Heel Tough Blog: Who Should the Tar Heels Target at QB in the Portal?
- Anthony Pagnotta
- 11 minutes ago
- 6 min read
One of the main things that the Tar Heels need this offseason to improve next season is an upgrade at the starting quarterback position. While that improvement might come from either of the freshmen who were on the roster this year, the answer most likely lies in the transfer portal. After a big day of portal entries on Monday, here is a look at some of the names that the team should be considering in the search for their quarterback.
Tier 1
Sam Leavitt
Leavitt is the best and most decorated quarterback in the portal and the Tar Heels should be looking to get involved in the race for him. This year, in just seven games, he finished with 1,628 yards and posted a 10-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio while also running for 300 yards and five touchdowns. The prior year, as a redshirt freshman, he helped lead Arizona State to a Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff while throwing for 2,885 yards and posting a 24-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for 443 yards and five touchdowns on 110 carries in 13 games. The former Michigan State transfer should be atop the list for the Tar Heels if they are serious about getting a starting quarterback out of the portal.
Josh Hoover
Hoover is the most experienced quarterback in the portal and should be another race that the team is looking to get involved with. In three seasons as a starter at TCU, he has thrown for 9,629 yards and posted a 71-33 touchdown-to-interception ratio, which is projected to be the most yards and touchdowns of any quarterback in college football next year. The only reason that he isn’t atop the list is because of the turnover issues that crop up from time to time, but as he showed in the season opener against the Tar Heels, he is one of the better pass-heavy quarterbacks in college football. This should definitely be a call the Tar Heels make if they are serious about adding a legitimate quarterback to build this year around.
Brendan Sorsby
Sorsby isn’t far off from Leavitt or Hoover and would be a great addition to the quarterback room for his final season of eligibility. This year, in his second season at Cincinnati, the former Indiana transfer threw for 2,800 yards and posted a 27-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for 580 yards and nine touchdowns in twelve games for a Bearcats team that was battling for a Big 12 title game appearance for most of the season. He would be a great option for the Tar Heels if they are willing to pay.
Tier 2
Drew Mestemaker
Mestemaker is a guy who might not be on the same tier as Leavitt, Hoover and Sorsby because he comes from the G6 level, but he is as close as you will get. This season, in his lone season as the full-time starter for North Texas, he threw for 4,129 yards and posted a 31-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 70.2% of his passes. He may be strongly tied to Oklahoma State, but the rumors are he will have a very lucrative market that could make things interesting. I know Gio Lopez turned a lot of fans off to the G6 route, but Mestemaker sure feels a lot more like the type of guy who could make that leap successfully.
Dylan Raiola
Raiola isn’t nearly as much of a sure thing as Leavitt and Sorsby feel like they are, but he is a nice option in the tier below those guys. After a turnover-filled freshman season in 2024, he rebounded nicely this season with a sophomore campaign where he threw for 2,000 yards and posted an 18-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in nine games. He wouldn’t guarantee the success that it feels like you could get from Leavitt or Sorsby, but he is still a very solid option that the staff should be interested in after his portal entry on Monday.
Katin Houser
Houser is another quarterback who entered the transfer portal on Monday that the Tar Heels should consider as a second-tier option in their search. Last year, he showed some flashes in a season where he threw for 2,006 yards and posted an 18-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio while running 170 yards and five touchdowns on 49 carries. This year, he took things to the next level, helping lead East Carolina to an 8-4 record while throwing for 3,300 yards and posting a 19-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for 181 yards and nine touchdowns on 85 carries in twelve games this season. He is being heavily tied to Ole Miss right now so the Tar Heels will have to work hard here, but this would be a worthwhile investment if they can’t land one of the big names.
Tier 3
Beau Primula
Pribula is a quarterback that is going to be sought after in the portal, but that shouldn’t be nearly as high on the Tar Heels list as some of the bigger names. In his lone season in Columbia, he threw for 1,941 yards, posted 11-9 touchdown-to-interception and ran for 297 yards and six touchdowns on 95 carries in 10 games. He had some moments where he looked really good for the Tigers, but he did most of his damage against the lesser teams on the schedule. I see him as the best third tier option for the team at this point.
DJ Lagway
Lagway is definitely a big name, but he is entering the portal following a really rough season, which is why we’ll put him at the top of the third tier of quarterbacks the Tar Heels could go after. It’s not like we haven’t seen flashes from him in the last two years of the 5✮ prospect he was coming out of high school, but the turnovers have simply been too much to overcome. He is a high-risk, high-reward type of option, but one that the team should consider if they can land one of the top quarterbacks that are in the portal.
Kenny Minchey
Unlike the others on this list, Minchey is a guy that you are bringing in based on the upside that he has. The former 4✮ prospect has seen limited reps in his three seasons at Notre Dame, completing 79.3% of his passes for 212 yards and running for 96 yards and two touchdowns while playing in 10 games. The flashes are there for Minchey and he might be worth taking a look at if you are out of the running for the top quarterbacks in the portal.
Colton Joseph
Joseph is another guy who put up great numbers at the G6 level that the Tar Heels should be considering if they get this far down on the list. After showing flashes in 2024, he took over the full-time starting job this season and put together a tremendous season where he threw for 2,624 yards, posted a 21-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ran for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. You are betting on this translating to the P4 level, but this is a guy who feels like he might just be able to do that in the right system.
Tier 4
Aidan Chiles
Chiles is the first member of the final tier on this list and should only be taken if they miss on some of these top targets. There is upside, as he showed this season, where he threw for 1,392 yards, posted a 10-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ran for 227 yards and six touchdowns on 81 carries in just nine games. This is an addition that you make to have someone compete with the rest of the quarterback room and that should be the mindset for the Tar Heels if they choose to go this route.
Taron Dickens
Now we’re getting to the FCS quarterbacks on the list, meaning there is going to be a steep learning curve. One of the biggest concerns for Dickens is his size (5’11, 175 lbs.), but if you can get over that, you are looking at one of the most productive quarterbacks in the entire sport this season. This year in his lone full season as a starter for Western Carolina, he threw for 3,508 yards, posted an incredible 38-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio and ran for 321 yards and one touchdown on 97 carries. He would be a pretty big risk because of the substantial jump from FCS to P4, but it might be worth it to bring him in to compete for the starting job if you can’t get a sure thing at quarterback.
Braden Atkinson
Atkinson is another FCS quarterback who is getting some buzz after a tremendous season at the FCS level. In his true freshman season with Mercer, the former Rolesville High School quarterback threw for 3,611 yards and posted a 34-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio for a Mercer team that made the FCS playoffs. This is another quarterback that comes with some risk because of the jump, but it might be worth looking at if the staff wants to go with a budget option to come in and compete for the job.