College football program loses starting RB after conference championship appearance

The 2025 college football regular season has officially concluded.

12 college football programs were fortunate to receive invitations to the 2025 College Football Playoff. 70 other programs accepted invitations to bowl games through the end of December and into the first two days of January.

Every college football player has a window to enter the transfer portal from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, 2026. The NCAA removed the spring transfer portal window after the 2025 offseason.

Among those who will enter the transfer portal in January is Troy running back Tae Meadows. He will enter the portal with two years of college eligibility remaining, having used a redshirt during his freshman season in 2023.

BREAKING: Troy starting RB Tae Meadows plans to enter the @TransferPortal, his agent tells @On3Sports

This season he totaled 159 Carries for 695 yards and 6 TDs

Repped by @david_benzaken & @IanGrutman of @GSEworldwide https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/UgGYdFEsb8
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 9, 2025

The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder received limited action in his first two seasons with the Trojans. He was given one carry for five yards and a touchdown in a 45-14 win over UL Monroe in 2023. He appeared in three games in 2024, totaling 41 yards on three carries against Southern Miss, South Alabama and Florida A&M.

Meadows finished the 2025 regular season as the Trojans' lead rusher with 695 yards on 159 carries and six touchdowns. Meadows' season high in rush yards in a game was 186 in Week 1 against Nicholls. He logged an additional 11 catches for 64 yards through the air.

Meadows helped the Trojans (8-5, 6-2) to a victory in the Sun Belt West division in 2025. They won non-conference games against Nicholls (38-20) and Buffalo (21-17) while losing at Clemson (27-16) and to Memphis (28-7).

Troy won home games in Sun Belt play against South Alabama (31-24), Louisiana (35-23) and Georgia State (31-19). The lone loss came against Arkansas State on Nov. 1 (23-10).

The Trojans won a trio of road games in conference play against Texas State (48-41), UL Monroe (37-14), and Southern Miss (28-18). Troy's lone Sun Belt road loss was at Old Dominion (33-0).

Troy's efforts led it to the Sun Belt Conference championship game at James Madison on Dec. 5. The Trojans fell 31-14 to the Dukes.

Troy accepted a bid to play in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, against Jacksonville State on Dec. 16 (9 p.m. EST, ESPN).