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Reports: Former Oklahoma RB is Back in the Transfer Portal

Tre Bradford was with the Sooners for a short time in 2021, and has apparently re-entered the portal for the fourth time in his career.
John Hoover|
Tre Bradford
Tre Bradford | CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN-Imagn Content Services, LLC

A former Oklahoma running back is back in the portal.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports and Pete Nakos of On3, Tre Bradford has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal — for the fourth time in his college career.

Bradford was at Oklahoma for a short time — he transferred from LSU to OU after spring practice in 2021 — and spent preseason training camp with the Sooners, but then transferred back to LSU before the season began.

“I would love to explain what happened,” then-OU coach Lincoln Riley said after Bradford’s departure. “I really don’t have an explanation. Certainly not trying to keep anything (secret). It was a strange situation. It's part of the deal with the transfer portal. And then even in a COVID year, you’re bringing in some people that you flat out know less about. Do all the homework you want, you just don’t know.”

For More: Lincoln Riley Reacts to RB Tre Bradford's Unexpected Departure

Bradford began his college career at LSU in 2020. After his short stint with the Sooners, he returned to LSU and played the 2021 season, sat out 2022 for undisclosed reasons, then played for the Tigers in 2023 before transferring to North Texas this offseason. But after missing most of spring practice at UNT with injury, Bradford was removed from the roster on April 4, according to the Denton Record Chronicle.

For someone who has spent almost as much time in the portal as out of it, Bradford has gotten plenty of attention over the years.

The former 4-star recruit played three seasons at LSU and has accumulated 16 career rushing attempts for 70 yards and one touchdown.

He played high school football at Lancaster, TX, for Chris Gilbert, who joined the North Texas staff last year but then left for a spot on Texas’ support staff.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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