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College football‘s 30-day winter transfer portal window is open, as players have until Jan. 2, 2024, to enter the portal for their one-time transfers. It doesn’t mean they have to find their new schools by then — or that they can’t return to their previous schools — but they have 30 days to decide whether they want to be in the portal.

More than 1,000 players officially entered the transfer portal on Monday. A few of the quarterbacks who already are in the portal include Ohio State’s Kyle McCord, Washington State’s Cam Ward, Duke’s Riley Leonard, Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei and UCLA’s Dante Moore.

Who’s next to enter the portal? We’re tracking notable players entering (and exiting) the portal, with the latest news and updates on how the 2024 season could be transformed:

coverage:
Ranking best players in portal
Top available transfer QBs

Latest transfer portal entries

Portal entrants from before the window officially opened

Christian-Lichtenhan is a 6-foot-10, 315-pound junior, originally from Davis, California. He redshirted in his freshman season at Colorado in 2020, but played in five games along the offensive line during the 2021 season. He started in eight games in 2022, and was the starting left tackle this season for coach Deion Sanders. He is departing from an offensive line that struggled mightily in pass protection during 2023.


Ward transferred into the WSU program from Incarnate Word prior to the 2022 season, where he was a second team FCS All-American player and the Southland Conference offensive player of the year. He went 10-3 in 2021 with Incarnate Word and threw for 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

He continued that success in 2022 at Washington State and was an All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention player. He started all 13 games and threw for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns.


After starting his career at Notre Dame, Pyne transferred to Arizona State last season. But because of injuries, he was sidelined for the most of 2023, only appearing in two games in September. In those two appearances, he threw two touchdowns and three interceptions. Pyne expects to have three seasons of eligibility left once he graduates with his degree.


The South Alabama wide receiver had over 1,300 receiving yards for the Jaguars this season to pair with seven touchdowns. He’s in the portal as a graduate transfer.


Moore was the No. 2 prospect overall in the 2023 class out of Detroit, Michigan. He originally committed to Oregon out of high school, but flipped to UCLA and signed with the Bruins. Moore appeared in nine games this season as a true freshman and threw for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Prior to his commitment, he showed interest in Michigan State, Texas A&M, LSU, Miami and Michigan among others.


The former Clemson QB, who was one of the big names in the portal last season is planning to leave the Beavers. In his lone season in Corvalis, DJU was improved in almost every category compared this previous two seasons starting at Clemson. In 2023, Uiagalelei threw for 2,638 yards and accounted for 27 total touchdowns.


Morris, a sophomore, began the season as NC State’s backup with plans to be a backup and redshirt. He ended up starting four games before opting to sit out the rest of the season to preserve his redshirt. Morris played last season as a true freshman after Devin Leary went out for the season with an injury. Morris has thrown for 1,367 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 57.8 percent of his passes during his career at NC State.

Clark was a starter on the defensive line for the Wolfpack. He had 22 tackles in 2023.


Collins, a junior, will be immediately eligible for his final year. He has caught 91 passes for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns over three seasons.


Leonard, a junior, started all 13 games for the Blue Devils during the 2022 season and threw for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also had 699 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns and was an All-ACC honorable mention selection for his performance. He played in seven games this season, missing games because of a toe injury suffered against Louisville, and finished the season with 1,102 yards passing, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He added on four rushing touchdowns and 352 yards on the ground.


Coastal Carolina starting quarterback Grayson McCall entered his name in the transfer portal as a grad transfer on Wednesday. McCall dealt with an injury this season that allowed him to play in just seven games where he threw for 1,919 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions under new coach Tim Beck. McCall threw for 2,700 yards, 24 touchdowns and two interceptions in 11 games during the 2022 season. He has 10,005 career passing yards and 88 career touchdowns.


Peebles, a graduate transfer, played 411 snaps this season, racking up four sacks, 40 total tackles and a forced fumble. He had 3.5 sacks over the 2021 and 2022 seasons.


