Transfer QBs Making Noise in CFB

The game has changed.

909 players who transferred in 2026 hold a first-team seat on a maintained FBS depth chart.

444 of them at Power Four programs.

And while the grass isn't always greener on the other side, these players have fulfilled the promises made to new teams, earning their worth through three weeks.

Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia

Hawkins came from Oklahoma and has taken every meaningful offensive snap for West Virginia.

As advertised, his dual-threat nature has been on display, with 477 passing yards and 5 touchdowns against 322 rushing yards and 6 more scores

Week 3 was his biggest spot yet, as the Mountaineers raced past a talented Virginia team 38-27, knocking off one of the season's early surprise darlings.

And while it's no longer uncommon for new faces to meet in new places, the line in front of him might be the Morgantown roster-churn story of the season: four of the five first-team seats belong to transfers, and the fifth is true freshman Kevin Brown.

Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Louisville

While Game 1 didn't end as hoped, after what we've seen from Ole Miss since, the fact that Kienholz and the Cardinals were able to keep it so close is starting to look like a strong sign of things to come.

The Ohio State transfer has taken to Coach Jeff Brohm's system, racking up 816 yards and 6 TDs through the air, with another 153 yards and 4 scores on the ground.

Brohm's traditionally gotten the most out of his pocket passers, but the dual-threat nature of his new passer is paying dividends as Louisville knocked off previously #21 SMU in a 41-point offensive explosion last Saturday.

Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU

The Arizona State to LSU Quarterback Pipeline has dropped two premier dual-threat guys into Baton Rouge, but through Week 3 of 2026, neither Sam Leavitt nor Jayden Daniels was able to deliver LSU a 3-0 start to the season.

Leavitt has been steadier on the ground than he has through the air in the season's first quarter, with his 6 rushing scores tied for first nationally among quarterbacks.

Through the air, however, he's been a bit more uneven, tossing three touchdowns against five interceptions with an 8.4 yard ADOT.

Still, his toughness and resilience were on full display in the heated loss at Oxford, and there's no loosened grip on his starting spot at LSU.

Darian Mensah, QB, Miami

Insert Jesse Pinkman "He can't keep getting away with this" gif here because Mario Cristobal has turned Miami into the preeminent destination for transfer passers.

First, Cam Ward became a Heisman candidate (finishing 4th in 2024) as Miami narrowly missed out on an undefeated regular season.

Then Carson Beck led the Hurricanes to the National Championship game after moving over from Georgia.

And now Mensah, a former Tulane and Duke passer, is playing like the top passer in the game through three tilts. His 11 TD passes are tied for second in the nation, though he's played one fewer game than USC's Jayden Maiava who leads with 12.

Things like that will happen when you have a guy like Malachi Toney to throw to, but Mensah has shown persistent improvement in his three years as a starter and leads a Miami team dead-set on winning their first ACC title since joining the conference in 2004.