Riley Leonard buzz centers on Notre Dame and Auburn
The moment Riley Leonard touched the portal, it felt like every college football insider was touting Notre Dame as a destination to watch. And that's remained the case a couple of days since the Duke quarterback put his name out there as a transfer option.
But Notre Dame isn't the only program being linked to Leonard. Pete Nakos of On3 cited a source who believed Auburn is in the mix because "moving closer to home and playing in the SEC could be attractive" to Leonard.
Leonard is from Fairhope, Alabama so it would make sense for him to consider Auburn. It would certainly go a long way for head coach Hugh Freeze to land such a big fish in the transfer portal. Tigers fans want something to take the bad taste out of their mouths after a dramatic loss to Alabama.
Having said that, the 247Sports Transfer Crystal Ball for Leonard is full of predictions for Notre Dame, so the Tigers better get to work if they want a chance.
Leonard struggled with injuries in 2023, ultimately ending his season with a toe problem. He played seven games with three passing touchdowns and three interceptions. However, he rushed for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Interested teams will focus in on his output in 2022 when he tossed 20 touchdowns while adding 13 more on the ground.
Dante Moore favorite
Chip Kelly appears to have kept his job at UCLA but he couldn't keep five-star quarterback Dante Moore from the transfer portal.
The talented freshman had an inconsistent first season in college. He threw for 11 touchdowns but had nine interceptions with a passer rating of 125.6. He's now looking for a new home that's capable of unlocking his talent as a passer. The possible landing spots for the Detroit product are already obvious.
Bruce Feldman dropped Michigan State as a program to watch for Moore since he'd be able to step right into a starting role with the Spartans.
Along with Michigan State, Oregon has to be in consideration since he was previously committed to the Ducks before flipping to UCLA. And of course, there's Michigan. The Wolverines could be in need of a quarterback if J.J. McCarthy declares for the draft.
247Sports rated Moore as the No. 4 overall prospect in the class of 2023. He's the No. 1 available player in the transfer portal, so the competition for his services could be fierce.
DJ Uiagalelei's two suitors
Florida State and Oregon are focused on their conference championship aspirations in 2023, but the question of who will quarterback both of those teams in 2024 still looms.
DJ Uiagalelei could be the answer.
The Oregon State quarterback who recently entered the transfer portal is reportedly looking at the Seminoles and Ducks as potential destinations, according to Pete Nakos of On3.
Both of those programs are losing their star quarterbacks at the end of the season. FSU's Jordan Travis, who suffered a season-ending injury earlier this fall, and Oregon's Bo Nix will be out of eligibility.
The Ducks a potential ace in the hole if they decide Uiagalelei is their guy. His brother Matayo plays for Oregon.
When Uiagalelei left Clemson after two lackluster seasons as a starter, it wasn't certain he could live up to the expectations of a title-contending program. He was a far more efficient quarterback with Oregon State this season, raising his stock as a transfer portal option.
Uiagalelei hasn't ruled out declaring for the NFL Draft. So there is still the possibility that he will head that direction instead. However, if he doesn't like what he hears in his NFL draft evaluation, he could spend his final season of eligibility with a new team.