With Malik Zaire headed to Florida, the 2017 quarterback transfer market is closed.

There are plenty of familiar faces in new places, as programs pin their 2017 offensive hopes on newcomers hoping for a second chance.

This list, populated by former five-star prospects and junior college stars, includes quarterbacks that transferred with immediate eligibility this offseason and those that transferred the year before – 2016 transfers eligible to play in 2017 – who are now ready to be employed by their new schools. It does not include players who will be forced to sit out the 2017 season.

It’s an impressive list, and one whose occupants could easily impact more than a few conference races.

1. Will Grier, West Virginia: It’s been a year-and-a-half since we’ve seen Grier take a snap, but the Top 50 recruit was once viewed as Florida’s future. Now, he’s West Virginia’s unquestioned starter in one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. Dana Holgorsen is one of college football’s best play-callers, and Grier should thrive under his tutelage. The time he spent in 2016 learning the offense gives him an advantage over everyone on this list, including a potential one-and-done NFLer in ...

... 2. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn: Another short-burning 2015 star, Stidham transferred from Baylor following the school’s firing of Art Briles. Now, the former five-star recruit is expected to take the helm of the Tigers offense; he will compete with last year’s starter, Sean White, in fall camp. Stidham, who completed 68.8 percent and had a 6-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio as a freshman at Baylor, should instantly transform Auburn’s offense. He’s Gus Malzahn’s best quarterback prospect since Cam Newton.

3. Kyle Allen, Houston: Yet another former five-star passer in a different place, Allen will take the reins of a Houston offense that’s expected to be considerably more pass-heavy in 2017 without Greg Ward. Allen redshirted last season, giving him the opportunity to learn Major Applewhite’s offense. Those two factors, plus Allen’s natural talent, put the former Texas A&M signal caller in great position to showcase the skills that had people talking about his first-round potential following his true freshman season in 2014.

4. Max Browne, Pittsburgh: The first graduate transfer on this list, Pittsburgh is hoping it can turn Browne into its second straight transfer quarterback success story. Nathan Peterman transferred from Tennessee to become an NFL Draft pick with the Panthers. Browne, a former USC signal caller, hopes to do the same. Browne lost his job to Sam Darnold last season – no shame in that – but still completed a respectable 62 percent of his passes in three starts despite facing Alabama and Stanford. Browne will also be the most talented passer new Panthers OC Shawn Watson’s had since Teddy Bridgewater.

5. Blake Barnett, Arizona State: One of two former Alabama quarterbacks on this list, Barnett used a transfer loophole last season to gain immediate eligibility in 2017 to Arizona State’s benefit. The former five-star signal caller – ranked No. 23 overall in the 2015 class – will provide stability for a team that was forced to start three quarterbacks last season. Barnett is an uber-talented prospect, and he’ll be a boon to Todd Graham in a season in which the Sun Devils desperately need wins.

6. Thomas Sirk, East Carolina: Reunited with former Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery, Sirk is a potential difference-maker for the Pirates thanks to his running ability. An Achilles injury cost Sirk the entire 2016 season. But, as a full-time starter in 2015, Sirk led the Blue Devils to an 8-5 campaign, carried a 2-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio (16-to-8) and ran for 803 yards and eight touchdowns. If healthy, Sirk will transform a Pirate offense that lacked a consistent rushing element in 2016.

7. Shane Morris, Central Michigan: Morris could never establish a starting foothold at Michigan, but at Central Michigan he joins an offense equipped to be immediately explosive. The nation’s 26th-ranked passing attack a year ago returns eight starters, and Morris will have every opportunity to step in and find success.

8. Brandon Harris, North Carolina: LSU's former starter, Harris will have a second opportunity at North Carolina where he'll attempt to replace No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky. Harris lost his job a year ago because of his inconsistent play. But given a second chance in a spread system that will better utilize his talents, Harris could finally live up to his lofty recruiting billing (No. 75 overall in the 2014 class). Larry Fedora is as good a QB developer as they come in college football, and he'll give Harris a much better chance for success than he ever had in Baton Rouge.

9. Malik Zaire, Florida: Zaire is the hardest player to slot on this list for a number of reasons. First, he’ll be forced to compete for the job with highly-touted redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks, aka the future. Second, it’s a bit of a mystery as to just what Zaire has left. He wowed in flashes at Notre Dame – particularly in 2015 before an injury ended his season in Week 2 – but couldn’t regain his starting job from DeShone Kizer a year ago. Headed to Florida, it remains to be seen if Zaire is an answer to Florida’s QB woes or just another guy in the post-Tim Tebow era.

10. Damian Williams, Texas State: A backup to both Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald at Mississippi State, Williams will finally have the opportunity to run the show in San Marcos. Williams is both a more capable passer and runner than the now graduated Tyler Jones (11 TDs to 14 INTs), and will provide what was, at times, a middling Bobcat attack a boost. Don’t expect huge numbers from Williams, but he’s one of the surest upgrades on this list for his team.