Bedford, who started 10 games this season and played both right guard and right tackle, is the 17th Hoosiers player to enter the portal since Nov. 27, according to ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren. That includes four of their starting offensive linemen. Bedford allowed just one sack in 2023.


The Owls’ sophomore quarterback is moving on after starting two years for Temple. He was AAC rookie of the year in 2022. In his career, he has thrown for 6,104 yards with 41 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.


Cincinnati defender Deshawn Pace announced that he will enter the transfer portal. He plays the STAR position for the Bearcats, a safety and linebacker combination, and led the team in total tackles in 2023 with 80 tackles. Pace also led the team in tackles for loss with 11 and had five pass breakups on the season.


Rudolph, who had 46 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns this season, intends to enter the transfer portal, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Rudolph caught 51 passes for 892 yards and seven scores in 2021.


Kaliakmanis had 1,838 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while completing 53.1% of his attempts for Minnesota, which finished 5-7. He added two rushing touchdowns. He took over as Minnesota’s top quarterback after starting five games as a freshman in 2022, going 3-2 with 946 passing yards and three touchdowns. He has two seasons of eligibility left.


After replacing Sam Hartman, who transferred to Notre Dame last year, Griffis struggled this season. He went 124-for-207 for 1,553 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions as Wake Forest finished 4-8. Wake Forest backup QB Santino Marucci also announced he would be transferring.


A sophomore from Minnesota, Burks has decided to leave Purdue. With 47 catches for 629 yards and seven scores, Burks was the Boilermakers’ leading receiver in 2023. Burks was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2021.


After an up-and-down career with the Hurricanes, Van Dyke entered the transfer portal, saying, “I am looking forward to the next chapter and what my future holds.” A fourth-year junior, had been the starter since the 2021 season. He threw for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games in 2021. His performance that season earned him ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Injuries and inconsistency hampered his next two seasons as Van Dyke threw 17 interceptions over the last two seasons and has played for three different offensive coordinators.

Chaney, a sophomore, had 478 yards rushing this season and two touchdowns. He was, at certain times, the Canes’ feature back, and he had double-digit carries in three games and 106 yards against Georgia Tech and 85 yards against Florida State.


Correll, who started 10 games for the Irish this season, enters the portal as a graduate transfer and will have one year of eligibility remaining. Correll was a veteran presence on the Notre Dame line but missed the final two games of the season with a concussion. He was a four-star prospect, ranked No. 148 in the 2019 ESPN 300.

Osafo-Mensah started one game this season before finding a reserve role on the Irish defense. In five seasons in South Bend, he had 47 tackles and five sacks.


A sophomore receiver, McAlister had a big season for the Broncos in 2023. He had 47 catches for 873 yards and five scores. He averaged 18.6 yards-per-catch in 2023.


Brown, a sophomore who saw limited action in 2023, has decided to leave USC. He had only three catches on the year. He was a highly ranked recruit in USC’s 2022 recruiting class. Ranked No. 64 overall, Brown was the highest-ranked offensive recruit in the class.


Part of an exodus of Hoosiers players after the firing of coach Tom Allen, Indiana has four of five starting offensive linemen entering the portal. Benson and Carpenter will be graduate transfers, while Smith and Bedford have multiple years of eligibility left.


Howard, who led Kansas State to a Big 12 title in 2022, has decided to move on as a graduate transfer. Howard led Kansas State with 2,643 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions, completing 61.3% of his passes. After sharing time with Adrian Martinez to begin the 2022 season, he emerged as the Wildcats’ top quarterback for their run to a conference title. Howard, who will have one year of eligibility left, has 5,786 career passing yards with 48 touchdowns — a team record — and 25 interceptions, as well as 934 career rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

Ward will move on as a graduate transfer after four seasons at Florida State before playing for the Wildcats in 2023. He has had more than 500 yards rushing in a season the past three seasons and 17 career touchdowns.


