The NCAA transfer portal has become somewhat of a new normal in college athletics. It allows student-athletes to explore other opportunities if they’re not happy with their current situation, regardless of reason.

While this new process does make the transfer process a little easier on the student-athlete, it doesn’t necessarily mean that players are going to leap from FBS program to FBS program continuously. In fact, a recent study from 247Sports shows the opposite.

According to the report from 247Sports, there were 680 FBS players who entered their name in the transfer portal during the 2018-19 cycle. Of that group, 311 committed to another FBS program while 367 committed to an FCS school, a junior college, another division or stopped playing football entirely.

That means that 54.3 percent of the FBS players who entered the portal did not play football at that same level. All 680 players were ranked three-star recruits or higher out of high school.

So, while players like Justin Fields, Jacob Eason, Brandon Peters and others have been able to find homes at other major programs, it’s not the story for everyone.

Perhaps the transfer portal is the best options for certain players, but this latest study shows that there are no guarantees in college football. If a player decides to explore his choices, it’s more likely than not he’ll play college football at a different level.