Which QBs could Hurricanes target in transfer portal after Tyler Van Dyke’s departure?
The news broke Monday evening that Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was entering the transfer portal, ending his four-year Hurricanes career.
The move leaves the Hurricanes with two scholarship quarterbacks on their roster: sophomore Jacurri Brown and freshman Emory Williams. Brown did not play during the regular season, and Williams suffered a season-ending arm injury in a start against Florida State.
Miami holds a commitment from three-star 2024 quarterback Judd Anderson, who is expected to join the team next year.
The Hurricanes will likely add a veteran quarterback in the transfer portal — one who can compete and likely take over as the starter next year.
Several quarterback targets have entered the transfer portal already, and others could enter in the coming weeks. The portal officially opens on Dec. 4.
Here are some quarterbacks who Miami could target in December, broken down into players who have already announced their intentions to transfer and those who would be intriguing if they did enter the portal, as has been speculated.
Quarterbacks who are transferring (former school in parentheses)
One of the top quarterbacks to enter the portal, Howard excelled in Manhattan, Kansas, and led Kansas State to a Big 12 title in 2022. Howard played four seasons for the Wildcats, racking up 5,786 passing yards with 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He grew into one of the Big 12’s top quarterbacks this year, passing for 2,643 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 picks. Howard is also a threat with his legs, rushing for 351 yards and nine scores this season.
Howard had a 78.1 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus with a 71 passing grade and a 79 running grade. He has one year of eligibility left, so he could serve as a good stopgap for a season while Brown, Williams and Anderson develop.
Max Johnson, (Texas A&M)
Johnson is in the portal, looking for his third school after playing at Texas A&M and LSU. He started for the Tigers as a sophomore, throwing for 2,815 yards, 27 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Johnson started three games in 2022, but suffered a season-ending injury. He lost a quarterback battle to five-star quarterback Conner Weigman at the start of this season. He took over as the Aggies’ starter again after Weigman suffered a season-ending injury. Johnson played in nine games, throwing for 1,452 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions before a rib injury ended his season.
Johnson, who has two years of eligibility, has some Miami ties; he is former Hurricanes coach Mark Richt’s nephew. He is also the son of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson. However, he has been linked closely to North Carolina.
Nate Johnson (Utah)
Johnson is an intriguing option. The former Utes quarterback was one of two options to replace injured starter Cam Rising, battling with Bryson Barnes.
Johnson started the season as the backup, then won the job, then lost it again. In eight games, Johnson had 499 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 235 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Unlike other options, Johnson likely would not be declared the starting quarterback the day he walked on campus. But with three years of eligibility, he could be a developmental option.
Will Rogers, (Mississippi State)
The former Bulldog could be a premier target for the Hurricanes. There are reports of mutual interest between UM and Rogers before Van Dyke decided to remain at Miami last offseason.
Rogers, the only SEC quarterback with more than 1,000 career completions, was a four-year starter at Mississippi State. He excelled in late coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, passing for 8,713 yards combined in 2021 and 2022 and racking up 71 touchdowns in those two seasons.
Rogers did not put up prolific numbers when former Bulldogs coach Zach Arnett changed up the offense this season, and he had 1,626 yards and 12 touchdowns this year.
Rogers could make a lot of sense for Miami, considering offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is an Air Raid-style coach, though he does not run the same style Air Raid as Leach. Pro Football Focus gave Rogers a 74.8 offensive grade and a 74.4 passing grade. In 2021, he earned an 89.9 offensive grade with a 90.4 passing grade.
Rogers has one year of eligibility left.
Like Max Johnson, Shough is looking for his third school after an injury-limited 2023. Shough played for Cristobal at Oregon, taking over as the starter after Justin Herbert left for the NFL.
Shough threw for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2020, but transferred to Texas Tech after the season. His three seasons with the Red Raiders have all been limited by injuries, including a broken fibula this season.
Shough has one more year of eligibility.
Quarterbacks who may transfer (current school in parentheses)
Murphy appears caught between a rock and a hard place at Texas; more specifically, he is caught between a top quarterback and a Manning.
Quinn Ewers was the Longhorns’ starter to begin the season before suffering a shoulder injury. Murphy took over while Ewers was out, throwing for 465 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in six games.
Murphy was a highly touted prospect. He was listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 12 quarterback in the 2022 class.
Behind Murphy on the depth chart this year is former No. 1 prospect Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. If Ewers decides to return to Texas, Murphy could be squeezed out between the two of them.
Pratt has been linked to Miami in part because of where he is from. Pratt played for Boca Raton High and Deerfield Beach High but was not highly recruited. He was a three-star prospect and was listed as the No. 1,365 player in the 2020 class. Pratt picked the Green Wave over offers from FAU, Toledo and others.
After four seasons at Tulane, Pratt could transfer to a Power 5 program of his choosing. He racked up 9,373 passing yards and 89 touchdowns with 25 interceptions in his four seasons at Tulane. This year, he has 2,168 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and four picks despite dealing with an injury that limited him to 10 regular-season games. Pro Football Focus gives Pratt an 84.6 offensive grade this year with an 82.3 passing grade.
However, Pratt has shot down rumors that he will transfer. He accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl, so he would need to back out of that to stay in college and transfer.
Ward became a star at FCS Incarnate Word and landed at Washington State when he moved up a level. In two seasons in Pullman, Washington, Ward has thrown for 6,968 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions.
This season, Ward has 3,736 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven picks. He has also scored eight rushing touchdowns. Pro Football Focus gives him an 81.1 offensive grade with a 78.6 passing grade.
Ward has the option to declare for the draft, or he could stick at Washington State. But with the PAC-12 effectively dissolving after this season, he could opt to transfer to another school to stay in a power conference.
