Jaden Craig Among Top FCS, Division II Transfer QBs Set to Start in FBS in 2026

Power conference college football teams routinely poach quarterbacks from Group of 6 programs. Ten teams across the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC are projected to start transfers they landed from lower-level FBS programs this offseason.

The trickle-down effects of that trend are easy to follow. Group of 6 programs then turn to the FCS and Division II ranks to fill their need at the most important position in team sports — and on and on the cycle goes. But it's not just lower-level FBS programs that are mining the lower levels of the sport for quarterbacks.

TCU, a Big 12 team, turned to the Ivy League to find its answer under center after its quarterback transferred to the Big Ten. And Boston College, an ACC team, went the Division II route after its starting quarterback also left for a Big Ten program in the portal.

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There's ample recent evidence of this approach working out. Ole Miss almost made a run to the national championship last season on the back of Trinidad Chambliss, a Division II transfer who wasn't even supposed to start. Miami nearly made the College Football Playoff two years ago with Cam Ward, who transferred from a Group of 6 school but got his start in the FCS. Shedeur Sanders. Bailey Zappe. Max Brosmer. The list goes on.

There are nine projected starting quarterbacks across the FBS in 2026 who transferred up from the FCS or Division II. These are the newcomers you need to know.

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Jaden Craig (Harvard to TCU)

Culturally, it might be a bit of a change for Craig to go from the Ivy League to the Big 12. But make no mistake: He is qualified for the jump in competition. Across 24 starts, Craig finished his Crimson career as the program's all-time leader in passing yards (6,074) and passing touchdowns (52). He also set single-season records with 2,869 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns in 2025 en route to Harvard's first FCS postseason appearance.

Craig is replacing a prolific passer in Josh Hoover. But, as coach Sonny Dykes said this offseason after he transferred to Indiana, turnovers were a persistent problem for the outgoing quarterback. That's not the case with Craig, who has 12 career interceptions — Hoover threw 13 last season alone.

Efficiency is a central tenet of Craig's game. And he'll be set up for success by new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis behind a strong offensive line. All-conference-caliber wide receiver Jordan Dwyer, who will be Craig's top target, also got his start at the FCS level.

Marcus Stokes (West Florida to Memphis)

Stokes is one of two intriguing quarterbacks the Tigers added in the offseason. He put up prolific numbers last season for the Argonauts, and he was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable Division II player. Stokes threw for 3,297 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, and he also ran for 367 yards and 10 scores.

Originally a four-star prospect out of Florida, Stokes was committed to the Gators when a video of him saying a racial slur surfaced online. His scholarship offer was rescinded, and he later enrolled at West Florida, a DII powerhouse that is transitioning to the FCS. Stokes played sparingly before his 2025 breakout earned him a shot to play at the FBS level.

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Memphis also landed Air Noland, another former four-star recruit, from South Carolina in the transfer portal. Stokes has considerably more playing experience, albeit at a lower level, and is projected to win the starting job for new head coach Charles Huff.

Trey Hedden (Furman to New Mexico State)

Hedden arrives in Las Cruces after starting the better part of two seasons for the Paladins, an FCS program. He was ushered into the role as a true freshman in 2024, and he showed enough promise to earn a spot on the Southern Conference all-freshman team and open the 2025 season as QB1. Hedden racked up 2,967 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, but he also threw 13 interceptions.

Most of Hedden's turnovers happened in a handful of performances. He has five career multi-interception games, including three with three picks apiece. But he completed 68.5% of his passes last season, accuracy that shows he could improve in the turnover department in the right system.

Turnovers were a major issue a season ago for coach Tony Sanchez's Aggies. Their 24 giveaways as a team were the fifth-most in the FBS, made more glaring by the fact that they lost four games by one score. New Mexico State's ceiling for improvement hinges on Hedden's improvement as a pocket passer.

Caden Pinnick (UC Davis to Washington State)

Pinnick was one of the breakout stars at the FCS level in 2025. He led the Aggies to the playoffs and he was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS. Pinnick finished with 3,206 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus he tacked on 437 rushing yards and three scores.

Three of UC Davis' four losses last season came to the two teams that played for the FCS title and Washington, the Cougars' in-state rival which they play in Week 1. Pinnick's worst game came against the Huskies, but he threw for a career-high 402 yards in the Aggies' playoff loss to Illinois State.

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Pinnick's combination of accuracy (69.6% completion rate) and explosive plays (9.3 yards per attempt) will serve him well at the FBS level. The Cougars are onto their third head coach in three years in Kirby Moore, whose track record with quarterbacks at Fresno State and Missouri bodes well for Pinnick's development.

