We haven’t had many players move, but a few big names have moved. Notably, a few players who scored well in college fantasy. And some players who may now score well in 2025. Which players are set up better and will be a nice present, AirPods, for our 2025 teams? And are there any that may score worse, such as a lump of coal present for our teams? Or are they just a pair of socks? A good present we will use, but not inspiring.
Here are some of the most quarterbacks, and whether they will be AirPods, socks, or a lump of coal!
John Mateer – Washington State to Oklahoma
Mateer was one of the first dominos to fall, the top player in the portal, and the top-scoring player in all of CFF this season. He entered the portal, and after a furious array of offers, Oklahoma secured the talented college quarterback.
The Sooners also brought over Washington State’s Offensive Coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, and the offense will be comfortable for Mateer to run. The receiving corps is a little decimated at the moment. Deion Burks returns, but there aren’t many inspired options. Expect the Sooners to add some via the portal.
Mateer will now face eight SEC defenses a season. It’s tough to project that Mateer will replicate the lofty numbers of 2024, but a top-ten finish is still a reasonable projection.
Verdict: AirPods
Caden Veltkamp – Western Kentucky to FAU
This one made me incredibly skeptical; I didn’t see how Veltkamp could improve his situation for CFF by leaving the Hilltoppers. He was QB29 in 2024, passing for over 3,000 yards and 25 TDs. So, there was some room to increase output and put up some better numbers.
How about joining Zach Kittley, former architect of explosive WKU offenses and recent OC at Texas Tech? Color me intrigued. At the very least, Veltkamp should be in line to replicate his numbers from 2024 and could improve on them. I don’t see massive upside potential, but I expect Veltkamp to flirt with top-twenty production again.
Verdict: Socks
Devon Dampier – New Mexico to Utah
The QB5 in college fantasy, Dampier stays west but heads north to take over as the Utes’ new signal-caller. Kyle Whittingham followed Brent Venables’ path and hired Dampier’s offensive coordinator, bringing Jason Beck to OC at Utah.
Dampier will head over to a team with a strong running game and a blue-collar way of playing football. But with Beck on board, the offense will open up. The team has added transfer Joseph Williams, who finished strong in 2024 and was only a freshman.
That gives Utah a duo to build around and gives this team a new identity. The Big 12 is wide open for now, but this Utah squad is positioning to be a powerhouse again.
Verdict: AirPods
Chandler Morris – North Texas to Virginia
This one puzzled me, but it could still work out well for CFF. Morris was eighth in fantasy points per game with North Texas, and the offense revolved around him. He’s dangerous on the ground, but not as much as the previous two QBs.
Virginia wanted to open the offense up under Anthony Colandrea, but the gunslinger was careless and inconsistent. Morris gives Tony Elliott and Des Kitchings the QB they want, and he will run another fun offense. They lost Malachi Fields, and the WR corps must be addressed via the portal.
The ACC competition will be a little more challenging, and I don’t love his current supporting cast. It could be a nice present. But for now…
Verdict: Socks
Brendon Lewis – Nevada to Memphis
Memphis has been a nice spot for CFF QBs, but it hasn’t had as dangerous of a running QB as Lewis has before. He passed for 2,290 yards and 16 TDs while throwing 7 INTS but rushed for 775 yards and 8 scores for Nevada after three years at Colorado.
Ryan Silverfield and OC Tim Cramsey have run aggressive offenses, averaging over 30 points a game every season, 35.7 in 2024 as the team went 11-2. Longtime starter Seth Henigan is gone, opening the door for Lewis. The team will likely lose several veteran receivers and their top rusher, but the Tigers make the most of every season with the level of talent they have. Few staffs optimize talent like Memphis.
Lewis is a departure in their style of QB, yet I can’t see the Tigers not running a proficient offense around him. If Lewis wins the job, he has top twenty upside for CFF.
