Transfer Guide: How did newcomers fare in QB battles?

© Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 season officially kicks off this weekend and it might take viewers awhile to remember who transferred where and who is starting for which team.

Did your team have an open competition to see who would start at quarterback this season? Was one of the quarterbacks a transfer? Take a look at this guide to see which transfer quarterbacks won the battle for the starting job.

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The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on December 9th, 2024 for 30 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play.

ARIZONA STATE

2024 starter: Sam Leavitt

The Sun Devils lost Jaden Rashada to the transfer portal and eventually Georgia but Kenny Dillingham and staff added two transfer quarterbacks in Leavitt and Jeff Sims. Last season Leavitt played in four games for Michigan State while Sims, who began his career at Georgia Tech, played in five games for Nebraska. Leavitt won the starting job at Arizona State this week.

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ARKANSAS

2024 starter: Taylen Green

With KJ Jefferson heading for the exit after last season, Arkansas is ready for a new starting quarterback. Green transferred in from Boise State and Blake Boda arrived from Coastal Carolina but Green has this job pretty much sewn up.

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BAYLOR

2024 starter: Dequan Finn

With head coach Dave Aranda squarely on the hot seat this season, the Bears went out and landed a major quarterback transfer in Finn. Baylor already had quarterback Sawyer Robertson on the roster and the battle between the two quarterbacks was only recently resolved, with Finn earning the title of “QB1.”

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BOISE STATE

2024 starter: Maddux Madsen

It’s generally a surprise when a high-profile transfer doesn’t land the starting job at their new school. That’s what happened at Boise State. The Broncos added former USC quarterback Malachi Nelson out of the transfer portal but incumbent Maddux Madsen was named the starter earlier this week.

Madsen played in nine games for Boise State last season and is slated to be Boise State’s starter in its first game against Georgia Southern.

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BYU

2024 starter: Undecided

Jake Retzlaff is the incumbent starter for the Cougars but that didn’t stop BYU from adding transfer quarterback Gerry Bohanon from South Florida. The battle between the two quarterbacks still isn’t settled with less than 10 days until their opening game against Southern Illinois.

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CAL

2024 starter: Undecided

This quarterback battle could get resolved in the coming days as Fernando Mendoza looks to hold onto the starting job from last season. Chandler Rogers, who transferred in from North Texas, is really pushing Mendoza and making this a much tougher decision for head coach Justin Wilcox.

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CINCINNATI

2024 starter: Brendan Sorsby

Cincinnati’s 2023 starting quarterback Emory Jones graduated after last season so the Bearcats will have someone new under center this year. Brady Lichtenberg had hoped he would move into the starting role after being the backup last season but it appears that Indiana transfer Brendan Sorsby will be Cincinnati’s starter to start the season.

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DUKE

2024 starter: Maalik Murphy

The Blue Devils have a new head coach in Manny Diaz and, after losing Riley Leonard to the transfer portal, they will have a new starting quarterback this fall. Henry Belin and Grayson Loftis played a lot last season after Leonard was injured but neither was able to beat touted Texas quarterback transfer Maalik Murphy for the starting job going into this season.

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FLORIDA STATE

2024 starter: DJ Uiagalelei

The Seminoles are looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking end to the 2023 season and brought in a number of big-time transfers to help. The most important of those transfers is none other than quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

The former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback was the overwhelming favorite to win the starting job this season over Brock Glenn. Now the Noles are ready to get the season started this weekend in Ireland.

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INDIANA

2024 starter: Undecided

Head coach Curt Cignetti hadn’t named a starting quarterback as of Wednesday night but it wouldn’t be surprising if he did by the time this article was published. Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke is the leading candidate after an impressive scrimmage last week. He’s leading a crowded field that includes Tayven Jackson and Tyler Cherry.

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IOWA

2024 starter: Undecided

The Hawkeyes are revamping their offense and they still haven’t publicly named their starting quarterback for this season. Cade McNamara is back from a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2023 campaign. Iowa also added transfer quarterback Brendan Sullivan from Northwestern during the offseason. He’s made this a really tight race but McNamara might have the edge.

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KENTUCKY

2024 starter: Brock Vandagriff

He may not have been officially named the starter just yet but all signs point to Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff starting for the Wildcats when they begin their 2024 season. Gavin Wimsatt also transferred in from Rutgers but this job looked like it was Vandagriff’s to lose once he decided to transfer to Lexington.

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MARYLAND

2024 starter: Undecided

Record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is gone and the race to replace him is pretty much down to Billy Edwards and NC State transfer MJ Morris.

Head coach Mike Locksley hasn’t hinted at who could be leading this race as the 2024 season nears.

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MIAMI

2024 starter: Cameron Ward

This race was over as soon as Ward announced he’d be transferring to Miami. The Hurricanes saw 2023 starter Tyler Van Dyke and backup Jacurri Brown leave via the portal and Ward was head coach Mario Cristobal’s main target for the starting job this season.

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MICHIGAN STATE

2024 starter: Aidan Chiles

Another race that was over before it started. Aidan Chiles followed head coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to East Lansing with the idea that he’d be the next starter for the Spartans and that’s exactly what’s happening.

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MINNESOTA

2024 starter: Max Brosmer

It’s hard to call it a QB battle at Minnesota but there was no incumbent after Athan Kaliakmanis transferred to Rutgers. The race for the starting quarterback job was over almost as quickly as it started, with New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer emerging from the pack.

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MISSISSIPPI STATE

2024 starter: Blake Shapen

A situation similar to what happened at Minnesota – an incumbent transfers out and an obvious starter transfers in. Former Baylor Bear Blake Shapen transferred to Mississippi State and it’s been off to the races for him as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs.

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NORTH CAROLINA

2024 starter: Undecided

Mack Brown isn’t tipping his hand before the Tar Heels hit the field to start the 2024 season but Max Johnson has looked like the eventual starter for North Carolina since he transferred there from Texas A&M.

Jacoby Criswell has been trying to take advantage of his second opportunity at North Carolina but he may come up just short again.

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OHIO STATE

2024 starter: Will Howard

It was a tighter race than most expected but Kansas State transfer Will Howard will be Ohio State’s starter when it hits the field this fall.

Howard narrowly beat out a field that included five-star Alabama transfer Julian Sayin, Devin Brown and Lincoln Keinholz.

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Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.