The 2023 transfer portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 5. Thanks to the NCAA's new relaxed transfer rules that allow players to transfer to another school without having to sit out a year, a ton of players are looking to find new schools.
As of Monday afternoon, there were already over 500 FBS players in the portal, per Max Olson of The Athletic. That is obviously a lot of players, but we'll do our best to break down some of the biggest names entering the portal.
It's still early in the cycle, and players can ultimately take their names out of it if they wish. But it seems that so far, the trend is that there are a ton of big-name quarterbacks that will be transferring. But there are plenty of offensive skill players and guys on defense on the market, too.
Let's run through the top players currently in college football's transfer portal following championship weekend.
Big-Name Quarterbacks Officially on the Market
Devin Leary, NC State
This one is a bit of a surprise, but Leary is one of the biggest names under center to hit the portal. He has spent the last five seasons at NC State, throwing for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns throughout his career.
Leary's 2022 season ended after tearing his right pectoral muscle on Oct. 8 against Florida State. He reportedly could be ready to be fully healthy by potentially as early as March, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. Wherever Leary ends up, that team is getting a very productive quarterback.
DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson
This one is a bit less surprising, but Clemson's starter for the last two seasons is looking to play elsewhere. The news came a day after the Tigers' ACC Championship victory over UNC.
Although Uiagalalei started in the contest, backup Cade Klubnik took over after the former opened the game with two three-and-outs. Klubnik put up a brilliant outing, throwing for 279 yards and a touchdown while completing 83.3 percent of his passes. He rushed for a touchdown, as well.
Uigalelei struggled significantly in 2021, throwing for just nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Although his numbers improved a lot this season, finishing with 2,521 yards and 22 touchdowns with seven interceptions, he struggled with consistency.
Uiagalelei is a former 5-star recruit from the class of 2020, and he was the No. 1 overall pro-style quarterback, so he'll likely have a robust market.
Nick Evers, Oklahoma
Evers is another former highly-touted recruit to hit the transfer portal. The true freshman is a former 4-star QB prospect who was the No. 9 QB prospect from the class of 2022. Sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for most of this season, Evers attempted just one pass all year. Gabriel will have a season of eligibility remaining in 2023, and the Sooners also have a 5-star QB prospect, Jackson Arnold, committed to their 2023 class.
Brennan Armstrong, Virginia
Armstrong has been a three-year starter for Virginia, dating back to the 2020 season. His best season for the Cavs came in 2021 when he threw for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns while rushing for another nine scores. In 2022, his numbers dropped significantly, throwing for just 2,210 yards and seven touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He took 34 sacks on the season, too.
Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh
One of the biggest names that transferred last offseason is on the move again, as Slovis is in the portal as a graduate transfer. He spent the first three seasons of his career at USC, where he threw for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns with 24 interceptions.
Slovis went 7-4 in his 11 games while throwing for 2,397 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 2022. He is not expected to play in the Panthers' upcoming game against UCLA in the Sun Bowl UCLA, per Thamel.