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NCAA transfer portal tracker | Former Stark County players on the move in college football

canton repository
·4 min read

College football's early signing period arrives Wednesday. Bowl season got underway this past weekend.

College football's transfer portal, though, is beginning to upstage both.

With 20.5% of FBS rosters in 2023 featuring transfers, according to ESPN, the importance of the portal grows each year. Last year, more than 1,300 college football players entered the portal. Expect at least that many to enter the portal for the 2024 season. Former Greater Canton high school football players are among those in the portal.

We'll track them here over the next month, as seven former All-Ohio players in the area are in the portal. Some have already found new homes, others are still looking. Here's a look at the seven, as well as info on how long the portal is open.

When does the NCAA Transfer Portal close?

This transfer portal for college football opened Dec. 4 and remains open until Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

Who are the former Greater Canton-area high school football players looking to transfer

Of the seven area players in the portal, four have announced their new school and three others are still looking. Here's the breakdown:

Tyson Durant to Washington State

Akron cornerback Tyson Durant pursues a first-half play at Bowling Green, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Akron cornerback Tyson Durant pursues a first-half play at Bowling Green, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

  • Previous college: Akron

  • 2023 season: Played in all 12 games for the Zips as a defensive back, totaling 36 tackles with one interception.

  • Background: Starred at McKinley, earning second-team all-state honors as a senior after making 113 career tackles and gaining 2,100 all-purpose yards as a four-year letterman. Played in three games in Akron's abbreviated 2020 COVID-season before playing all 12 games in 2021.

Willtrell Hartson to Southern Illinois

  • Previous college: Ohio State

  • 2023 season: Did not play a game for the Buckeyes.

  • Background: Hartson walked on at Ohio State as a running back and has been with the program for a year. Hartson was a three-star prospect at Massillon after breaking several records for the Tigers, including the single-season rushing record and being the first Massillon running back to rush for more than 2,000 yards (2,042 in 2022).

NCAA Transfer Portal: College football recruiting | Ohio State transfer Willtrell Hartson commits to Southern Illinois

Luke Murphy to Eastern Michigan

  • Previous college: Kent State

  • 2023 season: Did not play in a game for the Golden Flashes.

  • Background: Appeared in 11 games, making 13 tackles in 2022, the linebacker's third year on campus. Starred in high school at Massillon before heading to Kent State. Helped the Tigers reach the 2018 and 2019 Division II state title games, earning All-Ohio honors as a senior and leading the team with 111 total tackles in '19.

Vinny Sciury to Texas Tech

  • Previous college: Toledo

  • 2023 season: Earned first-team All-MAC as an offensive lineman in helping the Rockets go 11-2, reach the MAC title game and receive a bid to the Arizona Bowl.

  • Background: Started 33 games at left guard for the Rockets in his four years since graduating from Perry High School. Sciury, an All-Ohio lineman in high school, was a three-star prospect and a Perry team captain.

Andrew Wilson-Lamp to East Carolina

West Virginia's Andrew Wilson-Lamp (left) and Oklahoma's Kani Walker each make a play on the ball, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.
West Virginia's Andrew Wilson-Lamp (left) and Oklahoma's Kani Walker each make a play on the ball, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in Norman, Okla.

  • Previous college: West Virginia

  • 2023 season: Started two games as a defensive back. Finished with five tackles.

  • Background: Wilson-Lamp played in 25 games for the Mountaineers in three seasons. A big-play receiver and DB with the Massillon Tigers, he was ranked the No. 44 overall player in Ohio by ESPN, No. 15 by Rivals and No. 16 by 247Sports.

NCAA Transfer Portal: College football recruiting | Caiden Woullard to Oklahoma, Andrew Wilson-Lamp to East Carolina

Caiden Woullard to Oklahoma

  • Previous college: Miami (Ohio)

  • 2023 season: Played 14 games for the RedHawks as a defensive end, totaling 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He was named first-team All-MAC.

  • Background: Woullard was Massillon's sack leader during his time with the Tigers and a two-time All-Ohio player at defensive end. He committed to Miami the following year. In three seasons, he recorded 75 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles and four blocked kicks.

Ethan Wright still choosing a school

Cincinnati running back Ethan Wright carries the ball against Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 2, 2023.
Cincinnati running back Ethan Wright carries the ball against Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 2, 2023.

  • Previous college: Cincinnati

  • 2023 season: Played in four games at running back for the Bearcats before missing the rest of the season after sustaining a back injury.

  • Background: Wright appeared in 32 games during his four-year tenure with the Bearcats. He rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns. He also saw time at safety and was highly involved on special teams. Starred in high school for four years at Manchester and was named Ohio's Gatorade Player of the Year. In 2019, he was a finalist for Ohio Mr. Football after rushing for 2,385 yards and 36 touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: College football transfer portal tracker | Former Stark County players