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is shown before their game against Wisconsin Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Transfer quarterback acquisitions have been crucial in Illinois' rise during Bret Bielema's tenure. Brandon Peters (Michigan), Artur Sitkowski (Rutgers) and Tommy DeVito (Syracuse) were all featured in Bielema's first two seasons. Luke Altmyer (Ole Miss) just finished a three-season run as the Fighting Illini's starter.

Altmyer will not be the only loss for Illinois at quarterback, as Ethan Hampton's eligibility is set to expire after five seasons of college football. Houser's competition for the starting job at Illinois would be very unproven should he choose to transfer there.