Florida football: Emory Jones to enter transfer portal

For most of the offseason, Emory Jones was one of the three quarterbacks in the race to start for the Florida Gators in 2022, but that's no longer the case as Jones has announced he decided to enter the transfer portal.

Jones originally planned to transfer from Florida back in December, after the Gators' bowl game, but decided to stay after talking with new head coach Billy Napier.

Jones finished the 2021 regular season ranking No. 10 in the SEC with 213.6 passing yards per game and 58 rushing yards. In total, the quarterback accounted for almost 58 percent of the Gators' overall offensive production.

Florida parted ways with head coach Dan Mullen ahead of the regular season finale and hired Louisiana coach Billy Napier to replace him.

Jones was a four-star recruit in the 2018 recruiting class, ranking as the No. 11 overall quarterback that year. Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State originally offered him.

What it means for Florida

When Emory Jones does end up leaving the program, that will narrow the Gators' quarterback competition from three to two candidates.

Anthony Richardson would end up the favorite to succeed Jones after starting one game and playing in eight a year ago. The Gainesville, FL, native threw for 529 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He averaged more than eight yards per pass and almost eight yards per carry, with three more TDs rushing.

Jack Miller transferred to Florida from Ohio State this offseason, but the former four-star recruit is low on experience. Not known as a mobile option at the position, Miller projects as a reliable, pro-style quarterback with size and arm strength.

NCAA transfer portal

The NCAA created the transfer portal on Oct. 15, 2018. That decision has helped transform the game of college football by giving players an easier opportunity to change teams and direct their playing careers.

Players no longer require permission from their coaches in order to transfer. They just have to request that their school’s compliance department enter their name into the portal.

Names appear in the transfer portal in one or two days, and schools are free to contact transferring players without restriction thereafter.

Players that enter their name into the transfer portal don’t necessarily leave their schools. A player is free to take his name out of the portal at any time. But schools are not under an obligation to keep transferring players on scholarship once they put their names into the portal.

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