Top 5 Alonzo Barnett III destinations after transferring from James Madison

The college football transfer portal got a stunning new addition on Friday in James Madison quarterback Alonzo Barnett III. A veteran joins an intriguing portal class after a a first-round loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff.

Although the Dukes suffered a 17-point loss to the Ducks, Burnett proved to many that he is a Power Four quarterback. Not many fans were happy to see James Madison in the 12-team bracket, but Barnett won over many of them with an impressive performance against the No. 5 team in the country.

Burnett led James Madison to 34 points against Oregon, throwing for 273 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions with 45 yards and a rushing score. Only three teams managed to score even 20 against Dan Lanning’s defense in the regular season before the Burnett-led Dukes became the only team to score four touchdowns against them.

Now, after leading James Madison to the best season in program history, Burnett will have a full season to prove himself at the next level. College football’s transfer window doesn’t open until Jan. 2, but Barnett already has several viable options to end his NCAA career in 2026.

Alonzo Burnett was previously committed by the Indiana coaches

The connection between Alonzo Barnett III and Indiana makes too much sense, given the connection the Hoosiers have with James Madison. Coach Kurt Cignetti coached the Dukes from 2019 to 2023 before accepting the vacant job in Bloomington, where he took many of his players with him.

From Elijah Sarratt and Ty’Sean Lawton to DeAngelo Ponds, many former Dukes have found success in the Big Ten after following Cignetti to Indiana. Barnett, who committed to James Madison under Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, could be next.

Indiana will once again look for its next quarterback in the offseason Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. They have some internal options to potentially succeed Mendoza, including his younger brother Albert, but Cignetti has recruited each of his last two starting quarterbacks from the portal.

After what appeared to be a rebuilding period for James Madison after losing Cignetti, Burnett led the program to its first appearance in the College Football Playoff. He could end his story where it all began with his original head coach in a new city.

Alonza Barnett could follow Bob Chesney to UCLA

If he doesn’t rejoin his old coach, Barnett could also follow his current coach to a new school. Bob Chesney has accepted the head coaching job at UCLA before leading James Madison into battle against Oregon and already beginning to build his new dynasty in Los Angeles.

The biggest caveat for Barnett transferring to UCLA is Nico Yamaleava, who already is confirmed that he will return to the Bruins in 2026. Yamaleave’s presence will likely deter Burnett from following his head coach into the portal, but the connection is still too strong to ignore.

Even with Yamaleawa back as a Bruin, that could happen. It’s not as if Yamaleava, who threw just 13 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 2025, would be an obvious choice over someone like Barnett. UCLA invested too much in the 21-year-old, but nothing can be guaranteed with Yamaleava after what he did to Tennessee in the spring.

Alonza Burnett stays home with North Carolina

Few families have deeper ties to the state of North Carolina and its football community than the Burnett family. Alonza Barnett III is their current representative, but his uncle, Troy Barnett, and his father, Alonza Barnett Jr., both made history in the Tar Heel State. Troy Barnett was a defensive end at North Carolina before playing for the New England Patriots, while Alonza Barnett Jr. was recently inducted into the NC A&T Hall of Fame.

Alonza Barnett III left the state to play at James Madison, but he could represent the Carolina Blue for his final season of NCAA eligibility. North Carolina isn’t the most desirable destination after just 4-8 in 2025, but the lure of Bill Belichick still has some appeal and would allow the 22-year-old to come home.

Redshirt sophomore guard Gio Lopez is reportedly returning to North Carolina 2026 after starting most of the 2025 season. That helps Belichick somewhat, but he can’t feel confident in Lopez after the season he endured to begin his college coaching career.

North Carolina has a chance, but they have to commit to Barnett early and sell him on Belichick’s current overhaul. Barnett is also using the 2026 season to build his future NFL draft stock, and no college football coach has more NFL knowledge than Belichick.

Cincinnati already has an underrated connection

Alonzo Barnett’s ties to Indiana and UCLA from the college transfer portal clearly make them two early candidates for his next team. However, Barnett also has ties to the coaching staff in Cincinnati, which is recent lost quarterback Brendan Sorsby to the transfer portal.

It’s not a direct connection, but Barnett was recruited by Cincinnati offensive coordinator Brad Glenn before committing to James Madison. Glenn was then the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia State, which was one of six FBS teams to extend an offer to Barnett.

Four years later, Glenn had success on Scott Satterfield’s staff in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have been up and down in 2025. , finishing the year as the 49th leading scoring offense in the nation, averaging 28.3 points per game.

Glenn has had plenty of success with Sorsby’s dual-threat skill set, which has been his MO as an offensive coordinator. Barnett is arguably more dynamic than Sorsby in the air and on the ground and would immediately elevate Cincinnati’s 2026 offense.

Vanderbilt needs a successor to Diego Pavia

For the second straight season, Clark Lea and Diego Pavia made the preseason SEC rankings look silly as Vanderbilt surpassed expectations and entered the national championship conversation. The Commodores are coming off the best season in program history, but now they are tasked with replacing the guy who has been the heart and soul of the team for the last two years.

While it may seem like Pavia will play college football forever, his NCAA career will finally come to an end after the 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl. The the six-year veteran will then try out for the NFLleaving the recently extended Leo to replace his captain under center.

This is the most momentum Vanderbilt has had in decades, and Lea can’t afford to let it go. Adding a championship-caliber quarterback like Burnett to the college transfer portal has to be his priority. Barnett may not even be thinking about moving to Nashville just yet, but the Commodores have the resources to make him consider them.