Former 5-star recruit linked to two major college football programs in transfer portal

Two Power Four college football programs have been connected with a defensive back in the transfer portal.

Sep 6, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Joenel Aguero (8) in action against the Austin Peay Governors in the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The window for college football players to enter the NCAA transfer portal is nearing its halfway point. The window officially opened on Friday and will officially close on Jan. 16.

More than 3,000 college football players from all levels are scouring the landscape to find new destinations in 2026. The Power Four landscape is seeing a mass realignment of skill players on both sides of the ball in search of more lucrative situations.

A defensive skill player on the move in the Power Four ranks is former Georgia safety Joenel Aguero. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his second school.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder arrived in Athens in the 2023 season. He appeared in 12 of Georgia's 14 games that season, logging seven tackles (one for loss) and a blocked punt in the Bulldogs' win over Florida.

Aguero started in five of Georgia's 11 games over the course of 2024. He made 26 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss on Georgia's run to an SEC Championship victory and subsequent Sugar Bowl appearance in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Georgia featured Aguero in 13 of its 14 games in the 2025 season. He made 39 tackles, half a tackle for loss and grabbed an interception for the Bulldogs. Georgia once again won an SEC championship and fell in the Sugar Bowl in the 2025 College Football Playoff.

Aguero's entry into the transfer portal is sure to draw interest from Power Four schools in search of defensive talent. Alex Agrella of Recruiting Board linked Aguero to a pair of Power Four programs on Thursday.

Former 5 ⭐️ Joenel Aguero has entered the portal. Expect the @StJohnsPrepFB alum to have plenty of options, being a 2 year SEC starter.

Syracuse and Texas come to mind, as he was recruited by Fran Brown and Will Muschamp. Hopefully his ties to MA can get him on a BC visit. https://t.co/fhWCwH3cYN

— Alex Agrella (@AlexAgrellaRB) January 7, 2026

Syracuse

Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown looks towards the bench against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Defense was not a strength for Syracuse in the 2025 college football season. No team scored fewer than 20 points against the Orange all season, and it allowed only one of the nine teams it lost to to score under 30 points.

Syracuse head coach Fran Brown recruited Aguero to Georgia in 2023 when he was working as the Bulldogs' defensive backs coach. Aguero is from Lynn, Massachusetts, a part of the country in which Brown is heavily connected in the college football recruiting landscape.

Texas

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Longhorns have boasted one of the strongest defenses in the country each of their first two seasons in the SEC. In a stunning move, head coach Steve Sarkisian decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and hire Will Muschamp, who worked as Texas' defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2010.

Following his firing from the South Carolina head coaching position, Muschamp worked in various coaching positions at Georgia from 2021 to 2025. One of these roles was safeties coach, and it was in that role that he worked with Aguero.