College football program loses 39 players to transfer portal

Appalachian State finished the 2025 season 5–8 (2–6 Sun Belt) and lost 29–10 to Georgia Southern in the JLab Birmingham Bowl, a disappointing campaign for a program accustomed to sustained success, marked by midseason injuries and turnover at quarterback.

The season also marked the first under head coach Dowell Loggains, who arrived in Boone after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at South Carolina from 2023–24.

Loggains previously served as an NFL offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans.

Since the transfer portal window opened on Jan. 2, Appalachian State has seen a significant number of players listed as outgoing in the 2026 cycle, the latest being punter Mitch Lake, who officially entered the portal on Tuesday.

What stands out most is that Lake became the 39th Appalachian State player to enter the 2026 transfer portal, representing one of the largest single-program departures in college football this cycle.

Quarterback AJ Swann is among the most high-profile exits.

In 2025, Swann appeared in seven games, throwing for 1,495 yards with 10 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions, but entered the portal following the season and has since been reported as committed to Mississippi State.

He is not alone, though, as backup quarterback JJ Kohl, starting cornerback Emory Floyd, safety Zyeir Gamble, and wide receiver Davion Dozier are among several other key contributors from the 2025 roster who have entered the portal and have since been linked to programs across the country.

Appalachian State Mountaineers head coach Dowell Logains. — Appalachian State Mountaineers head coach Dowell Logains reacts to a call during the first quarter against the Charlotte 49ers | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Appalachian State replaced Shawn Clark with Loggains in December 2024, and a coaching change, along with subsequent staff turnover, is widely cited as one of the most common reasons players reassess fit, role, and playing time when entering the transfer portal.

That internal uncertainty has coincided with broader forces reshaping roster movement nationwide, including guaranteed player mobility, increased pursuit of Power-4 opportunities, and an evolving NIL landscape that has further incentivized transfers.

On the field, the Mountaineers’ slide to back-to-back losing seasons after a prolonged stretch of success added another destabilizing element, as disappointing results often accelerate roster turnover.

Compounding the situation, the NCAA’s shift to a condensed two-week January transfer window has concentrated activity and accelerated churn across the sport, making mass movement increasingly common.

For mid-major programs like Appalachian State, the combination of an off-year, coaching turnover, and NIL-driven market dynamics can lead to rapid losses of core contributors.

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