As the transfer portal opens, Penn State has a clear need at quarterback. Here are options to consider.

On the eve of the only transfer portal for the year opening in college football, Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who started the final seven games of the season, announced his intention to enter.

The decision isn’t shocking, and Grunkemeyer, a redshirt freshman, could return to the Nittany Lions. But with new coach Matt Campbell coming in with his own staff and likely running a new offense, it is becoming increasingly likely that next year’s starting quarterback is not currently on Penn State’s roster.

Drew Allar is making the jump to the NFL, freshman quarterback Bekkem Kritza also entered the portal, leaving Jaxon Smolik and Jack Lambert as the quarterbacks remaining on the roster. The pair have played a combined 14 snaps and have zero in-game passing attempts.

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That means that Campbell and his new staff in Happy Valley will need to go portal hunting for quarterback — and several other positions as the roster is expected to have significant turnover.

Here are the options Penn State could consider at quarterback, from a player familiar to the staff to others who have had success elsewhere:

The most obvious answer to Penn State’s quarterback conundrum is to bring in Campbell’s starting quarterback at Iowa State, Rocco Becht, who is in the transfer portal. Becht seems like a natural fit in Happy Valley, considering his experience, familiarity with staff, and the high-profile nature of the games Penn State will play.

The ex-Iowa State quarterback has thrown for 9,274 yards and 64 touchdowns in 39 starts for Campbell in Ames, Iowa. A starting quarterback following his coach to another school is not unprecedented, and Becht also would reunite with Jake Waters, his quarterbacks coach at Iowa State who holds the same position at Penn State, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser.

Having a proven quarterback for Campbell in Year 1 at Penn State with a favorable Big Ten schedule draw would be ideal. But nothing is certain in the portal, and there will be several suitors who need a quarterback.

Last year, before Penn State’s College Football Playoff first-round matchup with SMU, backup quarterback Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal and landed at Missouri. And after one season with the Tigers, in which he threw 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 starts, he’s back in the portal. Could he come back to Happy Valley?

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Pribula played well in relief after Allar was injured during the Wisconsin game in 2024, and his rushing ability was heavily utilized in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. Kotelnicki won’t be on the staff next season, but the familiarity with the program could intrigue Campbell and his staff if they don’t bring in Becht.

He would be a one-year player, like Becht, barring injury, and would need to take care of the football better than he did this year (nine interceptions, five fumbles) but bringing him back seems like an option on the table. Of course, former Penn State coach James Franklin and Virginia Tech could get involved, and his staff has plenty of familiarity with Pribula.

There are several other starters from Power Four schools who entered the portal and have a big pool of teams interested in their services. Quarterbacks like Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati), Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), and DJ Lagway (Florida) are among the top quarterbacks who will be highly coveted in the portal.

Penn State likely won’t land the top of the portal market for quarterbacks, considering the uncertainty on the roster and a new staff coming in. There are other quarterbacks who may not garner the same interest as the top names and come with some risks.

Former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles entered the portal after the program’s coaching change. After an up and down 2024 season, Chiles was much more efficient in 2025 in nine starts, completing 63.1% of his passes and throwing for 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. He has big-time talent and two more seasons of eligibility, but has a 8-13 record as a starter over the last two seasons.

Jaden Craig, the former Harvard starting quarterback for two years, is looking to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS. With the Crimson, he threw for career highs in touchdowns (25) and yards (2,869), but the level of competition in the Ivy League is much different from the Big Ten. Could he handle facing Big Ten defenses?

Penn State also has two quarterbacks signed in the 2026 recruiting class, in Peyton Falzone and Kase Evans. Campbell has his work cut out for him over the next two weeks to build out his roster for the 2026 season and beyond. Getting a quarterback locked in should be atop the staff’s list.