EJ Colson (Incarnate Word to UTEP)

The Miners tried out a one-time highly touted recruit under center last season. That approach didn't work out with Malachi Nelson. But UTEP is going back to the well with EJ Colson, who began his college career at UCF before he transferred to UIW, an FCS school that famously produced Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Colson threw for 2,142 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions last season. He completed 70.9% of his throws, and he added 287 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. That level of efficiency and playmaking has been missing under center in El Paso for some time. And things aren't going to get any easier as the Miners move to the Mountain West. But Colson clearly has high hopes for his new team:

Colson has held up well in limited action against FBS competition. He completed 8-of-12 passes for 70 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Utah in 2024 with the Knights. And he completed 17-of-24 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns last season against UTSA. These are small sample sizes, to be sure, but Colson looks like an immediate upgrade for coach Scotty Walden, whose seat is warming heading into Year 3 at UTEP.

Tyler Hughes (William & Mary to Wyoming)

Hughes bided his time at William & Mary, an FCS school in Virginia, waiting three years to earn the starting job. He turned out to be worth the wait, as he became the first quarterback in program history to pass for 2,000 yards and run for 600 in a single season in 2025.

That impressive statistical output, in which he threw for 20 touchdowns and ran for 11 against only three interceptions, did not translate into much success for the Tribe. But it earned Hughes an FBS starting opportunity halfway across the country.

Hughes reunites with former offensive coordinator Christian Taylor at Wyoming, where head coach Jay Sawvel is in need of a turnaround after back-to-back losing seasons. The Cowboys have not had a quarterback throw for 2,000 yards in a season since Josh Allen in 2016. Hughes might not be the player to end that drought, but his dynamism as a rusher adds a much-needed element to a struggling offense.

Mason McKenzie (Saginaw Valley State to Boston College)

McKenzie is making the biggest jump in competition of all of the quarterbacks mentioned from Division II to the ACC. But he produced at Saginaw Valley State, a small school in Michigan, and he's confident he will be able to do so at Boston College.

“I’ve always been told I’m too small, not big enough, not fast enough, can’t throw the ball well enough,” McKenzie said at ACC media days. “It’s just how it’s been my whole life. But I've always been able to perform, so I take that with a grain of salt.”

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McKenzie was a prolific dual-threat for the Cardinals, racking up over 4,300 yards and 31 touchdowns through the air and 1,600 yards and 18 scores on the ground across 25 games. Head coach Bill O'Brien, who is taking over play-calling duties this season, has compared McKenzie to Chambliss, who dominated the SEC after transferring from DII Ferris State. If McKenzie can approach Chambliss' production, the Eagles could be one of the biggest surprises in the country.

Taron Dickens (West Carolina to Northern Illinois)

It's been a wild offseason for Dickens, who entered the transfer portal, committed to North Carolina and has now signed at Northern Illinois. He put up video game-like statistics last season for the Catamounts. He threw for 3,508 yards, good for fifth-most in the FCS, in just nine games. That's almost 390 yards per game.

Dickens also threw 38 touchdowns to just two interceptions and completed 74.2% of his passes. He finished two touchdowns behind the leader despite playing in eight fewer games and was the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in the FCS. A huge chunk of his passing and yardage totals came in a shootout loss to Mercer in which he threw for 551 yards and tied a Southern Conference record with seven touchdowns. Dickens is also a threat to run, tallying 321 yards on the ground.

The Huskies are a team in transition, as they will be led by interim coach Rob Harley in their Mountain West debut. NIU is just 9-14 since its historic upset over Notre Dame two years ago. But perhaps Dickens' late arrival can give the team a spark on offense in 2026.

Tyler Mizzell (Concord to Ball State)

Mizzell is another player who got his start at the FBS level at Wake Forest, transferred to Concord, a Division II school in West Virginia, and is making his return with the Cardinals. Though the Mountain Lions struggled as a team, Mizzell earned All-MEC second team honors, throwing for 2,889 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also finished with 377 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Ball State was among the worst offenses in the country in 2025, coach Mike Uremovich's debut. And passing was a weakness in particular. Mizzell is still in the mix with Texas State transfer Keldric Luster for the starting job, but Mizzell has more experience at this point.

Ball State is projected to be among the worst teams in the MAC and therefore one of the worst in the FBS, but the offensive line is a bright spot on the roster. Whoever starts Week 1 is in for a tough assignment, as the Cardinals open the season at Ohio State.