The transfer portal has changed college athletics entirely. With student-athletes having the ability to transfer from one school to the next without penalty of sitting out a year, the number of college football players exploring their options has reached an incredible new high.

According to a story from ESPN, more than 3,600 players at the FBS level have entered the transfer portal this year. A specific date was not mentioned and the number of student-athletes that found a new home was not included, either.

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Breaking that down by the number of teams at the FBS level (130 in 2021 and 131 in 2022), that equates to approximately 27.5 players per team. That would include scholarship players, walk-ons and incoming recruits.

Before the NCAA altered its transfer rules, college football players were required to sit out a season after making the decision to transfer. Now, student-athletes are permitted to have a one-time transfer rule that allows them to maintain immediate eligibility at their next destination.

Graduate transfers are also permitted the opportunity for immediate eligibility.

Because of the influx in the number of players to enter the transfer portal, some football programs are putting a heavy emphasis on recruiting that way. Others continue to build the foundation through high school recruiting and adding pieces to the puzzle through the portal.

The longer the portal has been around, the more popular it has become among student-athletes.