FCS starting QB Carson Haggard will forgo season to preserve eligibility, enter transfer portal

Abilene Christian starting quarterback Carson Haggard announced that he will sit out the rest of the season. That way, he’ll be able to preserve his eligibility and enter the Transfer Portal.

“After reflection, I have made the decision to forgo playing football this season,” Carson Haggard wrote. “I will be graduating this semester from ACU and will be entering the transfer portal in December as a Graduate transfer with at least one year of eligibility remaining. My recruitment is open.”

In 2022, Carson Haggard began his career at Tulane. He had previously been a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He had also been the 1,614th-ranked player nationally and the 100th-ranked player at his position in that recruiting class. However, during that time, he would only ever appear in one game, against FCS Alcorn State.

In 2024, Haggard initially transferred to Abilene Christian. That season saw him appear in three total games. In that time, he would complete 35 of 60 passes for 431 yards and four touchdowns to five interceptions. Despite that, he made the decision to move on from Abilene Christian, and he’ll be doing that early this season.

The timing is less surprising for this time of the move. Players who appear in four games can still use a redshirt after all. That would preserve this season to step away earlier than later, allowing for a transfer with more eligibility. It appears that’s the move that Haggard decided to make.

Abilene Christian is five games into its season. That includes two games, both of which were losses, to FBS opponents. However, in their three FCS games so far, Abilene Christian is 2-1 on the year. This comes in the fourth season that head coach Keith Patterson has been the head coach there. In that time, he’s accumulated a record of 21-15. That includes a playoff appearance last season.

Changes coming to the NCAA Transfer Portal

There are major changes now coming to the NCAA Transfer Portal. Among the changes is the notable decision to eliminate the Spring portal window. That’s going to leave just the Winter window for players to enter.

The timing of the winter portal window is still under consideration. Notably, it has been proposed that there would be a shorter window in January. However, that itself is not set in stone just yet. This all comes after the Division I Football Oversight Committee voted earlier in September to eliminate both the Spring window and turn the winter window into a 10-day period in January. The NCAA Division I Administration Committee approved the former already, but not the latter.

“In response to student-athlete feedback, football oversight committees will consider modifications to the proposed single January window, including the length of the window and corresponding dates,” the NCAA said in a statement.

It may remain to be seen when the portal and for how long it will be open. However, it will be the only period it is open. That should, in turn, change how players end up approaching that winter window.