Top 5 Landing Spots for QB Jake Retzlaff in the CFB Transfer Portal

5) Maryland Terrapins

The Maryland Terrapins are in desperate need of a reliable quarterback to lead the offense, even with four-star recruit Malik Washington incoming. Mike Locksley may be coaching for his job, and if the Terrapins hope to compete in the Big Ten, they’ll need to consider all options with reported interest in Retzlaff already surfacing.

1) Tennessee Volunteers 

By no surprise, the Tennessee Volunteers land at No. 1 on the list of teams who could benefit from the addition of Retzlaff. The Vols departed with former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava earlier this offseason before pivoting to acquire Joey Aguilar to fill the void in their roster.

Obviously, a talent like Retzlaff becoming available wasn’t exactly on Josh Heupel’s radar, but that could change now that he’s become available. If the Volunteers want to compete in a stacked SEC conference next season, finding their QB will be vital. 

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2) Alabama Crimson Tide

Following the departure of Jalen Milroe, the Crimson Tide is expected to turn to Ty Simpson as the leader of the offense. However, Kalen DeBoer handing over the offense to an inexperienced quarterback like Simpson seems to be the result of a lack of options rather than by choice. If that is the case, Alabama could be a real threat to land Retzlaff if he’s deemed eligible to compete this season. This would give Bama a starting caliber gunslinger under center and the quarterback a chance to compete against SEC competition. 

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3) Georgia Bulldogs

Kirby Smart was forced to pivot to Gunner Stockton at the end of last year following the season-ending injury to Carson Beck. In Stockton’s lone start, the quarterback showed lackluster execution and, quite honestly, a void of talent. Heading into 2025, the Bulldogs appear poised to give Stockton the keys, hoping that designing an offense around him can prove beneficial after missing out on top transfer quarterbacks. However, Retzlaff becoming available could force Georgia and Smart’s hand to rethink their strategy. 

4) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame is another program that could be in the market for a starting quarterback after spring battles resulted in Steve Angeli departing for the transfer portal, leaving Marcus Freeman forced to choose between two inexperienced playcallers. Despite that, Retzlaff could be a name of interest for the Fighting Irish, if his allegations are cleared up, of course. 

5) Maryland Terrapins

The Maryland Terrapins are in desperate need of a reliable quarterback to lead the offense, even with four-star recruit Malik Washington incoming. Mike Locksley may be coaching for his job, and if the Terrapins hope to compete in the Big Ten, they’ll need to consider all options with reported interest in Retzlaff already surfacing.