The college football transfer portal officially opened on Monday, coinciding with the announcement of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field. Players have until December 28 to enter the portal if they seek to transfer to another program.
Several athletes marked the opening day by entering the portal, including Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil, and Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. Notably, Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown had already declared his intention to transfer the day before the portal opened.
Sophomore Jackson Arnold had a notable season at Oklahoma, accumulating 1,984 passing yards, with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 560 yards and four touchdowns. Following the announcement of Dillon Gabriel’s transfer, Arnold stepped in as the starting quarterback just before last season’s bowl game, where he ended up with 361 passing yards along with two touchdowns against Arizona. This season began with Arnold as the starter, but Oklahoma’s offensive struggles, due in part to injuries on the line and among receivers, led to Michael Hawkins Jr. taking over temporarily. Arnold regained the starting role after Hawkins encountered difficulties against South Carolina and found more success under new offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley, highlighted by a stunning performance in a 24-3 victory over Alabama where he rushed for 131 yards and completed 9 of 11 passes.
Texas State’s Ismail Mahdi also announced his entry into the transfer portal via social media. He had a productive season, rushing for 991 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 24 receptions for 195 yards and two scores. Over the previous year, Mahdi had a standout performance, leading the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards, which included 1,331 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as receiving and kick return contributions.
Wide receiver Reggie Virgil of Miami (Ohio) experienced a breakout season after previously playing sparingly in his first two years. This year, the 6-foot-4 junior caught 41 passes for 816 yards and nine touchdowns. In a heartfelt post on social media, he shared his thoughts on the difficult decision to transfer and expressed gratitude for the support he’s received during his time with the RedHawks.
Georgia Tech receiver Eric Singleton Jr. has confirmed his intention to enter the portal, as noted in a retweet of an On3.com post. The 5-foot-11 sophomore accumulated impressive statistics over two seasons, recording 104 catches for 1,468 yards and nine touchdowns without utilizing a redshirt year.
Lastly, Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown made waves by entering the transfer portal after serving as a backup for the past three years. He indicated in a social media message that he plans to remain with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff. After narrowly losing a quarterback competition to Kyle McCord this season and seeing the addition of Kansas State transfer Will Howard for the 2024 season, Brown finds himself in a crowded quarterback competition, which also includes top recruit Julian Sayin for 2025. In his limited appearances, Brown has accrued 325 passing yards and three touchdowns over the past two seasons.
