2020–21 MACtion Transfer Portal Notes & Updates

LAST UPDATED: 5/4/21

Every year I keep up with movements to and through the NCAA transfer portal. The transfer portal lets athletes transfer more freely, and don’t have to ask for their coaches for permission to leave the school they’re enrolled at. There’s no guarantee that they’ll end up anywhere else with playing time or even a scholarship, but the opportunity to move with fewer restrictions isn’t unnecessary.

Below is my team-by-team breakdown of players leaving and joining their respective MAC teams via the transfer portal. Names in bold mean that they started at least one game for their MAC school in 2020. Schools in the parentheses denote where players are going to are coming from.

If you see something that needs to be added/modified: shoot me a message at alexonmaction@gmail.com, or @mactionpod on Twitter.

Special hat tip to 247sports.com’s transfer database, which is a primary source to help keep this thing updated.

AKRON ZIPS

Zips coming in

• LB, Jeslord Boateng (Michigan State)
• RB, Anthony Williams (Michigan State)

Zips going out

• RB, Isaiah Childs
• DL, Darrius Harris
• RB, Peter Hayes-Patrick
• WR, Julian Hicks (Central Connecticut State, FCS)
• WR, Jeremiah Knight
• TE, Zach Leininger
• DL, Dylan Meeks
• WR, Jonah Morris (Northern Colorado, D2)
• CB, Jordyn Riley
• WR, Nate Stewart (Montana State, FCS)
• LB, Demetrick Watts
• TE, Maverick Wolfley (West Florida, D2)

BALL STATE CARDINALS

Cardinals going out

• WR, Luke Endsley
• WR, Jaylen Flemmons (Kentucky State, D2)
• WR, Rahmon Hart (Duquense, FCS)
• CB, Isaac James
• CB, Ethan Merriweather
• DL, Solvauhn Moreland
• S, Demetrius Murray
• CB, Gerald Smith

BOWLING GREEN FALCONS

THE LATEST (3/17/21): Joe Ware, the team’s starting left tackle from 2020, has hit the transfer portal after three practices with this year’s team. Ware becomes the seventh player to start (at least one game) for the Falcons in 2020, and the second starting offensive lineman, to leave via transfer. Cameron Stage (center) is now at Western Kentucky. Ware leaves as a graduate transfer with one year left to play. BG absolutely wishes it had a better insurance policy for its quarterback situation, but this just leaves more room for younger guys to be thrown to the wolves. Not going to say that’s good or bad for their development, but that’s what will happen when there so few incoming college transfers (NCAA or JUCO) under Scot Loeffler’s recruiting identity plan.

Falcons coming in

• QB, Drew Gunther (Syracuse)

Falcons going out

• CB, Caleb Biggers (Boise State)
• RB, Andrew Clair (Northwestern)
• LB, Kholbe Coleman
• WR, Jaylen Flemmons
• LB, DeMontae Haigler
• WR, Isaac James-Gray
• WR/LB, Isaiah Johnson-Mack
• WR, Noah Massey (Angelo State, D2)
• WR, Julian Ortega-Jones (Texas State)
• DB, Dylan Pate
• LB, Jerry Roberts (Arizona)
• WR/OLB, Rodell Rahmaan
• C, Cameron Stage (Western Kentucky)
• WR, Shon Strickland
• DL, Ronald Walder
• OT, Joe Ware

Additional notes

• 247sports’ database lists OL Joe Maxwell as a 2020 transfer. Maxwell actually transferred to North Alabama after the 2019 season.
• DB Diata Burns entered his name in the transfer portal, but later withdrew his name.

BUFFALO BULLS

THE LATEST (5/4/21): Just days after Lance Leipold left Buffalo for Kansas, three starting linemen entered the transfer portal: C Mike Novitsky, DT Eddie Wilson, and DT Tyrece Woods.

Bulls coming in

• S, Madison Cone (Wisconsin)

Bulls going out

• DE, Jordan Avissey (Bethune-Cookman, FCS)
• CB, Roy Baker (Eastern Kentucky, FCS)
• DL, Frendy Darelus
• WR, Jelani Foster (Rhode Island, FCS)
• TE, Zac Lefebvre (Western Kentucky, FCS)
• LB, Justin Mulbah
• C, Mike Novitsky
• WR, LeMaro Smith
• DT, Eddie Wilson
• DT, Tyrece Woods

Additional notes

• Kevin Marks previously put his name in the transfer portal but withdrew from it a week later.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Chippewas coming in

• LB, Marcel Lewis (Michigan State)
• QB, Jacob Sirmon (Washington)

Chippewas going out

• CB, Norman Anderson
• CB, Brandon Brown
• K, Brady Buell
• LB, Jayden Cray
• DT, Mohamed Diallo
• CB, Demarcus/Woo Governor (Northern Iowa, FCS)
• TE/QB, Austin Hergott
• DL, Deron Irving-Bey
• LB, Chuck Jones
• CB, Kyron McKinnie-Harper
• WR, Alec Muck
• LB, Nevin Hughes
• DE, Marcus Romboli
• WR, Tyrone Scott
• OL, Romello Tarver

EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES

Eagles coming in

• QB, Ben Bryant (Cincinnati)
• TE, Dexter Manior (Navy)
• WR, I’Shawn Stewart (Oregon State)

Eagles going out

• DL, Vince Boyd
• LB, Konrad Dixon
• DB, Carthell Flowers (Stony Brook)
• ATH/QB, Jairus Grissom
• DT, D.J. Jackson
• TE, Lucas Luft
• RB, Karmi Mackey
• DB, Timarcus Simpson
• QB, Isaac Stiebeling
• WR, Quian Williams
• CB, Jerodd Vines

Additional notes

• 247sports’ database lists S Greg Kelley as a 2020–21 transfer. Kelley tried out for Texas as a walk-on in the spring of 2020, but ended up finding his way at EMU. He was granted full college eligibility, and was on the EMU roster, in 2020.

KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES

THE LATEST (3/22/21): Kent State’s done a nice job of adding graduate transfers from FBS programs to plug some holes across all three phases of the game. Head coach Sean Lewis will be in his fourth year with the team and there’s a lot of promise for him to have a big year at Kent State at some point and ride that wave into a Power 5 position next winter. Adding instant-impact type guys across multiple position groups while letting the senior quarterback do his thing in the system he’s been developing through (and has a deeper understanding of) is a big reason why Ball State had the success it had in 2020. I’m not saying, just saying.

Flashes coming in

• S, Nico Bolden (New Mexico)
• WR/KR, Nykeim Johnson (Syracuse)
• RB, PK Kier (Virginia)
• S, Antwaine Richardson (Maryland)

Flashes going out

• QB, Woody Barrett
• CB, Miles Daniel
• S, Jaylen DeCoteau (Sacred Heart, FCS)
• WR, Antwan Dixon (Valdosta State, FCS)
• DT, Quentin “Buddah” Jones
• WR, Lonkevious McFadden (Eastern Kentucky, FCS)
• OL, Mike McNicholas
• DE, Prince Okituama
• DL, Oly Okombi
• S, Jeremiah Salaam
• OL, Julian Sams
• OL, Logan Swartz
• OL, Tyler Thomas
• K, Matthew Trickett (Minnesota)

MIAMI REDHAWKS

RedHawks going out

• TE, James Bomba
• QB, Michael Bonds (Northern State, D2)
• OL, Danny Godlevske (Oklahoma State) — Godlevske leaves Miami as a graduate transfer and a two-time Third Team All-MAC recipient at center.
• LB, Richie Hagarty (Southern Illinois, FCS)
• DB, Jeremiah Josephs
• DB, Deland McCullough Jr. (Indiana)
• WR, Dimitrios Mitsopouos
• LB, Jayden Russell (Central Missouri, D2)
• RB, Ontario Russell

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES

THE LATEST (3/23/21): DT Weston Kramer decommitted from Temple just two days ago. Kramer was set to go to the school where former NIU coach Rod Carey has spent the last two seasons. The current Temple roster still has two NIU players that transferred over last year: OL C.J. Perez and QB Mariano Valenti. The Huskies are facing an offseason where 20 players have left the roster via transfer portal, but will only miss two starters from 2020 (at least one game): Kramer and WR Dennis Robinson.

Huskies coming in

• QB, Rocky Lombardi (Michigan State)
• RB, Clint Ratkovich (Western Illinois, FCS)

Huskies going out

• CB, Mark Aitken (Eastern Illinois, FCS)
• DB, Woodly Appolon
• DT, Miles Baggett
• WR, Keion Battle
• RB, Nazareth Bryant
• WR, C.J. Dunn
• WR, Charles Fish
• CB, Romel Goston
• QB, Andrew Haidet (Southwest Minnesota State, D2)
• CB, J.D. Harris (Chattanooga, FCS)
• QB, Brayden Hawkins
• CB, Tyrik Henderson (Iowa Western, JUCO)
• LB, Cortez Hogans (Snow College, JUCO)
• DT, Weston Kramer (Indiana)
• LB, Vinny Labus
• WR, Michael Love (Iowa Western, JUCO)
• RB, Jyran Mitchell
• QB, Connor Neville
• WR, Dennis Robinson
• TE, Maximilian Thrower
• CB, Antwain Walker
• DE, Caleb Wright

OHIO BOBCATS

Bobcats coming in

• OL, T.J. Jackson (Virginia Tech)

Bobcats going out

• TE, Cleotis Anglin (Bethune-Cookman, FCS)
• CB, Marlin Brooks
• DT, Marcus Coleman
• WR, Darfnell Gouin
• WR, Shane Hooks (Jackson State, FCS)

TOLEDO ROCKETS

Rockets coming in

• DL, Judge Culpepper (Penn State)
• S, Ronald Delancy III (Nebraska)
• QB, Tucker Gleason (Georgia Tech)
• WR, Matt Landers (Georgia)

Rockets going out

• CB, Jordan Hendy (Pittsburgh State, D2)
• DT, Gaige Hill
• S, Caleb Sutherland

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS

Broncos coming in

• DL, Hozey Haji-Badri (East Carolina) — Will miss 2021 season with a torn ACL and told 247sports’ Chris Hummer “I will be back in 2022 hungrier than ever and I will absolutely be one of the more dominant players in the country.”

Broncos going out

• LB, Treshaun Hayward (Arizona)
• CB, Ginial Isma
• WR, Ryan Lezzer
• LB, Roy McCree
• DT, Eston Miles
• DE, Stiles Moore
• TE, Luke Sanders