Transfer Portal heats up with intriguing prospects declaring intentions

The college football Transfer Portal doesn't open officially until January 2nd, staying open until January 16 with an extension for players in the National Championship Game on January 19, but already some compelling, high-profile names have declared their intention to enter.

Monday morning five-star quarterback DJ Lagway of Florida, a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, announced that he's entering the portal after two seasons with the Gators. The 6-3, 247 sophomore from Willis, Texas completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns with 14 interceptions, electing to move on after the program fired head coach Billy Napier.

Lagway joins Michigan State's Aidan Chiles, Oregon native Sam Leavitt, East Carolina's Katin Houser and Brady Allen of Louisville as early potential entrants into the portal. Lagway will set the market as a two-year starter in the SEC, although he'll have to go to a system/program known for developing and refining quarterbacks-- he needs work on his decision-making after 23 INTs in two years.

At Oregon, everything hinges on Dante Moore. NFL draft experts project him as a top five pick in the draft and Mel Kiper has him going No. 1 overall. Murmurs throughout the season had him returning to UO for his redshirt junior year but if the projections are correct, he'd have to turn down a potential $50 million payday to do so (signing bonus alone in the range of $32 million.)

That's lifetime, generational wealth and a four-year, fully guaranteed contract. Moore, his agent and his family have to weigh that against another year of seasoning, the opportunity to win a national championship (if the Ducks don't win one this year) and complete a college degree before he turns pro.

Earning that kind of money he doesn't need the degree, but it has great personal and symbolic value in some families. Many mothers want their sons to have that. The NCAA allows the program to pay for an insurance policy from Lloyd's of London to protect Moore's potential earnings if he decides to pass up the draft.

Oregon's future at quarterback hangs in the balance

Moore's eventual decision is probably already known to Dan Lanning and his staff, and their interest in the quarterback market is set accordingly. So too with Austin Novosad, a 9,000-yard passer at Dripping Springs High in Dripping Springs, Texas who's apprenticed two years behind Dillon Gabriel and Moore.

Novosad might follow Will Stein to Kentucky after sitting out this season with an injury. He threw two passes against Montana State, one good for a 40-yard completion to Kyler Kasper, but he hasn't appeared in a game since.

Behind these two are 10.5 sprinter Luke Moga and 6-6 freshman Akili Smith, neither of whom seems ready to be a full-time starter for a national championship contender, though both have good work habits, intelligence and potential.

The best guess from all the available data is that Moore is coming back for another year as a college starter at Oregon, aiming to reach that plateau of 20 college starts that separates successful NFL quarterbacks from those who struggle.

Factoring in to that decision is the fact that a top draft pick at QB would be going to the Browns, the Jets or the Raiders, franchises in disarray. The Giants and Titans seem to have their quarterbacks of the future in Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward.

Already a dozen o-linemen entering with 100s more to follow

So Oregon's need at quarterback is to be announced. One clear area of need is at offensive line, where A'lique Terry will have to rebuild on the fly again after sending as many as four of his starters to the league. Isaiah World, Emmanuel Pregnon and Alex Harkey are all seniors, and Iapani Laloulu is a draft-eligible junior who could go early with pro-level pass protection skills and leadership.

The hope among Oregon fans is that Bear Alexander's early decision to return to school will start a domino effect, perhaps even extending to glittering NFL prospects like Laloulu, Matayo Uiagalelei and Kenyon Sadiq, though as yet nothing has been made public.

Some interesting names at OL have already surfaced as top portal targets. At Arkansas former Duck Shaq McRoy is back in the portal while Michigan guard Bear McWhorter (a football team can never have too many Bears) just announced his intention to enter today, a three-star in the 2026 class from White, Georgia.

The biggest potential portal target is Colorado left tackle Jordan Seaton, the 6-5, 305 former five-star from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. With Deion Sanders having health concerns and the Buffs struggling through a 3-9 season, he's a prime candidate to enter the portal in hopes of improving his NFL draft stock.

One player who has already declared his intention to enter the portal is 6-4, 345 four-star DeAndre Carter, a former teammate of Jordon Davison and Nasir Wyatt at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. He was a Top 200 player in 2024.

Breaking: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has announced he's going to enter the Transfer Portal, another five-star prospect from the class of 2024.