Minnesota Football CB Tariq Watson enters the NCAA transfer portal
Minnesota Football cornerback Tariq Watson has reportedly added his name to the NCAA Transfer Portal. The native of Gretna, Louisiana, committed to the Gophers as part of the 2022 recruiting class and appeared in every game for Minnesota last season. He recorded 10 tackles with a half tackle for loss.
Watson is the ninth scholarship player from Minnesota to enter the transfer portal, joining quarterbacks Athan Kaliakmanis (Rutgers) and Drew Viotto (Eastern Michigan), running backs Marquese Williams (Akron) and Zach Evans (North Texas), wide receiver Dino Kaliakmanis (Rutgers), cornerback Tyler Bride (TBD), and offensive linemen JJ Guedet (Illinois State) and Tyrell Lawrence (Alabama A&M).
Minnesota has also acquired Ethan Robinson from Bucknell as a transfer, and he is expected to start alongside Justin Walley in 2024. Additionally, the team still has young cornerbacks Rhyland Kelly, ZaQuan Bryan, and Mike Gerald in the mix this spring.
The NCAA launched the transfer portal on October 15, 2018, offering athletes a way to consider their alternatives. Athletes are not required to seek permission from their coaching staff to transfer; they simply need to request that compliance enter their name. Typically, it takes 24-48 hours for a player to appear in the portal after making the request. Once a player’s name is in the portal, schools are allowed to contact them without any restrictions.
Although entering the transfer portal signifies a player’s intention to explore other opportunities, it doesn’t guarantee that they will actually leave. Players are free to remove their name at any point. However, schools are not obligated to maintain a player on scholarship once they enter the portal.
According to a source, the number of FBS players entering the transfer portal during the 2020-21 transfer cycle was 2,646, which increased from 1,692 in 2019-20 and 1,717 in 2018-19.
The rise in transfers can be partially attributed to the NCAA’s updated policy, which permits student-athletes to transfer once during their college careers without the requirement to undergo a year-in-residence. As a result of this change, all first-time transfer portal entrants will be immediately eligible at their new college, provided they meet the NCAA’s designated entry deadline.
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