NCAA Transfer Portal Closes: What This Means for the Florida Gators

The winter window to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal is now closed. How does this affect the Florida Gators?

Dec 20, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Elijhah Badger (6) runs with the ball against the Tulane Green Wave during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The NCAA Transfer Portal is officially closed. Well, kind of.

The winter window to enter the portal, which opened on Dec. 9 and ran through Dec. 28, closed on Sunday, meaning players who wish to enter will have to wait until when the spring portal window opens on April 16.

There are some work-arounds, though, for teams looking to keep adding to its roster or players looking for new homes.

The portal closing has no affect on players who have already entered the portal. Those who have submitted the proper paperwork and remain unsigned are still able to be recruited. Additionally, players who will play in bowl games post-Dec. 28 will have a five-day window to enter once their bowl game ends.

Not to mention, players who see their head coaches either fired or depart for another program will get an automatic 30 days to enter their names into the portal.

As a result, the Florida Gators may not be done adding to its roster via the portal.

Since the portal opened, the Gators have lost ## total players, ## of which are on scholarship. New NCAA roster rules limiting rosters to a hard cap of 105 players, alongside the SEC further limiting its programs to 85 scholarships per team, meant Florida would have to lose more than it gained, especially from its walk-on program.

"I mean, you know, nothing surprises me anymore," UF head coach Billy Napier said on Dec. 16. "I think we got, for the most part, most of (player retention) is done. You know, there's a handful of things that we got to get resolved, but look, until they show up for class in January, I think it's not a done deal, right?

"In a perfect world you would have some type of document you could sign that would kind of lock them in, but we don't have that so, but we gotta, we still have some work to do. We want to add a couple more players to our team, some positions in particular."

Since Napier's statement, Florida has added three total players thus from the portal, filling positions of need including receiver with J. Michael Sturdivant from UCLA, backup quarterback with Deshawn Purdie from Charlotte and edge rusher with Kofi Asare from UMASS.

The Gators also made an addition to its specialists room with former Michigan punter Tommy Doman committing on Dec. 13.

However, Florida still has needs it has yet to answer.

Of note, departing seniors leave the right tackle and nose tackle positions open for the Gators due to the lack of a true veteran, although there is young talent ready to step in. Additionally, a boundary corner and veteran safety are seen as possible needs, too, due to Florida losing multiple veterans at each position and an extensive history of injuries.

Florida has since extended an offer to Washington State corner Stephen Hall in an attempt to fill one of the needs and could continue to extend more offers dependent on who enters after their respective bowl game.

Non-playoff bowl games end after the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4, and the College Football Playoff ends with the national championship on Jan. 20.

Gators Illustrated is keeping track of Florida's portal moves here and is keeping count of the Gators' roster numbers here.