Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton has come through in the clutch in wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss. Brett Davis / Imagn Images

Some high-profile programs had no choice but to dip into the transfer portal for a starting quarterback this offseason. Some convinced themselves they needed to find a new starting QB. And others trusted the development of their in-house options and chose not to use the portal.

How should the contenders that didn't bring in a new starter feel about their decision-making at quarterback this past offseason? Let's take a look.

Believing in redshirt junior Ty Simpson, who was the Crimson Tide's backup the past two seasons, has paid off for coach Kalen DeBoer and Alabama's staff. Simpson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season, with 2,184 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, and just one interception, along with a 67.8 completion rate.

Simpson didn't play his best game Saturday but made the necessary throws in the fourth quarter to help orchestrate the Crimson Tide's 29-22 come-from-behind victory at South Carolina.

DeBoer could've panicked and looked to the portal for a signal caller after a disappointing first season in Tuscaloosa, but he rode with Simpson, who beat out redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell for the job in training camp.

Simpson has played well against one of the toughest schedules in the country (wins against four Top 25 teams) despite playing with a running game that ranks 112th nationally in yards per attempt. He's shouldered a heavy load and has proved plenty capable as fourth-ranked Alabama tries to return to the College Football Playoff.

There's a bit of a caveat here because the Bulldogs did recruit Fernando Mendoza before he signed with Indiana. Still, they didn't reach for anyone else after that and stuck with redshirt junior Gunner Stockton.

Stockton doesn't have eye-popping stats. His 1,553 passing yards don't rank among the top 70 nationally, and he's thrown just 10 touchdowns in seven games. But he's been nails in some pretty critical moments for Georgia -- most notably an overtime win at Tennessee and a comeback home win against Ole Miss.

The Bulldogs' calling card is their defense, but that unit was extremely vulnerable in both of those games (Tennessee scored 41 points and Ole Miss scored 35). Stockton put together two high-level performances -- 304 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and three total touchdowns against the Volunteers and 289 passing yards, 59 rushing yards and five total touchdowns against the Rebels. Both opponents were ranked in the top 15 in the most recent AP poll. Stockton played a leading role in both games and has the Bulldogs poised for another trip to the CFP.

The Fighting Irish started transfer quarterbacks in 2021, 2023 and 2024. The fact that Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman made it clear last year that the program was getting off the transfer carousel demonstrated confidence in what was already on the roster.

It took longer than most expected for redshirt freshman CJ Carr to beat out redshirt sophomore Kenny Minchey for the starting role, but Carr earned the nod and hasn't looked back.

He's passed for 1,758 yards, 14 touchdowns and four picks (along with a 65.8 completion percentage) for a top-15 Notre Dame team that is 5-2 and has a real shot at making the Playoff after reaching the national championship game last season. Carr's playmaking has really stood out during the first two months of the season, and that ability was apparent even in the Fighting Irish's losses to Miami and Texas A&M.

If Carr continues to develop, he will be one of the best quarterbacks in the country next season.

Technically, sophomore Julian Sayin is a transfer, but he left Alabama just days after enrolling in January 2024 following Nick Saban's retirement. He's been developed by the Ohio State staff, and the former five-star prospect has lived up to his billing.

Sayin does have the benefit of playing with the best receiver duo in the country in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, but he's still been extremely efficient. He's completed 80.0 percent of his passes, which is by far the best mark nationally. That's a difficult thing to do against air, so Sayin deserves some credit for top-ranked Ohio State's 7-0 start, too. He's thrown for 1,872 yards with 19 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

The Buckeyes are the favorites to win the national championship, and Sayin is gaining more experience and reps as the season progresses, which will make them harder to beat.

The Rebels looked for depth at the quarterback position this spring because they were all-in on redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons as the starter. But unbeknownst to Ole Miss, it ended up with its future starting quarterback when Trinidad Chambliss transferred from Division II Ferris State in Michigan.

Simmons started the first two games of the season but suffered an ankle injury, which opened the door for Chambliss. And he's played exceptionally well since taking over, passing for 1,864 yards and rushing for 376 while accounting for 14 total touchdowns.

Chambliss is 5-1 as the starter and just led the seventh-ranked Rebels to a road win against a ranked Oklahoma team this weekend. Simmons attempted two passes in the game, so he's evidently healthy, but it's impossible to sit Chambliss with how well he's playing.

Simmons' future will be worth monitoring because Chambliss will be out of eligibility following this season. He would be in line to start at Ole Miss next season -- whether Lane Kiffin will be there or not, given the nature of this coaching carousel, remains to be seen.

The buzz has died down a bit for Dante Moore since the loss to Indiana a few weeks ago, but he's still having a really good season. The Ducks have a top-10 offense in both yards per play and scoring, and he's been the ideal point man for the system.

Moore, who transferred to Oregon from UCLA after the 2023 season, has thrown for 1,772 yards, 19 touchdowns and four picks. He took a blow to the nose during the third quarter against Wisconsin on Saturday and did not return, but seemed fine on the sideline.

Oregon had success with plugging in transfers Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel in recent years, but had faith this season in Moore's development and didn't look to the portal for a more proven option. The Ducks, who are ranked sixth nationally and are 7-1, seem poised to return to the Playoff for a second consecutive season.

Marcel Reed started eight games last season as a redshirt freshman and wasn't bad, but there were still some doubts this offseason about whether he could take his game to another level.

Texas A&M didn't seem too bothered by that and bolstered its receiver group instead, adding Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and KC Concepcion (NC State). Those additions have helped unlock Reed's potential. He has thrown for 1,972 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. He overcame two first-half picks on Saturday at LSU and sparked a 49-25 win in Death Valley with a touchdown run and a touchdown pass in a dominant third quarter that turned a close game into a blowout.

Texas A&M is 8-0, ranked third nationally and poised for its best season in ages. And there's zero regret about how it handled Reed and the quarterback situation this offseason.

The Red Raiders threw a lot of money around in the transfer market this past offseason. But the one position they did not touch was quarterback. Senior Behren Morton has been really good when healthy this season and has demonstrated why the program didn't look elsewhere to solidify the position. He's passed for 1,501 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions.

His play was one of the reasons Texas Tech looked like the clear Big 12 title favorite. But his health has been an issue. Morton dealt with a shoulder injury last season, and he's missed the past two games while recovering from a leg injury.

The Red Raiders started promising redshirt freshman Will Hammond in Morton's place, but he suffered a knee injury against Oklahoma State this past weekend. Texas Tech had to pivot to its third-team quarterback, sixth-year senior Mitch Griffis.

The Red Raiders (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) are ranked 13th and still very much alive in the conference title race, but need a healthy Morton for critical upcoming games at Kansas State this weekend and at home vs. 10th-ranked BYU a week later.

These schools didn't reach for a starting QB in the transfer portal -- how did it work out?