After starting 23 games over three seasons in Waco, Shapen has decided to transfer. As a true junior this season, he will have at least one season of eligibility remaining. He had 2,188 yards passing with 13 touchdowns in 2023. Shapen is a former four-star recruit from the Class of 2020.


Will Rogers, who has thrown for 94 career touchdowns, is leaving Starkville after the Mississippi State coaching change. Rogers played in every game in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before injuries limited his 2023 season. In eight games this season, Rogers threw for 1,626 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. In four seasons with the Bulldogs, Rogers threw for 12,315 yards, completing 69.4% of his passes.


Houser, a redshirt freshman, who played in seven games this season, plans to transfer and has three years of eligibility remaining. He played in 11 games this season and finished with 1,132 passing yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.


A day after the Hoosiers fired coach Tom Allen, their starting QB is moving on as well. Sorsby, who started parts of the 2023 season, played in 10 total games and finished with 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had 286 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground. He was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022.


With Cam Rising returning for a seventh year and Bryson Barnes, who started for for most of the 2023 season also back, Utah freshman signal-caller Johnson has decided to move on. Johnson started three games this season, going 2-1, and accounting for 734 total yards and 12 touchdowns. From Clovis, California, he was a four-star recruit and ranked 93rd overall in the 2022 ESPN 300.


Johnson, who started 12 games at LSU in 2021, then eight over two seasons at Texas A&M, is entering the portal as a graduate transfer. He was the Aggies’ starter in 2022 for three of their first four games before being injured and redshirting. Johnson then battled Conner Weigman for the starting job this season. After Weigman was injured in late September, Johnson was again the starter for the next five games before injuring his ribs. In total, Johnson has thrown for 5,853 yards and 47 touchdowns over four collegiate seasons. Johnson was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020, ranked No. 129 overall in the ESPN 300.


Shough started his career at Oregon before going to Texas Tech. He has accounted for 36 touchdowns in five collegiate seasons and was an ESPN 300 recruit in the Class of 2018.


Cottrell entered the portal after the firing of Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher. Cottrell, a freshman from Milton, Florida, had just one catch for 13 yards (it went for a touchdown) this season. A four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, Cottrell was the 23rd overall receiver in the class.

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Isles top juggernaut Avalanche with ‘surprise’ win

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Isles top juggernaut Avalanche with 'surprise' win

ELMONT, N.Y. — The Colorado Avalanche entered Thursday night’s game at the New York Islanders as a juggernaut, having lost just once in regulation in 26 games. Islanders coach Patrick Roy’s message to his team before that game: “If there’s a team that could surprise them, it’s us and the way we’ve been playing.”

St. Patrick was prophetic: Roy’s team defeated the mighty Avalanche 6-3 to snap Colorado’s 17-game point streak in a statement win for the Islanders (15-10-3).

The Islanders built a 4-0 lead against Colorado and responded every time the Avalanche crept back into the game. That included a late third-period penalty kill, as the Avalanche pulled goalie Mackenzie Blackwood for a 6-on-4 advantage. Forward Casey Cizikas iced the win with an empty-netter.

“That’s a really good hockey team over there,” Cizikas said. “They’ve proved it all season. They’re never out of a game, so you’ve got to complete it.”

Even after the loss, Colorado remained the NHL’s top team in points percentage (.815), goal differential (plus-47), offense (4.04 goals per game) and defense (2.19 goals against per game). The Avalanche have the NHL’s leading scorer in center Nathan MacKinnon (46 points) and the leading scorer among defenseman in Cale Makar (33 points).

But Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said New York’s 4-1 loss in Denver on Nov. 16 gave his teammates confidence they could hang with the NHL’s best.

“We feel like when we played them in Colorado, we probably should have won,” said Barzal, who had a goal and two assists in the win. “As a group, too, we know who we’re playing and that always makes a difference. Against Colorado, if we don’t show up, it could be ugly.”

