More than 4,000 players entered the transfer portal during the 2024-25 cycle, but only a select few will leave a lasting mark on their careers and their programs.
Transfer quarterbacks have reshaped college football in recent years—six of the past seven Heisman Trophy winners were transfers, including Travis Hunter, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels.
Among them, CBS Sports college football analyst Cody Nagel named Michael Penix Jr.—formerly of Indiana and Washington—as the most impactful transfer of the portal era.
Though Penix’s time at Indiana was plagued by injuries, his talent was unmistakable. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound quarterback threw for 4,197 yards, with 35 total touchdowns and 15 interceptions across four injury-shortened seasons, appearing in just 20 of a possible 45 games due to multiple torn ACLs.
One of his defining moments at Indiana came on October 24, 2020, when Penix led the Hoosiers to a dramatic overtime upset over No. 8 Penn State—a performance Hoosier fans will never forget.
After transferring to Washington, Penix’s career took off. Over two seasons in Seattle, he posted a 25-3 record, leading the Huskies to new heights. He finished his Washington career ranked third all-time in both passing yards (9,544) and touchdowns (67).
Cody Nagel highlighted Penix’s enormous impact:
“This might be an unpopular opinion, but Penix deserves more recognition among elite transfer quarterbacks, which is why he is No. 1 on this list. After reuniting with Kalen DeBoer, his former coordinator at Indiana, Penix led Washington to a national championship game appearance at the end of the 2023 season. He topped the nation in passing yards (4,903) and attempts (555), ranked third in touchdowns (36), and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. During Penix’s two-year tenure as starter, Washington lost just three games—their fewest in any two-year stretch since the 1991 national championship season.”
Penix’s rise was punctuated by three wins over rival Oregon, two victories against Texas—including a historic Sugar Bowl win in the College Football Playoff—and a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony, where he finished as runner-up to LSU’s Jayden Daniels, marking the highest finish in Washington history.
In 2024, Penix was selected No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the franchise’s quarterback of the future. Now entering his second NFL season, he’s officially the starting quarterback for a team still seeking its first Pro Bowl signal-caller in years.
While veteran Kirk Cousins started most of the 2024 season, Penix took over late and showed signs of promise. In the final three games, he completed 58 of 100 passes for 737 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown on seven carries.
Penix showed poise in the pocket, delivered accurate timing routes—especially on out-breaking patterns—and consistently worked the middle of the field with confidence. As he enters Year 2, Michael Penix Jr. looks poised to continue his ascent—this time, on the NFL stage.
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