84% of Top 2021 QB Recruits Switched Schools Amid Transfer Portal Boom

As of August 1st, 2025, a new analysis has shed light on the unprecedented level of player movement in college football over the past few years. According to the report, 60.3% of the top 600 prospects from the Class of 2021 transferred at least once during their careers, with a third of that group (33.4%) transferring multiple times.

The trend was most pronounced at the quarterback position, where 84% of the top 50 prospects in 2021 changed schools at least once. This marks a significant shift from just a decade ago, when only 48% of top QB recruits transferred in 2011. The report also found that multiple transfers, which were extremely rare in 2011 at just 0.7% of top prospects, have now become commonplace, occurring in 20.2% of cases in the 2021 class.

While some quarterback transfers, like Caleb Williams and Quinn Ewers, have found success at their new schools, the majority of multi-time transferees have struggled to secure starting jobs. Only one of the 18 quarterbacks who transferred multiple times, Christian Veilleux at Georgia State, has emerged as a full-time starter at the FBS level.

The transfer portal has transformed the college football landscape, with players increasingly willing to seek greener pastures if they don't immediately earn playing time or see a path to the NFL. As the rules around transferring have been loosened, the sport has entered a new era of unprecedented player mobility.