College Football Playoff team loses star player to NCAA transfer portal

A player from a participant in the College Football Playoff is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Dec 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Shazz Preston (7) runs against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half in the 2025 American Championship at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The NCAA transfer portal is within a week of opening for the 2026 offseason.

Many college football players across all levels have already decided to enter the transfer portal. Even bowl-qualifying Power Four programs have already seen significant departures for the transfer portal.

Now that the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff is complete, the eliminated teams are beginning to see players enter the transfer portal.

Tulane is losing a key piece to the transfer portal in wide receiver Shazz Preston. He will have one season of eligibility at his third school.

BREAKING: Tulane starting WR Shazz Preston is entering the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports

He totaled 43 receptions for 723 yards and 4 TDs this season

The former Top 50 Recruit started his career at Alabama

Grad transfer with 1 year remaining https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/0frpMH8kbt

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 26, 2025

The 6-foot, 206-pounder began his college football career with Nick Saban at Alabama in 2022. He played in 10 total games with the Crimson Tide across two seasons, primarily finding work on special teams with occasional offensive snaps late in games.

Preston transferred to Tulane in the 2024 offseason, after it was announced that Saban was retiring at Alabama. He appeared in four games with the Green Wave in 2024 and caught four passes for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Tulane featured Preston in all 14 of its games in 2025. He tallied a team-high 43 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns for the Green Wave. His highest output in a game was five receptions for 125 yards in the opening round of the 2025 College Football Playoff at Ole Miss.

The Green Wave won three of its four non-conference games in its 2025 season against Northwestern (23-3), Duke (34-27) and at South Alabama (33-31). The lone loss was at Ole Miss (45-10) on Sept. 20.

Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Shazz Preston (7) runs against North Texas | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tulane finished conference play undefeated at Yulman Stadium in 2025. The Green Wave defeated East Carolina (26-19), Army (24-17), Florida Atlantic (35-24) and Charlotte (27-0) at home.

The Green Wave won conference road games at Tulsa (31-14), Memphis (38-32) and Temple (37-13). The lone conference loss for the Green Wave was at UTSA (48-26) on Oct. 30.

Tulane defeated North Texas (34-21) in the American Conference Championship to claim the No. 11 seed in the 2025 College Football Playoff. The Green Wave once again lost at Ole Miss (41-10) in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.

One reason Preston and others are looking toward the portal is due to a coaching change. Florida announced it was hiring Tulane coach Jon Sumrall as its next head coach for the 2026 football season.