Baylor backup quarterback enters NCAA Transfer Portal

On3 imageby:Jonathan Wagner09/28/21

Jonathan Wagner

Baylor backup quarterback Jacob Zeno has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Matt Zenitz. Zeno is a former four-star recruit. He threw for 159 yards and a touchdown in the Big 12 championship in 2019.

Prior to this season, Zeno had completed 14 of his 26 career pass attempts for 241 yards, one touchdown, and one interception for Baylor. He also had one rushing touchdown. This season, Zeno has completed three passes, completing one for a gain of 41 yards.

Baylor is currently 4-0 with wins over Texas State, Texas Southern, Kansas, and Iowa State on the season. Next up for the Bears is a trip to Oklahoma State. Zeno was stuck behind Baylor starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon. Bohanon has 823 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season. He has not thrown an interception this season.

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda on Zeno’s decision

Head coach Dave Aranda commented on Zeno’s decision to transfer from Baylor on Tuesday.

“I appreciate Jacob,” Aranda said via SicEm365’s David Smoak. “I value him as a person, I recognize the qualities he brings as a player and I respect the way that he competed and not asking for this type of treatment or not wanting this type of selection, but totally investing in the competition. When things didn’t come his way accepting it and working to get better and then when there became a battle for the number two spot, same thing.

”So nothing but respect for me for him and his family. I know he’s very close with his dad and this was something they wanted to do and I can see it and understand it. And I told him that nothing but positive stuff for me and I’ll help you whoever and whatever. Please let me know. I want to see him be happy and be somewhere where you can fulfill the stuff he wants to do. When you look at where the quarterback position is going. I think there’s probably going to be more of this, I would like for us to not have to experience a lot of it. I imagine we’re all probably old school in that way of thinking, but you know from Jacob’s part I understand it and I wish him well.”

Transfer portal background information 

The NCAA Transfer Portal, which covers every NCAA sport at the Division I, II and III levels, is a private database with names of student-athletes who wish to transfer. It is not accessible to the public.

The process of entering the portal is done through a school’s compliance office. Once a player provides written notification of an intent to transfer, the office enters the player’s name in the database and everything is off and running. The compliance office has 48 hours to comply with the player’s request and that request cannot be refused.

Once a player’s name shows up in the portal, other schools can contact the player. Players can change their minds at any point and withdraw from the portal. However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship no longer has to be honored. In other words, if a player enters the portal but decides to stay, the school is not obligated to provide a scholarship anymore.

The database is a normal database, sortable by a variety of topics, including (of course) sport and name. A player’s individual entry includes basic details such as contact info, whether the player was on scholarship and whether the player is transferring as a graduate student.

A player can ask that a “do not contact” tag be placed on the report. In those instances, the players don’t want to be  contacted by schools unless they’ve initiated the communication.

The portal has been around since Oct. 15, 2018 and the new calendar cycle within the portal begins each August. For example, the 2021-22 cycle started Aug. 1. During the 2020-21 cycle, 2,626 FBS football players entered the transfer portal (including walk-ons). That comes after 1,681 entered during the 2019-20 cycle and 1,709 during the abbreviated 2018-19 cycle. In comparison, 1,833 Division I basketball players entered the portal during the 2020-21 cycle after totals of 1,020 in 2019-20 and 1,063 in 2018-19.