With Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel being the latest SEC signal caller to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his next move centers around where he'll compete for immediate playing time over his final two seasons of eligibility.

Ohio State, Duke, SMU and Arizona are the teams Starkel is eyeing, per reports. Two of those programs have departing starters to the NFL and one to transfer, while the other — Kevin Sumlin's Wildcats — are welcoming back Khalil Tate, a dynamic playmaker who considered leaving the program but was convinced to return.

The Buckeyes, who might be the greatest long-shot, are in the quarterback market after losing four-star commit Dwan Mathis to Georgia during the Early Signing Period and Tate Martell to transfer earlier this month.

"Nick Starkel is definitely a quarterback that Ohio State would love to add to its 2019 squad," Bucknuts editor Dave Biddle told 247Sports on Thursday. "It makes a lot of sense for the Buckeyes – who currently have just three scholarship QBs on their roster – but I’m not sure it makes as much sense for Starkel. Why? Because Georgia transfer Justin Fields is expected to be Ohio State’s starting quarterback as a sophomore in 2019 (if granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA as expected), and I know the coaching staff also likes redshirt freshman Matthew Baldwin.

"The other scholarship QB on the roster is former West Virginia transfer Chris Chugunov, a fifth-year senior. Starkel would push Fields for the starting job, and would likely beat out Baldwin for the backup gig at worst. However, I have to imagine Starkel wants to transfer to a program where he believes he is the unquestioned starter. That would not be the case at OSU. But, again, Ryan Day would love to add him and let the competition play out."

Starkel, who Sumlin signed as a three-star prospect in 2016, fits the gamer mold, a player who plays fearless and takes chances downfield, according GigEm247 analyst Brian Perroni. Some of that freelance-style play gets him into trouble, but he did throw 14 touchdown passes in only seven starts for the Aggies during the 2017 campaign.

"Starkel is a competitive kid," Perroni told 247Sports. "Two years in a row, he went through a quarterback competition. Even after being on the wrong end of it this year, he never really gave up on trying to win it back. He has a strong arm and is not afraid to get hit.

"Sometimes, he might force a ball and other times he may take a sack when he should have thrown it away, but he’s confident in his abilities and you want that in a quarterback."

After beating out Kellen Mond and Jake Hubenak for the lion's share of QB1 snaps as a sophomore in 2017, Starkel lost his starting spot to Mond this season under Jimbo Fisher. Mond, a sophomore, was the better fit for what the Aggies were trying to do offensively in Fisher's scheme and enjoyed a statistically-noteworthy season, helping Texas A&M finish 9-4.

The chances were slim Starkel would beat out Mond, a rising star, this spring for QB1 honors again.

Starkel has two years of eligibility remaining and would be forced to sit out a season if he enrolls at another FBS program unless he receives a waiver from the NCAA or is a graduate transfer.