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Transfer Portal News
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December 14th
Transfer Portal list tops 1,500; 31% are repeats
From ESPN … The college football transfer portal officially opened for business Monday. There already have been more than 1,500 FBS scholarship players — and almost 2,000 total FBS players — enter their names into the portal.
For context, the total number of FBS players who transferred in 2018-19, the first year of the portal era, was 1,561. Those were simpler times.
Four days into this wild first week of transfer activity, these programs have had the most scholarship players enter the portal:
Power 4
26: Arizona
24: Arkansas, Mississippi State
21: Kentucky
20: Purdue
19: Oklahoma, Texas A&M
18: Utah
It’s notable that this list, at least early on in the process, is heavy on SEC programs. That’s not just bottom-of-the-roster attrition. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Kentucky are losing proven starters who are being heavily recruited by Power 4 contenders and other teams within their conference. There’s probably several reasons behind those moves, but it does speak to how closely everyone in that conference is scouting and shopping from one another’s depth charts.
Here’s an issue that concerns coaches and administrators, one that will be worth tracking over the rest of this offseason: the repeat transfers.
If you dig into the data on the first 1,500 FBS scholarship players who’ve entered the transfer portal in this 2024-25 cycle, 31% are players who have previously transferred during their college career. A high percentage is to be expected going forward now that the NCAA can no longer enforce its one-time transfer rule and is permitted unlimited transfers if players meet academic requirements. In last year’s portal cycle, 25% were repeat transfers.
The more alarming trend would be a substantial increase in players who haven’t graduated transferring for a second or third time. Last year, those players were responsible for 11% of the transfers in the cycle. In this cycle, nearly 18% are repeat transfers who haven’t earned their degrees.
This is heading in a troubling direction, and it’s hard to see an easy solution. The current roster rules are making it easy for coaching staffs to drop their underperforming players. They’re taking more chances on transfers than ever before. If those transfers don’t earn the starting job, playing time or money they expected, they’ll go back in the portal and try again somewhere else. The downside of multiple moves is losing credit hours and progress toward a degree.
There are more than 450 scholarship transfers in this current cycle who have been in the portal before. Most are looking to join the third team of their career, but some are now looking for their fourth.
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December 11th
Arizona Transfer Portal list hits 30; All-Big 12 receiver T-Mac Declares for the NFL Draft
… Related … Tetairoa McMillan Officially Declares for NFL Draft … from Sports Illustrated
From the Arizona Daily Star … Arizona star cornerback Tacario Davis, nickel back Treydan Stukes, strong safety Dalton Johnson and free safety Gunner Maldonado became the latest notable names to enter the transfer portal and explore other options.
Johnson and Davis entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning, while Maldonado went in Tuesday night.
In addition to linebacker Jacob Manu and defensive lineman Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, five defensive starters from this past season entered the transfer portal following the Wildcats’ 4-8 season in Brent Brennan’s first year as head coach.
Since Monday, 30 scholarship players from the UA entered the transfer portal, which is currently the most in the Big 12, according to On3’s transfer portal tracker. Utah has the second-most departures with 17.
After the season-ending loss to Arizona State in the Territorial Cup, Brennan said the Wildcats “will be in a good spot with (player) retention” during the transfer portal period, which officially started on Monday.
“I do feel like we have a great relationship with these players. I do think that is strong. I think the culture is healthy,” Brennan said then. “I think if you want to be a part of building something, great. If you want to try and jump on a bandwagon somewhere else, if that’s who you are, go.
“I’m confident that everything that’s going on within the program, the coaches, the players, where we’re at with our administration, and the (revenue share), all those things, those are all part of the conversation right now.
“I’m confident with where we’re at. … This was a really hard year. Hard year for everyone associated with the program, but I’m optimistic for the future.”
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December 9th
Coach Prime’s message to players entering the Transfer Portal
From X (Twitter) … To many of the Portal Young Men that’s looking & searching for the right situation. You’re gonna get vetted thoroughly by us and then I pray u know the difference of being offered a bag & being offered a BLESSING. Ask Grandma-nem what I mean. #CoachPrime “I Ain’t Hard 2 Find”.
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No. 1 defensive player in the Portal sets up official CU visit
Former Alabama DT Jehiem Oatis has set up an official visit to Colorado this week, per his agent @noah_reisenfeld. Oatis is the No. 1 defensive player and No. 3 overall player in the ESPN.com Transfer Portal rankings.
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Former CU quarterback Brendon Lewis enters the Portal
Nevada starting QB Lewis has entered the portal as a grad transfer, ESPN has learned. The former Colorado transfer threw for 2,290 yards with 16 TDs and seven interceptions and also rushed for 775 yards and eight scores this season. Lewis announced he is “not completely closing the door on Nevada” but will explore his options after its 3-10 season. Lewis was the No. 281-rated player in the 2020 ESPN 300.
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Georgia Tech’s leading receiver (CU’s 2025 season opening opponent) enters the Portal
From ESPN … Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. has entered the transfer portal, a source told ESPN on Monday.
The sophomore pass catcher from Douglasville, Georgia, led the Yellow Jackets in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, emerging as one of the ACC’s most productive wide receivers.
Singleton, who will hold two years of eligibility at his next school, is expected to be among the top available pass catchers in this portal cycle.
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Oklahoma State’s leading wide receiver enters the Portal
De’ZhaunStribling, the former Washington State transfer spent two years with the Cowboys and led Oklahoma State with 882 receiving yards on 52 receptions in 2024, has entered the Portal.
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CU Transfer Portal list hits double digits
The Transfer Portal Tracker will continue to post updates on transfers in and out, and can be found here.
The Transfer Portal officially is open for non-graduate students from December 9th to 28th. As the Portal opened, the number of Buffs entering the Portal hit double digits … but there weren’t any players who were regular contributors during the 2024 season:
QB Walter Taylor … WR’s Cordale Russell, Jordan Onovughe, and Asaad Waseem … TE Morgan Pearson … OL Payton Kirkland and Yakiri Walker … DL Rayyan Buell … LB’s Johnny Chaney, Jr. and Jeremiah Brown … DB Nahmier Robinson …
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One Reply to “Transfer Portal News”
One 1-2 guys leaving might be surprises. Some had injury issues. Two were cut loose in October. I love all the ickups so far, especially Statler and Otis. Staub may go, but Statler is a one year guy with and will split some with Juju. I think this will be healthy competition, good mentoring for Juju, and lessen the pressure on hi.
If throughout the season Oline shows improvement and in a position to protect our QB and features a decent run game, Staub may stay as backup given all this experience. Only an injury away for next year when JuJu is the clear 1. I hope to see the TE/WRs positions begin to fill up.
Defensively, we are filling with good/great guys at certain positions. NHG was a surprise. From Prime and Co. this was to be a one year thing, but they may be open later. NHG could be back if we or he does not find someone better. I would imagine he wants to play in a system close to what BL is running, so if he jumps he must do for something better fit wise. Also his draft #’s may improve so he could be gone anyways. He did like playing in BL’s system.
Like TEs–LBs are tricky to find in possessing the right mix for your team. The guy I would love for CU is Duce Robinson, 6-6 explosive big WR/pc playmaker TE with exceptional ball skills. He would be great for the Buffs. Fingers crossed on this one, as he will get paid. Also, Tacario Davis would be huge as well, but he will be expensive and may still have injury issues.