MADISON, Wis. — A growing trend of transfer quarterbacks is reshaping the landscape of college football, impacting high school prospects like Ryan Hopkins, a former three-star recruit from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California, who recently chose to play for Wisconsin. Approximately 65% of FBS starting quarterbacks this season are transfers.
Trent Dilfer, a former Fresno State quarterback, first-round draft pick, and current high school coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, notes the change in recruiting philosophy. He explained, “It’s a totally different ballgame,” adding that colleges no longer prioritize developing quarterbacks over multiple years. The NCAA’s removal of the requirement for transfers to sit out a year before playing, beginning with the 2021-22 season, is the primary driver of this shift. “And that changed everything,” Dilfer said. “Because instead of recruiting the child, now you’re recruiting a man.”
Wisconsin is entering its fourth consecutive season with a transfer quarterback as its starter. Hopkins is currently competing with Louisville transfer Deuce Adams for the backup position behind Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, who started in the Badgers’ season-opening game against Notre Dame. Hopkins expressed confidence in the coaching staff’s approach, stating, “I feel like with this coaching staff – no matter if you’re the 2 or the 3 or the 1 - they’re coaching every guy the same.”
Washington coach Jedd Fisch highlights the increased pressure on high school quarterbacks to prove their worth. “If you’re a quarterback in this day and age, you have to earn it and you have to say, ‘I’m OK with taking less when I’m first getting recruited, because I want to get more when I show how good I am,’” he said. Data from 247Sports composite rankings reveals that over 80% of the top 50 quarterbacks from the 2023 class have transferred, with nearly double the number attending at least three colleges compared to those who stayed at one school.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy