3 Power Five Transfer Quarterbacks Michigan State Should Target

Whether you like it or not, the transfer portal season is upon us. A new normal for college football is the unofficial free agency of college players. Coaches look to rebuild or strengthen their teams, while players are looking for landing spots to play and develop.

Since the transfer portal became what it is in 2020, Michigan State has been an active participant adding transfers and will continue to be in the years ahead. New head coach Jonathan Smith was known for adding key transfers at Oregon State and will need to add a lot of them before his first season at Michigan State.

One key position the Spartans need to look for in the portal is quarterback. Michigan State has lost all three of its scholarship quarterbacks from this season to the portal in Noah Kim, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt. Smith played and has coached quarterbacks for well over a decade and is now tasked with finding the newest signal-caller to lead the Spartans. With MSU’s quarterback room currently empty, it’s likely Smith and his staff will bring in two or even three quarterbacks from the transfer portal. Here are some Power 5 transfer QBs to watch out for…

D.J. Uiagalelei (Sr.) — Oregon State

Uiagalelei was Smith’s quarterback last season at Oregon State and has one year of eligibility left. He is already familiar with Smith’s offense, which could be enticing for both parties. The former five-star started his career at Clemson before going to Oregon State, and he’s played in a total of 47 career games.

This past season, Uiagalelei finished with 21 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns for the Beavers. He threw for 2,638 yards, a career-high, on 50 fewer passing attempts than he had the previous two seasons as a starter. It’s safe to say Smith and the coaching staff got the best out of Uiagalelei this season, but is he willing to join Smith in East Lansing? If not, Uiagalelei will play for a third head coach in three years.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound quarterback can beat you with his feet or with his arm. At Oregon State, he improved on his processing in the passing game, which can also be credited to having a better offensive line. Uiagalelei has a baseball background and with his size can throw the football with ease. Smith and his staff utilized him well this season, and another year in Smith’s system could provide Uiagalelei another jump next season.

Dante Moore (Fr.) — UCLA

Another former five-star, Moore has the potential to lead the Spartans for the next three years. As a freshman, Moore started five games for UCLA but split time as the season went along. He struggled at times but also showed flashes of living up to his recruiting rankings. With another year of development, Moore could be a top quarterback in the Big Ten and change the narrative around him similar to what Uiagalelei did.

Moore may not be familiar with the Spartans new staff but he was recruited by the previous staff at MSU out of high school. The Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King alum was “Mr. Football” in the state of Michigan two years in a row and considered the Spartans during his recruitment. Moore took multiple visits to MSU, but the Spartans went a different way after landing Leavitt.

Moore is a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder who is capable of running but is primarily a pocket passer. Smith’s prefers a dual-threat quarterback in his system, so that is something Moore would have to work on. But considering his potential and Michigan ties this would be good business on Smith’s end to recruit Moore to East Lansing. Considering the Spartans need multiple quarterbacks, if he’s not ready to start in 2024, he could be the backup next season and develop for another year.

Will Howard (Sr.) — Kansas State

Howard is arguably the most proven quarterback on the market right now. The Kansas State graduate transfer earned the Wildcats’ starting job halfway through the 2022 season and led them to a Big 12 championship. In 2023, Howard’s continued his success, throwing for 24 touchdowns and rushing for 10 more. A true dual-threat option, Howard finished only six yards short of having 3,000 from scrimmage this season.

Unlike the other two quarterbacks mentioned above, Howard has no connections to Michigan State, but his tape will catch anyone's attention. Being a dual-threat quarterback fits the system that Smith likes to run and that could be a fit for the Spartans. At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Howard doesn’t have the arm strength of Uiagalelei but has the quickness to escape pressure and make throws on the run.

Expect Michigan State to contact all of these players to gauge interest, but the Spartans would likely only land one of the three. With NIL being a driving force, there will be an arms race of support for these quarterbacks. If Smith can quickly gain support from boosters they have a better chance at landing top transfers.

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