Major college football team loses 32 players in transfer portal

Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh (13) celebrates his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Florida finished the 2025 season with a disappointing 4–8 record (2–6 SEC), highlighted by a midseason coaching change that saw fourth-year head coach Billy Napier dismissed on October 19 after a 3–4 start.

Longtime Gators wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales served as interim coach before Florida hired Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall at the end of November.

Following the down year and change in leadership, several Florida players opted to test the market by entering the NCAA transfer portal.

On Tuesday, another name was added to that list, as defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr. officially entered the portal.

Taylor is a 6-foot-5, 294-pound senior defender from Houston who joined Florida via the junior college ranks ahead of the 2024 season.

Prior to arriving in Gainesville, Taylor played two seasons (2022–23) at Blinn College, appearing in 13 games and totaling 39 tackles (17 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery.

His breakout JUCO campaign earned him a spot on the 2023 SWJFC All-Conference Team.

Taylor was regarded as one of the top junior college prospects in the country, earning four-star status and ranking as the No. 4 JUCO transfer by Rivals.

He was also listed as the No. 2 JUCO player in Texas by 247Sports and the No. 4 JUCO EDGE in the 2024 class by On3, ultimately signing with Florida over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, and others.

In 2025, Taylor produced his best season as a Gator, recording 24 total tackles (15 solo), 3.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks, while also forcing a fumble and adding two quarterback hurries across 12 games.

What’s most notable is that Taylor’s departure brings the total number of Florida players to enter the transfer portal to 32 this cycle.

That group includes a mix of underclassmen and veterans, such as wide receiver Muizz Tounkara (committed to Houston), tight end Hayden Hansen (reported to Oklahoma), and running back Ja’Kobi Jackson (committed to Ohio State).

Perhaps most significantly, former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, the top-ranked high school prospect in the 2024 class and Florida’s starter in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, also entered the portal following the coaching change and has since signed with Baylor.

Oxford, MS, USA; Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall on the field prior to a game Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Sumrall was announced as Florida’s head coach following a successful run at Troy and an especially productive tenure at Tulane.

Across four seasons between the two programs, Sumrall posted a combined 43–12 record, and most recently, he led Tulane to an 11–3 finish in 2025, capturing the AAC championship and earning a College Football Playoff berth.

Sumrall has been widely credited for leaning heavily on the transfer portal to accelerate roster construction, as Tulane’s 2025 rebuild featured dozens of incoming transfers who played immediate roles.

As a result, the situation at Florida presents both risk and opportunity. 

While the Gators are facing significant roster turnover, Sumrall’s recent success with transfer-heavy classes provides a proven blueprint to rapidly restock the roster through the portal and targeted recruiting.

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