The transfer portal will be big for the Florida football team this offseason.
The Florida football team still has one more game this season as the Gators did qualify for bowl season, but offseason preparation is well underway because of the transfer portal. The transfer portal has been open for around a week now, and it will be a very useful tool for the Gators this offseason. Billy Napier did a good job getting his team through a grueling schedule this year, and Florida is expected to be good next season. Some elite transfer portal additions could help bring the team to the next level.
When the season started, not a lot of people expected the Florida football team to make it to a bowl game. The Gators had one of the toughest schedules in the country, but they ended up doing better than expected.
Most teams aren't satisfied with a 7-5 season, but this is one of the few that is actually looked at as a success. Billy Napier was fighting for his job this season, and he showed that he can lead this team as Florida picked up some impressive wins throughout the year.
Now, the Gators are starting to think about the 2025 season, which will once again be crucial for Napier. Here are some players that they should be looking at in the transfer portal.
Jalen Stroman, S, Virginia Tech
One area that the Florida football team wants to attack in the transfer portal is their secondary. Defense wins championships, and the Gators are looking to improve on that side of the football this offseason. One potential target is Virginia Tech safety Jalen Stroman. Stroman has put up a couple impressive seasons with the Hokies, and he would bring in a lot of experience. He could be a good fit at Florida.
Zachariah Branch, WR, USC
USC WR Zachariah Branch is now in the transfer portal, and there are early reports that the Florida football team could be one to watch. This would be a huge get for the Gators. Branch is one of the most explosive playmakers in the entire country, and he and DJ Lagway could make for a lethal duo. Branch will also likely come in a package deal with his brother, which takes us to our next target.
Zion Branch, S, USC
Zachariah Branch and his brother Zion Branch are both in the transfer portal. Zachariah is a star like we already mentioned, and Zion is a safety, so he would fill a big position of need for the Gators. Zion racked up 41 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in two seasons with the Trojans. If the Gators can find a way to land this Branch brother duo, that would be huge for the 2025 season.
The transfer portal will definitely be big for the Florida football team this offseason, and they should be able to make a lot of noise with it. The Gators have been hot on the recruiting trail, and they have great resources. It's going to be interesting to see who they can land this offseason.
Transfer portal overview
One of the biggest parts of the college football offseason is the transfer portal, and the festivities begin before the offseason actually starts. Teams that didn't qualify for the postseason have entered their offseason, but there are a lot of teams that still have bowl games to play. The transfer portal opened up on December 9th, so it creates some issues for players that want to transfer but still have a season going.
The transfer portal is a massive part of college football now, and there are definitely positives and negatives to it. One of the biggest issues that people have with it is the timing of the first window. It is open in early December so players can pick a new school and start the next semester there when January rolls around. However, it does create issues as we have already seen players this year on College Football Playoff teams have to miss out on the opportunity to participate in the CFP because of their transfer.
On the flip side, the transfer portal gives teams a chance to completely rebuild their squad in just one offseason. New head coaches can come in and bring in a lot of experienced players from the jump, and it can make for a quick turnaround. Any team has hope in the offseason because of the transfer portal.
The transfer portal opened up for the first time this season on December 9th and it will stay open until December 28th. This window is the main window where a lot of the action takes place, but the transfer portal will open again in the spring.
From April 16th until April 25th, the transfer portal will be back open. That way, players can go through spring ball and have a better idea of what their upcoming season will look like. If they aren't satisfied, they can leave. We even sometimes see players that transferred in the first window transfer again in the second window, sometimes back to their original school.
The transfer portal is a crucial part of the offseason, and we will be hearing a lot about it from now until the end of the spring.