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2026 Portal QBs

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Alex Del Piero said:
That's also, and it always has been, my point.

We need to tamper earlier and better, there's no reason why we can't do what Texas Tech and Indiana did this year.
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I think we were tampering early on… but I’m guessing we were doing due diligence with the expectation that we would have time to lock in our guys as the portal time neared.

However, when we made the playoffs and kept advancing, I think Mario and staff had very limited time to devote to portal business. While other teams were hosting visits, we were locked in the facility game planning. And the one guy they wanted (Sorsby) wasn’t waiting on our timeline. TT gave him deadline and he went there. Then after our game, we looked around and saw only Leavitt available and brought him in. But Leavitt (and his brother) played games throughout their entire process.

Am I disappointed in how portal process has played out for QB? Yes. We could have been more decisive during the tampering period and should have signed our portal QB day 1.

But, would I rather be playing in a national championship and deal with the qb mess after the natty or have my portal qb locked in and watching the playoffs? Easy answer.

Next year, tamper and lock that chit in before season ends (if we need to portal next year for qb).

I know Indiana and Oregon basically got their guys being in the same position as we are in. But I trust Mario to add this to his lessons learned portfolio.

That said, that one staffer who went to Florida st (Taylor?) - did that have an impact on our transfer portal operations? If not, besides Mario, is responsible for due diligence and organization? Is that Dennis?
 
Interesting name still available. grunkenmeyer from psu is out there. Was a top 10 qb out of hs and he showed some flashes with psu. VT is trying to get him but they just signed another young qb so he might not want to go there now
 
PIPO said:
Because, why not? Trying to help Mario out with a plan in place since they seem to fly by the seat of their pants. In no particular order and current 2024 class designation:

- Sam Leavitt (AZ State - Freshman)
- Devon Dampier (New Mexico - Sophomore)
- Rocco Becht (Iowa State - Sophomore)
- Josh Hoover (TCU - Sophomore)
- Kevin Jennings (SMU - Sophomore)
- Brendan Sorsby (Cincy - Sophomore)
- Avery Johnson (Kansas State - Sophomore)
- Maddux Madsen (Boise State - Sophomore)
- LaNorris Sellers (USCe - Freshman)
- Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (Colo. State - Soph)
- Aiden Chiles (Mich. State - Soph)
- CJ Bailey (NC State - Freshman)
- Dillon Raiola (Nebraska - Freshman)
- Anthony Colandrea (UVA - Sophomore)
- Marcel Reed (TAMU - Sophomore)
- Danny O’Neil (San Diego St - Freshman)
- Emmett Brown (San Jose St - Sophomore)
- DJ Lagway (UiF - Freshman)
- Isaac Wilson (Utah - Freshman)
- Kaden Anderson (Wyoming - Freshman)
- Demond Williams (U. Wash. - Freshman)


🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨UPDATE: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 - 01/12/2026

- Sam Leavitt (AZ State - Freshman 2024 - Now Sophomore in 2025) - PORTAL (Committed to LSU).

- Devon Dampier (New Mexico - 2024 Sophomore. Now Junior in 2025) Transferred to Utah - STAYING

- Rocco Becht (Iowa State - Sophomore 2024. Now Junior in 2025) - PORTAL (Pedo State)

- Josh Hoover (TCU - Sophomore in 2024. Now Junior in 2025) - PORTAL (Indiana)

- Kevin Jennings (SMU - Sophomore in 2024. Now Junior in 2025) - STAYING

- Brendan Sorsby (Cincy - 2024 Sophomore. Now Junior in 2025). PORTAL (Texas Tech).

- Avery Johnson (Kansas State - Sophomore in 2024. Now Junior in 2025) STAYING

- Maddux Madsen (Boise State - Sophomore in 2024. Now Junior in 2025). STAYING

- LaNorris Sellers (USCe - Freshman in 2024. Now R. Sophomore in 2025) - STAYING

- Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (Colo. State - Soph in 2024. Now Junior in 2025)- AWFUL/Pass - Year doesn’t matter 😂

- Aiden Chiles (Mich. State - Soph. In 2024. Now a Junior in 2025). (Northwestern)

- CJ Bailey (NC State - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025) - STAYING

- Dillon Raiola (Nebraska - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025) - PORTAL (Committed to Oregon).

- Anthony Colandrea (UVA - Sophomore in 2024. Now a Junior in 2025) - Transferred to UNLV - (NEBRASKA)

- Marcel Reed (TAMU - Sophomore in 2024. Now a Junior in 2025). - STAYING

- Danny O’Neil (San Diego St - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025) - Transferred to Wisconsin/STRUGGLING/Pass - (Transferred to UNC)

- Emmett Brown (San Jose St - Sophomore in 2024. Now a Junior in 2025) - Transferred to Coastal Carolina - DECENT/Accuracy Issues/Pass

- DJ Lagway (UiF - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025).
- PORTAL (Visiting Everyone).

