Several ACC teams have turned to the transfer portal for high-level QBs in 2025

Associated Press

4 days ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carson Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami because he viewed himself as a great fit in the Hurricanes' explosive offensive scheme. Miller Moss left USC for Louisville after learning of coach Jeff Brohm's history of developing transfer quarterbacks. And Tommy Castellanos moved on from Boston College to Florida State for a crack at beating national power Alabama in the season opener.
And then there's Gio Lopez, who wouldn't mind becoming Bill Belichick's next Tom Brady at North Carolina.
In all, eight of the top 25 quarterbacks in 247Sports' transfer-portal rankings landed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. By comparison, the Southeastern Conference has six of those top-level transfer QBs, while the Big Ten has four and the Big 12 three. It's why the ACC has spent this week touting itself as the 'conference of quarterbacks' while pointing to being the only league with at least one QB drafted in the first round of six different drafts since 2018.
Each QB has his own story and reasons for leaving for greener pastures — and no doubt about it, NIL money certainly played a huge factor — but each comes with aspirations of replicating what Miami transfer Cam Ward accomplished last season.
Ward left Washington State for the Hurricanes and in one season developed into the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, securing a fully guaranteed $48.7 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
Beck, who was the No. 2-ranked QB in the transfer portal behind only former Tennessee product Nico Iamaleava at UCLA, left Athens despite going 24-3 as a starter for the Bulldogs.
He called it a 'very difficult decision,' but said it's one that has worked out well so far leaving him excited about the future.
'What Cam was able to do is undeniable,' said Beck, who added that he's fully recovered from an elbow injury he sustained in last year's SEC championship game. 'The last school I was at, I followed up the two-time national champion, so I didn't really feel any pressure there. It's a game; I've played football my whole life. I've played quarterback since I was 7 years old. I've got a lot of good talent around me and really good coaches in position to be really successful.'
Miami coach Mario Cristobal couldn't resist the temptation of adding such a proven commodity, saying 'everything' drew him to recruiting Beck.
'He's played in monster games and he's played at a high level,' Cristobal said. 'He is ultra competitive, and his football IQ is off the charts. It didn't take long to realize that he's a team player, and that his work ethic is also through the roof.'
Moss threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns last season for the Trojans, but needed a change of scenery and couldn't wait for the opportunity to work with Brohm, who's viewed by many as a quarterback whisperer for his efforts in developing the likes of Aidan O'Connell, Tyler Shough and Jack Plummer.
'Obviously different coaches try to sell you on different things, but when there's consistent proof of your ability to do something, that kind of transcends any words you hear in a meeting,' Moss said of Brohm's history.
Castellanos hasn't played a snap at Florida State but has already created a stir nationally when he told On3 that he doesn't believe Alabama can stop him in the Aug. 30 season opener — in part because the Crimson Tide no longer have Nick Saban running the show.
He didn't back down from those comments on Wednesday at the ACC media days.
'We stand on what I said,' said Castellanos, who'll look to lead the Seminoles back to national prominence following a miserable 2-10 season. 'But there's no disrespect between that team or anything like that. It's just the confidence that I have in my teammates and the way we've been preparing and putting this preparation together this offseason. I just feel confident in the guys and the work that we've been putting in.'
Among the other QB newcomers in the ACC include Cal's Jaron Sagapolutele, who was ranked fifth in transfer portal after his decision to leave perennial West coast power Oregon.
Duke landed a key transfer in Tulane's Darian Mensah and Syracuse coach Fran Brown signed a pair of big-school transfers in LSU's Rickie Collins and Notre Dame's Steve Angeli. Collins is projected to start and attended the league's preseason media days on Wednesday, and will look to build on Kyle McCord's success last season after McCord — himself a transfer from Ohio State — threw for a national-best 4,779 yards for the Orange.
The ACC has some highly-touted returning quarterbacks as well, most notably 4,000-yard passer Cade Klubnik at Clemson and the versatile Kevin Jennings at SMU. Both led their teams to the ACC title game and College Football Playoff berths last season.
Georgia Tech's Haynes King transferred from Texas A&M after the 2022 season, said he never entertained the idea of leaving despite two successful seasons with the Yellow Jackets in which he's thrown for nearly 5,000 yards and combined for 68 TDs.
'I feel like we have a great opportunity this year to win some championships,' King said. 'The people in the building, I trust them, they're all wired the same, and they want to do things the right way and I'm not one to jump ship like I've said before.
'I've helped build this and rebuild it, and I want to see it through. I want to be part of it,' King added.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football