South Carolina LB Jaron Willis plans to enter NCAA transfer portal
South Carolina linebacker Jaron Willis plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his agency, SetVision Management, announced. He played the past three seasons with the Gamecocks after beginning his college career at Ole Miss in 2022 and will have one season of eligibility remaining.
This past season, Willis played in 11 games and recorded seven total tackles and two fumble recoveries. He’ll now aim to make an impact for another defense in 2026, which will be his last year of college football.
Overall, Willis made an appearance in 22 games across his career with South Carolina. He leaves witth 10 tackles for his career along with the two fumble recoveries he has from this season.
Willis played high school football at Lee County (GA), where he was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class. He ranked as the No. 209 overall player and No. 21 linebacker in the cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
South Carolina is coming off of a 4-8 season, its worst record in five years under coach Shane Beamer. Its defense ranked 11th in the SEC in points allowed per game and 10th in yards allowed per game.
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It will be interesting to see how many more players follow Willis’ lead in entering the transfer portal. The portal officially opens Jan. 2, which is later than it has in previous years.
Changes coming for the transfer portal this offseason
The 15-day transfer portal this offseason will be the only window, closing on Jan. 16. The NCAA opted to eliminate the spring transfer portal window for football, meaning this will be the only opportunity for student athletes to enter their names.
The move to a one-time-only portal is supposed to allow schools to finish their season with their entire team before the transfer portal opens. As has been the previous standard, athletes on College Football Playoff teams still playing would have 5 days beginning the day after their team’s final game to enter the transfer portal.
This season’s CFP semifinals are set for Jan. 8 and 9. The CFP national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.