- Isaac Wilson (Utah - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025) - TRASH/Pass - Transferred to Colorado)

- Kaden Anderson (Wyoming - Freshman in 2024 and now a Sophomore in 2025)
- DISAPPOINTING/Accuracy Issues/Pass

- Demond Williams (U. Wash. - Freshman in 2024. Now a Sophomore in 2025)
- (PORTAL - Decided to stay at UW).


New Potential Transfers from 2025 season with current year of eligibility:

- Micah Alejado (R-Fr.)- Hawaii (Very Short - 5’10) - STAYING

- Chandler Morris (JR) - UVA - Stud so far this year. Beat FSU. - STAYING

- Dylan Lonergan (So.) - BC transfer from Bama. PORTAL

- Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Fr.) - Cal - STAYING.

- Malik Washington (Fr.) - Maryland - PORTAL Needs to improve on his 59.7% accuracy.

- Will Hammond (R-Fr.) - Texas Tech - Future Stud - STAYING

- Drake Lindsey (R-Fr.) - Minnesota - Stud - STAYING

- Bear Bachmeier (Fr.) - BYU - STUD - STAYING.

- Ty Simpson (Jr) - Alabama - Stud - (NFL)

- Jaxson Potter - (So.) - Washington State - STAYING

Husan Longstreet (Fr.) - USC - Future Stud and Dual Threat. - (PORTAL - Visiting LSU).

Drew Mestemaker (FR.) - North Texas - PORTAL (OKSU)
Click to expand...
When I created this thread, it was part in joke with how long it took Mario to do everything and also in part because most of the board felt we needed to improve in how we handled the portal and QBs to avoid these last second, desperation half-court salvos.

And yet again, here we are in year 3 in a row of the same QB bull****.

This year, especially after we got into the Playoff, we needed to act as quickly as possible. Identify guys and quickly pivot to them.

My final list was:

1) Sorsby
2) Leavitt
3) Bailey

As news of Sorsby broke regarding the girl friend transferring to TT, Leavitt character concerns, etc should’ve led immediately to whom I said would be a good QB and whom also @DMoney and @Peter Ariz also said would thrive here: Bailey!!!

Sipping Tea Time GIF


Many here don’t like or despise Bailey. That’s ok. It’s many of the same people that didn’t like Mendoza.

So, here we are again praying for Simpson or somehow now hitting on some high level QB that hasn’t played much out there in the portal.

Indiana, for as much as we are tired of their ******* *** already, did it perfectly and I said as much. They:

1) Identified their QB (Hoover)
2) Signed pretty much on one day their RB, WR, QB, etc transfer targets.

Looks like that was our plan for this last weekend, and that is fine for position players but when it comes to the QB, that guy is the one that needs to be done as early as possible in the process.

So, I’ll be creating a 2027 QB target thread again because, why not? 😂😂😂

Except at least this time, we have the happiness of a Championship game appearance with a shot at #6. That’s what’s most important right now for the staff. 1/19.

Drunk Happy Hour GIF
 
252cane said:
Interesting name still available. grunkenmeyer from psu is out there. Was a top 10 qb out of hs and he showed some flashes with psu. VT is trying to get him but they just signed another young qb so he might not want to go there now
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Thanks. Thought he had signed. He had an impressive performance against Clemson in the bowl game.
 
What about this kid?

I'd prefer him over Longstreet if we're going with young talented QB who can compete. He's actually had live snaps and looked good.

www.espn.com

Ethan Grunkemeyer - Penn State Nittany Lions Quarterback - ESPN

View the profile of Penn State Nittany Lions Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
PIPO said:
When I created this thread, it was part in joke with how long it took Mario to do everything and also in part because most of the board felt we needed to improve in how we handled the portal and QBs to avoid these last second, desperation half-court salvos.

And yet again, here we are in year 3 in a row of the same QB bull****.

This year, especially after we got into the Playoff, we needed to act as quickly as possible. Identify guys and quickly pivot to them.

My final list was:

1) Sorsby
2) Leavitt
3) Bailey

As news of Sorsby broke regarding the girl friend transferring to TT, Leavitt character concerns, etc should’ve led immediately to whom I said would be a good QB and whom also @DMoney and @Peter Ariz also said would thrive here: Bailey!!!

