The NCAA Transfer Portal allows college student-athletes to find new homes.
Players typically leave their previous team for a variety of reasons, such as the chance to compete in a higher conference or more playing time.
As Florida A&M has attracted a recruiting class that has the most newcomers to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for Football Championship Subdivision programs, the Rattlers have also lost many players key in the portal since they won the Celebration Bowl for the National Black College Football Championship.
Roster turnover is often something FCS and HBCU teams deal with each season as players look for new opportunities. Overhauls can also occur when teams have new head coaches, as FAMU does in James Colzie III.
This is where FAMU transfers landed after entering the portal.
Success at FAMU creates transfer opportunities in Power 5 football
FAMU will be well represented in college football’s Power Five conferences.
Two former Rattlers defensive linemen, Gentle Hunt and Cherif Seye, will play in the Big 10. Hunt transferred from FAMU to Illinois, while Seye went to UCLA.
Hunt played at FAMU from 2021-2023 and racked up 89 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles and fumble recoveries each. Hunt was a 2023 All-Southwestern Athletic Conference second-team selection.
Seye played at FAMU in 2023, transferring from southeast Louisiana. Seye tallied 22 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble for the Rattlers.
Former FAMU linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. now plays under head coach Deion Sanders for the Colorado Buffaloes. Chaney’s arrival in Colorado reunites him with former Rattlers director of recruiting Devin Rispress, assistant director of player personnel and high school relations for the Buffaloes.
Chaney played at FAMU from 2021-2023, becoming a constant for Dark Cloud Defense as he left the Rattlers with 141 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Chaney earned Second Team All-SWAC honors in 2023.
More FAMU players transfer to move up to NCAA Division I FBS level
A trio of former Rattlers are now in the Mid-American Conference.
FAMU star defensive end Anthony Dunn Jr. transferred to play for the Toledo Rockets. Dunn, a first-team All-SWAC selection in 2023, played for the Rattlers for two seasons after transferring from the Marshall FBS program.
After a strong performance in the 2022 Florida Classic, Dunn earned a permanent starting job at FAMU, where he tallied 54 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and one forced fumble and one fumble recovery each. Dunn led the Rattlers with eight sacks in 2023.
Former FAMU wide receiver Trevonte Davis is returning to his home state to play at Central Michigan. The Flint native spent 2022 and 2023 at FAMU after transferring from Wayne State.
Battling injuries during his tenure, Davis caught seven receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Davis’ FAMU touchdowns came in the team’s season openers in 2022 against North Carolina and 2023 against Jackson State.
Former FAMU long snapper Emmet Rhoades will now suit up for the Akron Zips. He arrived at FAMU in 2023 but did not appear in any games.
Here’s where other notable FAMU transfers came through the portal
Tallahassee’s Zaire Riley is heading just an hour north to play for NCAA Division II football team Valdosta State.
Defensive back Riley came to FAMU in 2022 from Gadsden County High School in Havana. He redshirted in 2022, but saw action in four games in 2023. In 2022, Riley was featured on KeynoteUSA for a notable one-handed interception he made during a Rattlers fall training camp practice.
Former FAMU receiver Kareem Burke remains in the SWAC. He transferred to Arkansas-Pine Bluff of the SWAC West division. At FAMU, Burke showed flashes of his running and catching ability for the Rattlers.
In 2023, Burke rushed eight times for 85 yards and a touchdown and had six receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Former FAMU defensive back Orel Gray has transferred to Itawamba Community College, where a standout performance will likely put him back in Division I football.
Gray saw just two games of action as a freshman in 2023 and received one tackle. Gray is a household name in Florida, however, as he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards and scored 37 total touchdowns to earn the Jacksonville Times-Union First Coast Offensive Player of the Year award as a senior running back for University Christian in 2022. .
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Recruiting Class
Attack player
Alston Hooker – North Carolina A&T
Bryson Martin – Miami
Daniel Richardson – Florida Atlantic
running backwards
Dorian Collier – Chadron State
Thaddius Franklin Jr. – Louisiana-Monroe
Jaylen Neal – Buford High School (Georgia)
The wide receiver
Márquez Bell – Old Dominion
Caden Bridgeman – Niceville High School
A’Ceon Cobb – Florida Atlantic
Quay Davis – South Texas
Amari Johnson – Central Florida
Jalen Rogers – Tulane
Jaylen Ward – Middle Tennessee State
difficult ending
Wayde Bowman – Lewis and Clark
Karter Johnson as Pitt
Jayden Evans, Michigan center
offensive lineman
Ezra Dotson-Oyetade – Texas Christian
Nathan Gates – Washington State
Jeremy Fishkin – Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Florida)
Dat Nguyen – Southwestern Baptist
Elijah Philippe – Troy
Christian Wingfield-Austin Peay
defensive line
Antonio Camón – Pittsburgh
Nick Dimitris – UNLV
Montra Edwards ― Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Brekien Harold – Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory (Hollywood, Florida)
Cameron McDonald – Kennesaw State
Clyde Pinder Jr. – Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Stantavious Smith – South Florida
Davion Westmoreland-Kansas
linebacker
Landon Bolding ― Monarch High School (Coconut Creek, Florida)
Avery Huff – Florida International
Jayren Fox – Mississippi Valley State
Latarie Kinsler – Florida International
Darrick McGhee Jr. – Florida High School
Brian Norris Jr. – South Florida
Jerome Nichols – Michigan
Justin Squire – Mandarin High School
Defensive back
Brandon Calloway – Purdue
Corey Collier Jr. – Nebraska
Simion Hines ― Northern Arizona
Jameel Sanders – South Florida
Demorie Tate – Florida State
Specialists
Andrew Tisher ― Punter ― Stetson
Gunnar Trout ― Kicker/Punter ― Cocoa High School
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him by email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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