Verdict: AirPods
Maalik Murphy – Duke to Oregon State
Like Felix Sharpe, I expected more out of Gevani McCoy, but this portal addition signals the end of that potentially happening. Murphy had a strong season with Duke, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards with 26 TDs and 12 INTs, and was not a threat to run. Duke threw the ball more than normal, and Murphy was a solid start in the right matchups.
Oregon State is a downgrade in the offensive situation, as Oregon State has a powerful rushing attack, but the weapons in the passing game are fairly pedestrian. It’s not that Duke’s were the most amazing; I get it. This move puzzled me.
Verdict: Coal
Kaidon Salter – Liberty to Colorado
“Do you believe?” Deion Sanders gets their next QB, with Salter coming over to the Buffs. CFF owners invested heavy draft capital in Salter last season, only to see undrafted Maddux Madsen, Jake Retzlaff, and Kadin Semonza outscore him. Most CFF managers are pretty sour on Salter.
Salter is quite the departure from Sheduer Sanders; Salter is actually mobile and a threat to run every play. With the Buffaloes losing most of their receivers, the offense will look much different in 2025. Can we trust Deion to unleash what we thought Salter would be in 2024? I say yes, but I’m not drafting him early!
Verdict: AirPods
Ethan Vasko – Coastal Carolina to Liberty
My knee-jerk reaction was optimism; Liberty’s head coach, Jamey Chadwell, recruited Vasko to Coastal. And Vasko looked better as a freshman before appearing to regress in 2024. So, maybe I was hopeful that Liberty would give Vasko a fresh start.
Then, I remember drafting Salter in the first two rounds of leagues. And how much that hurt my teams. I know Vasko is not Salter, and it’s not even close. Vasko may be a better passer. Regardless, I could see him being a solid QB in Liberty’s offense, but I am not sold on him before a top-50 QB in CFF. But I may be taking a flier on him later in drafts.
Verdict: Socks with Coal in them (Can I do that?)
Thomas Castellanos – Boston College to Florida State
Bill O’Brien ruined Castellanos in 2024 and I will never roster a QB in that system again. On to Mike Norvell, the resurrector of Jordan Travis and attempted resurrector of DJ Uiagalilei. What does 2025 hold for Mr. Castellanos? Is he resurrectable?
First, I like Norvell a lot and have faith in him. Adding Gus Malzahn at OC is a big help. The Seminoles added Duce Robinson and have some decent receiving options, plus Malzahn will let Castellanos run.
But I don’t see this bringing Tommy C back to a fantasy reliable option. Florida State has a lot of work to do, and Castellanos is a patch on a flat tire. It may help them hold some air, but the tire needs much more than just a pump of air.
Verdict: Coal
Addition – Fernando Mendoza – Cal to Indiana
This happened after I wrote the article and wanted to add it. Mendoza showed improvement on a Cal squad that was not very good, throwing for 3,000 yards,16 scores, and 6 INTs.
Kurtis Rourke is gone, and I had hoped Tyler Cherry would get the ball next, but Curt Cignetti attacked the portal and brought in Mendoza. His skillset should mesh well for the Hoosiers and I love this addition. This is one of my favorite landing spots yet.
Verdict: AirPods with a $50 ITunes Gift Card
Luke Kromenhoek – Florida State to Mississippi State
This is my dark horse pick and one that had me borderline giddy. Mississippi State plays in the SEC, so the level of competition will be an issue, but Kromenhoek was one of my favorite players in the 2024 recruiting class. With Michael Van Buren off to LSU, the door is open for Kromenhoek to play immediately.
Unfortunately, five receivers and the top running back for the Bulldogs also hit the portal. So, it could be an uphill slog, but Kromenhoek will make the offense competent, and I’m sure the team will bring in some receivers from the portal. He will be serviceable in 2025 and likely not a CFF starter, but he will raise the ceiling of the team going forward.
Verdict: I’m not giving him a present rating; I like him getting out from Florida State and getting a shot to play.
Tune in tomorrow for the running back and wide receiver presents!