11. Anu Solomon, Baylor: There are few guarantees of starting positions at this point on the list, but Solomon is a potential impact player if tabbed to start for Matt Rhule in Year 1. A one-time rising star at Arizona before injuries derailed both his 2015 and 2016 seasons, Solomon will compete with sophomore Zach Smith. If Solomon, the more mobile of the two passers, secures the starting job, the hope is he can repeat the start of his 2015 campaign in which he passed for 2,612 yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions in 10 full games.

12. Peyton Bender, Kansas: Offensive coordinator Doug Meacham is bringing the Air Raid to Lawrence, and the Jayhawks have a perfect vehicle to run it in Bender. He ran the Air Raid in high school, as a freshman at Washington State (he transferred following the 2015 season) and now finally at Kansas. Bender looked impressive for much of the spring, and he’s arguably the top quarterback prospect for Kansas since Todd Reesing.

13. De’Andre Johnson, Florida Atlantic: Likely your next “Last Chance U” star that is also a former Florida State quarterback, Johnson is best known for the off-field issue that got him booted from FSU. But, from a purely football perspective, Johnson is likely the most talented quarterback in Florida Atlantic history. Last year’s starter Jason Driskel returns, but Lane Kiffin made Johnson his first commitment for a reason. Johnson is going to play.

14. David Cornwell, Nevada: The second former Alabama quarterback on this list – a true freshman winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year sure can clear out a depth chart – Cornwell exited the spring as Nevada’s quarterback competition leader. Cornwell, at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, features a strong, accurate arm, which has helped separate him from incumbent starter Ty Gangi.

15. Jake Luton, Oregon State: Luton, a junior college All-American in 2016, ended spring ball as Oregon State’s likely starter. However, Beavers head coach Gary Anderson said unprompted on the Pac-12 teleconference this spring he's willing to use a multi-QB system. Luton, at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, is not the most mobile option, and last year’s starters, Marcus McMaryion and Darell Garretson, could provide the offense an athletic change of pace.

16. Kyle Bolin, Rutgers: A man who backed up both Teddy Bridgewater and Lamar Jackson in his Louisville career, Bolin hopes to get his shot at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have seen almost a complete overhaul of their quarterback room this offseason, and even with Bolin arriving at Rutgers in late April, he'll have a chance to win the starting job in a three-way competition. It's been a while since Bolin, a former four-star prospect, has seen extended playing time. But he did perform well as Jackson's backup a year ago, completing 66.7 percent of his passes.

17. Jonathan Banks, Tulane: Willie Fritz named Banks his starter exiting spring ball, a distinction few quarterbacks on this list can claim. However, Banks will be tasked with leading a run-heavy offense that finished 127th nationally in passing a year ago. Banks, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder from Houston, threw for 1,338 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 615 yards rushing in 2016 at Independence Community College in Kansas.

18. David Pindell, Connecticut: One of three quarterbacks new head coach Randy Edsall signed in the 2017 class, Pindell threw for 2,424 yards and 31 touchdowns last season to go along with 459 yards rushing. Pindell exited spring ball locked in a three-way battle with Bryant Shirreffs and Donovan Williams, both of whom had their struggles last season.

19. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma: A five-star prospect in the 2015 class, the former Aggie would be much higher on this list if he wasn’t slotted behind a Heisman Trophy candidate in Baker Mayfield. Expect Murray to seize the job in 2018 and instantly be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12.

20. Dwayne Lawson, Illinois: The one-time Virginia Tech signal caller was brought in from Hutchinson Community College to provide depth and potentially push Chayce Crouch, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery. But head coach Lovie Smith ended the spring saying Crouch is “the starter.” A four-star prospect in the 2015 class, Lawson is still a player to watch if Crouch has his struggles early in 2017.

21. Jorge Reyna, Fresno State: Reyna transferred in from West Los Angeles College after throwing for 3,646 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2016. He’ll have a chance to pass incumbent starter Chason Virgil in fall camp, but indications out of the spring were that Virgil (2,021 yards, 13 TDs and 10 INTs in 2016) had control of job entering his sophomore season.

22. Chris Laviano, San Diego State: A one-time starter at Rutgers, Laviano will provide quality depth behind starter Christian Chapman. Laviano lost his starting job midway through 2016 and completed just 48.3 percent of his passes last season.

23. Torrance Gibson, Cincinnati: The former Buckeye and five-star recruit would be one of the most intriguing players on this list, but head coach Luke Fickell has already said Gibson will likely redshirt due to his academic standing – he needs a few more hours to earn his associate degree. Gibson will make the transition back to quarterback from wide receiver at Cincinnati.

Correction: North Carolina quarterback Brandon Harris was added to this after publication.