Sipping Tea Time GIF


Many here don’t like or despise Bailey. That’s ok. It’s many of the same people that didn’t like Mendoza.

So, here we are again praying for Simpson or somehow now hitting on some high level QB that hasn’t played much our there in the portal.

Indiana, for as much as we are tired of their ******* *** already, did it perfectly and I said as much. They:

1) Identified their QB (Hoover)
2) Signed pretty much on one day their RB, WR, QB, etc transfer targets.

Looks like that was our plan for this last weekend, and that is fine for position players but when it comes to the QB, that guy is the one that needs to be done as early as possible in the process.

So, I’ll be creating a 2027 QB target thread again because, why not? 😂😂😂

Except at least this time, we have the happiness of a Championship game appearance with a shot at #6. That’s what’s most important right now for the staff. 1/19.

Drunk Happy Hour GIF
Click to expand...
I personally love Bailey. Just really concerned about him after watching him in person at ND and on TV against Miami. He did not seem like he was processing well at all and the game seemed way too fast for him. He also did not seem that adept at decision-making, including using his athleticism to his advantage when the pocket broke down. Those things are hard to fix IMHO. But the farther we go along the better he looks.

I liked Raiola and Hoover. Never saw it with Sorsby and Leavitt. Ty Simpson would be a grand slam at this point. I also think the PSU QB Grunkemeyer has potential. I do not trust Franklin's QB evals, but for some reason he passed on Grunk, so that makes me feel better. Grunk was pretty good against IU and very good against Clemson in the bowl.
 
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I’d maybe swing on Deuce Knight or Chambliss. If Chambliss wins in court then He or Knight should be getable honestly
 
CanesNation26 said:
What about this kid?

I'd prefer him over Longstreet if we're going with young talented QB who can compete. He's actually had live snaps and looked good.

www.espn.com

Ethan Grunkemeyer - Penn State Nittany Lions Quarterback - ESPN

View the profile of Penn State Nittany Lions Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Just need a guy who will protect the ball and is enough of a downfield threat to keep defenses honest. I’d be fine with this.
 
Problem2 said:
It’s game week, I’m just focused on going 1-0.
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Seriously. Also the portal isn’t ******* real. Focus on the game. Win it and then force kids who want to be here to unenroll from school and enroll here like Lucas. Let’s pull an SEC kid that way so they can “sue” us too.
 
Problem2 said:
View attachment 352030


So long sweet prince
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This is such a bad reflection on our qb room development/focus. I’m all in on the portal route for a qb, but even with that approach you need more talent in the room. I mean, we’re hearing from @Cribby that Emory is head and shoulders above the other QBs on the roster and the guy might be going to ECU. Mario has done an amazing job with this roster, but how they’ve handled the qb room OVERALL makes no sense.
 
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Here are two QBs in the portal I'd target: Husan Longstreet and Ethan Grunkemeyer. I actually prefer Grunkemeyer to Longstreet, since Grunkemeyer has game experience and looks good. He's a less risky take.

I'd target three other QBs not in the portal: Devon Dampier, John Mateer, and Ty Simpson.
 
CanesNation26 said:
Here are two QBs in the portal I'd target: Husan Longstreet and Ethan Grunkemeyer. I actually prefer Grunkemeyer to Longstreet, since Grunkemeyer has game experience and looks good. He's a less risky take.

I'd target three other QBs not in the portal: Devon Dampier, John Mateer, and Ty Simpson.
Click to expand...
Grunk has some juice. Him > Emory imo

Played pretty well against Indiana
 
CanesNation26 said:
Here are two QBs in the portal I'd target: Husan Longstreet and Ethan Grunkemeyer. I actually prefer Grunkemeyer to Longstreet, since Grunkemeyer has game experience and looks good. He's a less risky take.

I'd target three other QBs not in the portal: Devon Dampier, John Mateer, and Ty Simpson.
Click to expand...
Grunkemeyer a legit good option. Had forgotten about him, because I thought he had signed with VTech.

He got put in an awful situation starting against two elite defenses on the road in Iowa and OSU. After that he played well enough to beat Indiana at home, and steadily improved as PSU put more on his plate to end the season.

Has Dampier/Utah announced he resigned yet?
 
flips said:
Grunkemeyer a legit good option. Had forgotten about him, because I thought he had signed with VTech.

He got put in an awful situation starting against two elite defenses on the road in Iowa and OSU. After that he played well enough to beat Indiana at home, and steadily improved as PSU put more on his plate to end the season.

Has Dampier/Utah announced he resigned yet?
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No announcement from Dampier that he's resigned yet. There are some rumors on the Utah message board that we've been tampering with him. Let's see if anything comes of it.
 
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