RALEIGH, N.C. – Two quarterbacks for Triangle-area universities are entering the transfer portal.
N.C. State’s MJ Morris announced plans Thursday to enter the transfer portal less than a month after opting out for the rest of the season to preserve his redshirt option despite being the starter.
Duke quarterback Riley Leonard entered the transfer portal Wednesday, signaling his departure from the Blue Devils after two seasons as a starter.
Leonard becomes one of the most talented quarterbacks available in college football's transfer market. His decision came two days after Duke lost its head coach, Mike Elko, to Texas A&M.
Leonard's 2023 season was cut short by ankle and foot injuries, but he helped lead the Blue Devils to a 4-0 start before being hurt on Duke's final offensive play of its 21-14 loss to Notre Dame.
He finished this season throwing for 1,102 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games. He also ran for 352 yards and four TDs. Last year, Leonard threw for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions and he ran for 699 yards and 13 scores as Duke went 9-4.
Morris, who issued a statement Thursday to On3Sports and posted the statement on social media about his transfer plans, will have three years of eligibility remaining after his unusual exit from N.C. State.
He was pressed into duty as a true freshman in 2022 due to injuries before being sidelined by his own, then was elevated to the starting role in early October after the Wolfpack struggled offensively with Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong as the starter.
Morris guided the Wolfpack to three wins in four starts, including against Clemson and Miami, while throwing seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Yet Armstrong played much better in his return to the starting lineup, helping N.C. State close with five straight wins and reach nine wins.
Also on Wednesday, Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, a three-time Sun Belt Conference player of the year, entered the portal, and former Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson committed to North Carolina as a transfer.
This is the second straight season McCall announced his intention to leave Coastal Carolina. But he returned last year after the school hired coach Tim Beck to replace Jamey Chadwell, who had left for Liberty after the 2022 season.
McCall's post on social media Wednesday thanked the school for his five years before saying he had entered the portal as a graduate transfer with a final year of eligibility remaining.
Johnson announced his commitment to North Carolina with a social media post. He has started games for LSU and Texas A&M over his four-year career. Having graduated, he was eligible to transfer again and be eligible immediately.
Johnson stepped in as the starter for Texas A&M this season after Conner Weigman went down with an injury. Johnson started seven games before a rib injury ended his season in early November.
He threw 1,452 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
With Drake Maye expected to declare for the NFL draft, North Carolina's starting quarterback job will be open heading into the 2024 season.
Also on Thursday, Clemson receiver Beaux Collins announced his plan to enter the portal.
Collins was third on the team with 38 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns this season. Collins thanked his family, friends, teammates and coaches for his three years at Clemson on social media.
“After deep thought and consideration, I have plans to enter the transfer portal,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Collins is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior from Los Angeles who has started the past 21 games he has played in with the Tigers. He ends his Clemson career with 91 catches for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns the past three seasons.
He was injured early in a 31-20 win over then-No. 20 North Carolina with a plantar fascia tear on Nov. 18 and did not play in the team's final regular-season game at South Carolina this past Saturday.