The college football season owns a number of very intriguing plot components, and one which is always fascinating – no matter the year or the circumstances – is the transfer quarterback. The most important position in football naturally holds the key to the success of most programs. Therefore, when one quarterback transfers schools, the move invites all sorts of possibilities. Is the left-behind program lucky to no longer have a controversy, or is the new program fortunate to get the best possible quarterback on the transfer market? Do transfers complicate quarterback situations, or do they lend clarity to them? In the case of these five quarterbacks, the new school stands to benefit a lot more than the previous one.
Jarrett Stidham
Auburn Tigers
The biggest thing to realize about Stidham is that while he was a backup to Baylor starter Seth Russell, he got a chance to play when Russell got injured. Stidham very briefly played well and showed the ability to run Baylor’s high-powered offense. The Bears were not flawless with Stidham under center, but after a few games, he fundamentally grasped the offense and enabled the Bears to maintain their high-scoring pace. When Stidham then got injured himself, however, people forgot about him quickly. The fact that Baylor did not win the Big 12 or make a New Year’s Six bowl game in 2015 allowed him to slip under the national radar. Stidham joining Auburn gives the Tigers the best quarterback since coach Gus Malzahn took the job. Malzahn and new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey should be able to get the most out of Stidham, which is why Auburn is immediately a national contender after a disappointing 2016 season.
Will Grier
West Virginia Mountaineers
The Stidham situation involves a player transferring from the Big 12 to the SEC. Grier is the opposite example. He was at Florida but used a banned substance and did not follow proper procedure in terms of asking his team’s medical staff if the substance was appropriate for use. He missed the second half of the 2015 season after leading Florida to big wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss. Grier has landed at a Big 12 school and gives West Virginia a real chance to contend for the Big 12 title.
Malik Zaire
Florida Gators
The Gators lost Grier two years ago, and they suffered at quarterback last year, so this transfer decision is exactly what they needed. Florida is cultivating Feleipe Franks, but he has not played a full season of college, so he is best suited to be the big man on campus in 2018. The player who gives Florida the best chance to succeed in 2017 is Zaire, who was beaten out at Notre Dame by DeShone Kizer and wants his chance to leave a memorable imprint on his college career. Zaire is more mobile than most, and his running game will keep defenses off balance, but he has to become a more potent passer to offer the complete package. Grier and Stidham are better, but not many other transfers are this good.
Blake Barnett
Arizona State Sun Devils
This is the result of Jalen Hurts taking the Alabama quarterback job last season and never letting go. Barnett wanted to be a starter, but after Hurts replaced him in the 2016 opener against USC, Hurts never allowed the quarterback competition with the Crimson Tide to become controversial. Barnett knew what was happening, so he sought a fresh start at Arizona State. What should help him is that former Alabama assistant Billy Napier will be his offensive coordinator. That should give him the comfort zone needed to get the starting job and make an impact with the Sun Devils.
Kyle Allen
Houston Cougars
This is a transfer from Texas A&M who was unable to beat out Trevor Knight last year. Allen is a player in search of his best football. Talent evaluators acknowledge the skills are there, but Allen lags behind others on this list in terms of proving that he fully understands the game. Houston coach Major Applewhite might be able to bring out the best in Allen, but that’s still unknown at this point.
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