Miami Hurricanes have perfect back up plan for QB if DJ Lagway goes elsewhere

If Miami is going back to the transfer portal for its next starting quarterback, the answer might be sitting in its own backyard. And if it's not DJ Lagway, then it might be Division II star Marcus Stokes from West Florida.

West Florida QB Marcus Stokes

Stokes, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound redshirt sophomore from St. Augustine, officially entered the transfer portal after a monster year at West Florida. He will have two years of eligibility left. Stokes piled up 3,664 total yards and 40 touchdowns this season and has been named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, Division II's version of the Heisman.

Stokes went 223-of-368 passing for 3,297 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025, plus 367 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground.

On3's Pete Nakos reported that Syracuse, Florida State, Iowa and Northwestern are among the schools that have already reached out, along with Old Dominion, UTEP, Buffalo, Liberty, App State and others. Wisconsin and West Virginia have also been tied to his recruitment.

Miami hasn't shown interest, but the fit makes sense

So far, there has been no public reporting that Miami has contacted Stokes. But the fit is obvious on paper with Carson Beck graduating after the 2025 season.

Miami looks to be one of the quarterback-needy programs likely to hunt for another starter in the portal, even as there's internal optimism about young backup Emory Williams. If Mario Cristobal and his staff want a slightly different path from Lagway, Stokes checks a lot of boxes.

He's an in-state product from Ponte Vedra Beach's Nease High School, the same program that produced Tim Tebow. As a recruit, Stokes was a four-star prospect by 247Sports and a top-30 quarterback nationally. He initially committed to Penn State, flipped to Florida, then had his Gators offer pulled after a video surfaced of him rapping along to a song that included a racial slur. Florida parted ways with him, and he eventually signed with West Florida to rebuild his career.

Since then, all he's done is produce. He grew into the Argos' starter in 2024, then exploded in 2025, earning Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Super Region 2 Offensive Player of the Year and a Harlon Hill finalist nod.

There are obvious questions for any Power Four staff kicking the tires. Stokes has never played at the FBS level, and jumping from D2 to a College Football Playoff contender is a massive leap. Any program — Miami included — would have to vet both the off-field history and how his game translates to the next level.

But if Cristobal really does want his next answer at QB without getting into a full-on bidding war for Lagway, Stokes is a fascinating in-state option.