3 Jaden Rashada transfer destinations for former 5-star to find the right home

Less than a week after the Bulldogs' 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada has opted to enter the transfer portal for the second time in less than 12 months.

You could fill a book with all twists and turns Rashada's career has taken since high school. A top-50 prospect with dozens of offers to his name, Rashada initially committed to Miami way back in the summer of 2022, but he eventually wound up flipping to rival Florida for what was rumored to be an eight-figure NIL package. There was just one problem: The Gators never paid up, and before he'd even stepped foot on campus, Rashada was on the move again, this time landing at Arizona State.

The California native was actually named QB1 for the Sun Devils out of fall camp, joining Jayden Daniels as the only two true freshmen to start a season opener in program history. But the Rashada era would last just two games due to injury, and at the end of the 2023 season he jumped in the portal, eventually landing at Georgia. It seemed like Rashada was in line to be Kirby Smart's succession plan after Carson Beck went to the NFL, but when Beck got hurt in the SEC title game it was Gunner Stockton who filled in — and four-star true freshman Ryan Puglisi was his backup, leapfrogging Rashada.

Which brings us back to the present, with Rashada on the move yet again. You'll be forgiven for being exhausted just reading all of the above, and plenty of coaches are likely to have questions about Rashada's priorities given his recent past. But this was one of the top QB recruits in his class for a reason, and we still don't have a ton of tape to actually evalute him on. The days of him commanding an NIL payday are long gone, but some program is bound to take a shot on him in hopes that they can tap into his considerable upside.

3. Miami

Could you imagine? The way things ended between Rashada and the 'Canes the first time around likely makes this a non-starter, but Mario Cristobal still needs a QB to replace Cam Ward, and Emory Williams sure didn't look like he was it during the Pop-Tarts Bowl. At this point, the options in the portal are drying up, and Rashada did play part of his high school career in the state of Florida. You could make the argument that he's the best move left on the board for Cristobal, and Shannon Dawson's offense would be any quarterback's dream.

2. Cal

More realistically, Rashada is likely to be looking at a lower-tier Power 4 program that's willing to take a big swing — and a big risk. Cal managed to pull five-star recruit Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele back from Oregon over the weekend, a major coup, but it's unclear whether he'll be ready to play right away. If he's not, Rashada could be an ideal bridge now that Fernando Mendoza is moving on to Indiana. Bryan Harsin may not be as exciting an offensive mind as the departed Jake Spavital, but there's still some talent in Berkeley, and maybe some time away from the spotlight is just what Rashada needs.

1. Liberty

Of course, there's no guarantee that any Power 4 program is willing to promise Rashada playing time in 2025, based on his limited experience and all the baggage he comes with (fairly or unfairly). If he's willing to consider a step down to the Group of 5, Liberty could make a lot of sense: The Flames have more NIL money to play with than most of their peers, they need a QB after Kaidon Salter jumped to Colorado and Rashada's dual-threat ability could make him a great fit for Jamey Chadwell's spread option offense. Rashada has more physical tools than most recruits that Liberty might be able to sign, and they'd offer him a chance to get his feet wet against lesser competition before maybe jumping back up in 2026.