The Oklahoma Sooners had two notable student-athletes enter the Transfer Portal on Thursday.
Backup quarterback General Booty reportedly entered the portal after two seasons with the Sooners, according to On3.com.
He joined the Sooners in 2022 from Tyler Junior College. He made his lone appearances against TCU in 2022 and Arkansas State in 2023.
Wide receiver Gavin Freeman also entered the Transfer Portal. During his two seasons with Oklahoma, he played in 26 games. He had 22 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown.
He also had 12 carriers for 93 yards and a rushing touchdown, according to Soonersports.com.
Booty shared the following statement to Sooner Nation on Friday:
“I want to thank you for making these last two years a very special time for me. I feel like I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime. The decision to move on has been a tough one because I truly love my teammates, coaches, support staff and all the things that make OU such a special place. During my time here, I also have cherished the opportunity to work with the OU Children’s Hospital and how it has made an impact on me. To the fans and all the people I’ve met that have shown me great support in Norman and throughout the great state of Oklahoma- Thank you!! Also a special thank you to the crimson and cream organization for the support they have shown me as a student athlete. As I move on, I will take the skills and lessons I’ve learned here with me and apply them to my next chapter. I wish the team the best of luck this fall. I’ll always be pulling for my brothers! – Boomer – General Booty”
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How Does The Transfer Portal Work?
It’s officially the transfer portal era for college athletics.
Players no longer have to sit out a season after transferring from their school, graduate or not.
In December 2023, college athletes were granted permission to play immediately after transferring a second time, after U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey of northern West Virginia issued a 14-day temporary restraining order against the NCAA’s transfer rule.
At this point, we all know what the transfer portal is to a degree. College athletes enter their name in the portal to find a new school to compete at, for various reasons. But how does it work? And when did it become the norm for college athletes?
When Was The Transfer Portal Established?
The transfer portal is an NCAA application database that was created in the Fall of 2018. Players still had to sit out a season after transferring at that time until a rule change in 2021 allowed players who transferred to be eligible immediately.
What Is The Transfer Portal And How Do Athletes Enter It?
The transfer portal is an online database student-athletes are entered into by a compliance administrator or designee, according to the NCAA Transfer Portal User Guide.
The portal is used as the first step in the notification of transfer and the method used for coaches and other schools to contact the players.
Schools have 48 hours to enter a student-athlete into the portal and after that, coaches and staff from other schools are allowed to transfer.
When Can A Student-Athlete Enter The Transfer Portal?
For fall sports, as of 2022, a 45-day transfer window begins with a given sport’s championship selection, according to NCSA college recruiting. For winter sports, it’s a 60-day window given the sport’s championship selection, and back to 45 days for spring sports.
A student-athlete does not have to officially transfer during this period they just have to apply during this window. They can transfer whenever, wherever, as long as they are accepted into the school and meet academic requirements.
These windows were established by the NCAA in August 2022 and are just for undergraduate players. Graduate transfers can enter the portal at any time, according to The Athletic.
Can A Student-Athlete Return To The School They Entered The Portal From?
As long as the student-athlete meets enrollment criteria, they can choose to leave or stay at their original school. For college football, the 2022-23 winter transfer window had more than 1,200 scholarship players enter the portal, according to The Athletic.
What Notable Players Have Entered The Transfer Portal?
The portal opened on Dec. 4, 2023, for players this year and hundreds entered the name.
Dillon Gabriel: The two-year started for Oklahoma entered the portal and committed to Oregon on Dec. 9th.
Gunnar Gundy: The son of OSU head coach Mike Gundy entered the portal and committed to Ohio before decommitting a few weeks later. He’s still in the portal.
Jabbar Muhammad: The former Oklahoma State Cowboys spent last season making a run to the National Championship with the Washington Huskies. Now, he’s heading to their rival Oregon.
Malachi Nelson: A one-time five-star quarterback recruit who was committed to Lincoln Riley’s Sooners’ changed his plans when the coach went to USC. Nelson followed, but after the season he entered the portal and on Jan. 6th, he committed to Boise State.
Cayden Green: One of the more surprising moves this transfer portal season was when star offensive lineman Cayden Green entered the transfer portal from the Sooners. He flipped to Missouri on Dec. 19th.
Mario Williams: Another former OU player with Lincoln Riley followed him to USC after the 2021 season. He also entered the transfer portal this year and landed at Tulane on Jan. 15th.
Deion Burks: One of the top wide receivers in the portal left Purdue for the Sooners on Dec. 12th.
Max Brown: Brown played high school ball with Lincoln Christian in Oklahoma before heading to the Florida Gators. He entered the portal and transferred to Charlotte in December.
You can check out the College Football Transfer Portal Tracker HERE.
