The top 3 overall players in the 2025 recruiting cycle were 5-star quarterbacks. Altogether, 4 5-star QBs signed scholarships Wednesday. Alabama landed No. 2 overall prospect Keelon Russell, but 3 of them — including No. 1 Bryce Underwood (Michigan) and No. 3 Tavien St. Clair (Ohio State) — are headed to the B1G.

Don’t get too attached, though: If recent history holds, it’s safe to say many won’t stay where they signed. Drake Maye (Class of 2021) is the most recent 5-star quarterback who spent his college career on the same sideline before heading to the NFL. The last class that didn’t include a 5-star QB transfer was 2017.

Just this week, 2 more former 5-star QBs announced they were transferring, continuing a trend: 12 of the past 25 5-star QBs transferred (or plan to), some more than once.

Consider this a word of caution before you rush out and buy that jersey: A detailed look at every 5-star QB in the past 8 recruiting cycles.

2024 class (1 of 3 transferred)

No. 3 overall DJ Lagway (Florida): Everybody wanted him, and a few reportedly still are interested. As long as Billy Napier remains Florida’s coach, it sure looks like Lagway will be Florida’s starting quarterback for the next 2 years.

No. 7 overall Dylan Raiola (Nebraska): His recruitment was full of twists, but he was given the keys to Nebraska’s offense with hopes of restoring the ‘Skers’ championship history.

No. 20 overall Julian Sayin (Alabama): He didn’t wait long to bolt, but he had a good excuse: Nick Saban retired shortly after Sayin signed with Alabama last December. Sayin transferred to Ohio State in January.

2023 class (*3 of 5 transferred)

No. 1 overall Arch Manning (Texas): Sure, transfer rumors ran rampant after Quinn Ewers announced last offseason that he was returning, but Manning looks like he’ll finish his college career as Texas’ starter in 2025.

No. 2 Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee): Iamaleava watched and waited in 2023 before taking over and leading Tennessee’s Playoff push in 2024.

No. 4 Dante Moore (UCLA): Moore played in 9 games as a true freshman, but he never truly bought in to the Bruins’ staff. He picked UCLA to play for Kenny Dillingham, but Dillingham left to become the head coach at Arizona State. Moore transferred to Oregon, the school he committed to before flipping to UCLA, and served as Dillon Gabriel’s backup this season.

*No. 10 Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma): Arnold started for the Sooners this season, but this week announced he planned to transfer.

No. 13 Malachi Nelson (USC): Nelson committed to play for Lincoln Riley, first when Riley was at Oklahoma, but then signing with hometown USC when Riley was named the head coach. He threw just 3 passes as a freshman as Caleb Williams’ backup, then transferred to Boise State, where he serves as a backup for the Playoff-hopeful Broncos.

2022 class (1* of 4 transferred)

No. 3 overall Drew Allar (Penn State): Is it the system or his ceiling? Either way, Allar has been fine during his 2 years as a starter, but he’s rarely the difference-maker in any particular game. Penn State couldn’t care less. The Nittany Lions are in the Big Ten Championship Game and soon will make their first Playoff appearance.

No. 13 Cade Klubnik (Clemson): Klubnik is somewhat of a scapegoat for Clemson’s post-Trevor Lawrence drop, but he’s hardly the reason. He has outperformed every QB in this star-crossed class and has the Tigers in position to end their Playoff drought.

*No. 22 Conner Weigman (Texas A&M): Weigman had opportunities, but he had even more bad injury luck. This week, after 3 chaotic seasons, he announced he was entering the transfer portal with hopes of leading a Playoff contender in 2025.

No. 29 Ty Simpson (Alabama): Simpson is a clear outlier, as he has stayed at Alabama and backed up Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. Next season will be his 4th in the program — but first real chance to win the starting job.

2021 class (3 of 4 transferred)

No. 1 overall Quinn Ewers (Ohio State): No, it hasn’t been a straight or speedy line from top recruit to likely No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but it’s hard to argue with Ewers’ success. He transferred after an idle freshman season at OSU and is about to lead Texas to the Playoff for the 2nd consecutive year. He could add an SEC title, too. Then it could get really interesting. Ewers’ NFL stock has fallen. He could take a chance, anyway. Or he could stay in college. With Arch Manning ready to take the reins, Ewers could be one of the portal’s biggest prizes.

No. 8 Caleb Williams (Oklahoma): Williams counts as a transfer, but only because he followed Lincoln Riley to USC, where he won the 2022 Heisman Trophy en route to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

No. 23 Sam Huard (Washington): Huard has transferred twice. He left Washington for Cal Poly, where he spent the 2023 season before transferring to Utah. Huard didn’t

No. 24 Drake Maye (UNC): Maye is the most recent 5-star QB who stayed put before going to the NFL. He sat behind Sam Howell as a freshman, and then spent the next 2 seasons assaulting UNC’s record book.

2020 class (1 of 3 transferred)

No. 1 overall Bryce Young (Alabama): Young did it all at Alabama, including becoming the first Tide QB to win the Heisman Trophy. No, he didn’t lead the Tide to a national title as a starter, but he was Mac Jones’ backup on the 2020 national title team.

No. 2 DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson): Not much has gone Uiagalelei’s way since Signing Day. He was chased out of Clemson after the 2022 season, enjoyed a productive rebound at Oregon State in 2023, but was the face of FSU’s free fall in 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury in a 3-INT loss at SMU. He could apply for a medical waiver and be granted a 6th year, but that likely would be at another school — his 4th.

No. 29 CJ Stroud (Ohio State): Safe to say the recruitniks would like a do-over with this ranking order. Twice a top-5 finisher in the Heisman vote, Stroud did everything but win a natty in 3 years at OSU. He’s the only QB in program history to throw 40+ TD passes twice.

2019 class (1 of 1 transferred)

No. 9 overall Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma): Rattler was the only 5-star QB in this class, which also included fellow NFL players Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Sam Howell — and 3-star Dillon Gabriel, who is about to lead Oregon to the Playoff and perhaps a Big Ten title. Rattler, of course, left Oklahoma after 3 roller-coaster seasons and transferred to South Carolina, where the thrill ride continued. All’s well that ends well, though, as Rattler ended up where he was projected: the NFL.

2018 class (2 of 3 transferred)

No. 1 overall Trevor Lawrence (Clemson): The only thing Lawrence didn’t accomplish was winning the Heisman — he was the runner-up in 2020. Everything else played out as a best-case scenario for the top overall recruit in the country — including becoming the No. 1 overall pick after just 3 years.

No. 2 Justin Fields (Georgia): Kirby Smart won plenty with Jake Fromm, but could he have won it all with Fields in 2019? Or 2020? That’ll forever remain a what-if. Fields transferred to Ohio State, and though he didn’t win a natty, he more than lived up to the recruiting hype.

No. 6 JT Daniels (USC): No need to pile on. It just didn’t work out. At USC. Or Georgia. Or West Virginia. Or Rice.

2017 class (0 of 2 transferred)

This is the most recent class of 5-star QBs that didn’t include a transfer. Both also made it to the NFL.

No. 19 overall Davis Mills (Stanford): Not many NFL QBs threw just 18 TD passes in college, but that’s Davis’ story. Injuries and COVID contributed to the limited sample size at Stanford. It’s wild to think he started as many games in his first NFL season with the Houston Texans as he did in college.

No. 22 overall Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama): Tagovailoa authored the greatest pass in Alabama football history — and arguably the most dramatic walk-off winner in the sport’s history, too. He couldn’t quite get back to the mountaintop in his final 2 seasons, but it’s hard to argue he isn’t the greatest QB in Tide history.