All-American WR withdraws name from college football transfer portal

A wide receiver with All-American distinction in the 2025 season has opted to stay at his current school instead of transferring.

Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a tv camera and the ESPN college football logo before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal is officially open for all college football players in search of new destinations for their 2026 season. The portal is open for a two-week window that began on Friday and will run through Jan. 16.

In the weeks that followed the end of the 2025 regular season, no fewer than 3,000 different college football players from every level made the decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal. A significant portion of the portal entries are from players seeking a place to increase their national exposure.

One player who appeared to be transferring to a higher level of college football was Northeastern State wide receiver Deuce Roberson. Instead, Roberson withdrew to play what could be his final season of eligibility with the RiverHawks.

God has always guided me in the BEST direction and his path is always PERFECT. No better place to be than the QUAH. Time to finish what we started. Ring szn loading. @CoachChev6 @NSU_Football #GRIT #CommitToTheQuah pic.twitter.com/GUY8rvySrs

— AR2 🌹⚡️ (@deuce_roberson) January 8, 2026

"Thank you to every coach who took the time to recruit me and offer me," Roberson announced on social media. "After careful consideration and talking with my family and Coach Chev, I have decided to withdraw my name from the portal and finish my career in the QUAH."

Interestingly, Roberson is not the first portal withdrawal in the 2026 cycle. Louisville starting running back Isaac Brown decided to return to the Cardinals in 2026 despite making a farewell announcement just days before his decision to return.

Roberson began his college football journey in the junior college ranks at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, in 2023. The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder led the Badgers in receiving that season with 24 receptions, 349 yards and three touchdown catches over the course of 10 games.

Division II Northeastern State acquired Roberson out of the transfer portal in the 2024 offseason. He caught 44 passes for 558 yards and eight touchdowns, exceeding the 100-yard mark in a game against Northwest Missouri State. He also threw a touchdown pass in the RiverHawks' game against Central Oklahoma.

Roberson caught 39 passes for 599 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the RiverHawks' game against East Central. He completed passes in the games against Saginaw Valley, Missouri S&T and North Alabama.

The RiverHawks finished 4-2 in Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium. The losses were against Missouri S&T (27-24) and West Florida (31-24). Northeastern State won against Westgate Christian (70-12), Lincoln (California) (68-0), McKendree (44-10) and East Central (56-21) in Tahlequah.

The only road loss of 2025 for Northeastern State was at North Alabama (49-21) on Sept. 13. The RiverHawks won at Saginaw Valley State (28-21), Lincoln (52-3), William Jewell (35-7), Central Oklahoma (28-21) and West Alabama (33-20).