The Islanders showed up on the scoresheet at 5:56 in the first period, on a controversial goal by forward Kyle MacLean. His shot sailed into the top corner of the net with Blackwood (36 saves) flat on the ice. Replays showed that after a scramble in the crease, the stick of Islanders center Marc Gatcomb had become wedged in Blackwood’s pads as Blackwood attempted to defend the net.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar challenged the goal. The NHL Situation Room cited Rule 69.7 in upholding the goal, which states that “in a rebound situation, or where a goalkeeper and attacking player(s) are simultaneously attempting to play a loose puck, whether inside or outside the crease, incidental contact with the goalkeeper will be permitted, and any goal that is scored as a result thereof will be allowed.”

Bednar disagreed with that assessment.

“Listen, I think goalie interference is a joke. If that’s not goalie interference, I don’t know what is. You can’t just shove the goalie’s pads out of the way to create a loose puck,” said Bednar. “I’m not going to challenge unless it’s obvious. And I thought that was obvious.”

On the other end of the ice, Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin was great when he needed to be in making 35 saves against the high-octane Avalanche. Roy cited one save in the second period where Sorokin stopped Artturi Lehkonen on a 2-on-1 before Barzal increased their lead to 5-2 with a power-play goal.

“I think that gave us the confidence. Ilya made the key save at the right time,” said the coach.

The Islanders’ win over the Avalanche came on a poignant night at UBS Arena for the players. Their fathers and mentors were in attendance, ahead of their road trip to Florida. The game also marked the return of former Islanders star Brock Nelson, who was sent to Colorado at last season’s trade deadline. He received a standing ovation from Islanders fans after a video tribute.

It was just the second loss for the Avalanche (19-2-6) in the past 14 games.

“It’s closer than you think, but it still wasn’t good enough,” Bednar said. “We’ll refocus on the things that we need to do to make us successful.”

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McDavid’s hat trick ties Messier, Oilers rout Kraken

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McDavid's hat trick ties Messier, Oilers rout Kraken

EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid had his 13th career hat trick to tie Mark Messier for fourth in Oilers history and added an assist in Edmonton’s 9-4 romp over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.

McDavid opened the scoring at 7:17 of the first period, made it 5-2 on a power play at 6:14 of the second and struck again on a power play at 6:59 of the third. He has 14 goals this season.

McDavid set up Leon Draisaitl‘s first-period, power-play goal for his 28th assist. Along with his 16th goal, Draisaitl had three assists for a four-point night of his own.

Matthew Savoie scored twice and Vasily Podkolzin, Zach Hyman and Mattias Janmark added goals. Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had three assists, and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves. The Oilers have won two of their last three to improve to 12-11-5.

Eeli Tolvanen, Frederick Gaudreau, Jared McCann and Jani Nyman scored for Seattle. The Kraken have lost four in a row to drop to 11-8-6.

Joey Daccord allowed five goals on 14 shots for the Kraken before being replaced six minutes into the second period by Philipp Grubauer, who also made 14 saves.

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Lightning sign McDonagh to 3-year, $12.3M deal

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Lightning sign McDonagh to 3-year, .3M deal

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a three-year extension worth $12.3 million.

General manager Julien BriseBois announced the deal Thursday. McDonagh will be 37 when the new contract kicks in; it counts $4.1 million against the salary cap through the 2028-29 season.

McDonagh helped the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and reach the Final in 2022 before losing in six games to the Colorado Avalanche.

They traded him to the Nashville Predators that summer to clear cap space at a time when it was not going up much because of the pandemic and reacquired him in 2024.

Record cap increases will have McDonagh account for less than 4% of the cap each of the next three years.

McDonagh is currently injured, one of several players Tampa Bay has been missing, along with No. 1 defenseman Victor Hedman. The team has still won 16 of 26 games and leads the Atlantic Division.

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