The 2026 transfer portal is just three days away from closing, and the Miami Hurricanes are without an incoming star quarterback. Ty Simpson is going to the NFL Draft, Sam Leavitt is going to the LSU Tigers, and Dylan Raiola is going to the Oregon Ducks... just to name a few misses.
Unlike the past two years, head coach Mario Cristobal doesn't have his next Cam Ward or Carson Beck waiting in the wings of another program.
Now, Cristobal and his staff are having to scramble to find their next go-to guy for the backfield, and if they don't snag someone from the portal soon, the Canes may have to look inward for their new QB1.
With that being said, there are a few dozen quarterbacks remaining in the portal. So, here are the top 10 QBs Cristobal could still go after:
In his fourth year for the West Virginia Mountaineers, redshirt-junior Nicco Marchiol earned an impressive 720 passing yards and two touchdowns in just four games, playing backup QB to freshman Scotty Fox Jr.
He also earned 56 yards and one touchdown throughout the season, but the biggest flaw in his game were his two interceptions. His inconsistency in finding the end zone is a red flag, but he is still undeniably one of the more qualified QBs to fill the role for Miami.
It's tough work playing second fiddle to Tennessee's Joey Aguilar, but backup quarterback Jake Merklinger did just that for the Volunteers this season.
With 173 passing yards on just 13 completions, Merklinger was one of the more consistent backup QBs in college football, scoring two total touchdowns for the Vols this year.
Similar to Merklinger, Eli Holstein played backup quarterback in 2025, but he earned more than six times the stats. With 1,081 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 88 rushing yards, and a rushing TD, Holstein was all over the field when he was in the game.
However, his lack of consistency (also throwing six interceptions and getting sacked nine times) is a fairly large diterrent for teams looking to recruit a transfer quarterback.
Walker Eget is the most experienced and successful (stats-wise) quarterback still available after spending the last five years with the San Jose State Spartans.
Utilizing his redshirt season during his freshman year, Eget worked his way up the depth chart and played phenomenally in 2025, earning 3,047 passing yards on 232 completions for 17 touchdowns.
The one drawback from recruiting Eget is that he lacks experience at the power-conference level, which Miami needs to be able to claim in their starting QB. However, his experience and talent could make up for it with the right O-Line and receivers around him.
Husan Longstreet is one of the least experienced quarterbacks on this list, but his former five-star prospect and year spent with the USC Trojans make him the most attractive quarterback remaining in the transfer portal.
In 2025, he earned 103 passing yards and one touchdown on just 13 completions, while also earning 76 yards and two additional touchdowns on the ground. An undeniable dual-threat quarterback in the making, Cristobal must go after Longstreet while he still can.