Transfer Portal Off to a Record Breaking Start

The transfer portal is open for business and things are off to a hot start in the SEC and across college football.

SI Editorial | Dec 6, 2022

The transfer portal has been around for roughly four years now and since its creation, chaos ensues once the regular season wraps up. Windows throughout the year were then created to help simmer down the transfer portal's chaotic environment, so now there are only 60 days when players can enter their names into the portal. That window opened on Dec. 5 and as expected, things got off to a blazing hot start.

Players' announcements of their intentions to enter the portal and seek a change in scenery immediately flooded social media. It was reported that over 1,000 college football players enter their names into the transfer portal after just one day of it being open. For context, the previous record for most names entered into the portal in a single day was 270.

1. In just 24 hours, over 1,100 players entered the transfer portal.

2. There are just over 11,000 available scholarships.

3. That's 10 percent of college football players searching for a new spot.

4. Early Signing Period is two weeks from now.

5. Not everybody is coming out.
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) December 6, 2022

The SEC got a first-hand experience of what the first day of the portal season looked like.

As of Dec. 6, there were 118 players from SEC schools entered their names into the transfer portal. Both Florida and Texas A&M had 15 players announce their intentions to hit the portal. Alabama had 12 players hit the portal as well. In fact, every single program within the SEC had at least two players begin their search for a new home except for Georgia which has yet to have any players enter their name.

Part of that has to do with the Bulldogs still being in contention for the national title and once Georgia's season ends, players that feel the need to test the waters of the portal will then do so. Last year Georgia had 13 players place their names into the transfer portal.

Quarterback JT Daniels was one of the 13 players from Georgia's roster to enter the portal and after just one season at West Virginia, he announced his intentions to transfer schools for the third time in his career.

Despite Georgia not having any players enter the portal yet, they have shown some interest in taking in some players from other schools who already have their eyes set on playing for a different program in 2023. Sources have indicated that if Georgia were to have portal entries, which they certainly will, its preferred players do so in the spring window or at least announce their intentions at the conclusion of the season and to date, that message has held serve.

While it is great for players to have the freedom to explore new and different options and potentially find a program that is a better fit for them, it has to be a little alarming that this many players felt the urge to find a new home. Especially with early national signing looming in the distance, roster spots for the 2023 season will start filling up fast.

Buckle up ladies and gentlemen because the chaos is just getting started.

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