Nancy Turner
Dec 04, 2023 - 07:35

College football stars Kyle McCord Dillon Gabriel enter transfer portal

Top college football quarterbacks enter transfer portal, including Ohio State's Kyle McCord and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel. Click for more details.

Two of college football's top quarterbacks, Ohio State's Kyle McCord and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel, were among those who entered the transfer portal on Monday as part of the first day of the 30-day window players can put their names out in search of another opportunity. In addition to McCord and Gabriel, Arizona State's Drew Pyne, Baylor's Blake Shapen, Utah's Bryson Barnes, and James Madison's Jordan McCloud also entered the transfer portal.

McCord was named the Buckeyes' starting quarterback at the start of the season, beating out Devin Brown. The junior had 3,170 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes as Ohio State went 11-1 during the regular season. The team's lone loss came against Michigan last month. It's unclear whether McCord will play in Ohio State's bowl game against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, as head coach Ryan Day was noncommittal when asked about McCord's status.

Gabriel joined Oklahoma from UCF after the 2021 season. He passed for more than 3,000 yards in 2022 and 2023. The Sooners were 10-2 during the regular season with their lone losses coming against Kansas and Oklahoma State. The team will play Arizona in the Alamo Bowl. Gabriel's transfer also comes after Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby took the Mississippi State head coaching job.

The transfer portal's quarterback market is set to heat up with the additions of McCord and Gabriel. Duke's Riley Leonard, Washington State's Cam Ward, Oregon State's D.J. Uiagalelei, and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke also entered the transfer portal last week. In addition, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix are the top Heisman Trophy candidates this year, with each of the quarterbacks transferring from their original schools. The quarterback transfer market is sure to be a focal point of college football news in the coming weeks.