Florida Gators LB James Houston IV Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Florida loses a veteran member of its defense to the transfer portal.

Florida Gators linebacker James Houston IV has entered the NCAA transfer portal, he announced via Twitter on Wednesday morning.

I Want To Start Off By Saying Glory To God! Thank You To All Of Gator Nation and Everyone That Has Put Any Type Of Support Into Me! Thank You To My Teammates For All Of The Great Memories and Battles We Fought and Left Out There On The Field! I Am Now In The Transfer Portal! pic.twitter.com/vdztDBvDbT

— JTH⁴✨🐐 (@Jthouston_4) January 6, 2021

Houston will be a redshirt senior at his next stop, although the NCAA looks to extend an extra year of eligibility to football players amid the coronavirus pandemic. Across three seasons with the Gators, Houston recorded 100 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.

This move didn't come as a surprise to Florida and had been anticipated, according to team sources. 

The Gators enjoyed the emergence of linebackers, rising redshirt senior Ventrell Miller and rising junior Mohamoud Diabate, during the 2020 season. Miller did a sound job in replacing three-year starting middle linebacker David Reese II this season, tallying 86 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, and three pass breakups. Diabate would rotate with Houston, and others, at weak-side linebacker opposite of Miller, posting 67 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, an interception, a pass breakup, and two forced fumbles.

Florida will also look to underclassmen Ty'Ron Hopper and Derek Wingo with more reps coming available at the second level of the defense. Diwun Black, a JUCO transfer as part of Florida's 2021 recruiting class, is expected to play linebacker as well.

A member of the class of 2017, Houston, who played his high school ball at American Heritage (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), was recruited nationally as a prospect. He committed to Florida shortly after a team recruiting camp in 2016.